Hi, I got a betta on March 17th that did not look like it was a very old male. It had very short fins and seemed shy. I thought that since it was young and it's fins were still growing that maybe it would grow out of it. It now has long flowing fins but it is still very shy. I did not want to stress it a whole lot by not letting it hide so I put a decorative pot that a friend gave me that he got from the pet store in it's tank for it to hide. Is it normal for some male bettas to be shy?

Going from the Betta's that I've had,they each seem to have their own personalities. Most of mine are pretty cool.I have a few that want to flare & jump on everything/one in sight though too. Betta's are really strange though when it comes to decorating their tanks too.If there's something in there that makes them leary,and they're just not sure about it,they'll act kind of weird sometimes.I have two that were like that! I dealt with their hiding/shyness by rearranging their tank a little.Came to find out that one of them just did not go at all for the Big Ramshorn snail that shared his tank,and when I took the snail out,he started hiding less. The other didn't like an ornament that I had in the tank! Those two are pretty much okay now. You're still going to find that not every Betta acts the same way. I think that's why I like them so much! Do you have iany plants in there for him? Sometimes that makes them feel not so "out in the open" too,therefore letting him feel more comfy to come out.

I agree with Devs on this. Bettas are quirky little fish with distinctive personalities. Some are shy and some are very aggressive. I had one that was very shy and hid for 24 hours when I put a baby ramshorn snail in his tank. I took the snail out, and out he came. Weird. So, as Devs mentioned, maybe try redecorating his tank and adding lots of plants. Use real plants or silk ones, though. Plastic can sometimes tear a betta's delicate fins. Also, you could try putting a background on the tank if you don't already have one.

Let us know if your betta gets a bit more bold

Hi, I moved my betta's tank in front of a window on a shelf and it's so funny. Maybe he was just very bored or something because now he spends a lot of time pacing ( sorry about the lingo, I'm a horsewoman) back and forth at the back of the tank looking out the window espeacially if my beagle puppy is out there I think he like my puppy Belle. He only stays at the bak of the tank looking out if she's outside.

Bettas are funny little fish, aren't they? I am glad your betta likes his new window view

I love bettas' little personalities . My new guy (Yoko Zuna, haha) is extremely shy. He likes to just chill in his plant most of the time, but recently he's leanred to beg when I come into the room! He also loves it when my cat sits in front of his bowl and watches him...weird or what!?!

Christina

My bettas love the cat too! Or well, maybe it's the other way around.
Glad to hear your betta is getting long happily Torbe.

My bettas can see eachother ALL the time ( im trying to find something to put on the clear dividers) but anyway... my old one (ive had orion for about a year thats a long time in my house) I find that hes more active and eats more now that he has 'Friends' its awesome. I LOVE tthier personalities!