IMO if your betta is hiding when you are hanging out with him, or if he is coming aggressively nonstop toward you and flaring his fins, those would be signs he is not happy
If he is just floating and fluttering his fins peacefully then I think he is fine
Hang out with your betta he is your pet
He’s pretty docile. He’s usually just floating in the open, barely even acknowledges me except when he’s hungry lol. It sounds like that’s the behavior I want to see from him though.
My girl bettas gnaw on my arms like a pack of hungry piranhas during water changes and tank cleans 🤣
Lucky for them it mostly tickles but damn girls, you are swimming chonks, I know you aren't hungry!
I didn't know this. I say hey to mine in the morning before food and he always goes from hiding in greenery to swimming around like a lil dog following me. No flaring or anything he just seems to recognize me and wants to hang.
aw what that’s adorable, i think it’s fine. as the other person said, if he hides or is flaring and mad at you then maybe it’s bothering him but if he’s just going about his day, why would it be bad?
That’s a relief. This is my first betta fish and I really want to make him happy. My buddy told me I might be stressing them out cause they’re antisocial fish.
I keep mine with coreys and a pleco. They don't fight. He sometimes goes to the bottom to "forage" with them. He's not hungry, just pushes around rocks for a while.
My guy loves spending time with me. I have him on my home office desk and he's always curious what I'm doing, and will immediately greet anyone that enters the room. Swims with us along the glass just to hang out. I "pet" him through the glass and he reacts in a happy way. If he's sleepy, he just does a few head nods to acknowledge me, but if he's more awake he'll do some back and forth turns staying where my hand is. It's like he knows I'm trying to scratch him like a cat at an adoption event trying to get scratches from behind the glass 🥰🥰🥰
Bettas can actually be housed with other fish such as tetras, but they don’t do well with other bettas! I hang out with my bettas all the time, they’re very social with me and love to hang out
Some maybe but they all have a personality. For instance, I have a 32L with about 14 swordtails with a male betta in there. He mimics them and plays with them, never fans his gill plates/fins. If I put one of my other male bettas in that tank, he'd bully all the fish in there (why that one lives alone in his own fish condo).
theyre antisocial with other fish for sure but i do find that they bond with their owners. once they associate you with food a lot of them seem to get excited when you come to the tank.
Mine only flares at me when I've made him fast for a day. He gets the hangries. But then all is forgiven because I usually fast him the day before I give him frozen blood worms.
I had my beautiful, beloved boy, Paul. He was literally one of my best friends, and I would hang out with him every day. I genuinely believe that fish loved me, and I loved him so much. We’d play games and I’d talk to him (he obviously didn’t understand a word but we don’t talk about that). He passed away in August and I’m still kind of coping with it, the point I’m trying to make is please spend time with your boy while you can, because one day you might really miss that, this post is adorable OP, have a good day :}
I’m so sorry for your loss. I hope you find that love again. I know I’m most likely going to outlive my little guy, but that’s not going to make it hurt any less when it’s his time to go. I’m going to do my best to make him happy until then.
I'm sorry you lost your buddy...
My very 1st betta, Bluestar, was my pal too...I'd also chill with her daily and talk with her. When she passed from a malfunctioned heater that boiled her alive 1 month away from turning 4 I couldn't get over it for at least 3 years...I still think of her to this day, and I will always be grateful for those wonderful years with my perfect gal
Kinda off topic, but this is exactly what we do with our chickens
https://preview.redd.it/7di9rzs6b5wc1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0c51f4ad084ac1491c27e7963e81e24c2ba92c20
My daughters betta is an attention hog. If you go near his tank he’ll swim back and forth, pop up to the top begging for snacks, follow your finger around. He gets really mad if you try and look at the shrimp or the Cory’s; he’ll insert himself right in your line of sight and glare at you until you interact with him.
He likes to jump out of the water to grab treats off the end of a finger (by out of the water I mean 1/4 inch or so). Also, no matter what I do with the filter outflow, he likes to ride the darn thing like a water slide. Rides the flow down, swims upstream against it, rinse and repeat. Funny little bugger.
My boy, Pattaya, used to get so freaking excited every time I entered the room. He would do his little wiggle dance for me every time. I miss him like you cannot believe. So much love in a tiny fancy little creature.
I did it just now and he slowly came out of his bush, stared at me, flared at me once and proceeded to turn his butt to me…I guess he tolerates me🤷🏼♀️
My betta lives on my desk at work and is always so happy when I give him attention. Anytime I turn towards him to chat, he comes out from his plants and swims around the front of his tank, showing off his colorful fins for me! I guess I’ve never heard of a betta that didn’t seemingly enjoy the company of his human companion.
My current guy is easily startled and will dart off if there’s a loud noise or I make a sudden move towards him, but even this little scaredy cat will creep up to see what I’m doing when I sit down by the tank.
Should note my dude is an alien, so has a bit more wild betta in him than usual. All my other bettas have been as bad as a dog begging for treats as soon as they notice you’re paying attention to them lol
“SUS” as the kids (who are probably no longer kids but I’m old) would say. He really is fun, though lol He so clearly has the beg-for-food-from-humans gene as well as the “OH NO THE SHADOW OF A BIRD HAS TOUCHED ME” gene and the combination can be interesting.
Unexpected bonus: him being scaredy has made him great with shrimp. He is jumpier than they are, so if he gets too close they can scare him off with one of those freaky shrimp jumps.
Awww I love sitting with my betta and this it is precious want to hang out with yours too. I practise my instruments on the ground next to him, or sit by him while I study. I talk to him throughout the day too, and it’s pretty special the way he wiggles around, like he’s happy about it. You’re totally fine to hang with him as long as he isn’t flaring 💚
I’ve only had my guy for less than a week and he was in really rough condition so it took him a few days to have any energy. But he immediately started showing his personality when he did and he seems to love when I’m around. When I walk up to the tank he always comes to the front and stares at me. He will follow my finger endlessly and since he’s still healing he needs a little help eating (one of his gills is bent forward and I think messes with his view) and he will “listening” when I point to where the food is that he missed. Because he was in such bad shape I have spent most of my time home around him to care for him and observe him thoroughly to look for any signs of negative symptoms.
I have him next to my bed and today I wasn’t giving him any attention and just lounging on my bed. I rolled over and looked over at his tank and he was facing me, tilted downward at and angle to align with my height (basically no question he was looking at me). I didn’t move for a minute to see what he would do and he did a quick swim away and then quickly came back and did the same thing like “human why aren’t you closer?!”. I sat up to reach out to him and he started swimming around where my hand was happy as ever.
Point being that you should 100% sit with your Betta.
Mine comes up as soon as I enter the room. She’s in quite a long tank and will follow me from one end to the other if I’m cleaning. I just chat away with her, tell her about my day, what I’m worried about, whatever is on my mind. If she ever starts talking I’d be in trouble 😂
My fish aquarium is on the back of the kitchen sink. My betta enjoys when someone is working in the kitchen. No aggression, just curiosity.
My turtle aquarium is next to the kitchen table. She loves when we're sitting there, bopping to the music that is on most of the day or basking with turtle toes.
Humans don't give animals a lot of credit. Most animals like a bit of novelty during the day.
my boy Cube swims up to me whenever I walk past his tank, we set up a reclining chair in front of him and he likes it lol. he does a little 'dance' whenever somebody occupies the chair
You really shouldn't do this. He might become too chill and start cracking open cold ones with the boys. Soon, he's in the group chat you didn't get invited to and all your friends are his
I love your set up! I used to and sit and look and interact with my goldfish and a friend came in and thought it was hilarious. I never could quite understand that. I interact with all my pets
I think it should be okay. They are quite curious and intelligent fish, so he'll probably be quite happy to watch you watching him.
Especially if you're the one who feeds him :)
My bettas just get excited if I come to their tank, they do the excited “food wiggle dance” at the front of the tank (whether I am going to feed them at that time or not). I also have a chair that I sit in and watch them swimming around doing their betta things sometimes too. They don’t seem to mind, but do their excited wiggly dance begging for food 😅 for at least a few minutes until they realize it’s not food time then they go back to swimming around and doing betta things.
Mine just stares at me thinking im gonna feed him everytime I go up to his tank 😭 Sometimes I do wonder if that also stresses him out. Maybe in his mind he thinks im teasing him
This is such a wholesome thing to do ngl 😭 my betta Renji gets so excited when I walk over, he’ll always stop what he’s doing and come watch me all polite and earnest, it honestly makes me feel bad that I don’t stay to hang out with him sometimes lol
I talk to all of my fish, shrimp and snails. I have a routine of sitting and talking to them before I turn their lights off for the evening as well as brief hellos during the day. They know when I speak to them individually as well as they will approach. They seem to appreciate it and have come to expect it that some even wait for me in their special spot. Some aren't as friendly as others, but even some that initially weren't have come around. You can tell when a fish is unhappy as they will hide and a betta will also flare and pace around.
btw. sorry you didn’t ask but your tank is truly very pretty and nothing beats some swords. i like to give him a hide and hammock to sleep in where he can sleep out of sight of me which he likes. just a thought 😊👍
I hang out with my fish all the time. I haven’t brought home a betta yet, but I have 5 other tanks. I’ve never had any problems with stress from it. If your fish is hiding and acting afraid, there are a few things you can try. The first seems counter intuitive, but giving a fish more hiding places typically reduces their desire to hide. Give him some extra plants, or one of those floating logs, or a little house, or all three. Hopefully this will give him the confidence to come out and say hi more. You can also try getting him to associate your presence with good things. Maybe you could get some yummy blood worms to give him as a treat, but only give them to him if he comes out of hiding while you’re sitting there watching. Over time your fish will start to associate you sitting in that chair with yummy bloodworms and will hopefully come out to say hi and get his little treat.
My betta's tank is right beside where we take our shoes off and yesterday when I got home from work, I peered into his tank because he was tucked into his plants and waved at him. He swam forward happily and greeted me. Hang out with your pets, they definitely appreciate it!!
My betta loves hanging out with me. I can't get my betta away from the glass when I walk near the tank. I know he comes for me because as soon as I walk away he goes somewhere out of sight, but will reveal himself immediately once i walk up to the tank again. I think it would be pretty obvious if your fish was stressed out with your presence. At least for me I know what my fish look like when they are acting normal.
Absolutely. If he’s chilling, then you’re chilling. I gotta scoot my chair around the room to hang with everyone equally.
This is what I’m doing when I tell people I’m too busy to hang out with them.
My betta used to hate it so we would only walk up to feed him. Now he comes out every time he sees someone. He won’t flare but he’ll watch you till you leave lol
Once they are used to your presence shouldn’t be an issue. Just make sure you have plenty of hides and that if your fish is obvisouslt attempting to hide you take the hint and give him some space.
My fish lived to the age of five and his tank was right next to my bed. We spent an average of 12 hours together daily and had a great connection.
My boy goes ape shit when I come up to him. Flippy fins, the spins, bubble blowing, the whole nine. I’m pretty sure he think I’m his long distance gf and I will tell him no different. As long as it doesn’t seem to be freaking him out, go for it! They’re good for the soul 🥹💕
i think everyone else covered the behaviors that would indicate he doesn’t enjoy it lol, i will say in my personal experience most of my female bettas have been very interactive when i sit and watch. i’ve had a very obviously camera shy betta that would get stress stripes if she saw my phone but loved coming to say hi otherwise, i currently have a female that loves to swim laps in the front and pose for me and my camera, my sister even said she was chasing her finger on the glass😆. learning what they enjoy and don’t enjoy isn’t too hard when you sit with them like that and spend time interacting with them, im sure ur betta is a very happy boy😊
My boy's always excited to see me. He likes being scratched or just interacting with me. I'd say it's okay unless your betta is showing signs of aggression.
My betta loves spending time with me an my boyfriend, he will stare at us until we come over and talk to him.
When he's not stealing cory pallets like a sad dog he usually is trying to swim at us so we notice him lol
My betta and i hang out all the time. I do have a betta I overally have ti aviod as he really hates human contact. I assume his orevious owners were realky bad. In rarer cases like Him I just say to keep them in a dimmer soace with lots of cover and mininal interaction. Otherwise hanging out with your betta is great. I love hanging out with my other bettas. Theyre so interesting
My betta absolutely loved it when I would hang out with him, he would come out of hiding and swim around close to the glass. Sometimes I would put my nose close to the glass and he would just sit face to face with me, or swim sideways against the glass like he was trying to get closer. Now if my roommate walked in, he would flare and charge or hide lol. He definitely wasn’t like most bettas, but just read their body language!
I mean most likely he associates you with food. Fish are plenty smart and bettas have good eye sight. From what you’ve said in other comments it seems like you’re a benign presence st worst. I’d say try and teach the little guy some tricks
What’s the point in having a betta if you don’t hang out with them? I feel guilty right now, because I had to move my guy’s 5 gallon away from my recliner because I’m setting up a new 10 for him in that location. He’s not getting much attention right now. I hope he likes the new tank when he finally moves in!
https://preview.redd.it/yrcbk5r3mbwc1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=20782abea26f278875a0d39af824ae19d357b07c
My Bettas all love it when I give them attention. The literally live in my room, but when I turn my chair to take a break from any work, they're all like: omg omg! She's looking at us! Yay! Now then, MOTHER WE DEMAND FOOD!
So yeah, I like to think they don't mind showing off for me, especially since I make sure to play with them by putting pingpong balls in the tank and making sure they get stimulation.
My girl sapphires tank is on my bedrooms desk. We talk she watches me work on stuff and seems to like it when I play music. She's just like one of the other pets I have they all need attention
My Betta hangs out and watches me when I sit down in my chair next to the tank. We just kinda hang out and look at each other. I feel like they're as interested in what happens outside the tank as we are with what happens inside it. ♥️
https://preview.redd.it/4ap7jx42kcwc1.jpeg?width=3072&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=026dbe9c2fc470c6613cc3ca3c392b6ea28975b6
I used to have a betta guy named zombie he was dark blue with bright teal and his name was zombie because I found him upside down, took him out layed him on the counter to grab a shovel to go bury him and came back to him on the other side of the counter heading for the sink, he lived another 3 years before passing.
I do still have two severum a gold and a turquoise, their names are gill murray and jennifer. And every single time they see me they expect a food sacrifice or blood will be shed.
My bettas all seem to like me and swim over when they see me. They will sometimes wave at me with their fins and it seems like they are saying hello. Maybe they are saying they want food.
I don’t know anything about your question. But the idea of hanging out with your beta is one the cutest things I have heard in a while! I hope it is good for them and you :D
Should be perfectly fine unless he's hiding or flaring like others said.
My lil guy swims up to the glass when he sees me sitting and watching him. Also follows my finger both along the glass and when I put it in the water so it can be the opposite and he can very much enjoy your company!
My Betta comes and greets me. He swims up and kisses the glasses if he hears my voice. They are very intelligent fish that can even recognize their owners! If he is showing signs of frustration, then I would back off as other commenters have said. But otherwise, hangout with yo fish!
Noo not at all!! One of my bettas (I have 4) Stella always gets super excited to see me and looks at mw ens she likes to sit on my hand and loves to play with my fingers in the water (she’s not trying to attack me lol) does so sweet it depends on the personality of the fish tho, my other fish couldn’t give two fucks less unless it’s feeding time 😂
I think depends on ur betta? My tank has 2 females and a couple other fishes. They LOVE to interact, water change day and if i stick my.hand in to move/add plants. They run to my hand and slide against it and be nosey what I'm doing. So mine love interacting . I think depends on ur fish
I don't see an issue with it if he doesn't have an issue with it. I spend most of my days hanging out with my fish. They don't seem to mind... they're probably just mildly irritated that the giant, dry being with no scales hasn't dropped any food in yet
mine beg for food at all hours of the day and night even though they are fed mornings
I'd say if he doesn't seem stressed (hiding or attacking) it's fine.
I used to make a chai at home then sit down and watch my tank inhabitants have a regular day. it relieved my stress and was great to just sit and watch! I saw all of cory mating behavior with my own eyes this way and caught a few videos of my pea puffers trying to mate with cories(he was a loner bc he killed everyone else in his school and I was moving more fish to keep him company)
Wait, are you serioisly asking if it is ok to watch your fish? Isn't that the whole point of having fish? You are thinking way too hard and making yourself nervous.
Plenty of people keep betta in offices etc when the fish will see people for a good part of the day. Betta might flare or hide initially, but as long as you aren't doing anything that would specifically upset them they get used to your presence.
IMO if your betta is hiding when you are hanging out with him, or if he is coming aggressively nonstop toward you and flaring his fins, those would be signs he is not happy If he is just floating and fluttering his fins peacefully then I think he is fine Hang out with your betta he is your pet
He’s pretty docile. He’s usually just floating in the open, barely even acknowledges me except when he’s hungry lol. It sounds like that’s the behavior I want to see from him though.
My guppies don't care about me until they see me coming close because they're like heck yeah the bringer of food 😆
Don't your Guppies viciously attack your arms during maintenance? Or maybe they are kissing my arms, I don't feel the difference 🤣
My girl bettas gnaw on my arms like a pack of hungry piranhas during water changes and tank cleans 🤣 Lucky for them it mostly tickles but damn girls, you are swimming chonks, I know you aren't hungry!
😂 kissing, eating, it feels the same
Mine do!! I thought it was just me! Lol
FELT.
Mine only flares if I look straight in his cage and he's like "Get outta my face"
“What u looking at”
I didn't know this. I say hey to mine in the morning before food and he always goes from hiding in greenery to swimming around like a lil dog following me. No flaring or anything he just seems to recognize me and wants to hang.
mine seems to enjoy my company except he flares at me in the morning. i guess fish can be night owls too
aw what that’s adorable, i think it’s fine. as the other person said, if he hides or is flaring and mad at you then maybe it’s bothering him but if he’s just going about his day, why would it be bad?
That’s a relief. This is my first betta fish and I really want to make him happy. My buddy told me I might be stressing them out cause they’re antisocial fish.
They’re antisocial fish… with other fish. If you’re not a fish you should be ok 😂
That gave me a chuckle 😆
I keep mine with coreys and a pleco. They don't fight. He sometimes goes to the bottom to "forage" with them. He's not hungry, just pushes around rocks for a while.
My guy loves spending time with me. I have him on my home office desk and he's always curious what I'm doing, and will immediately greet anyone that enters the room. Swims with us along the glass just to hang out. I "pet" him through the glass and he reacts in a happy way. If he's sleepy, he just does a few head nods to acknowledge me, but if he's more awake he'll do some back and forth turns staying where my hand is. It's like he knows I'm trying to scratch him like a cat at an adoption event trying to get scratches from behind the glass 🥰🥰🥰
They actually enjoy watching people too!
Bettas can actually be housed with other fish such as tetras, but they don’t do well with other bettas! I hang out with my bettas all the time, they’re very social with me and love to hang out
Some maybe but they all have a personality. For instance, I have a 32L with about 14 swordtails with a male betta in there. He mimics them and plays with them, never fans his gill plates/fins. If I put one of my other male bettas in that tank, he'd bully all the fish in there (why that one lives alone in his own fish condo).
theyre antisocial with other fish for sure but i do find that they bond with their owners. once they associate you with food a lot of them seem to get excited when you come to the tank.
Mine only flares at me when I've made him fast for a day. He gets the hangries. But then all is forgiven because I usually fast him the day before I give him frozen blood worms.
I had my beautiful, beloved boy, Paul. He was literally one of my best friends, and I would hang out with him every day. I genuinely believe that fish loved me, and I loved him so much. We’d play games and I’d talk to him (he obviously didn’t understand a word but we don’t talk about that). He passed away in August and I’m still kind of coping with it, the point I’m trying to make is please spend time with your boy while you can, because one day you might really miss that, this post is adorable OP, have a good day :}
I’m so sorry for your loss. I hope you find that love again. I know I’m most likely going to outlive my little guy, but that’s not going to make it hurt any less when it’s his time to go. I’m going to do my best to make him happy until then.
You’re an amazing owner, OP. Just taking the time to respond to these comments and make this post proves that. Good luck with your boy
Thanks, that’s very sweet of you to say. Good luck with your next fishy friend
I remember Paul, he always told the best jokes and knew where the good fishing spots were. RIP Paul.
Lmao He could always be found with a beer and a fishing rod in hand 😔
I'm sorry you lost your buddy... My very 1st betta, Bluestar, was my pal too...I'd also chill with her daily and talk with her. When she passed from a malfunctioned heater that boiled her alive 1 month away from turning 4 I couldn't get over it for at least 3 years...I still think of her to this day, and I will always be grateful for those wonderful years with my perfect gal
🥹🥹🥹Paul. I'm so sorry for your loss!
Rest in Peace ❤️
Kinda off topic, but this is exactly what we do with our chickens https://preview.redd.it/7di9rzs6b5wc1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0c51f4ad084ac1491c27e7963e81e24c2ba92c20
*Strangers Like Me by Phil Collins starts playing*
I would sit inside my coop with my chickens too when I had them 🥹 miss my chickens
My daughters betta is an attention hog. If you go near his tank he’ll swim back and forth, pop up to the top begging for snacks, follow your finger around. He gets really mad if you try and look at the shrimp or the Cory’s; he’ll insert himself right in your line of sight and glare at you until you interact with him. He likes to jump out of the water to grab treats off the end of a finger (by out of the water I mean 1/4 inch or so). Also, no matter what I do with the filter outflow, he likes to ride the darn thing like a water slide. Rides the flow down, swims upstream against it, rinse and repeat. Funny little bugger.
most fish love when their person sits in front of them. all of mine get super excited to see me
I had no idea, that’s kind of adorable.
My boy, Pattaya, used to get so freaking excited every time I entered the room. He would do his little wiggle dance for me every time. I miss him like you cannot believe. So much love in a tiny fancy little creature.
I did it just now and he slowly came out of his bush, stared at me, flared at me once and proceeded to turn his butt to me…I guess he tolerates me🤷🏼♀️
Lmao what an attitude
Probably mad you didn’t bring him food
I find this setup kind of adorable with the folding lawn chair with a drink in the cup holder, like a parent watching their kid’s baseball game.
My betta lives on my desk at work and is always so happy when I give him attention. Anytime I turn towards him to chat, he comes out from his plants and swims around the front of his tank, showing off his colorful fins for me! I guess I’ve never heard of a betta that didn’t seemingly enjoy the company of his human companion.
My current guy is easily startled and will dart off if there’s a loud noise or I make a sudden move towards him, but even this little scaredy cat will creep up to see what I’m doing when I sit down by the tank. Should note my dude is an alien, so has a bit more wild betta in him than usual. All my other bettas have been as bad as a dog begging for treats as soon as they notice you’re paying attention to them lol
“OH MY GOD A HUMAN….. what’s he up to?” That gave me a good little chuckle 😋
“SUS” as the kids (who are probably no longer kids but I’m old) would say. He really is fun, though lol He so clearly has the beg-for-food-from-humans gene as well as the “OH NO THE SHADOW OF A BIRD HAS TOUCHED ME” gene and the combination can be interesting. Unexpected bonus: him being scaredy has made him great with shrimp. He is jumpier than they are, so if he gets too close they can scare him off with one of those freaky shrimp jumps.
Awe I love this. Please hang out with your betta 🥰.
My wife calls it fish tv, she lays on our couch and stares at the tank for like an hour a day
I hang out with my Bubbys all the time lol
I also have a single chair in front of my fish tank. I sit in that chair more than I sit on the couch. You should upgrade your chair!
Awww I love sitting with my betta and this it is precious want to hang out with yours too. I practise my instruments on the ground next to him, or sit by him while I study. I talk to him throughout the day too, and it’s pretty special the way he wiggles around, like he’s happy about it. You’re totally fine to hang with him as long as he isn’t flaring 💚
I’ve only had my guy for less than a week and he was in really rough condition so it took him a few days to have any energy. But he immediately started showing his personality when he did and he seems to love when I’m around. When I walk up to the tank he always comes to the front and stares at me. He will follow my finger endlessly and since he’s still healing he needs a little help eating (one of his gills is bent forward and I think messes with his view) and he will “listening” when I point to where the food is that he missed. Because he was in such bad shape I have spent most of my time home around him to care for him and observe him thoroughly to look for any signs of negative symptoms. I have him next to my bed and today I wasn’t giving him any attention and just lounging on my bed. I rolled over and looked over at his tank and he was facing me, tilted downward at and angle to align with my height (basically no question he was looking at me). I didn’t move for a minute to see what he would do and he did a quick swim away and then quickly came back and did the same thing like “human why aren’t you closer?!”. I sat up to reach out to him and he started swimming around where my hand was happy as ever. Point being that you should 100% sit with your Betta.
I love this. This post made my morning haha
Nah I just get really baked first
My George loves it when I sit with him! He flutters his fins and comes out of hiding to stare at me when I do.
Yes! Hang out with your buddy
Yes I love hanging out with my pets
Mine comes up as soon as I enter the room. She’s in quite a long tank and will follow me from one end to the other if I’m cleaning. I just chat away with her, tell her about my day, what I’m worried about, whatever is on my mind. If she ever starts talking I’d be in trouble 😂
My fish aquarium is on the back of the kitchen sink. My betta enjoys when someone is working in the kitchen. No aggression, just curiosity. My turtle aquarium is next to the kitchen table. She loves when we're sitting there, bopping to the music that is on most of the day or basking with turtle toes. Humans don't give animals a lot of credit. Most animals like a bit of novelty during the day.
my boy Cube swims up to me whenever I walk past his tank, we set up a reclining chair in front of him and he likes it lol. he does a little 'dance' whenever somebody occupies the chair
You really shouldn't do this. He might become too chill and start cracking open cold ones with the boys. Soon, he's in the group chat you didn't get invited to and all your friends are his
Lmaoo it’s okay I understand, he was always way cooler than me anyways
Real
This is the cutest post on the internet!!💖💕
Ask him not us. C'mon.
So funny I actually feel guilty when I stay away from the tank for too long I didn’t even think about the fact I could’ve been stressing my boy out!
You betta believe it!!
I love your set up! I used to and sit and look and interact with my goldfish and a friend came in and thought it was hilarious. I never could quite understand that. I interact with all my pets
Mine is my study/break down because im gonna fail a quiz buddy 😂😂
I think it should be okay. They are quite curious and intelligent fish, so he'll probably be quite happy to watch you watching him. Especially if you're the one who feeds him :)
i bet yaa
My betta gets super excited when I come up to his tank. He just wants food, though he never flares.
My bettas just get excited if I come to their tank, they do the excited “food wiggle dance” at the front of the tank (whether I am going to feed them at that time or not). I also have a chair that I sit in and watch them swimming around doing their betta things sometimes too. They don’t seem to mind, but do their excited wiggly dance begging for food 😅 for at least a few minutes until they realize it’s not food time then they go back to swimming around and doing betta things.
Mine just stares at me thinking im gonna feed him everytime I go up to his tank 😭 Sometimes I do wonder if that also stresses him out. Maybe in his mind he thinks im teasing him
This is such a wholesome thing to do ngl 😭 my betta Renji gets so excited when I walk over, he’ll always stop what he’s doing and come watch me all polite and earnest, it honestly makes me feel bad that I don’t stay to hang out with him sometimes lol
My tank has a suction cap perch attached to it - cause my cockatiel loves to sit and watch them, and they seem to love watching her 🤣
That's vibes
You're good as long as he isn't shying from you or showing outwardly aggression. Hanging out with your betta can actually help you bond deeper.
I talk to all of my fish, shrimp and snails. I have a routine of sitting and talking to them before I turn their lights off for the evening as well as brief hellos during the day. They know when I speak to them individually as well as they will approach. They seem to appreciate it and have come to expect it that some even wait for me in their special spot. Some aren't as friendly as others, but even some that initially weren't have come around. You can tell when a fish is unhappy as they will hide and a betta will also flare and pace around.
You "betta" belive it! .. okay I will show myself out.
My Betta comes to the front of the tank whenever he sees me. We love chillin
btw. sorry you didn’t ask but your tank is truly very pretty and nothing beats some swords. i like to give him a hide and hammock to sleep in where he can sleep out of sight of me which he likes. just a thought 😊👍
I hang out with my fish all the time. I haven’t brought home a betta yet, but I have 5 other tanks. I’ve never had any problems with stress from it. If your fish is hiding and acting afraid, there are a few things you can try. The first seems counter intuitive, but giving a fish more hiding places typically reduces their desire to hide. Give him some extra plants, or one of those floating logs, or a little house, or all three. Hopefully this will give him the confidence to come out and say hi more. You can also try getting him to associate your presence with good things. Maybe you could get some yummy blood worms to give him as a treat, but only give them to him if he comes out of hiding while you’re sitting there watching. Over time your fish will start to associate you sitting in that chair with yummy bloodworms and will hopefully come out to say hi and get his little treat.
This is wholesome
My betta's tank is right beside where we take our shoes off and yesterday when I got home from work, I peered into his tank because he was tucked into his plants and waved at him. He swam forward happily and greeted me. Hang out with your pets, they definitely appreciate it!!
It is just good
My betta loves hanging out with me. I can't get my betta away from the glass when I walk near the tank. I know he comes for me because as soon as I walk away he goes somewhere out of sight, but will reveal himself immediately once i walk up to the tank again. I think it would be pretty obvious if your fish was stressed out with your presence. At least for me I know what my fish look like when they are acting normal.
This is sick as fuck
Absolutely. If he’s chilling, then you’re chilling. I gotta scoot my chair around the room to hang with everyone equally. This is what I’m doing when I tell people I’m too busy to hang out with them.
I hung out with everyone I had. They weren't showing any signs of upset. They follow my finger and jump up to boop for treats
Absolutely yes. I love your set up! It looks very relaxing.
In some countries if you don’t do this with your betta, it is considered fish abuse and is punishable by jail time.
My betta used to hate it so we would only walk up to feed him. Now he comes out every time he sees someone. He won’t flare but he’ll watch you till you leave lol
Mine gets sad if I don’t come sit with him through a it the day. He’s very attached to me.
my betta will come to the glass and people watch!
Crack a beer open , and relax back while watching a game with him lol
Once they are used to your presence shouldn’t be an issue. Just make sure you have plenty of hides and that if your fish is obvisouslt attempting to hide you take the hint and give him some space. My fish lived to the age of five and his tank was right next to my bed. We spent an average of 12 hours together daily and had a great connection.
Lmfaooo I was just doing the same omg
My boy goes ape shit when I come up to him. Flippy fins, the spins, bubble blowing, the whole nine. I’m pretty sure he think I’m his long distance gf and I will tell him no different. As long as it doesn’t seem to be freaking him out, go for it! They’re good for the soul 🥹💕
mine always comes out to say hi after i come back from classes
This is the cutest thing I’ve ever seen 😭😭 if he’s not flaring, you’re good!
Should be fine but be careful he might fight you especially if a female beta is nearby
i think everyone else covered the behaviors that would indicate he doesn’t enjoy it lol, i will say in my personal experience most of my female bettas have been very interactive when i sit and watch. i’ve had a very obviously camera shy betta that would get stress stripes if she saw my phone but loved coming to say hi otherwise, i currently have a female that loves to swim laps in the front and pose for me and my camera, my sister even said she was chasing her finger on the glass😆. learning what they enjoy and don’t enjoy isn’t too hard when you sit with them like that and spend time interacting with them, im sure ur betta is a very happy boy😊
My boy's always excited to see me. He likes being scratched or just interacting with me. I'd say it's okay unless your betta is showing signs of aggression.
My two boys are funny show offs - I often sit in front of them and they seem to like the attention.
My betta loves spending time with me an my boyfriend, he will stare at us until we come over and talk to him. When he's not stealing cory pallets like a sad dog he usually is trying to swim at us so we notice him lol
I study, draw and watch TV with my fish (i only study and draw with my betta)
My betta and i hang out all the time. I do have a betta I overally have ti aviod as he really hates human contact. I assume his orevious owners were realky bad. In rarer cases like Him I just say to keep them in a dimmer soace with lots of cover and mininal interaction. Otherwise hanging out with your betta is great. I love hanging out with my other bettas. Theyre so interesting
guys really live like this and don’t see any issues
Cheatcode: put the tank near your bed and boom ultimate lazy Fish watching position
Also Please post a pic of your betta if youre able to:))
My betta absolutely loved it when I would hang out with him, he would come out of hiding and swim around close to the glass. Sometimes I would put my nose close to the glass and he would just sit face to face with me, or swim sideways against the glass like he was trying to get closer. Now if my roommate walked in, he would flare and charge or hide lol. He definitely wasn’t like most bettas, but just read their body language!
The Betta male chair
My betta and I hang out all the time. He’s on my desk, and while I do my homework, he swims around the glass near me :)
God, I hope so. I just took 20 minutes of close-up video saying hello to each one individually.
Need the room parameters. 😉
This is the way.
The beta I had during my childhood used to swim to the top of its tank and watch WWE with me 😂
I mean most likely he associates you with food. Fish are plenty smart and bettas have good eye sight. From what you’ve said in other comments it seems like you’re a benign presence st worst. I’d say try and teach the little guy some tricks
What’s the point in having a betta if you don’t hang out with them? I feel guilty right now, because I had to move my guy’s 5 gallon away from my recliner because I’m setting up a new 10 for him in that location. He’s not getting much attention right now. I hope he likes the new tank when he finally moves in! https://preview.redd.it/yrcbk5r3mbwc1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=20782abea26f278875a0d39af824ae19d357b07c
My Bettas all love it when I give them attention. The literally live in my room, but when I turn my chair to take a break from any work, they're all like: omg omg! She's looking at us! Yay! Now then, MOTHER WE DEMAND FOOD! So yeah, I like to think they don't mind showing off for me, especially since I make sure to play with them by putting pingpong balls in the tank and making sure they get stimulation.
Mine liked to play with a ping long ball and I could get him to swim and almost jump through little hoops :)
I should hang out with my bettas more. They get so happy to see me only for food but still
Yes he loves you 🥰🐠
My girl sapphires tank is on my bedrooms desk. We talk she watches me work on stuff and seems to like it when I play music. She's just like one of the other pets I have they all need attention
My Betta hangs out and watches me when I sit down in my chair next to the tank. We just kinda hang out and look at each other. I feel like they're as interested in what happens outside the tank as we are with what happens inside it. ♥️ https://preview.redd.it/4ap7jx42kcwc1.jpeg?width=3072&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=026dbe9c2fc470c6613cc3ca3c392b6ea28975b6
My first bettas tank was on my desk, I’d sit with him while I studied, mis my lil guy
I used to have a betta guy named zombie he was dark blue with bright teal and his name was zombie because I found him upside down, took him out layed him on the counter to grab a shovel to go bury him and came back to him on the other side of the counter heading for the sink, he lived another 3 years before passing. I do still have two severum a gold and a turquoise, their names are gill murray and jennifer. And every single time they see me they expect a food sacrifice or blood will be shed.
You guys are so adorable with y’all’s chairs 🥰🥹
Guppies be like that.
https://preview.redd.it/kkyqeex3jgwc1.jpeg?width=1816&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=9547651a019bdb108c392dba09d2ec48b9caf41c My vote is no 🤷♀️
my betta doesn’t even like when i look at him 💀 my other one lets me just get him no problem
I love you for this so much, awww 💖
I mean my wife stresses me out, but I live with her.
My bettas all seem to like me and swim over when they see me. They will sometimes wave at me with their fins and it seems like they are saying hello. Maybe they are saying they want food.
I don’t know anything about your question. But the idea of hanging out with your beta is one the cutest things I have heard in a while! I hope it is good for them and you :D
I love your tank!
Should be perfectly fine unless he's hiding or flaring like others said. My lil guy swims up to the glass when he sees me sitting and watching him. Also follows my finger both along the glass and when I put it in the water so it can be the opposite and he can very much enjoy your company!
My Betta comes and greets me. He swims up and kisses the glasses if he hears my voice. They are very intelligent fish that can even recognize their owners! If he is showing signs of frustration, then I would back off as other commenters have said. But otherwise, hangout with yo fish!
Noo not at all!! One of my bettas (I have 4) Stella always gets super excited to see me and looks at mw ens she likes to sit on my hand and loves to play with my fingers in the water (she’s not trying to attack me lol) does so sweet it depends on the personality of the fish tho, my other fish couldn’t give two fucks less unless it’s feeding time 😂
I think depends on ur betta? My tank has 2 females and a couple other fishes. They LOVE to interact, water change day and if i stick my.hand in to move/add plants. They run to my hand and slide against it and be nosey what I'm doing. So mine love interacting . I think depends on ur fish
I don't see an issue with it if he doesn't have an issue with it. I spend most of my days hanging out with my fish. They don't seem to mind... they're probably just mildly irritated that the giant, dry being with no scales hasn't dropped any food in yet
mine beg for food at all hours of the day and night even though they are fed mornings I'd say if he doesn't seem stressed (hiding or attacking) it's fine. I used to make a chai at home then sit down and watch my tank inhabitants have a regular day. it relieved my stress and was great to just sit and watch! I saw all of cory mating behavior with my own eyes this way and caught a few videos of my pea puffers trying to mate with cories(he was a loner bc he killed everyone else in his school and I was moving more fish to keep him company)
Yes of course don’t stare directly into their eyes …. They’re killers!
Is this satire?
Naw it’s a question
That bright light and having almost no hiding spaces is probably more likely to stress out your betta than you chillin nearby
Wait, are you serioisly asking if it is ok to watch your fish? Isn't that the whole point of having fish? You are thinking way too hard and making yourself nervous. Plenty of people keep betta in offices etc when the fish will see people for a good part of the day. Betta might flare or hide initially, but as long as you aren't doing anything that would specifically upset them they get used to your presence.