Do you ever notice your Betta fish swimming in erratic patterns? You may be wondering if this is normal or not. While it varies from one individual to the next, most betta fish will occasionally swim erratically for periods before returning to their usual swimming behaviour. This post will help you understand what might cause your Betta fish to act strangely and provide insight into what is considered “normal” when it comes to how they move.
What Does Swimming Erratically Look Like?
If your betta has been “swimming erratically,” he will usually dart around from place to place at high speeds in quick little movements that are hard for humans to track with their eyes – even though they may look aimless wandering or pacing back and forth. What does this mean? He might still have a perfectly fine vision. In fact, some research suggests that bettas seem able to see movement and track it with their eyes, even though they may not be able to make out stationary shapes.
Common Causes Of A Betta Fish Swimming Erratically
There are a few common causes of betta fish for sale is swimming erratically. The first reason is that they’re interested in their surroundings and exploring what’s happening around them. Bettas can see pretty well, so they might dart from place to place simply out of curiosity when you walk by or if something new comes into view nearby. This behaviour may be misinterpreted as “swimming erratically,” but he just wants to check things out.
Another cause for this type of erratic movement could be stress. Your betta isn’t feeling comfortable in his environment, whether that means the temperature is too high or low, there are other aggressive fish in the tank with him, or he doesn’t have enough hiding places or other things to explore. Bettas are very intelligent and have a good memory. If something traumatic happens – like being chased by another betta for an extended time – he may associate his surroundings with this negative experience and be afraid to come out from hiding.
In some situations, your betta might even display symptoms that look similar to what humans refer to as “seizures.” This is usually associated with extreme stress, but it can also happen because the water quality in their tank isn’t stable enough (if there’s too much ammonia or nitrite) over a long time. Environmental changes such as these can make any Betta fish swim erratically.
How To Treat Betta Fish Swimming Erratically?
If you think your betta is swimming erratically because he’s stressed or scared, the best thing that you can do to help him get over his fear and return to normal behaviour is by giving him a more comfortable home. This means doing regular tank cleanings, making sure there aren’t any sharp objects hanging around in the water, getting rid of other fish which may be bullying him, and adding some additional decoration, so he has places where it’s safe for him to hide if something comes into view that scares him.
Betta Fish Swimming Erratically – Should You Worry?
In most cases, betta fish swimming erratically is a sign of normal behaviour and nothing for you to worry about. In some special circumstances (such as after surgery or if your betta has been living in an environment where there isn’t enough oxygen), he might swim around for other reasons – but this usually means something else is wrong. If you think there could be a medical reason behind his unusual movement patterns, the best thing you can do is take him to see a vet as soon as possible so that he can have a proper exam.
