Okay, Once again.... This is temparary. Im establishing a 29 gallon heavily planted bow front. Just chill, Hes fine for now. Also, may I inform you as to where these fish are found in the wild?
Murky, Dirty, Nasty, Unstable, Cramped, Harsh, Infested, Rice Patties... I think hes okay in a pristine bowl for a while. Please, get off my back.
I'm not "on your back". Just simply giving you my opinion. Will you still be keeping the other two in bowls?
Also regarding your statement...
Here is a post from another forum. I do not wish to start an argument, just inform. Are you sure the water in your bowl is absolutely pristine?
Okay, folks, after a research breakthrough and reminiscing of memories on how I often see people suggest to use vases and bowls for bettas considering "they live in tiny mud puddles", I decided to crash this myth in an effort to put a stop on what we call betta abuse simply by placing them in a container with no heater, no filter, etc at all. I've read plenty of books and discovered there is a lot more than what you see on a betta. It has always been a misconception that bettas live in mud puddles. Everytime I see people saying this, I keep thinking to myself "Is this possible?" Even the mud puddles dug by animal hooves would be quite horrible for a betta.
What were those labyrinths for?
Before I go further, please note there are several betta species more than you can think of distributed around Asia, however, the human developments have seriously depleted their habitats with some species already lost and feared extinct.
While roaming around on forums for possible summaries, I discovered this paragraph (I don't own a lot of books however I do spend plenty of time in bookstores but I cannot copy every important bit without purchasing
the said books which are expensive.)
Information is taken from Labyrinth Fish: The Bubble Nest Builders written by Horst Link and published by Tetra in 1991.
"In my opinion, the natural distribution range is very much smaller than had been supposed until now and is, in fact, restricted to central, western, and northern Thailand...Betta splendens lives in paddy fields and associated ditches, in marshes and flooded grass pits and in the klongs (canals) of the residential parts of towns and villages. At different times of the year, they may be very numerous."
A very important advice...
The view that fighting fish often live in mudholes and therefore can be kept in such conditions is not really tenable. The fish will exhibit their full finery in a well-established, balanced aquarium and it is only under such conditions that their keeper will be able to appreciate their beauty at its best
So the questions now are..
What exactly is a klong?
A picture is worth a hundred words.
Klong of Thailand
What paddy field are we talking anyway?
Is this really a mud puddle? Is it really small?
What is your conclusion on the whole?
Going to back to the above, I've shared to you my thoughts. Now to answer the question, What were those labyrinths for?, this doesn't mean all anabantids can live in mud puddles as previously suggested by several people but this means it allows them to survive in warm, shallow, slow moving waters with very low oxygen levels.
So like other fish, we should treat the bettas with great care. Efficient filter, heater, etc just like what other tropical fish deserve.
While betta's may live in small territories, they are still large bodies of water. For example, in a 10'x10' klong, they may have a 1'x1' territory, but they still have the large body of water to keep their territory clean. We also need to take into account that wild bettas are much different than domestic bettas. Lastly, if they (wild bettas) do live in small bodies of water, it is just for the dry season, and not their whole life.
Common myths:
Wild bettas live in tiny mud puddles and thus do not require clean water or space.
Bettas prefer tightly confined spaces and will "freak out" or die in larger containers.
A cup or bowl is the ideal habitat of a betta.
Bettas do not require heating or filtration.
Betta Care 101 - Myth vs. Reality Page 1
And lastly, a nice big rice paddy for you to see.
Again, not trying to start an argument, but too many people think that bettas will be fine in little bowls because of the 'tiny, dirty, 'infested', unstable, cramped, harsh, murky (which is actually from tannins, and those are good!), dirty, and nasty rice patties.
