Do You Guys Think It's Cruel To Keep A Betta In A 1 Gal.?

[jaclynhas7days]

Mine seem really happy in theirs. My girl is always cheerful and swimming around like a damn bullet, and my guy has blown a bubble nest that covers half the top of the tank. But if they seem happy, I guess it's okay, right?

 

[flautist]

From my experience, bettas are fine in a 1 gallon, but absolutely nothing smaller. But, bigger is better. The bigger the tank, the more active they will be.

 

[Nevergone815]

I don't think its cruel, my guys are in tanks ranging from 1 to 5 gallons. And all of them are perfectly happy. As I see it, a 1 gallon is a million times better than those little cups you buy them in.

 

[lisie]

I don't think it's cruel, but I wouldn't ever put any of my bettas in less than 2 gallons. They just seem to like swimming around so much and I don't think 1 gallon is very much room.

 

[Betta_Lovex3]

Sebbers is in a 1 gallon, but I'm saving to get him a nice roomy 2.5 gallon with a filter .

 

[Dorkhedeos]

i dont really think gallons matters here. if i had a flat tub that held half a gallon, it would be fine for the betta because there is alot of area. betta dont really need depth. right now, my 1 gallon bowl is only half full because its already enough. i also have betta in other containers that are like 3/4 a gallon and they seem alright. i would say anything that has a dimesion of around 6x6x3 inches is alright for a betta.

 

[flautist]

i would say anything that has a dimesion of around 6x6x3 inches is alright for a betta.

No way! That's WAY too small! That's about the size of the cups at Wal-Mart! If you put your betta in a bigger tank or bowl, you will see them perk up and become active. They can SURVIVE in something small, but not as long, and they won't THRIVE.

 

[Captain Retardo]

6x6x3 is too small in my opinion. Of course when I get my 2 bettas, I am going to put them in a 5 gallon divided, I am also going to make a filter for them!

 

[_cRaCkEr_]

I don't think it's cruel. Some of my Bettas are housing on a less than a gallon tank. Like these especially when I'm conditioning them.

 

[ILM]

1 gal long (if possible) is fine--as long as you clean the tank often without fail. I've kept bettas in 1 gals for many years and all were happy fish--bored but that only made them more responsive to me when I came to visit. When I was breeding them, I kept the juvvies in beanie boxes too (which, unfortuantely, are taller than they are long) but those I did 100% water changes every other day and immediately sucked out any refuse with the turkey baster. The two bettas I've had in a 5 gal. for the past 3 years look just as bored as the ones in the 1 gals so space is not the issue (although those little cups is unconscionable).

 

[Joby]

I would agree with Dorkhedeos that length is the issue here. So long as they have plenty of room to swim around and stretch their fins and the water changes are kept up then its all good

ILM I too use the beanie boxes for my juvies but they are on a drip system so water is constantly filtered

 

[RandomWiktor]

I personally would never keep a betta in less than 2.5 gallons, and even a 2.5 should only be a temporary condition in my opinion. However, I do think that shape can be more important; I would rather keep a betta in a wide, shallow 2.5 gallon container than a deep, narrow 5 gallon as the former is more appropriate for the species.

 

[pica_nuttalli]

actually, volume is important when it comes to water quality. smaller volumes of water reach dangerous levels of waste pollution much faster. and even ammonia levels well below fatal are detrimental to male bettas as ammonia burns are the primary cause of fin damage.

for the best finnage on your betta, you should keep them in at least 1g of water or be prepared for multiple water changes per day.

 

[08-johns-c]

No! it is not cruel to keep bettas in 1 gallon tanks because they can do well in small tanks by them selves.