# Babysitting a Betta...



## Feathers (Dec 2, 2007)

It's been a while since I had a betta, and I don't actually remember as much about them as I thought I would. I figure I'm not going to do anything _horribly_ wrong with it, but there are some behaviors I never saw from the betta I had in the betta I'm babysitting now.

I'm an RA at a university, and one of my residents has a brilliantly red little betta that she got a few months ago. He's in what appears to be a 2.5 gallon tank with a built-in little bubbler. (His name is Diablo, possibly for good reason)

The guy will flare himself up really big whenever I get near his tank. Such that he won't eat when I drop flakes in because he's so preoccupied by puffing himself up to look as big as possible.

One friend of mine said it could just be that the betta has a nasty attitude, since different bettas have different temperaments and such... 

So I'm going to check here, just to make sure it's not something that they do when they're stressed or something? I'd hate for something to happen to this fella when my resident trusted me to take care of him, so I'm probably just covering my bases.

Thanks for your help!


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## Guest (Dec 19, 2007)

Some Bettas will flare at you and some won't. Some will constantly flare at their reflections too. This guy just has an attitude.  As long as he eats, he's good. Watch him and see if he eats the food after you walk away.


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## BV77 (Jan 22, 2005)

hmm how does one watch him when he walks away? lol


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## Guest (Dec 19, 2007)

What I mean is watch him when you're not right by the tank. Its easy to watch fish from afar to where it doesn't seem like they see you, but you can still see them. I have to watch alot of my fish this way because they scare easily.


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## Bettaman (May 20, 2005)

Many Bettas will flare when they eat. He likely associates you or any other human approaching his tank as meaning 'It's feeding time'. I'd bet he eats the food after you walk away.


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## BV77 (Jan 22, 2005)

Lol, I know, Kris....just pulling your leg


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## Feathers (Dec 2, 2007)

Ah, he eats after I walk away. I see a little red mass swim up to the top and nibble at things.

Good to know I'm not doing anything wrong. XD I guess Diablo is a fitting name for the little dude. He has _such_ an attitude it's downright silly.

Thanks for the info


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## ikermalli (Sep 23, 2007)

What type of betta is his (tail variation) All the CT's I get are usually calm and all the VT's I get are fiesty


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## Feathers (Dec 2, 2007)

I think he's a half-moon with possibly some Crown in him. He's definitely not a veil, and he's not as spiky as the crowns I see usually are. He has only a little bit of the crowning to only two of his fins.


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