Betta bowl

[philip0381]

How often should i water change? I will appreciate any answer

 

[DreaminginBlue]

Personally, I would change the water every day. With no filtration in place and no nitrogen cycle as a result, the bowl will quickly build up ammonia. Continued exposure to ammonia can make your fish very sick or even kill it.
Better yet, please remove your betta from the bowl and set it up a proper tank. Bettas need a minimum of 2.5 gallons, with filtration and a heater, though 5 gallons or larger is preferable. You’ll find your fish is much happier and healthier, and you won’t have to do water changes as frequently with a cycled aquarium.

 

[Angellove78]

Personally, I would change the water every day. With no filtration in place and no nitrogen cycle as a result, the bowl will quickly build up ammonia. Continued exposure to ammonia can make your fish very sick or even kill it.
Better yet, please remove your betta from the bowl and set it up a proper tank. Bettas need a minimum of 2.5 gallons, with filtration and a heater, though 5 gallons or larger is preferable. You’ll find your fish is much happier and healthier, and you won’t have to do water changes as frequently with a cycled aquarium.

Daily!!! But, I totally agree. They need a heater and filter. Bigger tank will benefit you both if you'd like to keep it.

 

[Kishore]

Atleast have an air pump in the bowl.

 

[Angellove78]

Atleast have an air pump in the bowl.

Air??? For what? Betta's don't need air, Unless your talking about a sponge filter.

 

[RetiredJedi]

Once a week is fine. Their natural environment doesn't have filters or heaters or air stones. They're obligate breathers, meaning they take in oxygen into their labyrinth organ rather than rely on water quality as much as other fish.

That being said, being responsible humans we need to desire the best possible care for our pets and having a betta in a heated and filtered environment would ensure no illnesses or unnecessary stress are present.

I have 4 bettas, two in filtered and heated tanks, the other two are in glass vases with live plants. The ones in the vases have never shown signs of stress or illness and I try to change their water at least once every two weeks. I do monitor their temperature though and make sure they aren't in direct sunlight or two close to any windows to prevent them from being too cold or too hot.

 

[DreaminginBlue]

The natural habitat of Betta fish does not need to be heated, because the areas where they live are already the correct temperature for them. In an aquarium setting, it is important to mimic this ideal natural temperature using a heater.
Their natural habitat does not require filters, either. In the wild, bettas live in rice paddies, streams, canals, marshes, ponds, rivers, etc. In such environments there are large quantities of water to dilute their waste and a continuous flushing of water to remove it. In a bowl or vase, there is no large quantity of water to dilute waste and no natural influx of water. The only way to remove waste is by frequent water changes or by moving the fish to a properly cycled aquarium, where bacteria will help to break down the waste.
As for their labyrinth organ and their ability to tolerate poor water quality, this does not excuse subjecting your fish to poor water quality. Just because a fish can “survive” in toxic, ammonia laden water doesn’t mean it should. Shouldn’t a fish be able to thrive in clean, warm water, and explore a tank where they have enough room to swim, rather than just “survive”?
I do agree with your point about wanting the best for our fish and a proper environment being better for the fish.
However, I don’t think keeping bettas in bowls or vases is a good idea. If said containers had plenty of room for the fish to swim (2.5 gallons minimum), I’d be a little more open to it, but they tend to be cramped and constricting. Additionally, an established nitrogen cycle and more frequent water changes would have to be conducted to keep ammonia levels down.
I firmly believe that bettas are much happier and healthier in a properly sized, heated, filtered, and cycled tank. This sort of setup additionally requires a bit less maintenance due to the nitrogen cycle converting ammonia to less harmful nitrate, making water changes less frequent and much more manageable.

 

[Kitekat87]

The natural habitat of Betta fish does not need to be heated, because the areas where they live are already the correct temperature for them. In an aquarium setting, it is important to mimic this ideal natural temperature using a heater.
Their natural habitat does not require filters, either. In the wild, bettas live in rice paddies, streams, canals, marshes, ponds, rivers, etc. In such environments there are large quantities of water to dilute their waste and a continuous flushing of water to remove it. In a bowl or vase, there is no large quantity of water to dilute waste and no natural influx of water. The only way to remove waste is by frequent water changes or by moving the fish to a properly cycled aquarium, where bacteria will help to break down the waste.
As for their labyrinth organ and their ability to tolerate poor water quality, this does not excuse subjecting your fish to poor water quality. Just because a fish can “survive” in toxic, ammonia laden water doesn’t mean it should. Shouldn’t a fish be able to thrive in clean, warm water, and explore a tank where they have enough room to swim, rather than just “survive”?
I do agree with your point about wanting the best for our fish and a proper environment being better for the fish.
However, I don’t think keeping bettas in bowls or vases is a good idea. If said containers had plenty of room for the fish to swim (2.5 gallons minimum), I’d be a little more open to it, but they tend to be cramped and constricting. Additionally, an established nitrogen cycle and more frequent water changes would have to be conducted to keep ammonia levels down.
I firmly believe that bettas are much happier and healthier in a properly sized, heated, filtered, and cycled tank. This sort of setup additionally requires a bit less maintenance due to the nitrogen cycle converting ammonia to less harmful nitrate, making water changes less frequent and much more manageable.

I couldn't agree with you more. It annoys me when people say bettas can live in small containers because they live in puddles in the wild. For a short amount of time when there hasn't been any rain for a while they may survive in a puddle but for the majority of their lives they live in flooded rice paddies with plenty of room to move.

Gourami also have the labyrinth organ yet, the majority of the time, are kept in properly sized and maintained tanks. People buying bettas are just misinformed too often by the fish shops selling them.

 

[Kishore]

Air??? For what? Betta's don't need air, Unless your talking about a sponge filter.

Yeah, sorry. That's what I meant. If the bowl is large enough, have a sponge filter in it.