Betta Bowls

I know this thread isn't about breeding bettas, but the size of tank is applicable to anyone who keeps bettas, regardless of breeding intentions or not. The point i was trying to get across is the fact that a decent size tank (5-10 gal) does not work when you have space restrictions.

for the person that started this thread, if you keep up with the water changes, maybe use a small sponge filter, and as long as the room temperature of your workplace is such that a heater isn't needed, then a "bowl" of 2 gal or more would probably be ok. Your betta may not live as long as those in a "real" tank, but you can do as much as possible to make his quality of life the best possible for the circumstances. Live plants will make the water quality better between changes, which should be done twice weekly. Make sure this "bowl" has a lid, or else you may come in to work to find Mr. Betta on the desktop, dried to a crisp.
Another thing worth mentioning is the fact that a lot of workplaces turn off the heating system on weekends, when nobody is in the office. If you are not using a heater, this will definitely have an impact on your betta's health and longevity (spelliing? lol).
 
BettaFishMommy said:
I know this thread isn't about breeding bettas, but the size of tank is applicable to anyone who keeps bettas, regardless of breeding intentions or not. The point i was trying to get across is the fact that a decent size tank (5-10 gal) does not work when you have space restrictions.

for the person that started this thread, if you keep up with the water changes, maybe use a small sponge filter, and as long as the room temperature of your workplace is such that a heater isn't needed, then a "bowl" of 2 gal or more would probably be ok. Your betta may not live as long as those in a "real" tank, but you can do as much as possible to make his quality of life the best possible for the circumstances. Live plants will make the water quality better between changes, which should be done twice weekly. Make sure this "bowl" has a lid, or else you may come in to work to find Mr. Betta on the desktop, dried to a crisp.
Another thing worth mentioning is the fact that a lot of workplaces turn off the heating system on weekends, when nobody is in the office. If you are not using a heater, this will definitely have an impact on your betta's health and longevity (spelliing? lol).
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I have a Betta in a 3 1/2 gallon tank right now not listed in my sig that takes up about the same room as my friends 2 gallon bowl because it's pretty tall. There are small filters you can buy, not sure how good they are. Mine has an Elite Mini in it though in a round bowl the current would probably be too much for a betta.
 
I have used both tall "bowls" (actually a 1.5 gal hex) and oblong, not so tall 2 gals. i find the fish are happier in the oblong bowls, since they have more room to swim back and forth and "stretch their fins". With the oblongs there is more room to put plants. I find my fish are happiest when they have somewhere to hide and hang out when they want to (they all sleep on the broad leaves of my fabric plants).
 
The world's best bettas (arguably) come from Thailand, where they are often raised in hip flask whiskey bottles. In all honesty, your betta's health has far more to do with how clean you keep the water, than how much space you decide to give them. All these arbitrary numbers of how much space a betta needs are unfortunately based in little more than personal opinion of what is right and wrong. I keep my male bettas in .5 gallon jars, and they get daily 100% water changes and an absurdly varied diet. Apparently I'm the wicked stepfather of fish parents though...
 
I'm curious about how you perform a 100% water change. Do you net out the fish and place him in a separate container?
 
Yes, that's what people usually do.
 
ive done a 110% water change once, but it was more like 1 large water change and another smaller one later in the day.
yeah bettas can be healthy in any bowl with clean water, but that doesnt mean they enjoy it or are thriving.. especially if theyve been in a bigger tank before. its like a bird in a small cage... or a person in a small jail cell. would a bird rather have a cage where it can fly more than a foot and without having to stop? would a prisoner rather have a bigger cleaner cell? would a fish rather have room to swim without stopping every 5 or 6 inches?
sure they can all live and be healthy(as far as we can tell) in the smaller cage/tank situation.. but its less stress and more comfort on any bird, person, or fish or any living thing to have space to explore, be stimulated, and move around in. its only fair i think to give it the extra space. sometimes i think its mean even just having fishtanks at all.
 
BettaFishMommy said:
I have used both tall "bowls" (actually a 1.5 gal hex) and oblong, not so tall 2 gals. i find the fish are happier in the oblong bowls, since they have more room to swim back and forth and "stretch their fins". With the oblongs there is more room to put plants. I find my fish are happiest when they have somewhere to hide and hang out when they want to (they all sleep on the broad leaves of my fabric plants).
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Mine seems to like his so far, I was a little skeptical of the height but he uses all the space.He also loves the little cave, my other one loves his coconut cave also. Those 1.5 gallon Hex tanks are terrible because they are so narrow, I had one when I was a kid and the fish were miserable.I'd rather put one in a big bowl.
 
Inka: Beautiful post.

Easy Does It: Wouldn't a betta be happier still in its wild habitat? Where it can eat live foods all throughout the day instead of just 1-3 times a day, or processed foods? Where it doesn't have to worry about bonking its head off of a glass wall? Where it can find a mate and breed as it pleases? I doubt that anyone wants to give up pets just because of these reasons (unless you're in with PETA *gag*) or move to Thailand just to have a wild "pet" betta.
The bettas in smaller containers do just as well as the other bettas, as long as they're taken care of. They get stimulation from neighbors, they get live foods (some feed frozens), they eventually get to spawn (maybe). Seems more enriching than having a plant in your tank to stare at if you ask me.
 
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