# My Betta hates me :(



## Larry69 (Aug 19, 2014)

I saw that Daron built a huge bubble nest and I was kinda amazed. I put my finger next to the nest and Daron flared and bit my finger. Three times. Does that little cute guy hate me?


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## VivianKJean (Aug 20, 2013)

no... he doesn't hate you. Male bettas are super territorial over their bubble nests. When my male makes them he gets super defensive.


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## Crossroads (Jun 28, 2014)

Its natural for them to nip a bit. Only my newest ones don't nip. He probably thinks your finger was food and when it didn't break or come off in his mouth so he bit twice more to try to get that food.


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## jadaBlu (Feb 14, 2013)

I don't think fish are capable of hating their human caretakers. They are more likely to be afraid of the "big head" peering into the tank. Over time you will probably find your bettas flaring cute. I puff my cheeks out out my bettas when they flare; to me it's the human equivalent of flaring. I probably look silly. I would avoid putting your finger in the tank unless it's necessary as it introduces extra germs the fish doesn't need.


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## Larry69 (Aug 19, 2014)

He started to flare more often several days ago and I'm not discouraged at all, I simply put my hands around my neck trying to flare too


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## kjg1029 (Jun 14, 2014)

My bettas always flare at my hands, weather its feeding time or cleaning time, they probably are kinda scary, i mean our fingers are easily larger then the betta. and ive noticed they really freak out about their bubble nests lol


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## Reccka (Jul 20, 2014)

Yeah, they get super snippy when it comes to their nests. He doesn't hate you.  
I've been having a similar issue with one of my bettas. He flares so much to defend that nest now and has started jumping at my finger for food. They get pretty defensive. It's sort of funny though.


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## Rosewynn (Apr 9, 2013)

Yeah, mine is probably the most aggressive betta I have ever owned. He flares for anything - a mirror, a pen, my finger, the light when his heater comes on, my Maltese when I hold her up to look at him. He also will bite my finger if I get it anywhere near the water. And there are several times he has jumped out of the water and bites and holds on to my finger so he's just dangling there. Feeding him is a little harder than most because he's so spastic and in and out of the water jumping so many a pellet have sinked due to this. I think it's rather funny but my mom is terrified of him. She claims he bit her once and it hurt. I was like, "No mom...just no." lol


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## astropop (Oct 6, 2014)

Betta males are very territorial therefore the male was just protecting its nest it still loves u&#55357;&#56352;&#55357;&#56470;


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## jadaBlu (Feb 14, 2013)

I avoid messing up my bettas nest during cleaning and for one fish who really likes his nests I take my finger and "rebuild' any part of the nest I mess up. The bubbles stay together well so you can push them back to the nest. He really seems to appreciate the rebuilding.


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## nakito (Oct 11, 2014)

jadaBlu said:


> I avoid messing up my bettas nest during cleaning and for one fish who really likes his nests I take my finger and "rebuild' any part of the nest I mess up. The bubbles stay together well so you can push them back to the nest. He really seems to appreciate the rebuilding.


:shock:
mine dislikes my rebuilding so much it abandoned its first nest and went builfing another, so i guess not all battas like the 'rebuilding' thing :-?


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## merrycat (Mar 29, 2014)

Rosewynn said:


> (quite snipped a little)
> Feeding him is a little harder than most because he's so spastic and in and out of the water jumping so many a pellet have sinked due to this. I think it's rather funny but my mom is terrified of him. She claims he bit her once and it hurt. I was like, "No mom...just no." lol


Val was like that too, wasting pellets all over the place with his thrashing. So I taught him to eat from my finger. Now he's focused on my finger instead of thrashing all over the place and there's no more wasted food dirtying up the water (and feeding those pest snails!)

The down side is, if I ever have to reach in to the tank to do something he launches himself at my finger tips in case food comes out. It's startling, but it doesn't really hurt.


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## Larry69 (Aug 19, 2014)

Daron does that too, always ) he is so funny when he prepares to jump


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## TerriGtoo (Jul 2, 2013)

Larry69 said:


> I saw that Daron built a huge bubble nest and I was kinda amazed. I put my finger next to the nest and Daron flared and bit my finger. Three times. Does that little cute guy hate me?


 
Naw, he was just saying "get yer big old human finger outta my house"! 
Bettas, like other animals do not hate. They don't know the meaning. It's not in their vocabulary.


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## Charc14 (Aug 27, 2014)

When my bettas flare at me, I just like to think they are trying to impress me. 
I'm happy that I'm not crazy, and not alone ;-) I "Flare" Back at my bettas too. lol
Even my FEMALE flares sometimes! 

My bettas bit ALOT, Mainly, because when I got My girl Ice she was "Trained" To jump out of the water already, Marius, he learn't after I got her. He literally just started after I got her. I never taught him......lol, I think maybe she told him how to do it lol 

So, They just think hand and finger = food


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## Larry69 (Aug 19, 2014)

I was sad when Daron first flared at me, but then I realized he just protects his home


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## atb224155 (Mar 10, 2014)

When your betta bites you, it's his way of saying: "It's not that I don't like you, but this is my home. Your finger is a threat, might want to move it before I attack."


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## Larry69 (Aug 19, 2014)

I don't know, speeches of what bettas actually think/say are sooooo cute


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