What size tank is your betta in?

Question

People say they don't need a lot of space. Some people say they don't need a lot of water. I say all fish would appreciate as much space as possbile. What do you think? Just because bettas can survive in a bowl, should they live in a bowl?

well i just put my betta in a 10 gallon and he seems much happier. he's not angry anymore, like a crazed fish, he loves the little house and swimming around the plants. i like watching him.

Answer 1

No. No. No. NO! I'm so against the "Fish in a Bowl". Can a Betta survive in a bowl or a vase? As long as you take proper care of the water, most likely. But, think about these two things:
1) Water quality is much easier to ensure in larger amounts of water, and especially with proper filtration. Keeping fish is just as much about keeping a good bacteria bed to ensure a healthy environment. It's much more difficult do to in a small bowl of water, and even more difficult (if not impossible) to do with out any filtration.
2) Can humans live in a cell? Sure they can - but why would you want to cram yourself in a small surrounding where you can't move around or enjoy yourself!

Answer 2

I keep a few bettas in larger tanks ranging from 20 to 55 gallons usually with other fish though I do have a 30 of nothing but female bettas. I also keep bettas in 1/2 gallon bowls. Currently I have 47 in bowls. Why bowls? Because most of these are show fish that can be damaged by other fish, tank decor or even strong currents. A few of these are breeders that I am conditioning and have them there for daily water changes. CAN you keep a betta in a bowl, yes but... if you are keeping a betta as a pet fish you should provide it with a larger filter tank. If you are placing them in bowls for special purposes and know how to care for that environment and are willing to take the time to provide the care required then that's a different matter completely.

Bettas in the wild do NOT normally live in puddles. Period. Slow moving streams, rice paddies and swamps are their natural homes. BUT, that doesn't even matter as the bettas in stores look and act NOTHING like wild Betta splendens. For all the talk, I doubt more than 2-3 people here have ever seen or kept a wild caught B. splendens. They are rare and expensive. Most you see are literally hundreds or generations away from wild caught stock.

MM

Answer 3

I have 3 Betta's (1 male 2 females) in my community tank which is 36 gallons. I also have a 10 gallon tank with Betta fry about 75+ of them, I have a 20 gallon tank that I plan on moving the bigger fry to in a few weeks. The more room is better unless they are for show and you know how to care for them like MM said. Betta's do not come from small puddles! So I guess it depends on how well you can take care of your fish if they would be happier in a large tank or not...

Answer 4

Currently, mine is in a planted 5 gallon with a heater and filter and eats freeze-dried blood worms.My sisters in a 10 gallon with plants and a heater, etc. I had 3 females in a 29 gallon community, then they died of dropsy sadly. I also had a male betta in the 29 gallon community and he did fine too. I definatley think 1 betta should have at least 2.5 gallons, 5 more happier with though. 10 I am MORE happier with, bigger and I am thrilled! Bettas in the wild lived in shallow rice paddies, and had 100S of gallons to themselves. Just because they are hardy and have a labyrinth organ doesn't mean we can make them suffer in small bowls, same with goldfish!!! No animal deserves to be treated like that!

Answer 5

I agree with you 100% :) I have a female betta in a 10 gallon community tank with a few dwarf platies, an oto cat, and an African dwarf frog. I don't think any fish should be confined in anything less then a 5 gallon, and I think it should be a filtered tank as well....You can tell the difference in the bettas from being confined to those small fish bowls at the store, then when you put them in the larger tanks....you can see their thriving better when they swim around.

EDIT: Yes in the wild they live in puddles, but they also find bugs to eat....do you feed them bugs or flake/pellet food to keep them close to their natural habitat/life? And, most bettas aren't wild caught from puddles....And it's not a question of they don't "need" a large tank, it's a question of which is better for them to thrive in?

Answer 6

Mine is in a planted 15 gallon with community tankmates.

And I agree, a bowl is a lousy home. What I don't get is that, even if you are really good and have no trouble keeping the fish alive in a bowl - what's the point?? All the fish can do its entire life is float around and stare at nothing, or wait at the top to be fed. Yet it's amazing how active they are when kept properly. Seems kind of useless to me, but each to his own I guess.

And betta's don't live in puddles - they live in ponds that become very shallow at certain times of the year. They still have plenty of horizontal space for swimming, and plenty of water compared to a bowl.

Answer 7

5 gallon all the way up to 150 gallon. All fish are healthier and thrive in the largest space we can provide for them. I hate fish bowls, I think they should be illegal. Tools of torture, in my opinion. Bettas need and deserve clean, fresh, filtered water, and they also need a heater. They are tropical fish, and their immune systems can be compromised if they're forced to live in a cold water environment. I keep a betta in all my community tanks, and have rescued several to live in 5-10 gallon tanks as well.

Answer 8

I have my male Betta in a 1 gallon tank and he seems very happy. When i go to feed him he swims to the top and i can actually pet him. and he stays right there. So I believe if he was unhappy he wouldn't come swimming to the top to great me as he does. But off course i guess if you have the money and want to put a Betta in a bigger tank would be good. I know i wouldn't just put them in a bowl!! That seems really cruel to me. If they were not such a mean fish i would add him to my other tanks. But he seems so happy where he is I don't want to chance it on him now

Answer 9

They can survive in a bowl, but it's not good, healthy, or natural for them. We can survive in a closet, but would we want to? The bigger, the better.

To answer your question, my betta is in a 2.5 gallon filtered, aerated tank with live plants; it's not as large as I would like, but I'm unable to have a larger one right now -- I'll upgrade him when I have the space! I had him in a one-gallon for the first month (I didn't have the larger tank yet, and it was a lot bigger than his Wal-Mart cup!), and he's far more active and sociable in this tank.

Answer 10

I keep 3 bettas:
1 is in a 2 gallon filtered, heated aquarium by my bedside.
1 is in a 10 gallon filtered, heated small community aquarium in my TV sitting room, that he shares with a few golden danios and 4 platies.
1 is in a 30 gallon filtered, heated aquarium in the family room that he shares with 2 blue gouramis.

They live in shallow waters (rice paddies, etc) that is HEATED in the wild. The water is constantly changing because of rains, winds, etc. Keeping them in a bowl or an unfiltered cold aquarium shortens their lifespan considerably.