Bettas

[fourmyclowns]

Anyone into Betta's? We have a variety of fish and just got our second male betta (each in their own bowl or tank). I can't help but feel terrible for them in those tiny cups in the stores! They are so small that they rarely open their fins and show their real beauty. I'm surprised that they even get bought the way they look in there. We got this one home and put him in a good sized tank and he's all about showing off now! He's on the bathroom counter and can see himself in a small part of the wall mirror if he goes to a certain part of his tank. I'm keeping an eye that he doesn't wear himself out though. If they could even just double the size of those cups those betta's could move around more and it wouldn't seem so cruel!

 

[Steven A]

I know what you meen, however my local stores have them in tanks, and your right they cant show there true beuty in little tanks / cups.

 

[An t-iasg]

Congrats on your new betta! (and congrats on keeping him in a tank instead of a bowl!) I have 2 bettas, each in their own 5 gallon tank. I have found that bettas kept in heated, filtered tanks will be much less likely to get finrot and other diseases.

Two of my 5 gallon tanks have sponge filters that are run through a gang valve from the same airpump, to lessen the current. There's a pic in my gallery. (One of the 5 gallon tanks is empty at the moment.) The other betta is in a 5 gallon Eclipse hex tank. I put the toe of a pantyhose over the outflow to diffuse the return flow a little. The betta in this tank makes bubblenests.

As for your betta near the mirror, that should not bother him, if he can get away from the mirror if he wants. In my two 5 gallon tanks that are hooked up to the same airpump, the bettas can see each other from the corners of the tanks that are near each other, but then they can just swim away from the corner if they want.

 

[Rosemary]

Congratulations on your new bettas!

I have two rescued bettas, it is amazing how much more active and beautiful they are in a nice heated tank!

 

[oscarbreeder]

Congrats on your new bettas. I currently have 6 bettas all kept in 5 gal or larger tanks.
I have a 20 gal long set up with a sponge filter and a heater with no substrate and I am going to use it as a breeder tank.

 

[fourmyclowns]

I should have my hubby read these so he'd know I'm not crazy for having so many separate tanks!

I have to admit though that my first Betta is in a 1/2 gal bowl. He seems pretty happy though and he's able to swim around. He makes a huge bubble nest. My sis suggested I add a small piece of pipe for him to swim through. We just happened to have a few plastic fittings with smooth edges, cleaned one and put it in and he loves it! Sometimes my kitty will bother him and he goes right in it, or if I'm changing his water it's a great hiding place. It's no prefab castle but he likes it so it stays.

Our new Betta is so happy! He's having a ball with his reflection in the mirror and he's pretty social when we walk into the bathroom.

Does it ever seem like they know when you are looking at them? Like now, I'm about two feet from him and he was in his little pipe tunnel and as soon as I turned my head and looked his direction he swam right up to me!

What do you all think of the multicolored lighted bowls they sell at the pet stores now? It was way too small, but I wondered if those colored lights would bother them? I THINK the color of the light changes every so often.