# background flare-up



## faewind1 (Dec 6, 2009)

So i bought one of those nifty aquarium backgrounds for my bettas 5gal tank (getting so tired of seeing my off white wall through the tank) and i stuck it up behind the tank just to get him used to it and make sure i liked it and he started flaring at it like crazy. i figured it was just like any other time i put something new in his tank and given an hour or two he would realize that its not going to attack. so i went to bed and when i woke up he was still flaring at it! like he was doing that all night!. the poor guy! so of course i removed the background. I think its causing him to see his reflection like when i push the betta book up against the aquarium. Is there anything i can do to help him realize its not a threat? any suggestions? has anyone else used backgrounds?


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## BettaxFishxCrazy (Sep 5, 2009)

In a couple days he would've gotten used to it. Putting a background in is something totally new to him and he needs time to get used to it. I put a background on one of my tanks because it's near the window so I'm using it to block out the light and my betta hasn't flared at it, but it doesn't give off a reflection either. Does it have a pattern to it? I saw one that even made my eyes hurt.lol I have a regular calming background, it was some plants and gravel in the picture.


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## faewind1 (Dec 6, 2009)

mine is like yours, very natural looking with rocks and plants i guess i'm just afraid of stressing him out too much. And i can't say for certain it gives off his reflection just something i thought might be causing it. i've just never seen him react to anything quite so fiercely


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## dr2b (May 31, 2009)

I can't use those. Any kind of background I stick on Flair's tank makes him go crazy. He will stay at that back wall, and not even come up for food. He just flares at the background.


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## BettaxFishxCrazy (Sep 5, 2009)

Hmm maybe Valentino's a calm guy.lol He's never flared at it. Some bettas are more aggressive than others.


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## faewind1 (Dec 6, 2009)

fortunately my guy stops flaring anytime i'm near the tank at least for a moment or two to say hi see if i have food and i was adding some stones the other night when it was up and my hand was in the water and he stopped flaring while i was in there and was poking around my hand checking out what was doing. Hes very curious. but he didn't start flaring until i was away and done fixing his tank.


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## LisaC144 (Oct 22, 2009)

Interesting. I am having the same exact problem and was about to post the same question but decided to browse the forum first. I have a black background on my tank. My betta was flaring at it the whole time too. He definitely sees his reflection. I put live plants in the back to sort of cover the background but he still finds a place where the background isn't covered and starts flaring. I dont' want him stressed all the time.


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## Angela86 (Jan 8, 2010)

It might just take a few days for him to get used to it. I have one that is natural looking on my 5 gal as well and Cavell flairs a little bit every now and then, but it seems more like he is playing, he swims back and fourth in front of it then flairs just his gills for a few seconds then stops


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## puppyrjjkm (Aug 2, 2009)

I agree with everyone else. It may take him a while to get used to it. I have backgrounds on all of my tanks. My boys occasionally flare at it (or just their reflection) but it's not constant, so they don't get stressed out or anything.


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## LisaC144 (Oct 22, 2009)

I'm keeping mine up for a few days. So, I got him on Saturday and didn't feed him so he could explore the tank and just in case he had eatten already that day. Well Sunday, Monday, and today I put some food in for him and he doesn't even go near it. The first day I tried Betta flakes and yesterday and today I tried Aqueon betta pellets. He's sees them because one floated right by his face but he hasn't eattne any. Should I be concerned yet?


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## dramaqueen (Jul 7, 2008)

I would keep offering him the pellets. I think he'll eventually eat. This happens a lot with new bettas, just give him time.


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## LisaC144 (Oct 22, 2009)

Ok, I just wanted to make sure. Otherwise he seems okay. He likes to hang out in the back of the tank in the plants, but I think that's prtty normal. Once in a while I'll see him swim across the front of the tank, but he's loving the plants right now. Hopefully he'll eat tomorrow. That would make me feel better  I don't want to offer him bloodworms until he starts eating the pellets.


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## dramaqueen (Jul 7, 2008)

That is a good idea not to offer him bloodworms until he eats his pellets. lol They are just like little kids, who would rather eat candy than green beans. lol


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## LisaC144 (Oct 22, 2009)

I know if I didn't eat for 3 days I'd be starving. Hopefully he eats tomorrow :-/


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## dramaqueen (Jul 7, 2008)

Fish can go a few weeks without eating. I'd probably be dead after 3 days of no food. lol


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## LisaC144 (Oct 22, 2009)

Me too. I'm not too concerned. Although I just got him and don't know his little quirks, he seems to be acting fine. He does just hang out in the plants most of the time though. I suppose he just really likes them. In a few weeks I'll probably add 2 mystery snails and might try my hand at ghost shrimp for the first time  I did seed the tank from media from my 55g, but I thought it was safest to give the tank some time before rushing to put more in there.


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## dramaqueen (Jul 7, 2008)

If the plants are live, that will help your cycle too.


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## LisaC144 (Oct 22, 2009)

Yup plants are live. This is my first attempt at keeping live plants. I hope I am successful. Sunday there was a trace amount of ammonia. Yesterday there was nothing. Today I will test for nitrite and nitrate and see where we stand.


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## Betta Fish Bob (Dec 31, 2009)

I read in a forum a few years ago where this guy came up with an ingenious way to acclimate his betta s to backgrounds.

He took a few pieces of paper tha same color as his wall that the tank was against, and taped them together, and cut them the same size as the back of his tank.

Then he cut a small square hole about 2 inches square in the cente, placed his background behind it, and attached to his tank.

Every few days he cut the hole a little larger, until, about a month later, it was entirely all new background and the fish never had a problem.

But you know bettas, what works for one may not work for another.


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## dramaqueen (Jul 7, 2008)

That sounds like a great idea.


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## LisaC144 (Oct 22, 2009)

Interesting. That does sound like a good idea. Mine seems to be doing much better with it now. I think it just took him a couple days to figure out he's only flaring at himself. Silly boy ;-)


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## faewind1 (Dec 6, 2009)

So its been a few days with the background up and he got used to it and does exactly like you guys said, every so often he flares and wiggles for a sec then goes back to business as usual. As far as the food issue i started mine on the bloodworms and after 1 day introduced the pellets. The little piggy eats both very quickly. I think it just takes some time for them to acclimate themselves to their new surroundings. Though i am excited today a pellet stuck to the tip of my finger as i tried to put it in the water my betta actually jumped up and took it right off my finger.... pretty cool :-D


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## LisaC144 (Oct 22, 2009)

haha he's a fiesty little bugger ;-) Glad to hear everything went well with him. Congrats on the new addition.


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