submissive betta

[Cheart99]

I have a question can you have a submissive betta? I read that when they get horixontal [glow=red,2,300] (opps should have said vertical) [/glow]stipes that they are being submissive to the other betta. Mine had been doing that latley. He used to flair at the mirror but now when he sees it he does the line thing and then swimms away. Also he has not built a bubble nest yet, i know that that does not always mean that they are happy im just wondering why he hasent.

[marcusbacus]

I'm afraid that your he might be a she

[Cheart99]

Well my he is a inch long, and all his fins are really long like my last beta. Anyway i though females are small? here is a pictuere of him/her?? ca.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/dianajolene/detail?.dir=e0a4&.dnm=554f.jpg&.src=ph

I was looking at other pictures and he really does not look like a female. Mabey my betta has a gender disorder.

I just took some pictures of him when he does that stripy thing ca.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/dianajolene/detail?.dir=/b8d4&.dnm=645f.jpg&.src=ph There are three there you just have to scrole though them.

[Jenova]

I think you mentioned that you just changed a lot of stuff in his tank?

That might stress him out a bit. When I moved mine from his small tank the new large one, he was pale for a while until he got used to it.

Give him some time to adapt, and make sure that you don't stress him out (maybe wait a while before you get out the mirror).

I would probably also test the water (ammonia & nitrite), and make sure that the temperature is ok.

EDIT: Okey... acidently quoted myself, anyway, what I wanted to say, is that if there is a filter in the tank, he might not be able to build a bubblenest because of the current. That doesn't mean that he's unhappy or anything.

P.S. He looks very much like a male

[Cheart99]

Thanks i thought he was a male. The only thing that i changed was i added a new stone and some plants (see pictures on picutre borad). There is not fileer in his tank. only 3.3 gallons so one doesnt fit, i do a full water chage every 2 weeks and a half change every week. I just looked at him now and his strips are gone but his head is still the color you see in the pics.

[marcusbacus]

well apparently it's a male (we don't know what goes in his mind though ) and when you mentioned stripes I thought these could be the stripes shown by females when stressed, as I don't know if males can show stripes too - usually they lose colours, but I hadnt heard of stripes before.

[Cheart99]

Ok now i think my fish is strange. I always noticed that when he "stresses" he not only turns white but there is a long strip of white that runs from just above his eye to the end of his body(see pics in above links). They are not that well seen in the pics but you can tell becuse there is a long line of whiter area. He is notnaly completly blue with a brown head.

P.s i just saw him flaring at a shadow (rare) of him on the tank wall but he is afraid of himself in a mirror.

[Hannah]

Ok now i think my fish is strange. I always noticed that when he "stresses" he not only turns white but there is a long strip of white that runs from just above his eye to the end of his body(see pics in above links).

My betta does that when he gets stressed too (and he's a male) and I'm pretty sure other bettas do that too when they get stressed.

[starlight]

The thing to keep in mind is that a betta's colors are comprised of several layers of colors. ie. a blue male is not blue under his skin, rather layers of colors interact to produce the color blue. This is why a betta seems to change his color depending on mood, water quality and other things in the tank.

I have read your pH questions and seen those decorative rock in the stores. They are pretty but I don't think that they are natural. If he were my betta I'd take the rock out of his tank and see if the pH stabilizes after a water change. You can always put it back afterwards. There's something that you should understand pH is one of the most important water parameters that affect our bettas. While some feel that 6.8 - 7.0 is ideal for bettas, betta's can adjust to higher pH values. What they can't do is adjust to shifting pH. You might find that your betta builds bubblenests, flares more often and colors up nicely with a stable pH.

just my 2c's

[Cheart99]

yah i just took out the rock yesterday, i left the plants in and a very small, kinda like clay planters pot, that my sister had in her tank. Ill check the ph today and tomorrow. thanks for the help.
So you think that that stone was not a reall stone? How do you figure that out? looked and felt like a stone to me. ok yup that is not a rock, it looks like some kind of painted something but definatly not a rock. grrr i wasted mony on that

Also any idea why he flair at the tank wall on one side but is afraid of his reflection in the mirror

[starlight]

I've seen these for years at Petlands Discounts. The ones there are made by Blue Ribbon. They come in various sizes but the attractive pattern and shape are identical. I was in Walmart last week, they had the identical patterns and shapes but made by another company. If it were a real rock there would be differences in pattern and shape. I'ved admired the smaller versions of this "rock" and I've examined it many times because I like it. My impression is that it is manufactured, maybe compressed materials. I know you must like the way it looks but I wouldn't put it in a betta's tank. I've had my eye on the smaller versions but never felt that they would pass the pantyhose test.


After a few water changes you may find that they pH stabilzes. pH shifts are stressful. Once the pH is closer to ideal, you may find that your betta is happier and flares more.