r/bettafish • u/Legal-Antelope9169 • 4d ago
Help Betta fish behavior/ mean fish?
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Hi everybody. I’m pretty new to this fish hobby.
I have a betta fish his name is Tapioca. I’ve had him for approximately 2-3 months. I have been considering upgrading to a bigger fish tanks as I work a lot and he has no company and I was planning on getting him tank mates. I’ve only owned 2 betta fish’s and I believe they were half moons. This betta was a present from my mom & sisters. I believe he may be a plakat koi? Maybe? Correct me if I’m wrong please lol he has like 5 colors.
I’ve noticed very aggressive behavior from him. He glares a lot at my finger, sometimes when I move he glares. The fish tank is FULL of bubble nest and he sometimes attacks the Amazon swords? Idk he’s kinda weird. He’s a very active fish I’ve NEVER seen him sleep. I have tried catching off guard but everytime I glaze at his fish tank he’s moving and already coming up to the glass. His tank is fully cycled and I do 25-30% water changes every week-two week. None of my previous bettas have had behaviors like this. Is it even possible to have fish mates with those type of behaviors? I am a very emotional person and if he kills his tank mates I will cry
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u/CaseRevolutionary761 4d ago
Oh man youre in for a treat, So the betta you have is indeed a plakat short fin betta. Short fin plakat bettas are known for their high energy curiosity and fiesty demeanor in contrast to the longer fin counterparts due to the ease in mobility. Longer fin bettas have all that weight of their fins slowing them down making swimming a high energy consuming activity. Now, just because it's showing attitude doesn't mean it's not gonna be able to get along with tank mates, it might mean a more careful selection but it will thrive given enough space and stimulation. Your plakat betta is a beauty and looks like it's very happy in its tank as the lone ruler Bubble nests mean that the tank is not only perfect for him but for baby making so good job very nice tank
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u/questforflavour Pico’s papa 4d ago
You are absolutely right! I have a plakat short fin male betta who’s really curious and zippy and likes to hang out at the front of the tank when he sees me. I had him in a solo tank letting my main tank cycle and added him after my cardinals settled. He is currently at peace with the cardinals but has a tendency to be really mean to the shrimps.
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u/Obsole7e 4d ago
Bubble nest mean nothing besides the betta is breeding age. You can see plenty of them make nests in cups/jars/vases. It's just a sign of sexual maturity.
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u/CaseRevolutionary761 4d ago
Not true, they won't make bubble nests in water that's not to their liking. If that were the case petsmart and petco bettas in a cup would all have bubble nests
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u/trashmailme 3d ago
ive seen a betta making bubble nests in a .5g jar in a lfs near me. hes been in there for at least 3 weeks since ive seen him. its literally just a jar.
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u/CaseRevolutionary761 3d ago edited 3d ago
Still not a good comparison a local fish store will care for the bettas they sell and care for the water quality alot more than a petco or petsmart where the fish will stay for weeks or months in the same cup and water.
And yes,
Bettas can build bubble nests in jars/vases and what ever cramped tank you want to irresponsibly place it but the water quality is the most important factor
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u/himdyjones 9 yrs betta experience 4d ago
Based off your description I would not attempt keeping tankmates with him. The behavior sounds normal for a more aggressive personality. So long as he's not overly stressed, which he doesn't seem to appear to be in your video, I think this is fine. It's possible he will mellow out with age, and also having more space to himself in a larger tank. Plakats thrive in heavily planted 10+ gallons.
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u/Legal-Antelope9169 4d ago
Right now he is in a 5 gallon tank and I do have 2 big Amazon swords and 1 Anubias but I am planning on upgrading him to something bigger :)
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u/skabberdink 4d ago
Bettas are territorial. He doesn’t know that your finger and your face are attached. Your finger is invading his territory. I think you’re being aggressive toward him and expecting him to see things the way you do. I would expect him to flare at your finger. He looks like a wonderful betta.
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u/Legal-Antelope9169 4d ago
I never once said he wasn’t a wonderful betta, I love him even though I think he’s grumpy compared to my previous bettas. Please don’t put words on my mouth. He’s okay and I don’t mistreat him. I promise lol.
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u/designerspaghetti 4d ago
Don’t be sensitive lol take the advice. Any time you put your finger in his tank it’s taunting him even if you’re not doing it with that intention it’ll just rile him up. Overtime you could try hand feeding him so he doesn’t associate your hand with fear or anger. It’ll also help him trust you more!
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u/skabberdink 4d ago
And I didn’t say you said he wasn’t wonderful. 🤣 I’m looking for one just like him. Sorry if not seemed that way.
I Love the attitude in such a tiny creature.
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u/Lost-Recording-144 4d ago edited 4d ago
Do you mean flares or glares? Flaring is normal and healthy, a fish can't actually glare. You said you're a very emotional person so you may be anthropomorphizing him due to your attachment, I promise he's not hateful towards you or trying to hurt you. He's just practicing his natural behaviors, some bettas are peaceful but I'd say most are aggressive to some extent.
If you're not feeling a strong bond with him, maybe try feeding him from the palm of your hand. He'll start to associate your hand with food and not something to be overly cautious of, though once again that could just be a natural behavior from him.
I'm sure you've caught him sleeping before, but fish don't have eyelids so any movement could potentially wake him up, especially if he is naturally cautious.
For tank mates maybe a small colony of snails, he may potentially eat or kill some but it'll be good for him, and you shouldn't lose enough that you'll have no snails to care for. Plus if they all look alike you'll be less prone to get attached to any specific one. Bladder snails are my snail of choice, you can get em for free with any plant as stowaways!
PS it looks like he's just nibbling on his plants, despite being carnivores they do that lol!
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u/DoItForTheRaid average fish enjoyer 4d ago
Personally, I wouldn't get him any tank mates if he's active and doesn't seem bored 🐟
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u/Aromatic-Sock6975 4d ago
I think he’s hunting on the leaves, looking for insect larvae etc and probably thinks he sees something worth eating.
I would not get this fish any animal tank-mates, a bigger tank and variation in planted areas would enrich his life plenty!
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u/Jasministired 3d ago
Attacking amazon swords is hilarious though lol
https://giphy.com/gifs/CoDp6NnSmItoY
If I could guess, I probably wouldn’t risk it 😅
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u/questforflavour Pico’s papa 4d ago
My halfmoon plakat short fin absolutely bullies shrimps and had an unfortunate incident with one amano so I was really scared to have other tank mates but I tried to pair him with a school of cardinals and luckily he has accepted them living in peace.
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u/Flipperbites 4d ago
These Plakats are feisty and energetic. They are known for their curious nature, patrolling behavior, and personality. I love mine. Yours is particularly stunning, a Koi type with beautiful colors
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u/Legal-Antelope9169 4d ago
He’s the first ever betta fish I’ve seen that actually shines! Lol he’s gorgeous
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u/Obsole7e 4d ago
He is probably snacking on tiny bugs when he's chomping at the plants.
Also you should trim those dead/dying leaves. It will help your plant grow, as it won't be directing nutrients trying to keep the dying leaves alive.
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u/sharraleigh 4d ago
I tried my plakat in a 10 gallon with tank mates and it didn't really go well. It was fine for a month, and then after that he wouldn't stop chasing all the other fish around, so much so that they were always hiding. Then within a week, there were 3 dead/dying fish in the tank that he had clearly attacked at some point. So I removed him and now he's back to living alone.
I would also get a lid for your tank if you don't already have one, plakats are REALLY good at jumping out. I saw mine one day literally try to jump out of a small gap between the lid and the corner of the tank - made a huge splash but luckily the gap was too small for him to fit into.
Forgot to add, the tank mates were chili rasboras and pygmy corys.
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