k i just bought a siamese fighting fish and i have the bowl and everything BUT i dont have the water purifyer so i was just wondering if the fish will be okay without it?
2007-05-16 16:22:57 · 5 answers · asked by labellavita 1 in Pets ➔ Fish
You should realize that bettas are tropical fish from southeast Asia (Thailand, formerly Siam, hence the name Siamese fighting fish) and should not be kept in bowls, they should have an aquarium with a heater and a filter just like any other tropical fish. The commonly held belief that they live in muddy puddles and water filled hoofprints is just not true. They live in rice paddies and slow moving streams that may be shallow, but are a part of a much larger bio-system.
The water temperature in southeast Asia is about 78-82 degrees F and stays steady within those parameters. The fluctuating temps from day to night in a small unheated bowl are not healthy for bettas and keeps them in constant stress. The constant temp change in a small bowl and resultant stress eventually compromises their immune system and allows opportunistic bacteria and parasites to gain a foothold in their bodies, thus causing illness and death.
The life span of a betta in the wild is around 4-5 years, in a properly heated, filtered and maintained aquarium they have been known to live for up to 7 years. In a lab environment the record is just over 10 years.
People who brag about having one that lived for a year in a bowl are certainly not taking care of it properly. I’m sure it was pure torture for the betta. In the care of people like this, they are lucky to live for a year.
The first signs of problems in the bowl are when the betta becomes listless (just sitting on the bottom), loses his brilliant color and starts being very picky with eating (eventually he stops altogether and dies).
BTW, betta is pronounced bet-tah, not bay-tah.
Most of the people at the fish store do not know how to take care of bettas properly and are only interested in selling you more fish, fish food and overpriced bowls. A 10 gallon aquarium runs just under $10 so even if you don't filter it or heat it, it is much better for your betta than a small bowl that probably costs almost as much. Just make sure you do 25-30% water changes every week.
2007-05-16 17:18:29 · answer #1 · answered by 8 In the corner 6 · 3⤊ 0⤋
First of all bettas need a biger tank. What your doing would be like making you live in your beadroom your whole life. The smallest tank I have for a betta is 10 gal.
If possible go to wal mart and get the water purifyer tabs and as soon as the disolve your good to go.
2007-05-16 23:50:38 · answer #2 · answered by Timothy Y 3 · 2⤊ 2⤋
No, most likely not. The water purifier removes chlorine from the water which otherwise would kill the fish. If you can't get any quickly, bottled water will be ok as it contains no chlorine. You can also place a container of water out over night to allow the chlorine gas to escape making it safe for your fish.
MM
2007-05-16 23:28:09 · answer #3 · answered by magicman116 7 · 3⤊ 0⤋
yes they can live just in that bowl but at wal mart the have nice small tanks for them for 20 bucks and anything alive likes more space than just a lil..lol
2007-05-16 23:32:24 · answer #4 · answered by Creative D 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
do they make waves or is it gravity
2007-05-16 23:25:27 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋