Why does my betta do this?

Question

Ok so i got a male betta around four days ago... When i put the tip of my finger in his bowl he circles it and then starts to flare at it but just a bit. He will eat bloodworms from my finger if hes hungry and will occasionally get excited when i go in front of the bowl ( probably expecting food)... Sometimes i try to touch his top fin to let him see i wont hurt him but sometimes he doesnt care and other time he swims away in a hurry...Can anyone explain these mixed feelings of his???

Answer 1

-_- kid fish aren't cute cuddly pets that will grow to trust you and let you pet them

fish have, (a fact) a three second memory span

it flares up 'cause that's how they threaten other fish to stay out of their territory, and how they attract females

you will never be important or significant to this fish, it's just not that kind of animal...and it has no feelings of attachment...

Answer 2

Usually when male Betta's flare out it is a sign of self defense. He thinks that your finger is another male Betta. I don't recommend that you do this too often., because flaring out for an extended period of time can cause problems. Other than that...your fish sounds very healthy and active.!!

Answer 3

Wow Pennylane (first answerer) must have been a fish in another life since he apparently knows the inner working of a fishes mind!

Fish do not have a three second memory, otherwise they wouldnt remember you as 'food' and you would just be a stranger again and again and again.

Could you imagine being a fish in a tank with a predator if that were true?

AH! HELP! He's gonna eat me!

Whew... why am I swimming so fast?? ....

AH! HELP!! He's gonna get me!

Whew.. why am I swimming so fast?? ....

That said:

Betta's love attention, they will wiggle around trying to get you to notice them if you havent paid them any attention for awhile.

But as someone else said, each betta's personality is different maybe he doesnt realize you are petting him but other times he sees you coming?

Noone can say for sure, since none of us have ever had the opportunity to be a fish, well except for pennylane of course.

But have fun with your new fish:)

Answer 4

Bettas are intelligent fish with unique personalities.  Getting to know the quirks and oddities of your betta is part of the fun of owning them.  They seem to do their best to communicate with their owners in their own special ways.  Yours sounds like an interesting little fellow.  I guess sometimes he's just not in the mood to have you pet him?  Who can fathom the mind of a fish?  *shrug*

Answer 5

Well first of all your not supposed to put your fingers in the bowl because you contaminated the water because your hand are dirty and have oils on them. Welll fish have a slime coat to protect them from bad thing in the water and when you touch them with your finger you could remove the slime coat and make them subseptible to diseases. I would make sure that you dont over feed him.

Answer 6

People are right, sticking your fingers in a tank means you're more likely to contaminate it.  We don't realize how many harmful germs and oils are on our hands, but the fish will be aware of them pretty quickly.  Then soap residue can be very bad for fish, so even if you've just washed them (especially if you've just washed them) you want to keep your hands out as much as possible.  Plus, fish have something called a slime coat that covers their bodies.  They need that slime coat to be healthy, but touching a fish can strip the slime coat away.

Fish can be interactive pets, but they shouldn't be touched except in emergencies.  I've been keeping bettas for years and they really do have unique personalities and ways of interacting with you.  I had one betta who hated one of my rings-- every time he saw it he would flare up, probably because the circular stone looked like the circle formed by a betta's gills when he flares.  I've had shy bettas but most of them have been curious and swim right up when people walk by, mostly looking to be fed.  I've heard people say that bettas can learn to recognize faces and associate their owner's face with getting fed, but mine have pretty much all been attention seekers regardless of who was in front of the tank.

It sounds like you have a curious little guy, but you need to interact with him on his terms.  Show him a mirror to flare at for a few minutes every day or even a marble to push around the bottom of his tank.  I had one betta who pulled up his plants and "surfed" by wiggling his body on top of the floating leaves.  Watching them do their own thing is the most fun part of betta keeping.  They make fascinating pets, but you'll both be happier if he stays healthy so it's best to keep your hands out of his tank unless absolutely necessary.

Answer 7

They are fighting fish.  He flares at your finger unless it has food on it.  You're getting lucky when you get to stroke him.  He gets excited when you go up to the bowl because he's learned that you mean "food" to him.  He is not going to be warm and fuzzy.