Common betta myths, and why they are wrong?

Question

This is a question I'm making so all the EXPERIENCED betta keepers can make a lit of some of the common betta myths and why they are wrong.

To start this off, I wanted to provide some pictures of betta habitats (feel free to expand). Notice, that although the water is shallow, it is a HUGE area, which is important because it allows the water to be much more stable than a small, shallow bowl, and also the betta has room to swim.
http://www.plakatthai.com/bettasmaragdina/takheng.jpg
http://www.plakatthai.com/bettasmaragdina/habitat.jpg
http://www.travelblog.org/Photos/1754.html
http://static.flickr.com/49/149829001_4296c408f7.jpg

Also, keep in mind when answering: bettas do not live in ALL rice paddies. Obviously if they are a man made terraced system, it is probably not a betta habitat. They have to get there in the first place, tehy don't just appear magicaly because it's a rice field.

Thanks everyone! I really want to have a central place with the TRUTH about bettas for people.

Awesome! Thanks to everyone who has answered so far. I think one point though is that the casual betta owner probably isn't as experienced as a breeder, so the chance of them maintaining the conditions of a small bowl are not ery high, which is why they are not recommended.
http://badmanstropicalfish.com/articles/article38.html

Answer 1

What is the truth about bettas and habitats? Well, first of all it's that the betta you and I keep in captivity really has very, very little to do with the wild specimens or the fish that lives in the wild. Obviously bettas did not evolve in rice patties, they were here long before people came along and built rice patties but they do live in them now, that's true.

The photos you provide are areas in which bettas can be found, but not the only areas in which they are found so they tell only part of the story. Bettas are also here:
http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.ibc-smp.org/images/mahachai/mahachai_hab2_thmb.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.ibc-smp.org/articles/B_sp_Mahachai.html&h=131&w=200&sz=21&hl=en&sig2=3jkbaI6R21bIkvkA1mfK8g&start=14&tbnid=SUHKlLnDiYewkM:&tbnh=68&tbnw=104&ei=oKfgRauuNoGuhATq1P2wBw&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dwild%2Bbetta%2Bhabitat%26gbv%3D2%26svnum%3D10%26hl%3Den%26safe%3Doff%26sa%3DG
and here:
http://budak.blogs.com/the_annotated_budak/images/crypt_and_betta
and here:
http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.ikanpemburu.com/Picture/thailand_mahachai_bio1.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.ikanpemburu.com/html/field/Thailand2.htm&h=253&w=380&sz=48&hl=en&sig2=MMgxEl2NgD8rzE33eaYAcA&start=4&tbnid=D5Bvq_XzEU-HhM:&tbnh=82&tbnw=123&ei=t6ngRfcmg6aFBO2wlboH&prev=/images%3Fq%3DBetta%2Bsplendens%2Bhabitat%26gbv%3D2%26svnum%3D10%26hl%3Den%26safe%3Doff%26sa%3DG

Just to show a few.

The most important part though is not where wild bettas live but what is best for our bettas since they aren't like wild bettas at all. Wild bettas have none of the finnage and little of the color we expect on a betta from the pet shop. Forget what they were and where they came from, it's what they are today that matters. They are simply too different to do otherwise.

FACT: strong water currents damage fins and will even cause the finnage of a betta to shrink.

FACT: with proper care the water in even a 1/2 gallon bowl can and will stay clean enough for a betta to be healthy. The key is proper care, not over feeding and just changing 25% of the water once a week.

FACT: Most of the worlds best betta breeders use 1/2 gallon bowls to hold and show their bettas. Also a fact these folks raise largre bettas with much better finnage than any you will find from commercial breeders in pet shops. A simple search of photos on IBC affiliated sights will show that.

FACT: Most of the bettas living in rice patties got there when the patties were filled fom nearby streams and swamps... that's where the bettas originally lived in the first place, small streams and shallow, nasty swamps. Hence the need to develop labyrinth organs in the first place.

FACT: Dr. Gene Lucus (RIP) was one of the worlds foremost researchers on bettas and betta genetics during his time at Drake University. He collected bettas in the wild as well as using commercially bred fish. He kept the vast majority of his fish in small containers.

Can a betta do well in a large tank with filters and other fish? Of course, no question. Assuming of course like any other fish, it's needs are met. Assuming they need this is blind to the fact that so many people are sucessful at keeping and breeding millions of bettas using smaller containers.

Can a betta do well in a small 1/2 gallon bowl? Of course, no question. Assuming of course it's needs are met. Assuming they need this to do well is blind to the fact that millions of bettas live well in other conditions.

Those that can't accept both answers as correct are simply uninformed or unwilling to admit some system other than the one they like can work.

Answer 2

Another myth - they only live for 1 to 1 1/2 years. Not if you take care of them right! My last one lived for 5 1/2 years, in a bowl with no filtration or heater!

One more myth - bettas CANNOT live sealed up in a vase with a plant on top. They HAVE to have access to atmospheric air to live. If your fish is in a vase like that, make sure there's a way for air to get under it. If not, just ditch the plant - for your fish's sake.

Other tricks:

Get a big enough bowl. More volume helps keep the temperature stable...2 gal minimum!! And keep away from drafts or heat sources. Also - never put your betta in direct sunlight...ever!

Get a cover for it -they DO jump. I use an embroidery hoop with nylon window screen, but anything that permits a lot of airflow is good.

Make sure you change their water and clean the bowl, gravel, and plants once a week - without fail!! - with dechlorinated water at room temp. I use two old gallon-size water jugs - just refill after use and leave till next week - but don't treat the water till it's in the bowl. That way, it's the right temp, it's aged, but it's not over-treated. Use the gravel to scrub the sides of the bowl - never soap. Glass bowls work best because they're easier to keep clean than plastic ones.

NEVER overfeed. His stomach is as big as his eyeball - feed accordingly!

DO put in a plant or two - they like to sit on the leaves, like butterflies - but never use cheap plastic plants. Many have rough edges that can catch those long, beautiful fins. Spend the extra couple of bucks on a good silk plant. It'll last longer than the fish.

If you see him acting "off," DO something about it. Most vets can't help, and most pet store folks can't either, but you can do some research - and yes, the medicines do work. :)

Let him live alone. Even if it would make you lonely, he's fine. That's how bettas are happiest.

Answer 3

1/2 gallon bowl is the same as you being confined to your bed for the rest of your life. You can move around, but not much. It's actually very cruel. Bettas are tropical fish. As all the other tropical fish, they need filtered water kept at a decent temp (about 75 degrees). Bettas need no less than 2.5g each. And if you do get a bigger tank and add more of them, do not put two males together. You will end up with dead fish. Even with one male he can kill the females one he gets into a mating mood.

Answer 4

In order for somebody to appreciate the benefits to keeping a Betta in a real tank, they would have to actually do it. Most people who think bowls are good homes I'm sure never have.

Here's the kicker - these fish can be quite active if they have space and decoration to interact with. In my 15 gallon planted tank he spends a lot of time moving around, swimming among the plants. I would like to be enlightened by other fish keepers of what the point is in keeping a fish floating around in a cup, even if they can survive a full life like this. What pleasure is derived from having a creature that you will never really see do anything but float and eat?

Another myth I keep hearing about them is how they 'don't get along with other fish'. I have found they are quite peaceful community fish. As companions my current one has a group of cardinal tetras, a group of cory catfish, and a couple of common guppies. No issues.

BTW, breeders and showers are not necessarily a wise example to point to when considering the best care we can give the fish. The do things for their reasons, but most of us keep them as pets, which means in an ideal world we would also want to provide the best care for them possible, within our means.

Answer 5

I completely agree with MM, yet we often choose opposing answers. he usually recommends the 1/2 gallon and I recommend the larger tank.

and the reason is exactly what you've stated, while a betta CAN be properly kept in such a small container,I have little faith in the average owner (and question asker) to actually provide the care it takes. so they'll get lazy, clean it less, and eventually just be like... meh. I don't feel like it, it can wait a few days, which turn into weeks which urn into a dead betta. so instead of just hoping people will keep up with the cleanings and such, I suggest a lower maintenance tank with small filter and heater. this way lazy owners won't end up with dead bettas.

plus 1/2gallon isn't too much room to swim around and often results in a lazy betta, and then people get frustrated and want to know why it never moves. -_-;

Answer 6

Myth: Betta males always fight to the death.

Fact: if they could get away from each other, it would rarely go beyond flaring. But when stuck in a tiny container together it can go as far as death.

Ornamental bettas in stores aren't the fish used for actual fighting. Ornamental bettas have long fins and soft scales and are quite fragile. Plakat bettas are used for fighting. They are conditioned in almond water to have nice hard scales and are bred with short fins. Fighter owners rarely let the fish fight to the death, the fish who submits is the loser without having to die.

Answer 7

People say they like being alone and in small tanks where they can live a full good live. WRONG! In the wild bettas live in larger bodies of water, can live with other bettas *as long is it really is a big territory they dont mind* and they can live up to 8 or 9 years as opposed to about 3 in a tiny bowl.

Answer 8

i dont know any myths per say but i remember when i first got into fish keeping and hearing of the beta or "siamese fighting fish" and thinking..wow i bet those fish are tough..they have to be ..they are fighting fish.. well i soon learned that they only fight with other males and they arent tough at all. i forget the excact fish i mixed my beta with but he was nipped completely to death. i remember every last fin was nipped completely to his body.. he paid the price for my ignorance. so if anyone out there thinks betas are "tough" think again.. fighting fish is just a name. any nipping fish..even those not considered aggressive can cause a beta lots of grief and even death.,,,,,,,,,,,that was over 20 years ago..i have learned much since then : )