Lazy betta question

Nikki wrote:
"Altum" wrote in message
. com...
I can't decide whether one of my bettas is sick or just lazy. He spends
most of his time either sitting plants near the surface of his tank or
nose-down in the plants at the bottom. He looks fine and eats eagerly.
I've had him since January and his fins have grown nicely and he's not lost
any weight. He eats frozen foods (brine shrimp, mini-mysis, bloodworms,
etc.) or freeze-dried bloodworms once a day.

He got a bit more active after large water changes so I thought maybe
there was a subtle water quality problem - his 2 gal planted tank has a
deep Flourite substrate and I can't gravel-vac because of all the roots.
The water tests fine, but you never know... I moved him into a different
small tank with a bare bottom, and he still shows the same odd behavior.
Now he snoozes on a raft of riccia or rests quietly on the bottom of the
tank.

I tried putting my other betta (the one I just pulled out of the community
tank) next to him and he never even noticed so I don't think it's
loneliness.

Is this laziness normal for some bettas? Is he sick? I've never seen a
betta act like this all the time.

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I don't know alot about planted tanks but just thought I would mention,
since the bigger vacs take to much water to quick I made one for my betta
tanks with a tube from a underground tank. takes it out slower so I can get
anything at the bottom.

Cool idea. I have a tiny gravel vac, but the substrate in that tank is
solid pants and roots. I think maybe I'm going to take the tank apart,
clean the substrate, and replant in a thinner layer of Flourite.

Out of my seven male betta's, I have 2 who are petty big (think they may be
older then the rest) but they don't act like the others they lay around,
however they are quick to come up for food, and are in good shape, I also
tried putting them near other tanks but did not seem to matter much, I have

That sounds just like this guy. He doesn't bother to move much, but
he's always looking for a handout. He swims up from the bottom or scans
the surface from his bed of riccia when I approach the tank. At feeding
time, he snaps at the food and rapidly eats it all.

one other who is not bothered by other betta's in the least, right now he
has a betta tank on each side of him and the other two will flare at him and
he pays them no made what so ever.
But since yours was not like that before now, it may be something else, I
don't know where you get your betta's but from what I have heard from some
breeders when you get them in a shop sometimes they are all ready close to a
year being they don't get all their tail/fin coloring until around 8 mths
and that is when people want them, any chance he is older?
sure hope he is ok
Nik

I have no idea how old he is. His fins grew longer when I got him and
they have some pretty bright red color on the margins now that wasn't
there at first. He was pretty big, though.

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