# New betta - normal behavior?



## givemethatfish (Feb 10, 2014)

Hi all,

I will admit I know nothing about normal betta behavior. I read up on care and feeding, etc. before I got my fish but not much about how they normally act. This is not my first fish tank, but it's my first betta. He's on my desk at work right next to me. 

My fish has been doing a lot of resting on the bottom of the tank this morning. He will swim around for a while, looking pretty normal as far as I can tell, exploring. Then he keeps coming to rest in the same area behind some plants. He doesn't seem to be laboring to breathe or anything. He's not on his side or anything, just sitting with his belly on the gravel for several minutes, then he'll swim around, rest, repeat. I am not sure if this is normal or not. He could still be a little stressed from being moved. He appears healthy - no missing scales or white spots or clamped fins, etc. 

Jetta is in a heated (76 degrees), cycled 4 gallon tank. He has 2 nerite snails as tank friends, several live plants, a pot for a hiding spot, a hammock. I literally just got him yesterday, but I have been cycling the tank for a week using gravel and filter media from an established tank. I did verify using ammonia drops (BEFORE the fish was in the tank) that the tank is cycled. Water parameters - 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite, maybe a hint of nitrate, ph is 7.4, medium hardness. I did try to give him a couple of pellets yesterday, but he didn't show any interest.

I will do a water change today. I also bought a new heater because the one I have in there won't get the water any warmer than 76, but I haven't put the heater in yet. 

So questions:


Could this just be stress from the move and new digs?
I know he can go a while without eating, but how do I entice him to eat? I have both betta pellets and frozen brine shrimp.
At what point should I worry? I'm used to danios and glofish and guppies who literally never stop moving around like little crazy fish, so I don't know how active other fish are.
Is there anything else I can or should be doing?
Thanks in advance


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## Taeanna (Apr 2, 2013)

Likely stress and adjusting, there's a lot to take in from a sparse little pet store cup to a nice new tank. Bettas will sleep for about 5 to ten minutes, swim about for a bit, get a breath and then go back to sleep, so the behavior you described just sounds like snoozing.

Also do you wake up earlier than the pet store does? I ask because on the days I need to wake early for uni classes my boys in perfect unison swim off their betta leaves and into their caves to continue sleeping, it's kind of funny to see a bright orange fin blocking the cave door against the light. 

I suggest just giving him some time to sleep it off and adjust, if he still remains so lethargic after a few days it may be something else, but I cannot see any reason to worry just yet.


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## givemethatfish (Feb 10, 2014)

I'd imagine I probably keep about the same hours here as the pet store. I come in at 8 AM and leave at 4:30 PM. I left the "night" mode light on last night which is just one blue LED, but the main office lights stay on until about 6:30 PM. Then it's pitch black in here after that because there are no windows anywhere nearby. 

I'll give him a few days before I start to worry then, thanks


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## Poleren (Jan 24, 2014)

givemethatfish said:


> Hi all,
> 
> I will admit I know nothing about normal betta behavior. I read up on care and feeding, etc. before I got my fish but not much about how they normally act. This is not my first fish tank, but it's my first betta. He's on my desk at work right next to me.
> 
> ...


You should get your betta one of those leaf hammocks, they like to rest on them.


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## Poleren (Jan 24, 2014)

givemethatfish said:


> Hi all,
> 
> I will admit I know nothing about normal betta behavior. I read up on care and feeding, etc. before I got my fish but not much about how they normally act. This is not my first fish tank, but it's my first betta. He's on my desk at work right next to me.
> 
> ...


It's normal for bettas to not eat for the first 2-5 days because they are adjusting to their new environment. It is completely normal.


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## givemethatfish (Feb 10, 2014)

He has a hammock - that suction cuppy leaf thing? He has no idea what to do with it. Is there a trick to teaching them to lay on it?


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## Poleren (Jan 24, 2014)

givemethatfish said:


> He has a hammock - that suction cuppy leaf thing? He has no idea what to do with it. Is there a trick to teaching them to lay on it?


Oh. I don't think there's anyway to force him to lie on it, but he might start using it over time.


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