psycho betta - MyFishTank.Net Freshwater Saltwater Aquarium Fish Forum

vampirefish · 06-22-2009, 04:09 PM

hi all! i've got this betta in a community tank with some tetras, cories and guppies (i know guppies and bettas together are normally a bad idea but we had a bit of a fry explosion and we had to separate the males from the females) and he's normally the most docile fish you'll ever meet-none of the guppies have had their fins nipped at all and they've been in there for months! anyway, he's recently got into the habit of going for my fingers when i feed the fish. does anyone know why? he's about 2 years old now and has never done it before.

ValRasbora · 07-01-2009, 11:08 AM

maybe it's just a habit... like some people suddenly use sarcasm or start chewing their fingernails, just because they tried it and it became a habit.

emmanuelchavez · 07-01-2009, 12:45 PM

my female bettas nip at my arm when I go into my 29g to trim my plants.

If you have food in your fingers... then it may be going for the food, and has associated your fingers with food.

MissFishy · 07-05-2009, 09:28 AM

Consider it "love". He sees your fingers as the provider of food. He could also just be defending his territory in the tank from you too. It stresses out bettas to be in tanks with too many fish as they can never keep their "territories" clear of fish or fingers disturbing them.

06-22-2009, 04:09 PM	#1 (permalink)
vampirefish Teenie Weenie Fish Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: York, UK Posts: 46	psycho betta hi all! i've got this betta in a community tank with some tetras, cories and guppies (i know guppies and bettas together are normally a bad idea but we had a bit of a fry explosion and we had to separate the males from the females) and he's normally the most docile fish you'll ever meet-none of the guppies have had their fins nipped at all and they've been in there for months! anyway, he's recently got into the habit of going for my fingers when i feed the fish. does anyone know why? he's about 2 years old now and has never done it before.

07-01-2009, 11:08 AM	#2 (permalink)
ValRasbora Little Fish Join Date: May 2009 Location: Canada Posts: 279	maybe it's just a habit... like some people suddenly use sarcasm or start chewing their fingernails, just because they tried it and it became a habit. __________________ "The more the merrier!" 20 gallon 1 male marigold wag swordtail (named Freckles for the freckles he has). 4 platys; 2 red wags, 1 sunset, 1 variatus (all females I believe). 2 albino corys- RIP, little guy 4 harlequin rasboras 6 neons. plus 5 or 6 live plants (not sure what they are) oh and a snail infestation will be buying some sort of algae-eater... ideas anyone?

07-01-2009, 12:45 PM	#3 (permalink)
emmanuelchavez Super Fish Join Date: Feb 2008 Posts: 1,236	my female bettas nip at my arm when I go into my 29g to trim my plants. If you have food in your fingers... then it may be going for the food, and has associated your fingers with food. __________________ 100, 29, 20, 10, 2.5

07-05-2009, 09:28 AM	#4 (permalink)
MissFishy Super Fish Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Michigan Posts: 2,232	Consider it "love". He sees your fingers as the provider of food. He could also just be defending his territory in the tank from you too. It stresses out bettas to be in tanks with too many fish as they can never keep their "territories" clear of fish or fingers disturbing them. __________________ http://missfishy.tripod.com/ The Basic Guide to Cycling a Tank, Sick Fish and more! Updated 10/13/09 with a new layout!