[labloverl]

I've had my betta for just over a week. He's usually swimming around the plants and swimming back and forth across the sides, but lately he's been creeping along the bottom with his head bent towards the gravel like he's looking for food. It's mainly in one part of the tank, and sometimes he ends up completely on his nose with the rest of his body sticking straight up in the air. He's also flaring at the neons. As soon as he sees me though, he's right at the top begging for food. I feed him 2 pellets in the morning, and 2 or 3 at night, plus whatever tropical flakes he eats.

 

[labloverl]

Is this normal? He actually flares at the neons a lot now. He doesn't attack them, he just stalks them. Is he settling in?

 

[Myates]

He's settling in and getting his territory set up. Searching for food is very common and natural for them. Watch him with the neons.. some bettas are fine with other fish, and some aren't.. won't really know until he is fully adjusted. Also watch the neons, as tetras are bad fin nippers.

 

[callistra]

What's your water parameters? If you have neons I assume this is at least 10 gallon filtered and cycled tank..

 

[labloverl]

Each time I check the water, the nitrate (or nitrite... which ever is the less harmful one) is at about 10. Ammonia is 0, or a little above. If I do a water change every 7 days, its worse, so I'm going to start doing it every 6 days. The other is normally at 0. And yes, 10 gallon and cycled.

Myates, I did not know that gravel searching was normal.

 

[callistra]

If you have ammonia readings the tank isn't cycled. Be careful and monitor carefully while it's cycling.. and really the neons shouldn't be in there until it's done cycling.. but you got them so just be careful. A tank should take about a month to cycle.

 

[labloverl]

Hmmm. Well, I've had the tank up for well over a month. I haven't done a 100% water change, the filter has always been running, and the filter has not been changed. I use test strips, so maybe it wasn't accurate.

 

[labloverl]

I just tested the ammonia, and it is at 0.