Hey everyone!
It’s been 3 days since I got my betta, and I’ve been getting to know him more each day. He’s honestly one of the most curious and alert fish I’ve ever had. He already recognizes me, follows my finger, and has his little routines — exploring, watching what’s going on outside the tank, then patrolling again like he owns the place.
My betta is currently in a 30 L temporary setup while his future 70 L is getting the shrimp population adjusted. The smaller tank is well-established, calm, and he’s been settling in nicely there. I spend a lot of time just watching him and learning his habits — he’s got such a distinct personality already.
Over the last few days, his color has changed a lot. The red has deepened, strong iridescent blue across his tail and fins appeared from nowhere, and all the black in the middle of his body is new. He looks like a completely different fish every morning!
He’s eating well — I rotate between NLS Betta pellets, Hikari Micro Pellets, and HS Aqua Daphnia. He’s learned to recognize the NLS pellets instantly but ignores the tiny sinking foods, have not tried the Daphnia yet.
My only concern is his reflection chasing. Sometimes he spends hours on and off flaring and swimming toward the glass. I’ve tried adjusting lighting, but he still seems a bit obsessed with “the other fish.” Then he’ll suddenly stop, go chill under his catappa leaf or wood, and look perfectly calm again, as in taking a break before starting again.
Has anyone dealt with this kind of reflection chasing before? Does it eventually fade as they settle more or realize it’s not another fish? I just want to make sure he’s not stressing himself out.
Would love to hear what you think about his colors, behavior, or any tips for helping him relax more!
https://www.reddit.com/gallery/1od144v
Posted by Equex1
1 Comment
Tank size: 30lt
Heater and filter? (yes/no): Yes, a gentle hs aqua platy flow 300
Tank temperature: 25C with preset dennerle nano heater
Parameters in numbers and how you got them. Key water parameters include the amount of ammonia, nitrites, nitrates, and pH.: Same as main tank, 0-0-0 (spiked nitrites first day but since its seeded from main tank nothing afterwards). ph 7, kh 4, gh 8, all stable
How long have you had the tank? How long have you had your fish?: main tank 3 months that seeded this for 2 weeks.
How often are water changes? How much do you take out per change? What is your process?: 15% weekly
Any tankmates? If so, please list with how many of each: 2 nerites, 1 adult female amano (that molted yesterday)
What do you feed and how much: 3 nls pellets daily ( i presoak, he spits and eats again 2-3 times for each)
Decorations and plants in the tank: plants, wood, rocks, botanicals