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i bought a male betta 2 and a half days ago and all he seems to do is hide behind the heater or under the rock cave it is quite annoying as i wanted him to display and stuff i always thought bettas were confident fish but mine seems scared he is in a cycled 10 gallon tank with a bulldog plecostomus who sleeps most of the day.could he be lonely i have a 40g tank with other fishes in such as congo tetras,glowlight tetras and swordtails should i maybe put them in with him???im quite worried as if hes hiding all the time i am not sure he is eating.any help would be grateful.thanks.also the store kept him in a little cube about the size of a pint glass,is this normal?and could he now have to much room???

I'm having the same problem with my new betta that I got 3 days ago. All he does is occasionally swim, but then rest somewhere with his fins clamped.
I'm not all that fussed that he isn't displaying, but I'm terrified that he's sick.
Maybe new bettas need a week or so to adjust or something.

As for Fish Shops keeping bettas in tiny little cups, unfortunately that is very common. In fact I've never been to a Fish Shop that keeps it's bettas in anything over half a litre............

the walmart here keeps their bettas in 1/3g cups ... they're a lot bigger than what most stores sell them in ...

he could be lonely, but more likely he is a bit overwhelmed by the space.

do you have a breeding box or breeding net? if so, scoop him into that for a week or so until he is really really used to the space.
That way he can feel secure AND see and smell the rest of the tankspace. that way when you let him out, he should be fine.. or at least more fine

with the fin clamping, it can be fear, but it can also be the fact that they had the inklings of an infection when it was bought and the stress of moving and the larger tank/different tank has put a bit of extra stress on the little man, and its just let that infection get hold, so do keep a close eye

For animals, the entire universe has been neatly divided into things to (a) mate with, (b) eat, (c) run away from, and (d) rocks. - Terry Pratchett

Just give him some time. I had a Betta that didn't eat for the first 10 days when I brought him home. Don't worry he'll come around. Add a few pellets, and after a while take them out if you see he doesn't eat them. Then try the next day.

And maybe try the mirror trick to get him to flare and exercise. That'll help to get him worked up and hungry.

Good Luck, and Enjoy :88)

thank you for your replies will try the mirror and have bought a breeding trap to put him in if all else fails he is a little more active now and i think hes making a bubble nest i dont agree that fish shops should put bettas in such small cups after all the rest of the labyrinth fishes arn't forced into small tanks just cos they can breath atmospheric air i think it is cruel and unnessary]:| especially as it obviously causes them a lot more stress when u put them in a bigger tank.also the fluctuations caused my nitrite etc are dangerous in smaller tanks so it is doubly cruel.but i guess nothing will change.thanks again.