My Betta Fish is so nervous and timid!

Question
I just got a siamese fighting fish (betta fish i think) and he is living in his own tiny block with rocks and a plant.  I feed him properly every day.  Whenever I put my head up to the glass, he is fine and swims casually, but as soon as I stick out a finger and move it closer, he freaks out!  If I put my finger on the glass and slowly move toward him, he avoids it by swimming the other way.  If I make any sudden movements, he randomly swims really fast and sometimes hits the glass hard.  I don't need to clean his tank yet, but I'm so worried when I do because he'll have a heart attack!!  Please leave advice. =/

Answer
Hi Alex,
 They aren't called Siamese fighting fish for nothing!  He is doing exactly what most bettas do, i.e., aggressively defending his little territory.  

-- Ron
  rcoleman@cichlidresearch.com
  Cichlid Research Home Page <http://cichlidresearch.com>