# Frantic, Glass Surfing, Restless Female Betta



## gosoul (Mar 20, 2011)

Hi guys, I have female betta who is frantically swimming/glass surfing and completely restless. At some points she almost propells herself out of the tank. This behavior began about 3 days ago. Since then she has had a 100% percent water change, change in color of the background of her tank, change in room lighting, and I added various things to try to distract her. Although she is eating very well, she is totally entranced by this swimming. Normally she would respond to and watch any activity in the room she is in. She is housed in a 2.5 gallon tank with heater (water temp is in the mid/high 70's). I have checked ammonia levels and all is good there. I have male in another identical tank setup and water source who has shown no change in behavior. Does anyone have any thoughts on this behavior?

Thanks, and Happy Easter to all.


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## Kitdae (Nov 29, 2010)

is the tank on an angle? my guys used to fight their reflections in the glass.


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## gosoul (Mar 20, 2011)

Not on any angle, the tank is just a traditional marineland rectangle glass tank. I can't tell if she is seeing her reflection, but this seems to be more compulsive behavior, different from if she catches her reflection in the thermometer or sees herself in a mirror.


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## vaygirl (Sep 10, 2009)

Does her tank have a light? You can try turning it off and see if that stops the behavior. How long has she been in the tank?


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## Oldfishlady (Mar 1, 2010)

When a fish is trying to get out of the water...that is usually a sign that something is wrong with the water itself.......a toxic substance from the air, hands...etc...make sure you used enough dechlorinator and check your heater for cracks...a stray volt can also make the fish try to get out of the water and double check the water temp with a thermometer high heat can also cause that behavior.......


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## gosoul (Mar 20, 2011)

Vaygirl, she has been in the tank for about 2.5 months and it doesn't have a light. Thanks for the tips Oldfishlady, I have removed the heater and am going to get a PH test kit asap. I use Prime for a water conditioner and will add another drop or two. I have an ammonia test kit and level is good. I run all the water through a brita filter and age in open jugs for at least 2 days.


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## bettafish15 (Oct 3, 2010)

A water filter on your tap can take away the good minerals in the water fishes need...


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## baylee767 (Nov 5, 2010)

Yes, don't use the filter, use water conditioner. Also, how often do you do your regular water changes? And what's the exact ammonia level?


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## gosoul (Mar 20, 2011)

Not using the filter would be great! I've spend a ton of $ on filters to keep up with full water changes on my 2 - 2.5 gallon tanks. I thought I was helping the water by using it since my city tap water has a blue hue and funky taste. I do daily water changes using a turkey baster to remove any waste. I would say daily it's 10-25% then a full change weekly. To test ammonia I use an API test kit with the vial and 2 bottles of solution. I've never seen the ammonia tests show more than .25 and typically it's hard to guess if it's 0 or .25 on the color code. Thank you everyone for the input.


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## gosoul (Mar 20, 2011)

Just want to thank everyone for the input. The spell seems to have been broken last night when Shakira released a ton of eggs. Still glass surfing a little but no more frantic darting. I also have started introducing tap water without filtering.


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## turtle10 (Dec 30, 2010)

Remember to use dechlorinator!!!


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