Am I Really Being Cruel?!

[scampi]

My Betta - George - is in a 2.1/2 gallon tank with very gentle built in filter & small heater & he looks happy & content & eats well etc. He has live plants to hang around etc & 2 assassin snails for company. I test his water every week & it's remains Ammonia 0 Nitrite 0 Nitrate 10. I think as long as you do a pwc each week to freshen it up there's not going to be a problem.

 

[myrtle]

Thanks for all the support, he is vry active but still doesn't make full use of the tank, so far preferring to patrol the front third where it is not planted. I did think hard before putting any other fish in there, it was originally just the 3 frogs but unfortunately the eldest died a week or two ago. As the frogs were settled and feeding well I felt quite confident in adding the Betta as being the new guy the frogs wouldn't be picked on for invading his territory. Don't worry Jenste, the frogs get more than enough (there are 3 female cherry shrimp to pick up what's not eaten) and the Betta ignores their Reptomin only stealing 3 or 4 of their bloodworm when it first goes in, the frogs eat the rest. There isn't a lot of 'decor' crammed in, just a few live plants so there's plenty of swimming space with places to rest and hide too. I think I had got so used to how friendly everyone is here even when teling you something you don't necessarily want to hear, that I was a bit shocked by the other forum. This is definitely the friendliest fish forum!
Thanks again everyone, I was really beginning to doubt myself...

 

[starrynightxxi]

Any time it comes to the keeping of animals, you will run into opinions. To some people, our saying that bettas ought to be kept in at least 2.5 gallons sounds ridiculous when they have kept bettas that were clearly happy in a little box for three years. The people on the PFK forum no doubt have their own reasons for believing what they do, and I am sure that, for the most part, they are very good reasons.

And for the record, I went to the forum and found the posts you are talking about, one person said that in their opinion the tank was too small to keep any fish in at all other than shrimp, and they were not rude about it.

I would not be overly concerned about a single person's opinion in this respect, especially when that person also says it can be done, and well. When you put a question out on a forum you are opening yourself up to comments from everyone, and you aren't always going to like them all, or agree with them all. That's fine, but it doesn't make a person rude for expressing their opinion when you have requested it.

In any case, I wouldn't worry about it. 7ish gallons is fine, in my opinon. My boy is in a filtered 6 gallon (6.5"x24")

 

[myrtle]

I agree with everything you are saying (when I posted this question I hadn't received the reply about 'it can be done') and I had also just read several threads where people had been rude and suggested cruelty which made me rather worried about what further replies were going to say and wanted input from here too about that particular issue. I understand that when asking a question on a forum you are going to get all sorts of opinions but having read the threads relating to Bettas I was suddenly aware that a lot were saying 60l is best and 28l (or 30 or whatever the thread was about) was far too small.
I just needed confirmation (or a definitive answer either way) before I got myself in a state. The PFK forum is a good one and I wasn't meaning to sound like I was saying the thread I was referring to was rude, but that there was a fair amount of rudeness in other threads. I may not have been clear on that point.

 

[xBETTA-BOYx]

I know people's views on minimum tank size varies but is this really so small as to be cruel for a single Betta and 2 frogs?
[/quote]

Its not cruel in those tanks, if they're active and happy then it should'nt be a problem. Personally my bettas didnt move in the old half gallon tanks i had so now i have three 5 gals for them they seem very happy there

 

[fuzzynicki]

Sorry you've had such a negative experience. I don't know that forum and don't intend to visit it after this! You sound like you are a very caring owner, and you are not cruel at all! I have a male betta in a 20l tank and he is very happy!

 

[midnight-blue]

I have one of my males in an 11 liter tank heater and filter and he is very happy he builds bubble nest every day and have a tiney pleco in with him but very happy and is always moving around but i would not put him in anything smaller. Dont worry about the other forum.

 

[lilfishie]

My Males now have 15l each as there in a 60l divided in 4.

If the fish is healthy and happy then i can't see a problem