Betta resting vertically

Question

Lunar resting vertical   QUESTION: The betta I purchased last night has been resting vertically in the corners of the aquarium since I placed him in his new home.  He will swim normally when he sees a piece of food and occasionally when no one is watching but otherwise he's in a vertical stance.  He is in a 2.5 gallon heated tank.  (His 5 gallon will be ready this weekend)The temp is 78.  I use reverse osmosis water so no conditioners were added.  He ate a couple small pieces of a blanched pea today(approximately 1/8 of a pea)and I haven't fed him anything else yet.  I thought he might have swim bladder.  Since he is new to me, I don't know his personality but this seems unusual.  I have a small cave for him but he doesn't seem interested. I'm going out to purchase some tall silk plants to see if he needs a better place to hide.  I also have another picture of him in the little tub if needed.  Thanks for any insight into what's happening with him.  By the way, his name is Lunar.
Thanks

ANSWER: Jennifer,

 I looked at the picture and have a question. Is his spine straight when you look at him from above? It looks to be curved in the picture. If it is, he was born that way and the tail is too heavy form him to keep horizontally. He is a beautiful Betta, one of the nicest I have seen outside of mine. I do not see any illness of any kind. As for the water. Your tap with a conditioner would be best for him. The tap has minerals that would be beneficial for him. Just use the conditioner to remove the stuff he can't have. If you are able can you try to get a picture while he is swimming but from above him? I would like to see his spine. What are the water perimeters?


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Above look at spine   QUESTION: Hi Jaymie,
He appears straight as far as I can tell. He started swimming more yesterday and very rarely hangs out in the corners.  When he does rest in the corners, he is no longer straight up and down but more of an angle with the appearance of his tail pulling him down.  He's been exploring his surroundings and I feel acting normal.  He's not very interested in the bio-gold pellets (spits them out) but I know they can be picky eaters and I will continue to try until one of us gives in.  Water parameters are ammonia=0, nitrates=0, nitrites=0, hardness=0, chlorine=0, alkalinity=40, pH=6.8.  This is the best picture I could snap-he moves quick now.
Thanks,
Jennifer

Answer
Jennifer,

Seems like is water is good. He will start exploring more as he gets used to his new home. The picture is not clear so I can't tell about the spine. If he is able to straighten out sometimes, then you will probably be ok. As for the food. We never know what the breeder or pet store has fed them but keep giving him the pellets. He will soon learn that that is his food and will start eating it. They can go 2 weeks without eating so don't worry. He will eventually start eating what you give him and all will be good. As for the temperature, it is a bit cold. Betta's need their water to be between 80 and 82 degrees at all times. Just make sure his water is always clean and if you have any other concerns or questions don't hesitate to ask.