# My Betta is angry at me?



## Quills (Jan 6, 2013)

I had a sunken pirate ship in my 5 gallon tank. My Betta loved it completely and would swim around it the whole day. Now the ship took up 40% of the tank, on top of it, the ship made cleaning the gravel very difficult, and the sail started becoming green because I noticed algae started growing. So I thought to save myself the headache and when I was doing the water change I removed the pirate ship for good. Now it has been about 2 days since the water change it seems like my Betta is angry at me, all it does usually is swim in the corner opposite from where the ship was all the way at the back of the tank. It only comes to the front of the tank when I am feeding it or playing with it.
Can a Betta suffer from boredom/depression if I removed its favorite decoration? And what should I do? Also I have noticed that the end of it's tail is a little bit transparent today (about 3mm of the end of tail), and it was full of color two days ago.


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## Fishy Mom (Feb 11, 2013)

LOL

Everything in my veiltail's tank had to be approved by him...down to gravel color. Nothing in his tank really matches, but he's happy. It took three silk plant purchases to replace a plastic plant that was supposed to be temporary. After I removed it he would lay under the new plant that replaced the old plant sulking until I replaced it with the plastic one again. He finally accepted the third plant I bought & built a bubble nest around it to let me know. I'm telling you if my fish had a computer & printer I would get weekly memos on decor changes, lol.

You could try what I did & keep replacing it with something else until he's satisfied.


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## Quills (Jan 6, 2013)

I am not as rich though to buy such huge decorations or as often. The ship cost me 35$, and that was the money I had to save for a while. I did however split my moss ball into two and added some java moss from my other tank in order to fill up the empty space. These are the before and after images. I know current setting does not look too great, but I am planning to fix it up on next water change once some of java moss grows a bit, also the water looks a tad bit murky because I just performed the change and water didn't settle completely. Either way the new tank picture my Betta is hiding on the bottom right corner so he is completely invisible.


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## Fishy Mom (Feb 11, 2013)

It looks great! Better than my hot pink gravel & mismatch of plants, lol. Maybe replace it with something cheap like a mug or pot. I know it might not match, but whatever makes the boy happy. I don't have a whole lotta money either, but my tank & rock cave (approved by fishy of course, lol) were free so I had a little saved for plants after I got my boy. 

I also go to flea markets & garage sales in the spring & summer so I keep a look out for any fishy stuff on the cheap.


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## Quills (Jan 6, 2013)

Well I guess as long as his health won't be affected I am ok with him being somewhat angry with me. I am sure he must realize that the algae growing on that thing is bad for him, or that I can't clear around it.


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## Fishy Mom (Feb 11, 2013)

Keep an eye on him just to make sure he's not sick too, but it really does sound like he misses his ship.


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## louisvillelady (Jan 12, 2013)

Sometimes, I go through these posts and read as though I know nothing of bettas. This one is one that would make me think, "those people need to be committed"! lol But being a betta lover myself, and knowing how intelligent they are, I know that they will demand what they want!

Suggestion. Place the ship outside his tank right next to the oppisite side he is sulking on. Maybe even in front if possible. If it is the ship he is missing, he will try to get to it. If he is sick, he will ignore it. 

You can go to walmart, and buy some cheap terracotta pots, and place them in a sucure manner for him to swim in and out of. They aren't that expensive. The smaller ones are less than a dollar. Two or three should do the trick. Lets us know how the little guy is doing. Hoping he is just missing his ship, and not sick.


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## Mal72 (Jan 7, 2013)

This happened to me too. I have a Delta tail halfmoon who is so particular that some people think I'm actually talking about a human child. He has a small castle that he loves and once when I had to take the castle out to move him to a larger tank, he pouted...Fins faded and he was sulking. So...castle AND he has a girlfriend. Okay, I have a 10 gallon divided tank and the other side houses a CT female. Call me crazy, but everytime I separate either fish, they go crazy. Once I moved the female to a smaller tank and both of them rammed their heads into the tank. During water changes if they cannot see each other, they will jump up and hit the top of the cup. As soon as I put them both back in their spots, they're fine. They sleep next to each other--on either side of the divider every night....Lol.


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## Otterfun (Dec 31, 2012)

+1, my aunty thought I was crazy when I talked about Fred. She said I spoke as if he was a child. She enjoys hearing my stories about Fred, how he stayed in one place waiting for his food, poking at Yo the Snail, and chasing the amanos around the tank. I have to say, bettas have personality and they are so unlike other fish I have seen so far.


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## louisvillelady (Jan 12, 2013)

lol Well after years of my aunt laughing and teasing me about how I talk about my fish, she finally asked me for one. Well she picked a male and female out of a spawn a couple years ago. Now you should hear how she talks! hehe


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## Aurie (Jun 22, 2012)

Next time you're in a store with a plant section (live plants) maybe like home depot or even wally world .. look for the orange terra cotta pots. They're usually really cheap. less then a dollar for small ones. Lay them on their sides, burry the bottom with the gravel and maybe put some moss or something on top and that would be cheap, natural decoration that won't change your water parameters.


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## majesticstorm (Dec 8, 2012)

Teehee, bettas are like little kids! However, my Rain seems to not be a picky fella about his decorations. At least, he doesn't sulk for a long time. I had to remove his moss balls for his gill fluke treatment and he kept lying on the spot where the big moss ball was for the first few days. He's gotten over it by now. If only he knew that the moss balls aren't gone forever...

Hahahaha, too bad we can't just bring our fish with us into the store and let them approve of the decor before we purchase them, would save us a lot of money. People might think that we're crazy though, but oh wells XD


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## Quills (Jan 6, 2013)

So I posted the ship right outside of the tank, while using a mug with holes as a substitute. He keeps on staring at the ship most of the time, and doesn't care for anything else that is going on outside of the tank :-(
I am willing to wait this out until he starts liking something else or gets over the ship, but I really hope that this won't affect his health in any way. For any of you guys that this happened, did the fish get sick? Because the discoloration at the tip of the tail is slightly worrying me. My only contentment is that he still eats like a pig, and is his usual self when I play with him.


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## Aurie (Jun 22, 2012)

Then that is all that matters. Bettas change color all the time. Just keep your eye on it.


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## louisvillelady (Jan 12, 2013)

I meant just sit the ship there for a short time 15 mins. Or so to see how he reacted. If he kept trying to get to the ship then he is sulking cuz you removed it and not because he is sick. I wouldn't leave it there permanantly cause that is more teasing him with something he can't have. I've never had a betta get sick from ulking. The fact that he is eating is good. Try to play with him a little extra if you can so he stays a little active. You could also put a little bit of salt in his tank and that will keep down some things. If it is a touch of fin rot, the fact that you just cleaned his tank will help clear that up. Give him a few more days and he should come around.


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## Fishy Mom (Feb 11, 2013)

Quills, I thought of you & your betta boy today. I was in rush & wanted to do a water change for my picky boy today before I picked my son up at school. I also wanted to rearrange the tank since he was pacing the last couple of days. So, instead of removing decorations & then him first, I decided to take the heater out first. He loves to cuddle up on top of the heater to sleep & rest. So, when I took the heater out I rinsed it down & started prepping his water. When I went to get his decorations out he was laying on his side under his plant (the replacement he approved) sulking. I tapped the side a few times & he just sat there looking sad. I looked into the top of the tank because he likes to greet me & play at the top. He didn't move. Finally I just sighed & placed the heater in there unplugged for a minute so he would let me take him out. As soon as he saw it he perked up. I swear he was kissing the thing, lol.

Hang in there! He'll find something else to love in his tank.


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## liz26914 (Oct 26, 2011)

Mal72 said:


> This happened to me too. I have a Delta tail halfmoon who is so particular that some people think I'm actually talking about a human child. He has a small castle that he loves and once when I had to take the castle out to move him to a larger tank, he pouted...Fins faded and he was sulking. So...castle AND he has a girlfriend. Okay, I have a 10 gallon divided tank and the other side houses a CT female. Call me crazy, but everytime I separate either fish, they go crazy. Once I moved the female to a smaller tank and both of them rammed their heads into the tank. During water changes if they cannot see each other, they will jump up and hit the top of the cup. As soon as I put them both back in their spots, they're fine. They sleep next to each other--on either side of the divider every night....Lol.


that is so cute


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## quietlythundering (Jan 29, 2013)

I know what you mean! I just added my newest betta to the family, and I swear Neil (the senior betta) got jealous. Because Blind Willie can't see, he doesn't pay Neil any mind, and Neil just sits there grumpily wondering why the newbie hasn't paid him any respect.


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## quietlythundering (Jan 29, 2013)

I also moved his leaf hammock, which could also explain why his moodiness! Well, cleaning day is tomorrow, so he won't have much to complain about for much longer lol


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