Topic: Strange Behavior

[Rin4Christ]

I have recently seen my newest Betta Apache seems to get himself into tight spots. he is in one section of a 20 gal tank with java moss, a 1/2 coconut shell hut, and a small water plant. A few times in the alst week or so i have gone up to the tank and couldn't see him and when i tapped on the glass or opened the tank i would see him wriggle out from under the java moss or between the java moss/coconut/wall. This kind of concerned me, but he was always able to get out.

Today i came home and didn't see him again. So i tapped on the glass and got no result. tapped again and heard gravel moving. I moved the javamoss with the tank vacume and saw a tail sticking up from behind the coconut. I reached in the tank and moved the Java moss and coconut to see he had part way burried himself in the gravel and was strugling to get out. I had to reach down and free him myself. I have no idea how long he was stuck like that. He is swimming find and seemed unconcerned about the whole deal, but it worries me.

Is there something wrong with my Betta?

[ruthcatrin]

ah, no.  I have lost betta's who thought that that tight spot was the perfect place to nap and then were stuck.  I've watched others get themselves into the oddest spots from which i promptly removed them and then removed whatever made it such an inviting tight spot.  no clue why they do it though.

[PhoenixFire]

I'm glad I don't have anything in my tank that Beamer can wedge himself down between like that.  Coming home and finding my betta stuck somewhere would scare the living life out of me!  

[ruthcatrin]

the females seem to be worse at it than the boys.  But the boys do it too.  I've had girls get stuck in plants, half buried under marbles, behind filters, IN FILTERS (don't ask   I still have no clue how she got there).  To the point where I use very little in the way of hard decor in my tanks and what i do use is carefully placed so as to make no tight spots  

[RinsMom]

Just curious... have you thought about Velvet as being the culprit?  The parasite makes them itchy, and he may be trying to scratch the itch, as such, and just stays there.

Mom

[ruthcatrin]

velvet and ick can make them do it more yah, so I'd carefully look him over for anything like that, but in general i'd just remove anything that might be encouraging him to put himself there, make sure he has a safe hidey (like half a clay pot or a cup or the like) instead.

[Rin4Christ]

He has a hidey: half an inverted coconut with a door cut out of it. He seems to prefer to hide behind the coconut under the javamoss. For now i have removed the javamoss and so its just the coconut and the small plant.

[ruthcatrin]

probly safest!

[Jessie226]

Why dont you move the coconut, so it's not so close to the edge of the glass, so he cant wedge himself back there? Good luck!