Betta Setup
- Thread starter nickmcmechan
- Start date
Ah, I see now....I thought it was just the Males that fought with each other.
So, for 10G Betta setup, would you chuck 1/2 dozen Shrimp in and some sort of Algae eater with a few plants to maintain?
So, for 10G Betta setup, would you chuck 1/2 dozen Shrimp in and some sort of Algae eater with a few plants to maintain?
Listen... your petshop owner was at least, in part, correct. Bettas in their natural habitat live in rice paddies, swamps, and drainage areas in southeastern asia. They hail from murky, soft, acidic water full of rotting vegetation that fluctuates wildly through the wet and dry seasons. Also, due to the nature of these waters, there's also generally a low oxygen content, very little water flow, and often the pools are completely stagnant. This is part of the reason they developed into labrynth fishes (aka, fish that have a special organ that can take oxygen from the air)
Bettas adapted this organ because of the low oxygen content. This allowed them to flourish in waters that very few predatorial fish could withstand. They developed their natural aggression because of the nature of their environment. When the dry season hits, bettas are left in sweltering, stagnant puddles, their environment shrinking and forcing them into bitter conflict for resources and protection from predators. Hence, they fight bitterly to defend their territory and generally even in the most spacious of ponds, a betta holds a territory no bigger than 1 square foot, often a LOT smaller.
So as far as filtration goes... I personally believe this is completely up to the person keeping the fish. I have kept and bred betta splendens of many colors and varieties off and on ever since I was eleven and bought 'Rocko' from my local fish store. That was back when bettas were a VERY rare find in most shops. Long before the 'betta/vase' trend. I always kept mine in plastic rectangular cubes with lids. I did frequent water changes with tepid water treated with Start-Rite conditioner and a touch of blackwater extract or a sort of tea made with blanched almond leaves (it softens the water and makes it more like their natural habitat). I had to keep them in small, portable containers because I moved frequently when I was younger between Oklahoma and Indiana 2-3 times a year. They went with me to assure their continued good care.
I bred my fish in 10-gallon tanks and kept the fry in a 36-long while they matured. Then, I had similar cubes I kept the males in until I adopted them out to friends and family. They left with their cubes, a package of high-quality betta pellets, some almond leaves, and directions for proper care and maintenance. I was a strong activist against keeping bettas in vases when that trend came and went, but I've never felt my practices were incorrect. Most all of my adult bettas, male and female, lived out their full life-spans and exhibited vivid color, beautiful finnage, and good overall health throughout most of their natural lives in my care.
I fed a rich and varied diet of two different types of betta-specific pellets, freeze-dried foods, slivers of real fish and shrimp, beef heart, and even live foods I raised myself. They lived in a 6-inch depth of water that I specially conditioned and changed frequently. I also rigged a large syringe with a length of air tube to suck out their poop as they made them so they wouldn't have to swim in their own waste. My sister and I lavished all sorts of attention on them. Since we had such and age gap between us (10 years' worth!) it was our 'bonding time' to sit and talk about my fish and for me to teach her about proper pet care when it comes to fish and bettas in particular. So they were always active and curious. We even made little male betta puppets out of red and blue foil that we mounted on sticks and would hold in front of their tanks for them to flare to. Then, we'd let them 'chase away' the puppet and watch them do their little betta 'victory dance'.
People here treat bettas like they suffer the same plight of a goldfish kept in similar conditions... but goldfish are VERY different animals from bettas!! They grow differently, need different water perimeters, and need high aeration and filtration... both of which bettas can easily do without because they are desgined to do so and survived because of it! (remember, being able to inhabit shallow, low-oxygen waters was part of their defense against most aquatic predators in their natural environment) And while I agree that petshops keeping them for weeks on end in small cups with one inch of tapwater is cruel... and that any container keeping them in less than 6 inches of water isn't very kind... but some people here seem to believe that bettas MUST have at least 10 gallons of filtered, aerated water and live plants to be happy. And fish in the tank with them to not be lonely and bored. I say it all has to do with the amount of attention and dedication you have toward your fish. My 20-24 bettas I had at one time lived 4-6 years in my care the way I kept them.
Granted, due to massive inbreeding and the general domestication and dilution of betta splendens after the big betta fad a few years back, these fish have become more delicate and less aggressive than I remember them being when I was much younger. But I personally feel that bettas are still amazingly beautiful and adaptable fish that can be happy and live long and contented lives via many different methods of housing and care, depending on how involved you intend to be in their maintenance and in their lives in-general.
So don't let people here daunt you. They will, believe me... and I know of a few who don't even talk about their fish problems here for fear of ridicule. *shrug* Some people don't have all the money and space in the world to be able to give their fish the 'Ritz treatment'... and some of the opinions here (not all) act like everyone is made of money and utterly lacking common sense.
The only think I would add to what you already have for your betta is a heater and only if you keep your living space at a temperature under 70 degrees. Bettas prefer 75-85 degrees. If nothing else, buy a small one and keep it on stand-by for the winter months. Invest in some fungus treatment, as some bettas are prone to fin fungus and an ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure in that case. Feed your fish a variety of good quality, high protein foods and have them not eat at least one or two days. It helps to keep them from getting bloated or constipated.
Other than that, enjoy your fish and if you appreciate my thoughts and would like some advice at any time, you can PM me and I'll be glad to help you.
Bettas adapted this organ because of the low oxygen content. This allowed them to flourish in waters that very few predatorial fish could withstand. They developed their natural aggression because of the nature of their environment. When the dry season hits, bettas are left in sweltering, stagnant puddles, their environment shrinking and forcing them into bitter conflict for resources and protection from predators. Hence, they fight bitterly to defend their territory and generally even in the most spacious of ponds, a betta holds a territory no bigger than 1 square foot, often a LOT smaller.
So as far as filtration goes... I personally believe this is completely up to the person keeping the fish. I have kept and bred betta splendens of many colors and varieties off and on ever since I was eleven and bought 'Rocko' from my local fish store. That was back when bettas were a VERY rare find in most shops. Long before the 'betta/vase' trend. I always kept mine in plastic rectangular cubes with lids. I did frequent water changes with tepid water treated with Start-Rite conditioner and a touch of blackwater extract or a sort of tea made with blanched almond leaves (it softens the water and makes it more like their natural habitat). I had to keep them in small, portable containers because I moved frequently when I was younger between Oklahoma and Indiana 2-3 times a year. They went with me to assure their continued good care.
I bred my fish in 10-gallon tanks and kept the fry in a 36-long while they matured. Then, I had similar cubes I kept the males in until I adopted them out to friends and family. They left with their cubes, a package of high-quality betta pellets, some almond leaves, and directions for proper care and maintenance. I was a strong activist against keeping bettas in vases when that trend came and went, but I've never felt my practices were incorrect. Most all of my adult bettas, male and female, lived out their full life-spans and exhibited vivid color, beautiful finnage, and good overall health throughout most of their natural lives in my care.
I fed a rich and varied diet of two different types of betta-specific pellets, freeze-dried foods, slivers of real fish and shrimp, beef heart, and even live foods I raised myself. They lived in a 6-inch depth of water that I specially conditioned and changed frequently. I also rigged a large syringe with a length of air tube to suck out their poop as they made them so they wouldn't have to swim in their own waste. My sister and I lavished all sorts of attention on them. Since we had such and age gap between us (10 years' worth!) it was our 'bonding time' to sit and talk about my fish and for me to teach her about proper pet care when it comes to fish and bettas in particular. So they were always active and curious. We even made little male betta puppets out of red and blue foil that we mounted on sticks and would hold in front of their tanks for them to flare to. Then, we'd let them 'chase away' the puppet and watch them do their little betta 'victory dance'.
People here treat bettas like they suffer the same plight of a goldfish kept in similar conditions... but goldfish are VERY different animals from bettas!! They grow differently, need different water perimeters, and need high aeration and filtration... both of which bettas can easily do without because they are desgined to do so and survived because of it! (remember, being able to inhabit shallow, low-oxygen waters was part of their defense against most aquatic predators in their natural environment) And while I agree that petshops keeping them for weeks on end in small cups with one inch of tapwater is cruel... and that any container keeping them in less than 6 inches of water isn't very kind... but some people here seem to believe that bettas MUST have at least 10 gallons of filtered, aerated water and live plants to be happy. And fish in the tank with them to not be lonely and bored. I say it all has to do with the amount of attention and dedication you have toward your fish. My 20-24 bettas I had at one time lived 4-6 years in my care the way I kept them.
Granted, due to massive inbreeding and the general domestication and dilution of betta splendens after the big betta fad a few years back, these fish have become more delicate and less aggressive than I remember them being when I was much younger. But I personally feel that bettas are still amazingly beautiful and adaptable fish that can be happy and live long and contented lives via many different methods of housing and care, depending on how involved you intend to be in their maintenance and in their lives in-general.
So don't let people here daunt you. They will, believe me... and I know of a few who don't even talk about their fish problems here for fear of ridicule. *shrug* Some people don't have all the money and space in the world to be able to give their fish the 'Ritz treatment'... and some of the opinions here (not all) act like everyone is made of money and utterly lacking common sense.
The only think I would add to what you already have for your betta is a heater and only if you keep your living space at a temperature under 70 degrees. Bettas prefer 75-85 degrees. If nothing else, buy a small one and keep it on stand-by for the winter months. Invest in some fungus treatment, as some bettas are prone to fin fungus and an ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure in that case. Feed your fish a variety of good quality, high protein foods and have them not eat at least one or two days. It helps to keep them from getting bloated or constipated.
Other than that, enjoy your fish and if you appreciate my thoughts and would like some advice at any time, you can PM me and I'll be glad to help you.
In some areas, jm1212. But in others, the waters shrink and separate into small pools, leaving several fish in a very cramped puddle until the water table swells enough to release them back into the larger areas.
Rice paddies are about knee to hip-deep water, true.... but bettas are also found in shallow marsh-waters and drainage areas where the water level is a lot lower and stays still and stagnant for most of the year.
And lacking that, as the betta was kept and domesticated, it was kept as a fighting fish. And most animals kept for blood sport aren't exactly given the Ritz. They kept them in small containers with frequent water changes and they were only released from them to compete against other male bettas in combat. Eventually, they were also bred for better and brighter coloring which is what turned the tide on the keeping of the 'siamese fighting fish' from competitive, aggressive, short-finned fish to the calmer, more delicate, colorful and beautifully finned fish we keep today.
Their ability to adapt and survive in many different conditions is part of what made them so popular for so long and it's what led to the huge betta/vase fad. They are pretty, hardy, and have few requirements as far as filtration and aeration are concerned. As I've said, I never agreed with that fad in the least... but I also feel that keeping bettas in 10-gallon tanks with filters and aeration and live plants and tank-buddies is nice... but unecessary. :dance2:
To each their own... I have several years of postive experience with these fish to base my theories and opinions on. But I'll not dissect anything further on this thread.
I've spoken my peace and offered my opinion. I'm not here to hjakc this person's thread and spark a heated debate... simply to speak on behalf of alternative methods of betta keeping that work just as well as the ones generally voiced here.
I'm not alone in my opinions, either... its just most of us have stopped talking on these forums because we get tired of being ridiculed when our fish are doing just fine with fewer complaints and issues than others spoken of here.
Just because it's different doesn't make it wrong... it merely makes it different. Nothing more, nothing less and no less invaluable than anyone else's opinion here.
I've spoken my peace and offered my opinion. I'm not here to hjakc this person's thread and spark a heated debate... simply to speak on behalf of alternative methods of betta keeping that work just as well as the ones generally voiced here.
I'm not alone in my opinions, either... its just most of us have stopped talking on these forums because we get tired of being ridiculed when our fish are doing just fine with fewer complaints and issues than others spoken of here.
Just because it's different doesn't make it wrong... it merely makes it different. Nothing more, nothing less and no less invaluable than anyone else's opinion here.
