I'm sorry to say I keep my betta in a 0.5 gallon +5gallons ;3 I love bettas they were one of my first fish my oldest one was only 2 1/2 years old though but long live the bettas in great homes!!
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Hey Andy the only thing I would change about that link would be the once a week water change. I can't help thinking about them sitting in their urea for a week. Thanks for that advice you gave me an age ago. I never did thank you.
Sadly when I first bought my betta my only choice of tank was a small one gallon, I'd read that they could live in one but knew it could not be happy in there. My betta was surviving in its tank but most certainly not living. After showing my parents that state of its tiny tank we went out and bought a real tank with heater, filter, lighting, live plants and plenty of space to swim and hide. I now have a lovely community fish tank with my betta, two African dwarf frogs, a bumblebee snail and a small shoal of bandit corydoras. I also made a point to condition the water and feed my fish with frozen blood worms and couldn't be happier with my choice. What started as a guilty conscience has turned into my new hobby and I am now looking at setting up another tank.
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I would just like to add to those that say their betta is scared of a big tank, mine was at first, I just planted the tank a little more and now he rules the tank!
Also, here in the uk a major pet store is "pets at home" who refuse to sell a fish to an unsuitable tank condition and most people will not go out of their way to lie about a tank just to purchase some fish. Great way of informing newbie owners like myself.
Like the fact I have a migratory fish in a tank. By comparison I could put a betta in a shot glass.I'm sure the fire storm will continue but it just reminds me of a saying I heard years ago: " Don't try to confuse me with the facts, my mind's made up!"
Like the fact I have a migratory fish in a tank. By comparison I could put a betta in a shot glass.
Yeah I realise my fish (perch) only migrates to breed. I was just hinting at well we are keeping fish in glass containers. They aren't naturally in glass containers. Although my fish appear more than happy but who knows what they think. Mine appear to like fishing shows on tv or maybe its the flashy lights.Actually, that's not the same. Fish migrate for many reasons but usually it's because the area is not suitable for their needs at that moment. Take Landlocked Salmon for example. These came from a migratory species ( Atlantic Salmon) that became landlocked after the ocean level had lowered and left them stranded in lakes instead of streams. They survived just fine because the remaining fish could find their needs to survive and multiply.
So while your comparison is not valid, YES, the right sized betta COULD survive in a shot glass
Yeah I realise my fish (perch) only migrates to breed. I was just hinting at well we are keeping fish in glass containers. They aren't naturally in glass containers. Although my fish appear more than happy but who knows what they think. Mine appear to like fishing shows on tv or maybe its the flashy lights.
Still its a fair sight smaller than a rice field in the case of a beta or a massive river system. I really think peoples attitudes would change if they saw happy betas in containers. All the fish at my lfs are unhappy regardless of container size.
I understand. It's sometimes hard to realize that the fish we keep are from vast areas and we are trying to keep them in little glass houses. HOWEVER, in most cases, especially Bettas, these are not wild fish we are keeping anymore. I doubt many people would even be keeping wild Betta splendens as they are not anything close in coloration or finnage to the ones offered today and I assure you, the ones in the hobby today all have spent some time in a bowl of no more than 1 gal. of water. This is the part of the firestorm that is betta keeping. You want to compare the fish to it's wild ancestors yet it's domestication dates back over 160 years ago. Today's fish are so far removed from wild stock. They were domesticated as fighting fish. In fact, the use of wild fish for this purpose stopped about the year 1850. I would hazard to say that today's fish wouldn't stand a chance of surviving in the wild in the rice paddies with their truly wild "cousins". They'd get torn to shreds because they are not designed to be living in the wild. Yet, the comparison to wild fish continues.
As for your Betta liking fishing shows, I have to laugh. One of mine used to like tormenting our cat so they do have a personality for sure. The cat has since passed on yet the Betta continues on in his bowl.
As for your store Bettas being unhappy in their containers, that's just the store not caring for them properly. It's not the fish's or container's fault. It's the management's fault
Pets At Home said that?
When I showed up they offered me a school of Clown Loaches for my 10G...
Don't believe what many Pet Shops say and you'll be much better off.
I'd shop in Maidenhead Aquatics if I were you, I'm sure there's one close by.
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There won't be anything that looks like him in the tank. I'm not worried about him messing anybody up at all, I'm more worried the tank will have too much current/suction from the filter to tire him out and kill him.
I definitely agree. I think I am going to do my gold award project for Girl Scouts on this issue, it is such a big problem to me.
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Good! Definitely get a king betta, they're so active! Here's my old boy duece xP he used to jump out of the water for food. The guy lasted 2 years plus however long he was in the cup at petco. I almost didn't realize he was dead, since he was just on the bottom floating upright... Ill miss him. I kept him in a 15 column
I always keep my bettas in 10g. Seems fair to me.
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