# Suicidal betta or just confused?



## DaEvangelist (Oct 29, 2010)

Hello all,

So Danube has been having fun in his new habitat for the past week or so but a new behavior has popped up which sort of has me worried.

As some people have noted, some bettas seem to like to hang out in the current, and it seems that my little guy is one of those. He would hang out in plants and decorations in the current such that he doesn't have to move. He just swims hard against the current until he can perch on a plant and he anchors himself there for a while. I put the plants and decorations there so that they would lessen the impact of the HOB filter waterfall overflow current on the rest of the aquarium but he seems to spend most of his time on the side with the strong current flows. 

That's just background, because now, instead of just hanging out in the current, he seems to be intent on swimming up through the current into the filter like a salmon.

Here are some pics:

















It's about an inch or an inch and a half from the water surface to the top of the overflow, with a pretty decent current. The first time I heard splashing and rushed over because I thought something had blocked the filter overflow and was flooding the counter. I almost had a heart attack when I saw him in there. I turned the pump off, pulled out the filter insert and slowly poured him back into the aquarium. He has done this four or five more times since the first time and the last two times I just observed him. He seems to spend about 10 to 20 minutes in there when he jumps in, just hanging out in the bottom against the insert then coming up for some air, then hanging out again. When he wants to get out, he just floats to the surface and lets the current plop him back out into the main tank. Then he goes on about his business.

I have checked my water indicators with the API kit and they were all optimal, temp hovers 78 to 80. Aquarium content are some plastic decorations and some live plants. Plants are elodea in the gravel, floating wisteria, some sprouting betta bulbs. You can see my setup in the betta tank photos thread. Danube looks fine, no distended belly, no ick spots, no fuzzy fungus. He swims around actively and builds bubble nests.

I have tried fast current and slow current but it doesn't seem to matter. He jumps in the filter more often at night though. I can cut up a new dish sponge and maybe put it in front of the overflow so he can't jump in. The thing is that he seems to enjoy it in there.

Do you guys think I should do something to keep him from doing it? Is there something wrong with him that I just can't see? On one hand he might be hurt doing all that jumping and plopping back into the tank, on the other hand, if it's something fun for him to do, then I don't want to take that away from him.


----------



## Oldfishlady (Mar 1, 2010)

What an interesting behavior......I have never heard of it before...maybe he does think he is a salmon....laffs.....if all the water prams are okay and he is otherwise healthy and he can't get injured in the filter box and since he can get himself out without any problem or he can't jump out of the tank itself....let him have fun.....you really need to get this on video and post it here and on youtube......that would be neat to watch......these guy can sure keep us on our toes and scratching our head......lol....


----------



## DaEvangelist (Oct 29, 2010)

*Crazy betta, film at 11!*

Wow, just, wow... I followed up on your advice Oldfishlady and set up my digital camera to record. Even at it's lowest setting I only had about an hour and half and I didn't think I would get anything, but, wow, I got film of him swimming up to the filter, jumping up into the filter, hang out for about 7 minutes in the filter, then plop back down into the aquarium, crazy! That was 15 minutes after I left the house for work!

Give me a little bit of time to edit the video and cut it down since it's about a few hours worth of video and the action can be summed up in 2 minutes.


----------



## Oldfishlady (Mar 1, 2010)

Awesome...can't wait to see it.....


----------



## Maryrox247 (Aug 10, 2009)

Sweet that will be fun to watch! Wow, i wish i had a betta like that! He must be pretty intelligent to find his own little hideaway! AWESOME!


----------



## FishyFriend1 (Oct 29, 2010)

Oh wow, you got one risky little guy


----------



## DaEvangelist (Oct 29, 2010)

*Presenting Crazy Betta - The Movie*

Alright folks, here is the video of my little boy doing his crazy stunt. Do you guys think I need to put in a cave for him? Is that what's he's looking for? Is he missing his little container from when he was young? Was he a salmon in his past life and is now reincarnated as a betta? Oh well, I don't know, but here he is.


----------



## scootshoot (Oct 11, 2010)

Cool stuff, thanks for the youtube link. How high is your water level? That filter outtake is basically close to being full submerged no wonder he can go in there so easy.

I would drop the water level some to start....


----------



## TaylorW (Sep 4, 2010)

Wow, that's so crazy!! It looks like it took a lot of effort for him to swim against the current!


----------



## Posaune (Sep 17, 2010)

Maybe he just likes the feel of the current, I know I like a nice breeze rather than still air  o.o That's so weird though.


----------



## Colibri (Sep 29, 2010)

I've never seen something like that! What an intrepid little man you have! He was definitely a salmon in another life... or maybe his ancestors where salmons... who knows! Great video... and I LOVED the music... it just goes with the situation caught on film.


----------



## Apocalypse (Nov 3, 2010)

Ever seen Finding Nemo? I think that's what's going on here...


----------



## dipsydoodlenoodle (Mar 3, 2010)

My 2 weather loaches do exactly the same :roll:


----------



## purplemuffin (Aug 12, 2010)

lol! Mine did that the first day we got him, he didn't jump IN..just tried to swim at the filter(fully flaring at the time, I think he was trying to attack it!)


----------



## dragonfair (Sep 21, 2010)

Oh wow! Never seen anything like it! Yeah, sounds like he needs some distractions... (but it's pretty cool to watch!)


----------



## vaygirl (Sep 10, 2009)

Love that soundtrack. Hysterical! You could lower the water level as others have said. He might be so keen on the idea that lowering the water might backfire if he tries it anyway and gets hurt. As long as he's healthy, I'd let him do his thing. It's really good exercise and enrichment for him. These guys are natural jumpers.


----------



## FishyFriend1 (Oct 29, 2010)

that is crazy. The music is really good for the type of video


----------



## MMK (Nov 5, 2010)

Wow, what a crazy betta you have. I have never seen anything like that before. Thanks for sharing the link!!

Lowering the water level or putting a baffle on it would possibly prevent him from doing that. I would be really worried he would try it again as he has done it so many times, and get himself in trouble with the change though. If there is no way he can get hurt, it's probably okay.

Wow, though, I wish he could talk!


----------



## JaspersANGEL (Oct 12, 2009)

*lol* the video made me laugh..and plus combined with the music!
You have a very special guy there!

That's why I love Betta fish soo much, as OFL said they always think up different things too keep us wondering about them.
Hahahaha!!


----------



## metalbetta (May 17, 2010)

That was hilarious!!! I'd freak if my girls started up that habit! lol


----------



## DaEvangelist (Oct 29, 2010)

I know! I love him even more now! They're just so fun and wonderful and full of surprises. 

I chose the music because his little fins beating crazily against the current reminded me of helicopter blades, which reminded me of Apocalypse Now and that exciting scene when all the helicopters come flying in. It's both suspenseful and uplifting.


----------



## metalbetta (May 17, 2010)

*sharing on facebook now*
The video is that good. lol


----------



## nochoramet (Oct 2, 2009)

Hahaha that made me laugh so hard!! He's an interesting little guy!


----------



## Oldfishlady (Mar 1, 2010)

For some reason I can't get the link to work for me...whats the trick...remember I am computer challenged.....laffs....


----------



## Drift (Jul 26, 2010)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NYsZ7ynQuzo
Try clicking that OFL.

This gave me a good laugh and made my day.


----------



## Oldfishlady (Mar 1, 2010)

Thanks Drift...

And how cool was that....even with the perfect music....great job with the video and what a neat Betta.....he seem perfectly happy and knows what he is doing....I think he may have seen that video on OEPA of the goldfish that joined the salmon too many times and thinks he could do it too...laffs.....


----------



## Here Fishy Fishy Fishy (Oct 29, 2010)

DaEvangelist:

Wow!

If he is doing this on purpose, he is enjoying it. If it hurt, him he wouldn't do it.

So.... unless you perceive some immediate peril to him, let him have his fishy fun.

If it really bugs you, try a completely different filteration system that he can't enter.

Cheryl


----------



## DaEvangelist (Oct 29, 2010)

Cheryl:
Thanks for your input. I"m thinking the same thing you are. He doesn't seem to be hurting himself and as some have said on the thread, it seems like a good workout for him to work off the occasional bloodworm binge day I give him twice a week. I checked the water conditions again and they're good - 0.25ppm ammonia, 5ppm nitrite/nitrate, ph 7.4, temp 78. It's been 3 days since a 50% water change. I'm planning on doing a smaller PWC today.

OFL:
The links seem strange depending on how you get to the thread OFL. When you click on the email that informs you there's a new post on the thread, it sends you to the thread using bettafish.com and if that happens, the links created in TropicalFishKeeping.com don't work. The links do work if you get to the thread by going through the forum in TropicalFishKeeping.com. Sort of strange link behavior, and I think it's because bettafish.com doesn't have the option to automatically parse links in text, but eh, I'm not a website guru.

I just noticed in the video that he takes a gulp of air before he starts. I thought that was hilarious - "Ok man, here we go, deep breath, and just go for it!"


----------



## Lion Mom (Jun 14, 2010)

I used to have one that did that in an Eclipse 3 - would swim into the little holes where the water returns to the tank.. Since I'm such a chicken I was afraid he would hurt himself. I cut some small pieces of aquarium sponge & shoved them in the holes so he couldn't do it anymore.

Granted, pretty funny stuff and you did a GREAT job with the video! If you want to stop it, however, you could use an aquarium sponge/foam to baffle the filter and he wouldn't be able to do it anymore.


----------



## scootshoot (Oct 11, 2010)

More I watch this clip, more amazed I am. Yes he must like the current or smell of decaying matter inside that filter. Something attracts him to it, the fact he has done it repeatedly and is actually willing to jump over an inch to get inside is pretty awesome.

Unique little betta you got there!


----------



## heythatsme (Oct 12, 2010)

That video was sweet and he's a pretty betta.


----------



## scootshoot (Oct 11, 2010)

What status of Danube, he still doing circus tricks?


----------



## DormDrax (Dec 1, 2010)

Hmm... After reading this...

Drax does the same thing, thankfully the filter is completely enclosed so he couldn't really jump into it.


----------



## DaEvangelist (Oct 29, 2010)

Yeah, he's still jumping into the filter. Not as much these days though. I turned over the plastic trunk decoration I had which had a hollow trunk. I filled the water up enough so that he could swim into it and he seems to like it. He stays in there for a while then swims out. It doesn't keep him from jumping into the filter still though.


----------



## TRISHIESfishie (Nov 17, 2010)

that was so awesome! Maybe he's trying to clog the filter so he can escape back into the ocean like Nemo!


----------

