Betta

misscrosson

Aquarium Addict
Sep 7, 2005
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Ontario, Canada
So I'm thinking of getting a new betta... I have a betta at the current moment in 5gal tank, I've had him for 3yrs now.

I have tuns of different goldfish bowls (which I know goldfish can't go in lol) and I wanted to make a nice new betta display...

I have this type of bowl right now...
FishBowl.jpg

It holds about a gallon or so of water... ( googled that picture )

I wanted to try to have a live plant with it though, I've never kept live plants before, even in my 70gallon tank it's just silk plants...

What type of plant would be good in the tank? .. I see floating plants in some betta tanks, I just need one that would be great as a beginner tank and will look really nice...
 
When I have kept bettas in the past I always used banana plants, they are cheap and bettas love them!!! Mind always used to pick his favorite leaf and just snooze all day long!! Wish I would have taken pics of him. You could also try java moss or fern. Good luck!!! Show us some pics when you get it all figured out!!!
 
Betta in a bowl aside -- from an artistic point of view I don't think a plant will work in that set up.

The thing that really sets the whole thing off are the contrasts. The starkness of the glass versus the color of the betta, and the tilt of the bowl versus the levelness of the water and the horizontal betta.

It is in balance. Design-wise, that's an extremely well done piece.

IMO I think adding a plant will throw off the balance.

If you confine it to the halfway mark of the water, it won't be so bad. A small bushy plant would work, or a fake one.

Just my opinion and I didn't say a thing about bettas in one gallon bowls and no filter or heater which they really need to keep the temperature stable, but I won't say that *whistles innocently*

Roan
 
Yeah, my other betta in the 5gallon I got at a wedding, they had about 100bettas in different bowls all over the place, and everyone was able to take them home after... that was 3yrs ago..

He has a air pump and filter in his tank, doesn't have a heater though...

hmm, but yeah.... with that shape of that bowl I dont think a plant would look either, maybe I'll just settle with a fake plant... I know that these fish would be happier in a tank with a heater, air pump, etc... but, atleast having them in a nice set up bowl they'll live happier then they did in those small containers at the pet store...

Maybe I'll invest in a different bowl, I've seen bowls like this...
betta.jpg


My question is, is the bamboo real?.. and how would you set it up like that??
 
With such small containers, you'll have to do a lot of water changes to keep the water quality acceptable.

(Also, to me, personally, it is boring looking at a fish in a small tank where he can't swim around much or do much of anything.)

I think you and the fish would be better off with another 5 gal tank.
 
i'll copy and paste the same reply from petshub.

do not put a betta in a little bowl. they need at least 5 gallons, 10 is better, and they need a heater and a filter and a cycled tank just like any other tropical fish.

its true that during the dry season in their native habitat they must survive in tiny puddles of stagnant water, but this is a very stressful time for them and many die, and it is only for a few months. as soon as the rain comes again they have several hundreds of thousands of gallons of water fed by irrigation streams.

why would you want to replicate a bettas habitat during the worst part of the year when many die in a tiny stagnant bowl?

not to mention that the bettas we buy in the store are many hundreds of generations out of the wild and have little in common with their wild cousins.

please provide your betta with a 5-10g tank with a heater and filter.

i'll also add that i agree with rosemary. why put a beautiful fish in such a tiny container he can't even move? i have seen bettas in 10g tanks with full run of the tank and they are so gorgeous. they are active and swim around like crazy, flairing their fins and desplaying beautifully. whereas bettas in those tiny bowls just sit at the bottom or on a leaf and don't do much of anything. its quite sad.

when you make the commitment to bring an animal into your home, you make the commitment to provide that animal with everything it needs to THRIVE, not just survive.

a 10g tank is cheaper than a 5, about $10. a filter for a 10g tank is about $11. some gravel and plants and a little heater is about another $20. so $40 and you have a lovely little tank and a perfect habitat for a betta and even some tank mates.
 
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i too was an ignorant betta owner (well my son was) until i gave some bad advise and got nailed on the cross for it (thanks ROAN, LOL) so now the betta has a 10G with heater and an upgraded filter. he looks and acts much better than the 2.5G he was in. Take the good advise and give him what he needs. from the looks of your picture you can afford $40.
 
My little female betta gets more active and beautiful by every day that she's in her 10g. It's wonderful to see.
 
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