Bettas...the attraction?

[Metermaid]

Hi, this is a genuine enquiry about a fish I know very little about - obviously there are plenty of people here that are crazy about them...wondering what I am missing - so what are their attractions...in short...why do you keep them?

Regards

Rita

 

[SMSBrunetteGirl]

Well I think bettas are colorful little things and also they require less care than normal fish

 

[wuvmybetta]

I love bettas because they're amazingly beautiful and full of themselves ) I also adore the fact that they have zero tolerance for their own kind and they prefer to live in solitude. They're a simple/complex fish

On an entirely different level, I love breeding them because ya never know what you're going to get. And nothing....and I mean nothing is cuter than betta fry who think they're so tough.

 

[Metermaid]

Oh oh - what about personality wise ?

 

[GrullaQuarters]

I just got my first betta last week, my second today.

I've had a large community tank set up for the past year and a half. I have never EVER seen such personality out of a fish as I did my first betta! I'm just stuck like glue watching him, and now the new one.

They are silly, funny, curious....and these two have such a way about them....the first betta I got torments our cats when they are by the tank...he knows they can't get him...and when I sit on a chair next to the tank, he swims over and stares at me!

I swear, taking pics of the new one I just got today, he'd come up and POSE! They just really seem to be a fish you can interact with. I'm hooked because of this forum....

 

[BettaMomma]

the are COMPLETELY loaded with personality.
My little Amos (r.i.p.) loved me and the feeling was mutual.
He would flare when he saw me in the morning, almost like it was a silent little hello. He also would swim over with a half flare whenever I would look in on him. And he didn't even care if I was going to feed him or not - he just liked ME that much.

They're very fun to watch - they're very nosey!
And... they unconditionally love whoever it is that cares for them.

And... the part that draws me to them the most is the fact that they're probably one of the easiest fish to keep alive, therefore they're treated very crappy in the sense that they're packed, shipped and set on the shelves in those horrid little cups and everyone assumes that's just fine. SO... it makes me really happy, and them too, when you give 'em a great home!

 

[SuckerLove86]

Bettas seem like they have every good feature of every other fish. They're fairly undemanding, develop connections with their owner, come in basically every variety of color imaginable, thrive in some solitude for those who can't afford/don't want a community tank... it's interesting to watch their behavior too, like sociology for bettas. What they flare at, what they're afraid of, what they find appealing... and it's different for every betta. IMO, a betta is the closest a fish comes to the personality of larger adopted animals such as cats and dogs.

 

[Metermaid]

Wow, you guys make a good case !!

 

[mm_simb]

Well I love my betta because it is hardier than any of the other fishes that I've tried to keep. I tried tropical community fishes on three occassions and they all died less than a month after I got them.
My betta is also more interesting than any of the fishes I've had. He'll chase my finger around the whole tank. He is also the first spoiled fish I've seen. He wont eat his pellets unless they are in one specific spot in the tank and he'll eat them off my finger I also love seeing flare at his reflection on the side of the tank. He just swims around everywhere trying to get at himself

 

[Grim Reaper]

I love them because each betta has a unique personality u can never find a betta with the same personality + they are fun to watch as they are so active

 

[Haiku]

Others summed it up pretty well, they are beautiful and full of attitude. They have such distinct and charming little personalities. They are a relatively small fish but have so much character packed inside that little body. A good analogy is if you compared them to the dog world, they'd be the terriers, full of spunk and confidence and convinced they are as big as any wolf

 

[Grim Reaper]

plus they are the only fishes that can be keepd in 1 gallon

 

[Bettaman]

They are just wonderful and if you could keep more than one in a tank it would be the most poular fish going so many wonderful colours and tail types.........

 

[SuckerLove86]

lol, that's a good point, Grim. A lot of people my age who enjoy fish so much choose bettas because it simply isn't efficient to have a 4 ft. tank in a 8x8 dorm room. And it just so happens, when they get out of the dorm and have room for that 4 ft. tank.... they use the space for more bettas.

 

[BettasRFriends]

Correction: its FISHality not PERSONality
My male betta is so unpredictable. He wouldn't flare even if he saw a mirror but rather flare at a blue object. He bites my finger and would go crazy if i stick my hand in his tank. He can't jump out of 3 of my bettas but he's so adorable