What should i cover my betta fish?

Question

I have a betta fish that is in a small bowl. Do you think i should i cover it? What should i cover it with because i dont have a tank or lid?

my fish is blowing bubbles but it is not on the top. It aroung the middle section of the bowl

Answer 1

You can cut a piece from an old pair of hose and put it around the top with a rubber band to keep the fish from jumping out. This also allows air exchange, and if he does decide to jump, it's better than hitting something hard.

You betta would really be better off in a larger container -they should have at least a gallon of water. I keep mine in 2.5 gallon mini-bow tanks: http://www.thatpetplace.com/pet/group/22430/product.web - this comes with a filter, light, tank, and some food and conditioner samples. I add a 25 watt heater, some gravel, live or silk plants and some driftwood to make a nice tank with lots of swimming room, and it doesn't take up that much space (considering I have multiple bettas). It also cuts down on the amount of cleaning to keep the gravel/water looking good and fit to live in.

Answer 2

The bubbles mean that it is ready to mate. In the wild, the male would blow the bubbles and the female would lay eggs in them. But dont try to mate betta fish unless your really good because they all end up killing each other =) and if there are like no cats or dogs or little kids around i think i would be okay if you just left the tank cover less. (it might make more water evaporate from the tank though so you probably will have to refill the water more)

Answer 3

You are in a tough spot. While betta's are jumpers, you don't want to cover it so tightly that you don't get new air into the container.

In any case, you need to get rid of the bowl and get him a 5 gallon tank at least!

While betta's can SURVIVE in a bowl, they will not do well. Get him at least a 5 gallon tank with a heater and filter if you want him to be happy.

Think of it this way. How healthy would you be if you were living in your closet and someone only cleaned our your poop every few days?

Answer 4

They have a 1 gallon tank at Wal-mart for $10 it comes with an air pump to blow air into the water, a lighted lid and some fake plants. My betta seems to be more happy in that than it did in the bowl that I had him in. It was well worth the $10.
But if you don't get one of those, you should Not cover the bowl they need a lot of air.

Answer 5

Bettas need lots of air, and nothing should cover the top of the bowl.

You could buy a small tank with the lid and pump

Answer 6

You definitely need to cover it. Bettas are terrific jumpers. However, they also need to breathe oxygen from the atmosphere, rather than the water, so you must be careful not to cover it completely. Instead, you can try putting transparency sheets or transparent wrap over the bowl and cutting holes in them large enough for oxygen to flow in and out but not large enough for your betta to jump out of. You can also buy these wire screens that come in grids from a hardware store and cut out a piece that will cover the top of your bowl.

(By the way, PLEASE have your betta in at least a gallon of water. It's incredibly cruel to keep it in anything less. He may be able to survive in a small bowl but he will be neither happy nor healthy.)

Answer 7

umm... first of all, try putting yur betta in a tank, not bowl, as there are less air and space there...

bettas are the jumping fish type, so it's best if you place net above the tank, so air are still available, and yur betta won't jump...

Answer 8

Bettas breathe partly under water and partly above water- do not cover the top- unless it's a cover that still lets air through.... make holes on the cover.