Animal welfare comes first
Observations must never be obtained at the expense of the animal's health, comfort or natural behaviour.
Record only spontaneous behaviour under normal husbandry conditions.
The essential rules
Four rules that come before every observation on AquaCoda and BettaCoda.
Never provoke behaviour
Do not use mirrors, forced encounters, handling or stressful conditions to trigger a response.
Stop if the animal is stressed
End the observation immediately if the animal shows signs of distress, exhaustion or abnormal behaviour.
Keep normal husbandry conditions
Do not remove filtration, heating, oxygenation, shelter or other essential equipment for recording.
Record spontaneous behaviour
Observe what the animal naturally does — without manipulating the situation.
Do not provoke or stage behaviour
- No mirrors to provoke flaring
- No forced contact between animals
- No repeated exposure to a perceived rival
- No tapping on the glass
- No removal from the aquarium for filming
- No withholding essential care
- No deliberate exposure to frightening stimuli
- No handling to trigger a reaction
An observation obtained through stress or provocation should not be uploaded.
Recognise signs of stress
Behavioural signs
- Frantic swimming
- Repeated escape attempts
- Hiding unusually
- Loss of normal activity
- Prolonged or repeated flaring
- Abnormal floating or sinking
- Loss of appetite
- Exhaustion after display
Physical signs
- Rapid breathing
- Clamped fins
- Pale or unusually dark coloration
- Loss of balance
- Visible injury
- Persistent surface gasping
Stop recording immediately if any of these signs appear.
Excessive flaring can indicate stress
Flaring is part of the natural aggressive display of Betta fish, but prolonged or repeated flaring may indicate unresolved territorial stress or over-arousal.
Do not use mirrors or repeated visual exposure to provoke flaring.
Stress example — do not provoke this behaviour
Support natural behaviour with a suitable environment
Adequate space
Provide enough space for normal swimming, resting and exploration.
Stable water conditions
Use properly cycled water and maintain suitable temperature and water parameters.
Gentle filtration
Use filtration appropriate to the species and avoid excessive current.
Plants and shelter
Provide plants, hiding areas and visual barriers.
Enrichment
Offer safe opportunities for exploration without forcing interaction.
Reduced reflections
Arrange lighting and surroundings to minimise persistent reflections.
A responsible recording workflow
Three short checklists — before, during and after the observation.
Prepare calmly
- Confirm the animal is behaving normally
- Check that essential equipment is operating
- Keep the environment calm
- Prepare the camera or microphone in advance
- Avoid repeated repositioning
- Keep the recording session short
- Stop if behaviour changes because of the equipment
Four rules
- 1Keep a respectful distance
- 2Avoid sudden movement or noise
- 3Do not chase the animal with the camera
- 4Stop immediately if signs of stress appear
Wind down
- Confirm the animal returns to normal behaviour
- Restore anything moved near the aquarium
- Review whether the observation was truly spontaneous
- Do not upload recordings obtained through provocation
- Report any welfare concern clearly in the observation
Species-specific considerations
The universal welfare rules above apply first. These add species-specific care.
Responsible observations create better science
Observations affected by stress, provocation or abnormal husbandry conditions may be difficult to interpret and can compromise both animal welfare and scientific value.
Good citizen science begins with respectful, non-invasive observation.
Before publishing
Confirm all three:
- The behaviour was spontaneous
- The animal was not deliberately stressed or provoked
- Normal husbandry conditions were maintained
Observe carefully. Record responsibly. Protect the animal.
Animal welfare is more important than obtaining a dramatic image, video or sound recording.