BellaOnline Forums Home and Garden Fish Betta Personalities...So!...tell us about your fishy friend !

I just had my first betta fish, and I loved him. He was a beautiful purple and pink betta with large fins. I kept him for about a month. He was active and really out-going and was always swimming and was always watching me. He even had a bit of silver on his fins. He was passive too, and my sister (Who's boyfriend's mom owns and breeds bettas) was going to help me breed him because we thought he would be great for it and we wouldn't have to worry about fighting before breeding. Well, he was great. And it was really sad when my poor fishy got scared because my cat was watching him and swam too fast into a shell and ruined his fin. Compleatly came off. I tried nursing him back, but I'm just a starter with the betta care and only know what is needed to keep a betta healthy, and he eventually died the same day from being too tired of swimming with one fin. =( It was very sad. Now though, I'm planning on going to the store to get a new one and try over. I've read a lot on this page and it really has helped me and I got a lot of books now too. I hope this one will last longer than the other. My other betta who died was named Butch because he was just adorable, and I thought it was a cute name for him.

Any little tips you have for me would be great. Thanks.

-Sqwooker

Is it normal that my male Betta is not very nice with me? I hear all of those stories about people who can pet their bettas... My male flares at me or my finger most of the time... But he is gorgeous and healthy, tha's what's important! And he is adorable! I've only had him for 3 weeks! Maybe he will learn to know me. Is there something I can do to bring us closer? Lol!
Ps: sorry for my english!

This is my first fish and he is quite charecter. His name is Rico Tubbs (my plan is to get another betta and another eel type fish and name them Sonny Crocket and Castillo <img src="/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" /> )

He likes to hang out behind his plant, sometimes he's a jerk and he tries to dig himself underneath the glass stones I have in the tank. He watches the television with us, he recognizes when we call his name, he likes to watch us and spit food at us sometimes. He gets mad when I tell him to stop making baby bubbles because he's not going to have any so he stops for a few days then starts up again. Sometimes he does this thing where his sides flare up a bit like he's The Predator. One morning when my boyfriend was getting something out of his dresser, Rico decided to ram towards the bowl at him.

He's an awesome fish but I think hes sick <img src="/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" />

I've been through 2 awesome fish that hav recently died. Purporius Maximus was a great little guy that loved to flare. Athena was his female counter part. I had her for longer and she had a much bigger personality. She was no bigger than 2 inches but if you let her go at your finger long enough I'm sure she could chew it off. she'd follow water drops down the side of her tank and take on any size food. she was PRETTY too, mostly white with purple blotches at her front and a beautiful tail that fanned out white and purple at the tips. she got sick randomly one day and just died on me :'(

Hi, I have a blue-green Betta Fish named Ernest Hemingway who is a big sweetie-pie! <img src="/images/graemlins/fish.gif" alt="" /> I actually got another Betta Fish first (Finnyagain). It's a long story that I'll get into more later!! Long story short - Finnyagain was so scared that he stayed at the bottom of his tank under a plant and looked pale and wouldn't eat. I was so worried about him that I got him a friend, Hemingway, and put them (in separate tanks) next to each other. Hemingway's company gave Finnyagain the desire to live!! It was amazing! They eventually became the best of friends - always in separate tanks, but wow, what a wonderful thing to see their intelligence and apparently completely different personalities and yet their ability to be best friends. Hemingway is so kind and nurturing and Finnyagain became so spunky and playful! Really wonderful kids and I love them both so much for their unique, endearing personalities! <img src="/images/graemlins/heart.gif" alt="" />

I'm crazy about my Betta - Claude Monet - he's a blue/red veil tail betta we got at PetCo. He had some fin rot when we got him, but he's all better now. I'm very happy with his set-up at this point. He's only in a 2.5 gal tank, but I've cycled the tank, gotten a good set-up for plants, treasure chest for him to hide in, stable temp, feeding schedule, etc.

He's got loads of personality, too! When we first brought him home, he gave me a real scare the next morning! I had been very careful about acclimating him (I spent a good 8 hrs gradually adding little amounts of the new water for him to adjust to) but when I woke up early and went to see how he was doing, he was behind the filter, lying on the suction cup that keeps it attached to the back wall of the tank. His fins were all pale, and when I called his name, and fussed around trying to see if he was still alive, he came staggering out all groggy. He sank to the bottom of the tank, but soon shook out his fins, and swam to the middle, looking at me like "What?? What could you possibly want this early??"

In just a few minutes, his fins were all bright again and he was ready for breakfast. Even today, he likes to sleep in - he doesn't want to eat too early, or for me to turn on his light until about 8am!

He does little shimmy dances when he sees me, loves to explore his plants and treasure chest (I love when he pokes his nose out of the opening), makes great bubble nests - especially during storms, and rests on the plant just below his bubble nests like a good daddy! One funny thing he does from time to time is carry a food pellet around in his mouth - he looks really goofy when he does that, but I figure he's practicing carrying an egg or fry.

They're really like tiny puppies aren't they? <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Yeah the fish get used to the hours of the pet store so when you bring them home they get jetlag sydrome. Also when bettas sleep their colors will turn pale, it's perfectly normal. With close observation over time you will learn their little betta antics. My betta does this thing where he would smim around the tank and intentionaly wedge himself stuck between a plant and the tank glass, then he would look around to see if anyone is looking then swim away. <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Yeah, I have this one betta guy who does this really cute thing - he wedges himself behind his plastic ammonia alert that is suction-cupped onto the side of his tank! He looks at me like "look at me, Mom! Hey, hey, LOOK AT WHAT I CAN DO!!!" He's sooooooo cute!!!!

Toby has such a nice personality....I think thats why I choose him out of all the betas! Let me tell you...

I walked down the aisle of the petstore, knowing what I was here to get; a beta. I had owned beta's before in the past, but once I got my kitty Desmond I stopped owning them. But, I decided to get one again. As I found the Beta fish aisle, I only had four to choose from. They were all sitting there in their little cups. I didn't feel connected with any of them, until Toby jumped up from where he was resting and, with pure delight, came out to greet us. He was such a beautiful red color, I knew I had to take him.

He still has that same, energenic personality. He's finicky when it comes to food though. He's a hunter by nature...I think he thinks he's a cat. He almost pounces on his food! He's my little baby and I love him....and probably my only Beta that lasted more than a few hours.

I have had a total of 3 other bettas before this one, and i cant get over their different personalities, but im curious is it normal for a batta to lay on the island? see i have a turtle in the tank to so i have to have a little floating island for the turtle to be able to rest from swiming, this is my second betta for this set up in the tank my first one never went on the island, and ive tried to reseach stuff online and cant find any referance of this ever being a normal behavior.