Should Bettas Be Kept In Bowls?

[Genesis]

lets settle it



Should Bettas Be Kept In Bowls?




I vote yes, but nothing under 1usg (and it must have a lid)

 

[catxx]

as long as water changes are kept up, it has a reasonable size (i would say not under 2.5gallons, but thats my personal preference) and the temperature is kept constant.

i used to have a betta in a bowl, i don't now because i prefer flat glass to rounded glass, can see the fishies better!

 

[mstinawu]

as long as water changes are kept up, it has a reasonable size (i would say not under 2.5gallons, but thats my personal preference) and the temperature is kept constant.

i used to have a betta in a bowl, i don't now because i prefer flat glass to rounded glass, can see the fishies better!

there are flat glass bowls.

 

[bettaBetta]

I also vote yes it is ok if 1g w/ lid, but bigger is alway better.

 

[Karah's_Mommy]

I do prefer a filtered tank myself, 2.5 gallons or larger. But, I do think a bowl would suffice if proper care is maintained. I just really hate the slimey layer that develops in non-filtered tanks and would not subject my fish to that.

 

[Ethos]

Yes.

 

[thelastbetta]

I don't see why it wouldn't be.

 

[Synirr]

Carried over from "My Beta Fish Jumped Out Of His Bowl! Options" so as not to hijack anymore:

I kept my boy, Sori, in a 1.25G bowl for just shy of a year. He was happy in there. He was listless in a 2.5G bowl, and paranoid in larger tank.

Well, I would really like to know how bettas survive in nature if they get so paranoid and listless in couple of litres water..

They don't. In all likelihood, every betta you've ever seen is a man-made bastardization of the wild form and wouldn't survive well in their natural habitat. They're too colourful, too aggressive, and unless they are plakats their fins are too long and would slow them down. Perfect target for predators. This is what a wild betta looks like, and that's in display colours... they're normally a little more drab. You have to understand, all the rules that apply to aquarium fish that haven't been line bred for hundreds of years are null and void for bettas. Bettas as they are today don't even really have a natural habitat because they themselves are unnatural.

The filtration doesn't have to be so strong, but if there is no movement on the water at all, there'll become a bacteria layer on the water and for betta it's harder to breath with his labyrinth system.

True for young fry, but adult bettas are more than capable of piercing the surface for air.

EDIT: Oh yeah, I think it's fine to keep bettas in bowls so long as they are 1 gallon or more. Personally, I think that 2.5 gallons is a good size, and 5 gallons is perfect (but, ya know, for those of us who have like 20+ fish it's hard to have a 5 gallon for each, hehe)

 

[soritan]

I think, perhaps, the question was phrased slightly wrong, as it could be misread as implying that bettas should exclusively be kept in bowls, or exclusively in tanks.

I think bettas may be kept in bowls, but only with proper care. If a person is irresponsible to any degree, they really should put their betta into a larger tank, as 1G is not forgiving of hangovers, laziness, exhaustion, or forgetfulness. You need to be diligent of their care. Larger tanks are definately easier care.

As far as the betta's "natural" behavior, or comfort goes. Dude, bettas are so wildly different, betta to betta. I could flay you with one anecdote after another, and I could link you to one after another. A story about a fish who loved a 50g and another fish who loved a .5g does not evidence make.

edit: Just a question, why didn't you make this an actual poll? And just an opinion: This brawl has been "put to bed" many times over inside the single year I've been here, I doubt it'll end just because someone tosses their hands into the air and says, "That's final!"