Sitemaps

Betta fish2007-11-24 23:10:15

I got a betta fish around a month ago. I clean his bowl at least once a week and I feed him everyday. His bowl (or her I dont know its gender) is big enough for him to swim around and be happy. There is even a little shell where he could hide in. But all he does his stay in one spot each day like a lazy bum. (hehe I called my fish a lazy bum) I've heard Betta fish to be active and wild and fun and wagging their long flowy tails when they see you but my Betta is being weird. His gills thingies (I dont know what they are called) flare a lot and it makes him look like he has a lion mane. (hehe) His two little front fins are split. I am doing everything I can for my fishy, so why is my betta fish like that?

Answers:

In a bowl, there is generally very little room for it to swim around. You likely have a male Betta (females are not as colorful, and not as commonly seen in stores). They flare when the feel threatened or stressed. Also, Bettas get very sluggish when their temperature is too low. Bettas need temperatures around 80 degrees. Also, it sounds like your maintenance is reasonable, I would say do a minimum of 2 cleanings a week though, bowls get very messy very quickly. I would suggest you spend $15-$25 and go to Walmart and get him a 2 gallon tank with a filter and heater. You will see a surprising increase in activity and color. Also, the two front fins are not split, they are two separate fins. Bettas' pectoral fins are more for decoration, in their cousins (Gouramis), the pectoral fins are used as feelers to detect movement in murky water. Email me if you have any questions.