Betta wont eat with new Pleco.

Question
I got a Betta fish about 2 weeks ago. I bought him a fish bowl that holds a gallon of water, and he seemed very happy and healthy. I changed the water as soon as it looked cloudy. He often made bubble nests, and from what I've read, this means he is wanting to mate.
Well yesterday we bought a Pleco baby and a 10 gallon tank with a filter to help keep the tank clean.  The Pleco seems to be fine, but the Betta is acting a little funny... He isn't eating when we feed him now(he used to eat all of the 6-8 pellets we gave him 2 times a day), or he gets one in his mouth, then spits it out. He is also follwing the Pleco around, puffing up his gills at him or her. I watch to see if he is going to attack, but he never does. He just seems to want to, sort of like, sit on top of the Pleco and swim around it. From what I have read, it sounds like he is either being somewhat aggresive or he thinks he can mate with the Pleco. Could the latter be possible if the Pleco is female? Do you think I should put the betta back in his 1 gallon bowl to get him to eat?

Answer
Hi Kim,

No, the betta cannot mate with the pleco - they are of different species so it would be impossible. The puffing up of the gills is called flaring and is normal behaviour from bettas trying to defend what they see and their territory.

Since you have the pleco in the 10 gallon, I am assuming that you have a filter. Bettas do not like pretty much any current whatsoever, with their delicate fins it can be stressful to have water movement.

I reccommend that you move the betta back to his old tank permanently, he seems to have been a lot happier there - bubblenests are indeed a sign of happiness and good health.

By the way, common plecos often reach one foot in length and create a lot of waste, so unless you plan on getting a big (55 gallon plus) tank for him in the future, you may want to see if a friend or pet store will take him.

Hope this helps!  

Prue