My new crowntail betta fish

Question
QUESTION: I just got him today, I have him in a vase i had my previous betta fish in. The vase has black marbles and a fake bamboo plant. He is black with silvery blue scales along his back, and his fins fade to red. He is gorgeous! But i do have some concerns.

He seems afraid of me, i will be in my room and i will look over and he will be swimming about normally, then I will come closer to observe and he will hide behind the bamboo. Also, his tank is on my bedside table, when i move toward his tank, or get up, he will occasionally spazz out and dart all about the tank! he is super fast! Also he will stay in one spot for long periods of time like he's super lazy. then will retreat to the bamboo again.

Anyway, i would like to have him calm down and maybe like and trust me more. I would like to have some sort of bond with my pet.

thank you

--Wygirl

ANSWER: Hi!
Here is some information on Bettas, and how they should be treated...I hope this will help you understand your little friend...

Bettas need 5 gallons of water or more to be healthy, and happy.
In their habitat the betta may live in shallow waters, but they have lots of room to swim.  
Keeping Bettas in small bowls, containers, vases, mirror tanks, etc. is cruel.  The Betta is one of the most mistreated fish on the market.
They need a heated tank.  Temperature should be 78-80 degrees.  They are tropical fish, and are cold under this temperature.  Cold bettas get sick, are miserable, and live unhappy lives. ( Always remember  when heating a tank, do this very very slowly..1 (one) degree every two days, as bringing up the temperature too fast would be deadly to your Betta.)  Put your Betta in the same degree water he is in now, and bring the temperature up very very slowly.   The temperature should always be stable.  Fluctuating temperature is very bad for bettas, and any other fish.  
They should have a silk plant in their tanks, so that they can rest on the leaves.  They also need a little tunnel or some knick knack that they can go through.   One teaspoon to five gallons of diluted aquarium salt may be added to his water.  
Aquarium salt helps them with stress, and helps with parasites.  However if a Betta is showing signs of a swollen tummy, salt should not be used.
They need a varied diet. This is very important.  Betta pellets one day, Betta Flakes the next, Daphnia the next, and bloodworms should be given once a week as a treat.
He should be given one frozen cooked pea a week, and on the day you give him the pea, he should fast.    
A betta is prone to constipation, and constipation leads to Swim Bladder Disease.  A cooked frozen cooked pea a week keeps them from getting constipated.  Always remove the outer layer of the pea, and cut it into small pieces feeding it to your betta one piece at a time.
They should have 2-3 small meals a day, and not one big meal.  We must remember that their tummy is the size of their eye.
Example:  2 pellets for one meal.
Water changes are very important.  Water changes must be made every week without fail with a good water conditioner such as Aqua Safe or Stress Coat.  There is also a conditioner made especially for bettas.  If you do not have a filter, change all the water in his tank weekly.
Never put two bettas in the same tank, they will kill each other...male or female.  The Betta male is a loner.  Females can be kept together in a big enough tank, but they are also aggressive towards each other, and the tank should be at least 30 gallons with many hiding places.
When treated well, a betta can live up to 8 years, if you buy him when he is very young.  (Unfortunately we do not know their age when we buy them at the Pet Store which is why some bettas die two or three years after we have bought them.)
He's an intelligent little fish, and should be treated with kindness.
Too many vendors know nothing about the betta, and don't care...so don't give good information on how to keep them.
They are there to sell, and will say anything just to make a buck.  They send you home with your bought betta, telling you a small bowl is perfect, and bloodworms!  The poor customer thinks he has everything he/she needs, and then the fish gets sick, money is spent to cure him, and eventually the fish dies.   
This turns my stomach over.  Unfortunately there are no laws to protect fish.  
Bettas kept in small bowls, one gallon tanks, and vases, will get sick, and are very hard to cure in such little water.  They end up dieing, and
that hurts the person who has grown so attached to them.  They don't deserve to be treated this way.
This is how a Betta should be treated.  If treated this way, you will have your friend for a long long time.  I breed them, love them, and know what is good for them.
If you have anymore questions, do not hesitate to write me.

Lynda


---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thank you so much! This is really going to help me! i would never want
anything terrible to happen to my little Rain Dragon! :) But why does he spazz
out and dart across the tank at random times? thank you so much for
replying and i hope to hear from you again.

--Wygirl

Answer
Hi!
He has very little space to swim in a vase with a plant, so this makes him feel defenseless.  Every little movement outside of his living quarters brings him fear.  When they are in 5 gallon tanks or more, they have room to swim.  We add a little tunnel on the bottom of the tank for him to go through, and this makes him feel more secure.  He has room to swim, and soon he would greet you instead of fearing you.  A stressed betta will have darting movements, and will get sick.  Remember when heating his tank to do this very very slowly.  I am repeating myself, but it is so important.  Put him in the water temperature he is in now, and bring the temperature up one degree every two days until your reach 80 degrees.  Also add one teaspoon diluted aquarium salt to 5 gallons of water.  This helps them with stress, and parasites.
 I am confident that he will change once he has a different habitat.  He must be beautiful!  I love bettas!  They are so intelligent, it is surprising for a little fish!
You are very welcome, write me anytime.
Lynda