A Question About Bet(t)as

[allan45121]

why is it that bet(t)as can be kept in such small tanks?

 

[furryrabbit]

im no expert but it think they don't move around much neways

 

[geo7x]

plus many people only get one of them so you dont really need a big tank for one fish.

 

[Miss Wiggle]

depends what you class as small, you see loads of them in fish shops in tiny bowls and stuff, a lot of betta lovers will tell you they definately shouldn't be kept in anything that small

 

[smurfyy_2k3]

no smaller than 1 gallon is recommended (sp) but they are surface breathers so they can go to the top for air which helps due to there lack of filters

 

[demonmagus]

I *think* that they aren't exactly super-active either, and I *think* that a tank too big can make the betta stressed as it patrols its territory, the fins are heavy

 

[unspoken930]

Ive always heard that in their natural enviroment, they jump from puddle to puddle, and as we all know... puddles arent the biggest deepest things haha... This probably makes up for their lack of movement, ect. ... But this is just what ive heard

 

[dthoffsett]

I *think* that they aren't exactly super-active either, and I *think* that a tank too big can make the betta stressed as it patrols its territory, the fins are heavy

Really depends on the betta. I have one in a 5gal w/2 apples snails, and he (the betta) spends all of his time zooming around the tank. However, as with all fish, every betta has its own personality and some of them don't swim all that often, and some do in fact get stressed out trying to guard a larger tank. That being said, personally, I believe anything smaller than a 3 gallon tank is cruel. It would be like being forced to live in a closet your entire life, could you do it? Yes, but should you? In the wild, bettas are mainly found in rice fields, and to adapt they have a labryinth organ that allows them to breathe air.

 

[SamUK]

i think the mimum size for a betta tank should be 2.5 gallons.



1 gallon is a load of crap. i dont care if they dont move around much. doesnt mean they like bein locked in a vase.

 

[TammyLiz]

I've kept bettas in small bowls and in decent sized tanks. I've come to the conclussion that they are only inactive because they feel so crappy in those little bowls. I think 2 gallons is a good size, with a filter and a heater. The reason people keep them in those little bowls is that unlike some fish, they can survive in them for a matter of a few months, or even a couple miserable years, but they are obviously not happy.

Although some are bothered by open spaces most appreciate it. I have a betta in a 2 gallon planted tank in my kitchen and he is almost as active as my loaches, no joke. It's a shame to think the same guy could have ended up living in a cold unheated tiny bowl with nothing to do but sit there.

 

[OohFeeshy]

im no expert but it think they don't move around much neways

Only becasue generally they have all that finnage weighing them down (with the exception of juvies, PKs etc.). Plus they're generally over a year old when you buy them- or about halfway through their lifespan. Mine are in either long, squat 1.5gs (around 12" long, 6" wide and 4" high) or assorted 3gs, looking to upgrade as soon as I tidy up. Comparing the juvie VT to the adult, the juvie is much more active.

But also the culture developed in the same way the goldfish bowl culture developed.

Ive always heard that in their natural enviroment, they jump from puddle to puddle, and as we all know... puddles arent the biggest deepest things haha... This probably makes up for their lack of movement, ect. ... But this is just what ive heard

Wild bettas (splendens) are nowadays found only in a couple of streams, but they're also found in rice paddies, which are huge areas of shallow water. And you can hardly compare the shop bought b. splendens with a wild one... That would be like comparing a celestial goldfish to the common carp.

 

[demonmagus]

I *think* that they aren't exactly super-active either, and I *think* that a tank too big can make the betta stressed as it patrols its territory, the fins are heavy

Really depends on the betta. I have one in a 5gal w/2 apples snails, and he (the betta) spends all of his time zooming around the tank. However, as with all fish, every betta has its own personality and some of them don't swim all that often, and some do in fact get stressed out trying to guard a larger tank. That being said, personally, I believe anything smaller than a 3 gallon tank is cruel. It would be like being forced to live in a closet your entire life, could you do it? Yes, but should you? In the wild, bettas are mainly found in rice fields, and to adapt they have a labryinth organ that allows them to breathe air.

thats why I put * around the think...

 

[BWBettas]

Bettas should be kept in nothing elss than a one gallon, even though i would say 2-5 gallons is a great sized tank. They require heaters to keep the water at around 26oC atleast! They are Anantaboids and beathe air through their labrynth organ. Hence why such small tanks are acceptable. Bettas love room to swim albeit its not a 100 Gallon tank. They prefer surface area and length to tall narrow tanks. They do not "Require" a filter, but if you don't use one you should do 50% water changes every day or 100% changes twice a week

Anything else?

Bret

 

[Dark_Lenne]

I have my Betta in my 25 gallon community tank. And for what I can tell, he loves it there. He is a very active young man...

I would never keep a betta in a 1 gallon tank. Thats just cruel...

 

[liz2]

the only snag is when you see one almost dead in a lfs and you bring it home, and then you find another, and another, you cant have them all in massive tanks. My boys are happy I dont like bowls or vases but they all have their little critter keepers and clean water.