Help with Betta Please

tmtpowers

tmtpowers

AC Members
Jun 15, 2006
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Burlington, NC
www.ferretvillage.org
OK, so I bought a beautiful crown tail betta several months ago. Of course all my life I've known bettas as bowl fish. So yes, in a bowl he went but I did switch bowls weekly to give the guy some change (he seemed to appreciate this). Anyways, once I got my tank and found out that bettas usually do well in community tanks, I tried it out. First my male balloon belly molly (whom got taken back to the store for be so terribly aggressive) was chasing and taunting my poor betta. So I slapped the balloon molly into the breeder box and kept watch the betta. Well after the betta had a chance to settle down, he started going after the other fish.... So I took the balloon molly out of the breeder and place the betta in the breeder. The balloon molly went back to the store that day as I was worried he was really going to hurt one of my other fish. Well I gave the betta two days in the breeder so that he could watch the other fish and hopefully accept them. Nope, didn't work. I do have my 10 gallon tank that he can go in as soon as we get the pleco healthy again but problem is, that tank is suppose to be my QT. I really would love to put him (the betta) into my display tank but I don't want him hurting my other fish. I don't have room for additional tanks so I'm going to have to figure out how to make this work (whether in the 55 gallon or the 10 gallon). Do any of you have suggestions on how to get my betta to leave the other fish alone? The tank has plants (3 cabombas (sp?) & 2 Anacharis) and 2 caves to hide in. My fish are : 2 red tailed dalmatian mollies, 3 dwarf sunset coral platies, 1 balloon belly molly, and one oto cat fish.
 
I would put him in the 10g, there is almost NO way to change the behavior of a fish, espescially bettas, so don't try it.
 
If I were you I would find another home for the betta or put him in a bowl that you take really good care of.
 
Lorazoo said:
Why not put him in the 10 gallon, and if you ever need to use it for quarantine, just put the betta in a bowl until you are done using the 10 gallon?
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Well, that sure seems the way I will have to go :) It would have been nice to see him in my 55 but since it seems there is little to no chance of that happening, he'll have to go in the 10 as soon as we finish treating our pleco. Thanks for the advice everyone :)
 
fishbreeder017 said:
If I were you I would find another home for the betta or put him in a bowl that you take really good care of.
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Bettas don't belong in bowls. They need regular tanks, heaters and filteration.

Luckily tmtpowers knows that and cares enough to put him in the 10g where he will have a great time and lots of room to swim.

Roan
 
Roan, here I will disagree with you. I've had Bettas for years and have two of my seven Bettas in bowls. The water is changed at the least 2x a week and the room temp never falls below 73-74- so the water never gets too cool. They are healthy and happy fish.. actually among my favorite species of fish.

I do care about all my fish- Bettas included. Because one places them in a bowl doesn't mean he or she doesn't care. It's up to the individual and the amount of room and type of community tanks they have. The bowls I have are large and allow them ample room to swim. They are not sitting in some idiot's small jar with maybe a water change every other week or so. They are well cared for, and among my favorite type of fish.
 
InR, I agree with you to a point. While a responsible fishkeeper can keep a betta in a bowl with no filtration or heat source with no problems, the vast majority of people do not. Everyone here, from what I've seen, uses sort of a blanket policy when it comes to bettas because the majority of people who buy them are people who don't know what they are doing. I think you can keep a betta in a bowl and have it do well. I think a larger tank with filtration and heat is better, but I know that isn't always possible. Bettas are frustrating because you can't keep males together, and the females aren't much to look at. If you want a bunch of the nice looking males, you either have to put a ton of time, money, and space into it to do filtered and heated tanks of a decent size for each of them, or take your path which is cheap but requires a lot of work. If you are willing to do the work and the fish are healthy, then keep doing it your way regardless of any objections. A well-kept bowl is still better than a cup on a shelf at the LFS.

*Edit: I base my use of the word majority on personal experience. Sorry if that is innacurate or offensive to all the responsible betta-keepers out there.
 
Thank you nerdyguy... I make sure my bettas are as comfortable as possible and as active as possible.

Dorkyfish: I have three females now and I have to agree with you on that. they are a bit smaller but they have their own unique pastel coloring and are just as interestring to watch. And they aren't trying to kill each other. :p:
 
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