# Signs of boredum?



## yumekon (Oct 29, 2011)

Hey just wondering, what are some of the classic signs of betta boredum?

Also, what are some ways to keep my little guy entertained?!!?!?


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## LittleBettaFish (Oct 2, 2010)

Pacing the glass and tail biting are two of the biggest indicators of boredom. However, sometimes if a betta has a lack of mental stimulation, it will just sit in one spot not doing very much at all. 

Providing a well-planted or densely decorated tank will encourage your betta to spend a lot of time paroling and exploring its territory. Also, moving the tank into an active area of the house is a great way to provide some stimulation. I have one of my bettas in the kitchen and he enjoys watching everyone going about their business.

You can try doing a couple of flaring sessions with a mirror (around 5 minutes is a good length of time), which should stimulate your betta's territorial instincts. Some people use toys such as plastic lids or ping pong balls in their betta tanks, but none of mine have ever shown much interest in anything like that. 

These are just a few ideas. I'm sure other people have more.


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## Edifiler (Nov 28, 2011)

ooh ._. my bettas been pacing the tank for a day now ._. he hasn't started tail bitting though so thats good ._. i keep mine entertained by plopping a plastic container in every now and then and he'll go check it out


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## Moclam (Nov 11, 2011)

Get some ping pong balls! My lads go crazy with 'em. Also, plastic horses outside the tank, and other plastic animals from time to time. Slightly odd, but they love it.


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## Edifiler (Nov 28, 2011)

haha i'll be sure to drop one in once in a while but not anytime soon though ._. he had a nasty face off with his nemesis, the glass wall and lost a few scales on his head ._.


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## Myates (Aug 2, 2011)

I wouldn't consider pacing as a sign, as they don't pace... they just swim around. Some just have preferred routes. 

Luckily, they don't get "bored" in the terms that we know it as- as they are fish and their minds don't work that way. It's if the tank is bare then they will hang around more then swim, if it's got a good amount of decorations, or if they have a neighbor, they will swim around often. Unsure about their memory span.. I remember a goldfish's memory span is only 3 minutes. 
Having things for them to do is always good, but don't worry or stress out thinking they will be "bored" as they literally can't comprehend and establish boredom in our sense. There is just either places to explore, or not and they react to that, the surroundings, rather then what there is for them "to do".


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## Edifiler (Nov 28, 2011)

i have a feeling that my fish tank reflects much similar to a mirror ._. perhaps his looking for company


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## Myates (Aug 2, 2011)

Possibly.. especially if the light is on in the tank and the room is darker. But swimming against the side of a tank is normal for fish.. they want to get out and "swim" around the rest of the room


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## valleyankee (Oct 21, 2011)

Every now and then i play a game of checkers with my betta.


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## Mars788 (Sep 9, 2011)

Three words - Dry erase markers  I saw that someone had posted about them a couple weeks ago and had to try it out. Take a darker colored marker and put it up to the side of the tank/bowl/betta habitat. Start drawing. Mine likes chasing the tip of the marker and flaring up at it. haha :lol:


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## LittleBettaFish (Oct 2, 2010)

Myates said:


> I wouldn't consider pacing as a sign, as they don't pace... they just swim around. Some just have preferred routes.
> 
> Luckily, they don't get "bored" in the terms that we know it as- as they are fish and their minds don't work that way. It's if the tank is bare then they will hang around more then swim, if it's got a good amount of decorations, or if they have a neighbor, they will swim around often. Unsure about their memory span.. I remember a goldfish's memory span is only 3 minutes.


Goldfish have a much longer memory span than that. I think a study was done that determined they had the capabilities to remember things for a few months and could recognise individual faces out of a group of people. Mine are certainly intelligent enough to remember my face as they react with a lot more enthusiasm to me than to anyone else in the house. 

I don't think its boredom fish suffer from, but a lack of stimulation. I had a female who lived in a sparsely decorated, bare-bottom tank and she would continually swim back and forth along the glass as there was nothing else really to do in there. That was definitely a neurotic behavior, as it was repeated over and over again even when I changed the decorations around and added a few hiding places. 

I've found the less there is to do in a tank, the less active my bettas are unless I provide a source of entertainment for them. The bettas I house in small, bare-bottom tanks are much less active overall than those housed in more planted, and stimulating surrounds. 

I think it is this lack of activity that causes stress and neurotic behaviour, rather than boredom as we know it.


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## Myates (Aug 2, 2011)

Ooh.. I should look it up. I haven't messed with goldfish really for about 15 years, haven't really done any studying of them other then their needs. Thanks for the info on their memory span.

*edit* should of researched earlier.. you are correct (didn't doubt you). I never got into goldfish, only had a few once.. I learned their needs, but never went beyond that. I'm actually glad you mentioned it, makes my view of them change a little for the better  But I'm still a betta and cichlid girl lol


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## Badjer (Oct 25, 2011)

Mars788 said:


> Three words - Dry erase markers  I saw that someone had posted about them a couple weeks ago and had to try it out. Take a darker colored marker and put it up to the side of the tank/bowl/betta habitat. Start drawing. Mine likes chasing the tip of the marker and flaring up at it. haha :lol:


This is an awesome idea! I tried it out, and both boys went nuts. Xavier normally doesn't flare, but the marker had him going nuts. I left the scribbles on the tank for a bit and Tybalt is still staring trying to figure it all out.

I thought goldfish had a 5 second memory, until the pond babies learned to recognize when I was going to feed them and started going crazy whenever I got near the pond. Pretty sure they forget during the winter months though since they don't get fed. It always takes them a few weeks in the spring to learn to recognize food again.


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## Wolfboy51 (Oct 12, 2011)

i show him pics of other bettas from ipod, sometimes moving so they seem more real. males AND females XD


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## Wolfboy51 (Oct 12, 2011)

goldfiish have long memories (sort of) a person would place a red block down where he would feed the fish (the fish would learn to swim to it), and every time he would feed it there, he did this for around a month i think. but once he put the block down and the fish swam to it expecting food (he put no food in).


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## yumekon (Oct 29, 2011)

Wow thanks for all the ideas guys!! I'm sure like other first time fish owners, I thought he would like a lot of room to swim but looks like I'm wrong.

Time for more decorations!


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