Common Behaviors

Is this normal? Let's talk about: Bubble nests, jumping, flaring, and activity levels.

Bubblenesting

Healthy male bettas build bubble nests. Even female bettas can build nests. It's usually a good sign if your betta is building a nest, as it indicates they are healthy enough to blow hundreds or thousands of bubbles, they are interested in breeding, and they have claimed a territory as "theirs."

• Seeing a nest does not directly mean the fish is healthy.
• No nest does not directly mean the fish is unhealthy, either.
  

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Flaring

Flaring is an aggressive display behavior used to intimidate a possible intruder. When flaring: the gill covers open, the branchiostegal membrane (also called the "beard") drops, the fins become erect, and the fish may swim from side to side. Males and females do this.

• Flaring in moderation is healthy! It's similar to stretching.
  
• If the betta is constantly flaring, he will become tired. Bettas may flare at their reflection in the glass, so adding a backdrop or paper to the back and sides of the tank may relieve him.

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Jumping

Jumping in bettas is a survival instinct. To understand this, you must understand where bettas originate from. Wild bettas can be found in the harsh environments of Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, and Malaysia. They can be found in ponds, streams, rice paddies, and even puddles. During the dry season when these bodies of water shrink, the fish need to be able to adapt. So they jump, hoping they will land in a larger body of water. Thanks to their labyrinth organ, they can gulp oxygen from the air, allowing them to survive out of water until their gills dry.

Jumping could be a sign that something is wrong.

• The tank could be too small, so the fish is jumping to find a larger body of water.
  
• The water could be toxic, so the fish is jumping to find a cleaner body of water.
• The water could be too hot or cold.
• The fish could be trying to escape from another fish.
• The fish could be hungry. This is unlikely to happen if you feed your fish every day.
  

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Excessive Swimming (glass surfing)

Bettas patrol their territory, so swimming around their tank and through plants is pretty normal behavior. However, if the fish is excessively "surfing" the sides of the tank, as if trying to find a way out, this is a sign of stress. If left alone, this behavior could lead to jumping.

• He may have an incompatible tank-mate, the water parameters could be off, or the tank could be too small.
  
• If he only glass-surfs when you approach the tank, he may be expecting food, and not stressed at all.

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Inactivity

Bettas can seem like lazy fish. Often they can be found resting on leaves or decor in their tank, and even on the substrate. This is normal in moderation. A fish who rarely swims around could be in trouble.

• If your betta maintains a bubble nest, eats, or swims around the tank, then inactivity is completely normal.
• If your betta is rarely or never seen swimming, and rests at the surface or on the bottom, he could be sick or old.