# Do bettas get lonely?



## bluebettafish (Aug 13, 2009)

Hello. I moved to a new apartment about two weeks ago. I made sure the move went smoothly for my betta (it's only a couple of miles away) but I realize it can still be stressful. I used to have the tank right next to my desk and so we would face each other all the time. Now he's on the other side of the room and we don't have that same level of contact (?) anymore.

A couple of days ago I noticed that his tail is missing chunks of it but it doesn't look like fin rot. I don't know how to describe it but I believe he was biting on it. 

So my question is...do they get lonely? I do know that they prefer to be alone in their tank but they seem like very curious creatures. Should I move the tank next to the desk again so I can pay more attention to him??

Just FYI, he is in a 6 gallon tank with heater and filter. NOthing about the setting has changed other than water change and the location.


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## kelly528 (Aug 31, 2009)

While they aren't social, they _are_ intelligent and benefit heaps from having some moving thing to spy on from their lair. If he seems to be bored I would move him back to your desk.


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## dramaqueen (Jul 7, 2008)

Bettas are solitary fish and don't get lonely but I do believe that they enjoy some interaction. They like having a decoration of some sort to swim in and out of and they like little games like follow the finger.


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## Jupiter (Aug 30, 2009)

I agree. I don't think they get lonely, but they can certainly be bored. They seem to love being around you, so put his tank in an area that you're go to often. I used to keep a betta on my desk by my computer, and he loved it.


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## bluebettafish (Aug 13, 2009)

Thank you all for your input! I will move him next to my desk so I can keep him company. I must be really entertaining to have around.


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## BettaSCHmacK (Jan 7, 2010)

I agree with some of the others. They do like some interaction. Everytime i come home from work i go to the tank and he automatically swims to the front of the tank and swims back and forth and will stare at me. Its pretty cool.


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## bluebettafish (Aug 13, 2009)

Yeah I know the feeling...even though they might just be hungry! I think it's really sweet.

I'm going to move him next to my desk today. Not sure where but I'll make it work. This morning it looked like his fin is getting worse but still doesn't look like it's fin rot. In the meantime, I put some things in front of the tank to just give him a different view...


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## RedBetta (Feb 11, 2010)

Thats kinda cute that they like the interaction. Mine get excited when I come home, but since theres alot going on in my room all the time hey have alot to spy on XD.​


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## bluebettafish (Aug 13, 2009)

So here's an update. I don't know if it's just me but he does look happier (he's smiling, j/k). I sometimes find him staring at me, which is very funny. His fins are healing as well. Thank you all!


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## dramaqueen (Jul 7, 2008)

I'm glad to hear that he's doing so well.


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## Eolith (Aug 4, 2009)

It is funny how much interest they take in what is going on around them. My betta Jack used to be so skittish that I couldn't feed him without freaking him out. Now he eats the pellets from my fingers and loves to come visit when I'm doing my homework at my desk. His tank is also pretty close to the door, so he gets to watch my roommate and I come and go, which I think he enjoys.


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## Savannah416 (Sep 22, 2014)

I'm resurrecting this very old thread because this question occurred to me recently about my own little guy. Does he get lonely? Does he feed on the attention I give him every morning and evening?

I've determined, at least based on the anecdotal evidence offered by my one and only fishy, that they do thrive on attention and interaction. I left my fish at home alone for 4 days and when I returned he was very quiet and to himself. I made a point of talking to him and just hanging out by his tank and after 3-4 hours of my return, he was dancing every time I approached his tank.

The change in his energy level and happiness was so evident after I came back that now I always make it a point to spend time with him every evening.


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## Stone (Jan 6, 2013)

Well this is one of those subjects that can not really be answered, I do know that science has been taking a beating as new and better research methods are being used. They used to claim fish only have a 3 second memory, well now they are saying 30 days, and fish learn faster in groups because they watch each other, that when given the choice they will go be with a group of fish they have been with before vs a group of fish they have never seen before, I have been questioning a lot of what I was taught by my observation of all sorts of animals let alone my fish, I do not know if it is them being "lonely" or if it is the lack of stimulation and they are "bored" . this is something I am afraid we may never know the answer too, is it loneliness or the lack or enrichment and boredom. plus you need to keep in mind some fish interact with us, like my bettas, angelfish, and mollies, but like my cory cats and plecos could care less if I was there or not, I will always wonder about the level of intelligence in other animals.


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## VivianKJean (Aug 20, 2013)

I kind of have an interesting thought to add to this. 

For a while I only had two bettas - my girl Stella and Ronnie. Stella had her own bedside table but Ronnie was on my desk. He seemed very happy and would always be active. Then after I feel in love with a purple EEPK at the store, I got Perry. I moved Ronnie's tank to a small table next to my couch that was in the center of traffic in my small studio apartment. He hated it, he always looked stressed, he was always hiding and it took me months to realize why. So I switched Perry and Ronnie's tanks so that Ronnie was back where he originally was and he is completely happy and Perry loves being in the middle of all the action.

So yes, bettas are solitary fish but I do think that it depends on the fish. Some love being the center of attention while other do not like it at all.


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## Savannah416 (Sep 22, 2014)

VivianKJean said:


> So yes, bettas are solitary fish but I do think that it depends on the fish. Some love being the center of attention while other do not like it at all.


It makes complete sense that Betta's have different personalities and preferences-- I've seen the same between my Betta and that of my brother's. I love reading stories like yours.


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## Savannah416 (Sep 22, 2014)

Stone said:


> Well this is one of those subjects that can not really be answered, I do know that science has been taking a beating as new and better research methods are being used. They used to claim fish only have a 3 second memory, well now they are saying 30 days, and fish learn faster in groups because they watch each other, that when given the choice they will go be with a group of fish they have been with before vs a group of fish they have never seen before, I have been questioning a lot of what I was taught by my observation of all sorts of animals let alone my fish, I do not know if it is them being "lonely" or if it is the lack of stimulation and they are "bored" . this is something I am afraid we may never know the answer too, is it loneliness or the lack or enrichment and boredom. plus you need to keep in mind some fish interact with us, like my bettas, angelfish, and mollies, but like my cory cats and plecos could care less if I was there or not, I will always wonder about the level of intelligence in other animals.


 This is true; we really can't ever know if they are lonely. To an extent I do always wonder if I'm just projecting my own human feelings onto the little guy. Either way, I get a rush seeing his excitement at seeing me, so if it's out of relief from boredom or loneliness, I'm pleased to see him happy. =)


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## Sadist (Jan 1, 2015)

I think they may not be lonely for other fish but that they enjoy contact with their humans. I picked up a girl from the pet store yesterday. While she's still shy about fingers, she already recognizes my face and swims over to study me when I'm at my desk. My male fish always swims over to greet (well, beg for food) me whenever I'm in the room. I always make sure I interact with them for a few minutes whenever I'm in the room. I find it interesting that the original poster was able to help her fish with fin-biting just by having him by her desk where he could interact with her more.


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## myexplodingcat (Apr 9, 2014)

One of mine got lonely/bored if I didn't interact with him enough. Another one of mine completely doesn't care.

You get this behavior in all sorts of animals. There are cats who need to be petted and paid attention to every few hours, and there are cats who don't care that you exist, they just want food in their bowl. (Then there's mine, who will beat down my door to be with me at every possible second and then demands that I feed him half the bag of feline Greenies even though they make him sick. That's another story.)

Bettas are intelligent pets. They're intelligent enough to require interaction and stimulation, and they're also intelligent enough to have individual personalities. That's what makes them fun. :3


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## LittleBettaFish (Oct 2, 2010)

Being that bettas are predominately solitary fish by nature, I personally wouldn't use the term 'lonely'. I think like most animals, bettas benefit from an enriching environment and mental stimulation. Bettas are highly inquisitive with a strong territorial instinct, so it's natural that they would be interested in what's going on outside of their tank. 

My male really thrives off his daily flare sessions. I think the _majority_ of bettas are hard-wired to defend their 'territories' or nest sites, and I think it's important to meet these needs.


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## Tress (Jun 6, 2014)

When I first got Aris he was my only betta so he got all the attention (plus he came sick so he had lots of fussing over him). Then I got Lux and Lux's tank was on my desk. My attention was then divided and now my back was turned to Aris most of the time. He would spend 90% of his time in the corner of his tank closest to me. Then I moved my furniture around and he was parallel of me, on my dresser. I had the tank tucked against the wall and the short end of it was facing me - and thats where he spent all his time again. 

I started to notice that he was watching my eyes. I'm not kidding. He would be calmly resting and as soon as he caught me looking at him from the corner of my eye he would start wiggling. I did a few experiments with it to see what he was reacting to and I really think it was my eyes. 

They say manta rays recognize people by their eyes, and if they like them will let them touch or ride them. They did a test with a person that the manta would not let touch them, covered the person's eyes in glasses wrapped in tin foil, and the manta let them touch and ride them. I know these are two very different species, but it still makes me wonder.

Btw, Aris is now not so fussy as he's in a divided tank and has other bettas to distract himself with. He also lets me pet him.


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