Debate

[OohFeeshy]

No, it isn't. My 'preference' is that my bettas are in whichever tank sizes they are in. Same as yours.
If a plant dies, you take it out. It's hardly going to die and completely rot away before you notice, unless you happen never to look in your tanks.
And filtration doesn't remove any hormones. Water changing does. Assuming 10gs have 25% water changes every week and other betta tanks have 100% water changes every week or few days, well, do the maths. Not a lot of difference in concentrations.

EDIT- Oh, and I just saw an edit you made earlier.

A single betta is a peaceful fish and mine has not had any problems with the other fish.

Yours is. Most bettas aren't. None of mine have ever tollerated other fish, most people will say the same. The risk is there even if you find one that will tollerate other fish, one day it might just decide to change it's mind.

Betta's can get depressed and other fish in the tank can help liven things up.

'Livening up' often involves the betta getting stressed from having to defend his territory and being attacked, and the other fish being attacked for going in his territory.

I can not speak for my betta but he is the boss of the tank and looks as if he enjoys it.

And others are applying exactly the same statement to tank size.

You can not demesticate a betta like a dog. Some animals will never become demesticated like a dog. A betta still has its primal instints.

By 'domesticated' I meant fancy tail types, colours and enhanced aggression that bettas have. What is good for a wild betta is no good for a bright red VT with finnage as long as its body to drag it down.

 

[BWBettas]

Righto, my turn

1. Place a betta in a large tank (10 gallons or more) and it will stick to one place in the aquarium.
2. Place a betta in a large tank and he/she will get stressed with all the area they must patrol
3. place a betta in a large tank and he/she will have to swim further around to get the food

1. Place a betta in a smaller tank (1-2.5 gallons) and it will swim around it's territory happily
2. Place a betta in a smaller tank and it will not get stressed having to patrol
3. Place a betta in a smaller tank and it is a perfect pet for the newbie who wants to learn aswell as have a easy enough pet

Oh, one more thing. I also find you very rude. PM the person if you have something wrong with them. DONT publicly do it, it's plain rude. (Maybe that comment was hypocritical. But i don't care for this thread )

Bret

 

[sparky_555]

Righto, my turn

1. Place a betta in a large tank (10 gallons or more) and it will stick to one place in the aquarium.
2. Place a betta in a large tank and he/she will get stressed with all the area they must patrol
3. place a betta in a large tank and he/she will have to swim further around to get the food

1. Place a betta in a smaller tank (1-2.5 gallons) and it will swim around it's territory happily
2. Place a betta in a smaller tank and it will not get stressed having to patrol
3. Place a betta in a smaller tank and it is a perfect pet for the newbie who wants to learn aswell as have a easy enough pet

Oh, one more thing. I also find you very rude. PM the person if you have something wrong with them. DONT publicly do it, it's plain rude. (Maybe that comment was hypocritical. But i don't care for this thread )

Bret

 

[BWBettas]

Wow, glad someone agrees with lil ol' me

Bret

 

[lisie]

Betta's need fresh water to keep out the hormones that will stunt them.

Why would a fish produce hormones that stunt their own growth? They don't...

Betta's dont need tank mates. That is just my preference and beside the point.

Maybe that's your preference, but what about the betta's? Bettas are generally solitary, territorial fish that don't like tankmates.

How many bettas do you have? From the sounds of your posts you only have one. Owning one betta doesn't give you any authority to make generalizations as far as tank size, tankmates, and what bettas prefer... each betta is different and each has its own personality and preferences. However, I'm sure that your guy is very happy in a nice big tank.

 

[Kame-San]

My bettas are all very happy in their 1-2G tanks. They're all constantly building bubble nests and that's enough for me.

I agree with lisie (and everyone else on here) that if you only have one betta, you wouldn't know how different each betta can be. I've got one betta that loves other fish and I've got another that trys to kill anything that comes near his tank. Each one is different so you really can't say that ALL bettas are happier in bigger tanks.

Also, if you have a community tank with a betta in it, that betta really hasn't got a lot of space to himself. He has to share it with other fish. It'd be a lot different if he was in that 30G by himself.

 

[wuvmybetta]

Apparently I am not aloud to debate on other peoples forums so I am going to debate hear. Right now I am not liking this site. People are very rude and do not hear out what other people have to say.

Firstly, you most certainly are allowed to have an opinion, but it is only an opinion, and only yours. When it comes to keeping animals many people feel differently on many different subjects. Is it okay to keep a large dog in an apartment? Millions do. You can't force people to feel the same way about certain things.

catsmakemebark, where are you from? I believe Finland has a ten gallon law, so I just wonder.

Overall, I think a 2.5 gallon is the absolute perfect size for a betta. A five is even better, but sometimes that's not practical. And after a lifetime of 10 ounces of water or so, a betta is usually very content in a one gallon and up. We here at tff do not promote tiny betta tanks that you see in the stores (12 oz or so), so I think you're sort of preaching to the choir. Around here we consider one gallon to be the absolute minimum.

Anyway, to each their own. You can't change the world by criticizing fish loving people from behind your keyboard. Sorry, but it's true.

 

[invader]

You can not demesticate a betta like a dog. Some animals will never become demesticated like a dog. A betta still has its primal instints.

Yes, but the betta that you and many of us keep are not true wild bettas. They are a creation of man.

 

[liz2]

hi brett guess who is going to great yarmouth in half term....me...Martham fish shop here I come!!

 

[halfbloodprincess]

I sort of agree with you. I have a betta in my 29 gallon and shes so so happy. She loves it. She swims around and has so much attitude! Shes the best.

I have had tons of bettas and they just sit around and they dont live half as long as my betta in my 29 gallon. But then I have had a betta that just sits around in a big fish tank.

So I think It is good to put your betta in a 10 gallon or larger but some bettas dont really care. I think it just depends on the betta.

But I do get really mad when I see bettas in really small bowls. It's so anoying.

You know I think I do agree with you.

 

[bettawen]

the beauty of bettas is they all have individual characters, some freak out in a small tank whilst others love it and vice versa. some are shy and some are bold, some like company and others dont. its getting the balance right that counts

 

[K.J.]

In general it all does matter on the betta.

For instance, my newest boy (little guy) loves his ten gallon but he does prefferably stick to one or two corners of the tank as if he developed territory, I rarely ever see him swimming around the whole length of the tank, and, when he does, it is usually only going to poke his nose into the snail or see the female in the tank beside him. Now, on the other hand, the female enjoys swimming in one side of her tank as well, the only time she comes to the side is when it's feeding time.

My oldest boy swims around a lot and my girl stays mainly at the top. The other female trys to break out of the divider and the other male does, well, nothing.

If you put a lazy betta into a big tank it could be a waste, especially if you're like lisie, when you can't afford - or probably fit - 390 gallons of tank space into your house house. I do get your argument but it does sound like you have only one betta, and you could have easily gotten a docile & peaceful male and base your opinions on this, but in reality most aren't like that. Even the females - 3 out of 4 of my girls will flare, and one will bite the mirror to the extent of the male. I agree, bettas do not belong in bowls under 1 gallon - over 2 is my general preference. Once I saw a bowl, it was probably a litre or so, JUST enough room for a fish to turn around, and on the back it instructed, "change water every 3-4 weeks." I was sick. I nearly "accidentally" broke the bowl. I have 2.5 gallons and I change them every week, so it makes me sick a person could think they can keep a betta in that! Ugh!

Apparently I am not aloud to debate on other peoples forums so I am going to debate hear. Right now I am not liking this site. People are very rude and do not hear out what other people have to say.

We are not rude, simply stating out point, you should have no problem with that as you are the one who started it. Coming onto a fish death board and pointing out you need a bigger tank is, in my opinion and probably many others, rude.

But I don't want to get into a fight, or be the bad guy - but please, although you do have your point and I respect that everyone has different ways of fishkeeping. This topic will probably get closed, but this is not, in my opinion, cruelty to bettas

 

[babybell911]

Igave my betta sometank mates he killed them so not all bettas should have company. Like many have stated it's a matter of personality of the fish. And lets be honest when you rescue a betta from one of those cups I don't careif you put it in a 2gallon or a hundred gallon as long as you look after it properly.

 

[bUcky]

So..........whats the point? derka derka?

 

[Rynoah]

Argue away, but the fact is a betta needs more that 5 gallon's. I always recommend 10 as min. but it looks as if 5 will be the only thing I can convince people on but its much better than a 2.5.

A fact? Offer me proof of this fact. What are your sources?

When you buy an animal you take on a big resposiblity to recreate its natural habitat as closly as possible.

So when you buy a mouse, you're supposed to keep it in a field-like space with larger predators like owls, cats, and snakes, right? Because that's the mouse's natural habitat.

And using the betta argument, does that mean that you're supposed to keep the water murky, algae-ridden, and full of parasites that could potentially harm your fish?

You all are forgetting one big detail. The build up of nitrate and ammonia. It is VERY hard to keep thoughs conditions stable.

No, it's not. Weekly water changes work absolute wonders, and it takes maybe ten minutes to do them, if even that. You act as though no one here cleans or changes the water in their tanks!

Looking at some of your other posts:

Betta's may have lived in puddles in rice fields, but thoughs puddles streched thousands of miles.

And the bettas in them occupied a minuscule portion of that.

A ten gallon is the same price as a 3 gallon or 5 gallon if you look in the right places. Betta's also like things to hide in.

Yeah, it is, if you're willing to buy it without any of the accessories needed to maintain a fish.

Betta's may be small fish but they can still get stunted and they still need a place to swim around.

2.5 gallons are adequately big enough to swim in. In fact, I've seen one gallons, as someone mentioned on here earlier, that were long, offering plenty of space to swim.

Would you rather live in your bathroom for the rest of your life or a clean, warm, full furnished, house?

I wouldn't compare 2.5 gallons to a bathroom. I would compare the cups they're kept in to a bathroom, and the 2.5 gallons to a small apartment. And a small apartment is just fine, so long as it's kept clean.

Pet stores sell 5 gallon bowl that say "Goldies New Home" or something like that, but just because it says goldfish or goldie on it dosn't mean it is perfect for goldfish.

And nobody's saying that they're following pet store standards. Most pet stores would tell you that you can keep a betta in .5 gallons or less, but nobody here--to my knowledge--does that.

You are following a breeder standard and the breeder standard is always wrong and in humane. The breeder's standard is for the money NOT the living breathing being.

How can you even say that? Are you a breeder? Do you know any breeders? All the betta breeders I have met are extremely particular about the well-being of their fish. It's insulting that you would say such things about them.

Apparently I am not aloud to debate on other peoples forums so I am going to debate hear.

A debate is two sides with opposing views discussing said views in a calm manner. You asked for it, and now you've got it. Let's hear it.