Betta bowls.

[Olive]

Just would like to know your thoughts on Betta bowls.....I know that bettas are naturally in little pools of water in the wild......but what do you think about keeping them that way at home?

 

[FrankSlapperinni]

I personally thinks it's disgusting. just because they can live in a bowl don't mean they like it.
besides, the cost of a few gallon tank for a Betta to live in is negligible.
plus, Betta's in bowls are ugly . you go in someones house and you a see a little Betta on the bookshelf in a little bowl, and you just can't help lowering your opinion of the person just a little.

 

[crimsontsavo]

I believe the betta get washed out of the tiny puddles and into larger bodies of water in the wild. I could be wrong though.
I'm not FOR betta bowls, but I'm not against them either. As long as they can swim around without bumping into the sides of the bowl- ( big bowl ) Then I guess it's okay?
I have my baby guppies in a crystal pitcher with live sand and plants- they have alot of room to swim and play. I think a tank or "bowl" that is long and kind of wide is better than a bowl that is up and down. It gives more room to move around and such.

Kind of like the thought- Even though your baby is only eight pounds- you think it wants to live in a play pen?

Only God knows I guess- and the betta of course,lol.

 

[White Whale]

In the wild they have no choice. But these days, they are bred in controlled conditions so many of them may have never experienced small spaces - until they hit the LFS. Nothing smaller than a quart for a non-filtered bowl and water changes must equal 1 gallon per week - a quart needs full water changes every other day, a half-gallon needs water changes twice per week, and so forth. Gravel is nice but not necessary.

 

[Cian McLiam]

When not hanging around in bowls, Bettas like chilling in paddy fields...

 

[susangc]

There are bowls and then there are bowls Mine is in a one-gallon with a live Java fern and seems thrilled to be out of that pint-sized goldfish bowl he inhabited in the LFS. But I've finally got everything for his new bachelor pad, an Eclipse System 3. He'll be moved in next week

Susan

 

[Where the river goes]

I disagree completely with the use of bowls. If it can't have a heater and a filter, then I would not use it.

 

[freshmike]

Our bettas live in no less than 1 gallon of water....and that right now is only the girls.....they are MORE than happy.....as for the boys...three of them have 2.5g filtered tanks and the other two have 2.5g "red sea" tanks.....so ya, I am against bowls.

 

[wuvmybetta]

We also have a no less than a gallon rule here but no guidelines on the shape One of my boys lives in a bowl, it's a little over a gallon and he's been swimming in circles for 8 months now

 

[DrOizo]

Theres a difference between living in a small space (think about it a padi field is very large but just not very deep) and being placed in a tiny one. I feel so sorry for the way Bettas are mis treated universally Bettas like warm water with a good supply of fresh water (not so strong it blows his nest away) and they like a bit of space to swim around in. I can't see my Betta being in a smaller tank he loves to prance around and explore!! He's in a 4 gal heated aquarium with a filter Just for him

 

[CFC]

.....I know that bettas are naturally in little pools of water in the wild......

I think the confusion here is that in the wild a small pool of water is probably somewhere in the region of 6" deep and a few feet long/wide, a betta bowl hardly comes close in size, plus as mentioned these pools are seasonal and once rains arive they all join to create one large shallow pond (rice paddy). It is my opinion that no fish should be kept in a tank with less than 10g of water for the entire duration of its life (some european countries have this as animal law though i have no problems with using 5g tanks for breeding and fry raising or small hospital tanks).

This is a contraversial topic and im sure hundreds of betta keepers are going to come pouring out of the betta forum saying that if we dont keep bettas then we dont understand them and cant comment I have learnt that people will keep and treat their fish in whatever way THEY see fit and no matter what the anti betta bowl/tiny tank people think they will still use them.

 

[DrOizo]

CFC do you have a Betta? I agree about the size rule but 4 gals is quite alot of space for 1 fish and bettas arent very big either. they do seem to like small spaces but now overly samll spaces 10 gals is way too much space for them, they don't like it even!! You can see how many fish I keep in a 10 gal in my sig and they are all as a happy as larry!!

 

[DrOizo]

Here is a good site with Info on where a betta comes from (Pictures actually)
http/www.plakatthai.com/bettahabitat.html

 

[CFC]

Note that this "pool" of water is bigger than a 4g tank, that bettas become stressed in a 18x12x12 (10g) tank because of too much space is madness!

 

[DrOizo]

They do become stressed in larger tanks of water and offer retire to areas in the tank where they feel safer. If you go to the Betta forum many people will agree that Bettas get stressed in too large amounts of water