Betta activity level

[Charlius]

My mom has had 2 bettas before, but only in two, 1 gallon bowls. Therefore, I did not have an accurate environment to judge the activity level of this particular fish as I have been playing around with the idea of getting a 5 gallon for my room, w/ a betta of course.

Question: So how active are these fish, generally? I had a friend who said they're boring because they don't move around much at all. It really wouldn't matter much to me either way, b/c bettas are still one of the prettiest fish in my opinion, but I still think it would be a good thing to find out if and before I get one. I've researched this fish, but I don't remember running into anything about how active they are.

I would appreciate posts from actual betta owners who have had them and observed the fish themselves (primary) rather from secondary sources such as printed material. Thanks in advance.

 

[phOOey]

well i've owned two bettas so far in my fish keeping life, and both acted pretty much the same. when there was nothing happening in the room, or there was no food on offer, they would normal either hover in midwater, with the occassional swim around the tank, or rest of a leaf or a rock.

when someone was moving around in the room they'd become more active, and then they'd go hyper when it was feeding time, and they also used to jump out of the water for bloodworms.

 

[FroggyFox]

I'd say Phooey has a pretty accurate description. My betta doesn't seem to swim around a whole lot...until someone walks by his tank then he's out and about. He loves food in general...sometimes you'll get picky bettas, but this one will eat flake food or his hikari betta gold, he loves frozen bloodworms and brine shrimp, but loves live brine shrimp even more or live food of any kind, like mosquito larvae. They also are more active in warmer water...people who keep them in bowls with no filter/heater/water movement dont get to see the betta be as 'happy' as they can be with filtration and some more space to swim and a heater.

 

[Charlius]

Hmm, their activity level seems pretty normal to me from these descriptions. I'll have to reprimand my friend for his fish tale. Haha, anyway, thanks for the descriptions, my friend had the betta in less than nominal conditions I believe, probably leading to the "boring" behavior.

I've read you're supposed to keep the water movement to a minimum/none for bettas b/c they don't like it?? I've also read that bettas are carnivores, however, I have a fish reference book that say they are omnivores. Clarification anyone?

 

[geekrockgirl85]

although their natural habitat is fairly still waters,bettas have become so domesticized that i doubt water movement upsets every member of the species.

some bettas are indifferent to water movement... and some get aggravated by it... but my little guy used to love diving into the current coming off his bio-wheel and playing in the bubbles from his airstone. it just depends on the temperament of your fish.

and as far as being omnivorous: i've never tried to feed him fresh veggies...but he had no hesitations about chomping down on veggie flake food.

but again, it's different for every one. there is a new female betta in QT right now and she seems to be a finicky eater... she's turned her nose up at all flake food in general.

 

[phOOey]

well no bettas gonna want to be in a current all the time, they may like it a little, but there needs to be a place in the tank where there is no current at all so the betta has chance to rest.

i think in the wild bettas are carnivores, but in the aquarium they'll except veffie things aswell.

 

[tormo]

I've just added a male betta to my 6 gallon tank (an Eclipse 6), and in the short time I've had him, I've learned a few things:

-Have plenty of sturdy plants or other features around the filter intake, to keep him from getting too close. I've seen him brush by the intake, only to have to struggle to swim free as his flowing fins get pulled around the intake by the suction. Otherwise, he seems not to mind the water flow in the tank... there are areas where the water doesn't flow very much where he takes breathers from time to time (you can use the placement of your plants to break up the water flow too). Most of the time, he loves swimming in the mild current.

-He HAS to check out any new addition to the tank, often by agressively hip-checking it (sorry, hockey analogy... I'm Canadian and can't help it) a few times. This has stressed out my snail, otto, and shrimp when they first went into the tank... he has since left them alone once he figured out what they were. Before introducing anything new to his tank, I would put out his favourite food first in order to distract him.

-My betta hates flakes and bits of algae tablets (which the other occupants love). He will swallow a biteful, only to spit it out. The Hikari betta food works well for him, but he really loves the freeze-dried bloodworms.

As far as activity level, "Big Blue Bastard" (so named because he's was such an *** to the other fish at the beginning, and also ate the eyestalks off my Ramshorn snail) is a really active swimmer. He's in a fairly small room tho, so maybe when I'm not in the room, he settles down, but he can see me whenever I'm in any part of the room.

So far, there's an otto, 3 cherry shrimp, a blind ramshorn snail, and 6 white cloud minnows in there with him, as well as a ton of plants. He is definately the star of the tank tho... a true diva.

 

[geekrockgirl85]

ah yes. filter intake.

i stacked lava rocks around mine to keep my betta boy from getting sucked onto it. it looks pretty sharp.. naturalizes the look of the tank a bit.

speaking of naturalizing the tank... a piece of driftwood would go there nicely.. and soften the water and lower pH a bit. if you can stand to put it in without boiling it, you'll probably get a nice tea-colored "blackwater" effect, which will make him happy. it also creates a nice little hiding spot/playground for your little guy.

and i definitely suggest live plants. my betta seems happiest when he can take a breather on his cryptocorynes or sprawl out in some java moss.

 

[calico_]

my betta is sharing a 30 liter tank with three african dwarf froggies. the filter corrent is slow and the tank is heavily planted with floating plants and all, but my blue betta doesn't rest on plants all the time like many others do, he does so only in the evening after dinner and at night, while in the daytime he wil not stop swimming around, he is a very active and joyful fish. when I bought him he had spent so long a time in a small glass square in the pet shop he was unable to swim. now he's a great swimmer ad he enjoys exploring his bigger place.*BOUNCINGS

 

[lisa1124]

My betta, George, is fairly lively - it may be because I keep him at my desk at work. He watches my every move.

 

[markiss]

zlatan, my betta loves to swim around and explore every corner of his tank. i turn the airpump off every now and then coz i dont want him to stress himself too much. coz when it's on, he's crazy about it. he'll swim back and forth like a mad fish non-stop.

 

[echoofformless]

but again, it's different for every one. there is a new female betta in QT right now and she seems to be a finicky eater... she's turned her nose up at all flake food in general.

Yeah, and that girl still won't eat flake food. In fact, she'll go up and just stare at it like it's something from another planet. I've seen her follow it around the tank for quite a few minutes and then go about her betta business until I drop in some bits or crumbles for her. Oh she'll eat crumbles and bits.

Oh no, did I just make a parody of a dog food commercial?

I have to go give myself a wedgie and punch myself in the stomach a few times. No no, I can make my own "kick me" sign. No need for anyone to get up. I know the drill.

 

[FishWhisperer]

Hi Charlius. I have had a total of six bettas, both male and female. Two males have since started a new afterlife but the other four are still with me. I have one male red betta in a one gallon bowl. He is active when he sees me. He'll dance for his food and flare at me now and then. He flares when the temperature drops on the outside because then the water is cooler since you can't heat a one gallon bowl. I keep him in the bowl because I bought him when his fin was broken so he doesn't swim very well and a little funny. I have one male purple betta in a 10 gal community tank. He has been there for over a year and is very active. I think he is active because he has so much room to swim. He chases the neon tetras and zebra danio once in awhile but sometimes they chase him too. I have a female brown/red betta in a one gallon bowl. She is very active and attentive. If I am near the bowl, she will always show off. She has such personality. My other female blue/green betta is in a 5 gal tank by herself. It is not filtered but does have a heater for the winter. She is very active and swims all around the tank, all the time. I have her in my bathroom so she sees herself in the mirror now and then and flares at herself. (Although I am not sure this blue/green betta is full female.) I hope I have helped you.

 

[Charlius]

Thanks for your descriptions FishWhisperer.

Probably can't get a betta in the near future, but these descriptions will help when I do get a betta in the future. I am CERTAIN I'm getting a betta in the future, just don't know when exactly!

 

[sweetvegan74]

Not boring

Like people, each fish has his own personality. Mine is very active and flares at me all the time, makes bubble nest and explores his cave and rests on his plant. The bettas that you see in shops usually do not move a whole lot cause the cups their in are not very warm so since Bettas are tropical fish and cold blooded they slow down when cold. Plus would you be happy to live in a closet I owned goldfish before my Betta and I can't say my UB is boring, he has a quirky personality, he even challenged one of my cats Francis and charged at him, but yet he ignores my other cats, go figure

 

[MOsborne05]

I 'rescued' a betta from one of Wal-Marts tiny little cups and bought him a 1 gallon with a ugf. For the first couple of days he just hid behind his little plant and freaked out whenever anyone came near the tank. After about a week of this we bought him a Mini-bow 2.5 gallon and he acted like a totally different fish, always active and swimming right in front of the glass looking at us. I just put him into his new Eclipse 5 hex and he's loving it, he's got plenty of room to swim and live plants to rest on.

BTW, the fish tank sits on our computer desk where someone is always either surfing the web or playing poker. Hubby, who doesn't like fish and doesn't know why I spend all of my money on fish, has since claimed the betta and gets mad at me for feeding 'his' betta. See, he is always playing poker online and the betta swims around in front of the glass begging for food and he's taken quite a liking to his new fish

 

[sweetvegan74]

I can't stand those little cups. I know you should not support by buying one, but how can you walk by those shelves, their faces pleading pick me, pick me! I gave in at Petsmart and bought my Betta there, he kept quickly swaying back & forth like a tiger pacing in a cramped circus cage. His water was clear no longer medicated blue as that meant his cup was changed but all the other bettas were still in blue water so he was there the longest, not sure how long he was in that cup but I think he was ready to go stir crazy. He now swims in a Eclipse 6, at first he had to learnn how to swim forward and was amazed that he could actually move, after two hours of exploring & examining every plant & decor in the tank he now acts like a happy normal tropical fish and is loving every minute of it.

 

[prettypleco]

I bought my betta in one of those blue water cups from petsmart too. I felt really sorry for him. He now swims in my 100 gal community tank and is loving it. He is very active swimming about and rushes to the glass when i come into the room. He lays on a sword leaf and waits for me to feed him bloodworms.