is it true?

Question

Is it true that bettas are happier in small spaces like vases or little bowls? I was thinking about getting my girlfriend one. I don't care much about what the aesthetics, like how pretty the bowl will look, I just want to provide it with the best possible home and a vase doesn't seem like a good place for it. What would be the BEST setup?

Answer 1

no truth at all. it comes from the belief that bettas live in muddy puddles or moist footprints. this is not true at all, they actually live in rice paddies which are quite large. they also live in naturally warm water, about 80°F.

you CAN keep them in vases, but they arne't very happy, and it takes a lot of work to keep them healthy. the best setup, I've found, is a 5gallon tank with a 25watt heater and a low power filter (a 1-3gallon whisper filter works well). add a few silk plants and a mystery snail and you've got a very spoiled, but happy, betta.

Answer 2

No, it isn't logical. Why in the world would any living creature be happy in a small living space anyways?

My Bettas seem happier living in a 3 and a 5 gallon tanks(two tanks for two fish, to clarify) with two GENTLE box filters(the kind that hangs out the tank). They DONT　NEED to have an air pump of a filter since they have a special organ they can use for breathing air above the surface but the filter helps with the water condition so that you don't need to clean as often. In my tank, there's also a clump of java moss and a couple of water plants in the back:)

Whatever people say, bettas cannot survive by nibbling on plant roots. Siamese fighting fish are carnivores so they therefore need to eat meat(insects) so you need to buy some betta food. If you want, they also like to eat frozen or freeze dried bloodworms(sold in pet shops)

hope this help:)

ps: avoid bright gravel, they look tacky and the colours will fall off anyways

Answer 3

Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo, it cannot be more wrong.

Bettas CAN live in small spaces, but that doesn't mean they're happier, and it is very unhealthy for them. This is a huge misconception of bettas.

If you're looking for the bare minimum, i'd go for a 1 gallon. A good solution is a 2.5 - 5 gallon mini-bow, they're not an eyesore, and it gives your fish plenty of room.

Go all out if you want 10gal.. whatever. But bettas are super-sensitive to currents in the water, so a strong filter isn't advised.

Answer 4

Any fish will do better in a bigger tank. I keep my betta in a 29 gallon tank. He love all the space and swims all over the place. Bettas have lungs, that is why they can live in small, low oxygen enviroments. That doesn't mean they prefer then kind of enviroment. Think about yourself or dog, etc. Could you or the dog, etc live in a studio apartment or one bedroom apartment? Yes. BUT would you or the dog, etc. be happier in a 4+ bedroom apartment with a LARGE yard? More space is preferable for your Betta too.

Answer 5

i keep bettas in 2 1/2 gallon tanks with no filter and no heater.

I can do this because i change the water weekly and i think they prefer the calm water to a filter. also when i had filters they would wreck their fins in the filters and the currents. this wouldn't be a problem for most veiltails but for half-moons -- eeck -- glad i don't have pics.

I also live in florida and the room they are in never falls below 72 degrees. in reality they would prefer to be over 75 degrees.

A small tank has the added benefit of having a light so you can see your betta better and if you want you can grow some low light plants too. plants make better tank mates for bettas than other fish -- most fish don't like small containers as much.

I occasionally put them back in glass bowls for cleaning and stuff and I it is to me kind of amazing how much better you can see them in a tank.

You can get 2 1/2 gallon tanks at petsmart for 10.00 and the light is 12.00. its not very exciting but add some gravel -- about 1/2 an inch -- you don't want to overdo gravel -- and a couple silk plants that hit the top of the water and you are set. plants are a great benefit for bettas. if the leaves hit the top they will rest on them and build bubble nests under the top leaves. the plastic ones don't work as well.

walmart also sell 2 1/2 gallon kits for about 25.00. they come in bright colors and are great if she like bright colors.

if all this seems a bit overwhelming i would recommend at a minimum get a gallon fish bowl -- 6 bucks at walmart. bettas adjust to smaller containers because they are territorial and breathe from the top of the water. territorial fish like having their own space so a bowl works -- just not that well.

i have had several people write me and tell me what i already knew. when you move a betta to a small tank they change chacter entirely.

Answer 6

I am a new betta owner myself. I originally bought him the 1 gallon tank. It does get very foggy and my temperature in my apt flucuated the water too much. He now has a 5 gallon tank with a heater, he is the happiest i have ever seen him. Defiantly do your research, and make sure a betta is something she will enjoy. You will be putting some money to start this fish off, but they're very fun to watch! They are very smart pets. I didnt think I would become so attached to him, but I am! Good luck!

Answer 7

Bettas are MUCH happier in bigger places. The bigger the better! Anybody who says that bettas are happier in small spaces either has not done any research whatsoever, or is just trying to make themselves feel better about keeping a fish in a very unsuitable environment.

Answer 8

The little cups they come in are the cleanest water that they have ever seen. They are used to very dirty standards. Yes you can keep them in many different ways (plants, little mason jars, ect.). You can put them with other types of small fish just not other bettas. So if you want to go the 2.5 to 10 gal tank route you would be ok also. But there isn't a rush.

Answer 9

Absolutely not! Betta's thrive in larger aquariums. I would not advise any smaller than a five gallon tank.

Answer 10

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