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Originally Posted by Ashley V  I know... they aren't together. They are in the same tank, but it has a divider so they can't fight. |
Is the divider clear? Just seeing/sensing a male betta is stressful for another male. I think the manufacturers do the clear dividers so that they flare and show off their colors often, but without them actually fighting. Unfortunately, the flaring caused by those tanks (or putting a mirror up to a single betta too many times a day) is exhausting and has an adverse effect on the guy's healthy (reduces survival time)/
I don't know the cause of the tears or prognosis for your red guy, but I know that stress can will make it harder for him to cope/heal. Do you have any aquarium ornaments or stones on the bottom of the aquarium? I've found that they can be dangerous for fish with long fins, as they can get caught on the slightest rough spot. I have smooth marbles on the bottom of my guy's aquarium but even that makes me a little nervous b/c he like to move them around with his nose and sometimes they roll back.
It's a good sign that he can eat, but be careful not to overfeed (bettas will eat as much as given usually). I would definitely call the store for more info -- also there are a number of betta forums online, but i don't know of any of the top of my head (just google should work)