betta container?

Question

I want to get a betta fish and like the look of the large vases. I have read conflicting reports about the size of the container, some say they like the smaller containers because they are used to that, some say they like the larger containers so they can stretch their fins, what do you think?

Answer 1

please don't contribute to further abuse of bettas. I know this is long but I have a lot of experience with bettas, and I've learned a lot over the years, most people don't know how to properly care for a betta, so I am only trying to inform you that bettas are not the maintenance free pets pet stores say they are. email me at originalcatastrophequeen if you have any other questions aobut bettas, I'd be happy to help!

they are TROPICAL fish and it is inhumane to keep them in anything without a heater. even a house kept at 75°F (which is much warmer than most people keep houses) water is usually 5°F to 10°F colder than the air. most people keep their houses at 65°F to 70°F, which means bettas could be facing temps as low as 55°F. WAY too cold for tropical fish. bettas need temps of about 78°F to 80°F, so you need a heater and a thermometer.

filter are also recommended because poor water conditions lead to disease, and most people aren't too excited aobut the idea of 1/4 water changes everyday and full water changes every week. you'll need a turkey baster for unfiltered tanks to do partical water changes, suck 1/4 of the water from the bottom sand replaces with clean conditioned water.

bettas should not be kept in anything less than 2.5 gallon because as said above (and even a picture provided) they do NOT live in puddles. no bettas are doing puddle jumping to find mates, they live in large boddies of shallow water.

so, if you would like to keep your betta in a vase here is the best possible way, however a tank is always the best home:

1) a vase with a wide mouth, at least 2.5 gallon of capacity. width is more important than height, you want the widest vase you can get.

2) a heater for the vase, 4 watt or 7.5 watt is suitable, nothing bigger. you may need to order this online.

3) water conditioner.

4) thermometer to monitor water temp.

set up the vase (condition water, add rocks and heater and thermometer) for a day before adding betta so you can make sure the temp stays at a steady temp, 78°F 80°F with very little to no fluctuations. if this is okay then put the betta in a bag with the water he came in and float the bag for an hour in the vase water so the water slowly becomes the same temp. then put him in the vase. do 1/4 water changes with the turkey baster every day and full water changes once a week.

Answer 2

A lot of conflicting answers on here... but I'd agree with the idea that it depends on how willing you are to take care of the container, clean it, change the water, etc. I have three bettas, each in a bowl that holds about one gallon. They've done very well, because I make sure to clean them thoroughly when I see any signs of algae or cloudy water, and I do water changes enough to keep the water clear with enough oxygen.

The only thing that worries me with your question is that you say "vase." Please, please, please do not do the setup with a betta in a vase with a lily plant or whatever in the top. That's one of the worst things you can do to these fish. Stores will FALSELY claim that you can stick the fish in there and it will eat off the plant roots and you never have to clean it or feed it or anything. This is entirely untrue, and your betta will starve, if not suffocate first from not being able to reach the air at the surface. They NEED surface access, because they have a special organ that allows them to breathe air as well as oxygen from the water, and regardless of water oxygenation, they will die if unable to reach air.

Answer 3

First I would suggest you get a book on the care of Betta's.

I keep my fish in 10 gallon tanks,1 Male by himself and 5 females in there own tank.
If you are going to use anything over 1 gallon you DO need a heater - tropical fish like it between 75 and 82 degrees, and you need a filter - a small air driven filter seems to be best because it doesn't create a curent in the tank. But a small power filter works just as well, my females actually play in the stream from the filter, just make sure there is a calm spot in the tank so they can rest.
You will need a plant real or plastic - Betta's like to rest on the leaves and it gives them a "hiding" spot.
You should feed twice a day but no more than your fish will eat in 3 minutes.

hope this helps
Eric.

Answer 4

I have had a betta for about 3 years and he lives in a tank that is about 1-2 gallons. He has the perfect amount of space and he has been living in it for about 2 of his 3 years. I think your fish should be living in a bowl or tank about 1-2 gallons too. He will probably live much longer with more space. Good Luck!

Answer 5

A betta can live in a rather small container provide he is kept at temps in 75-85F range, isn't over fed, and you keep his water clean. Bigger is always better. A small vase will need it's water changed every 4 days. A 2.5 gallon bowl once a week. A 5 gallon filtered tank a 30% water change every 2 weeks. (All this assumes no over feeding.)

PS- Note I've kept bettas in 30 gallon tanks, and they love it.

Answer 6

a good rule to go by is 1" fish = 1 gallon of water. therefore, you should have a least a one gallon container for your betta. betta's don't need heaters. they can live to be a couple years old....2 years would be a LONG time! change the water on a weekly basis. the best thing to do is have water in a gallon jug so that it is room temperature. so when you change the water it will already be room temperature. a lot of deaths happen due to the shock of changing water temperature. only feed your betta a very small amount of either dried blood worms or betta bits. just a pinch... watch .... if after 5 min. there is food that hasn't been eaten then you need to cut back on the amount of food that you feed your fish. it isn't good to overfeed. the food floats to the bottom and makes the tank dirty. this can cause your betta to die as well. betta fish are the easiest fish to care for. i had a tank set up @ the office. on fridays i would put a small piece of a weekend feeder in the tank to make sure he would have something to eat over the weekend. plants are nice too. fish like to have something to take shelter in. or some kind of decoration that they can swim in. good luck with your betta. :)

Answer 7

What a bunch of well meaning,contradictory advice,the filters are a nice thought,but Betta's need,or maybe prefer, still water.Keep the water clean by frequent changes. The warm room is good advice,the air and water temps should be close to the same. If you want to spawn your fish a five gallon tank is nice. The floating plants are a nice idea too, they allow the fish a little security. If you can find live foods,(mosquito wigglers or wingless fruit flies) your Betta will be happier and healthier,but it's not absolutely necessary. Some times frozen bugs are available,and this can be a good dietary supplement,too. The larger size containers are easier to keep in clean water conditions.(Lousy sentence,but I think you'll understand.)-----Good luck----PeeTee.

Answer 8

The people who say they like little spaces must not of ever seen where they live in nature. I'll post a link and let you see where they live and you tell me if you think it is small or not. http://www.bettadreams.com/ricepaddies.html

Personally I keep mine in nothing smaller then 5 gallons with a heater and filter. If taken care of properly they should live more then 5 years, usually no more then 8 years in captivity though. Here is another site with some basics on betta care you can look over too. http://www.firsttankguide.net/betta.php

Answer 9

i keep bettas -- too many bettas. I keep bettas in 2 1/2 gallon tanks with no filter and found this to be best. I think they would like 5 gallons more but i don't have that much room. I like the flat sides and the light on tank so i can see by bettas better.

a vase can be a good home for a betta. You can get some big ones at walmart for pretty cheap. Check craft stores too -- they have lots! Don't go for something too tall and narrow -- its kind of hard to swim all that distance just going up and down. get a mental image of a gallon - -like a gallon milk jug and use that as a size indicator.

give the little guy a plant (real or fake is fine). a nice one would reach the top of the water but still provide enough top room for feeding and breating. if you go with the plant on top make sure he has adequate room to get to the top -- bettas breathe at the top of the water -- they don't process oxygen from the water like most fish.

make sure you give your betta a healthy diet. roots on a plant do not make a healthy diet. Mine get 5 days of pellets -- maxium 6 pellets a day -- a lot of them will eat less. if they don't eat it remove it with a turkey baster or something because it will muck up the water fast. then they get bloodworm weekends -- i get frozen bloodworms and feed them about 6 a day. the easiest way to do this is with tweezers i think. its kind of hard getting the bloodworms apart.

What else did i not cover? keep them warm! they like temperatures in the 70s. if your house is cooler find warm spots like under lamps or on top of tall bookcase and kitchen cabinets.


Change the water at least once a week -- usually it will start to smell a little funky from ammonia. i do not like the smell and i don't think i would want to have to live in it so i don't make them live in it either.

Answer 10

You know... where they live in the wild has nothing to do with it. The fish we look at and call bettas is not found in the wild. The wild ones do not look like, swim like or act like the fish you will buy, so don't worry about that at all.

A betta will do fine in anything from a 2 quart bowl up. It all depends on your willingness to keep his bowl clean. Smaller bowls or vases need alot of attention and should be cleaned every 2-3 days as they can't support the bacteria needed to remove the ammonia.

The International Betta Congress uses 2 quart bowls. The leading researcher on bettas in the world, Dr. Gene Lucas advocated the use of 2 quart bowls. Good enough for me.

Hope this helps

MM