Mythbuster: Do bettas really live in "tiny" puddles?

[LittleBettaFish]

I would think they would jump out and flop around until they hit a source of water. If you have animals like water buffalo or whatever they have over there milling around waterways you could feasibly end up with churned up ground where puddles form.

Of course this isn't the preferred habitat of bettas, but I could see how it would happen. However, most fish will instinctively seek out larger bodies of water and usually only end up in puddles because of bad luck or dry weather.

Here is a video of killifish eggs hatching in an elephant's footprint

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4sy3R3f_GCY

Even those fish though ended up leaving the puddle once they were big enough.

[ChoclateBetta]

In one study of betta fish they were kept in bowls vs aquariums the aquarium fish lived 7-8 years the bowl fish lived 2-3 years in bigger tanks they can excerise like walking a dog another study removed the labyrinth then put them in highly oxygen rich water they died shortly after people say there betta lived a long time how long is that a year two years eight years.

[Pilot00]

Most stories ive read about speak of bettas lifespan been 4 years with rare specimens reaching 5. If space is a factor (which i am 100% sure it is) then i am happy mine is in an 37 g aquarium. You could see him flexing when i threw him in from his tiny coffee cup.

Even if they didnt need the space for exercise its a psychological thing. More space = more activity = more fun. And please dont tell me that its a fish and it doesnt have feelings, it has been proven that bettas can be depressed. However surreal that may sound.

[ChoclateBetta]

they have feeling they are just different from human but with varied diet and big tank they can live up to 10 years but with proper care average 7-8 years in a bowl 2-3 years because bad diet dirty water and no exercise also more stress probably a lot of the stories you read are fish in bowls it annoys me when bowl keepers say there Betta or goldfish lived a while what was it a year so many people seem to think bettas only live a year or two.

[bettababe89]

I have tried to tell people this and all they do is start with the rain puddle crap! it doesn't rain bettas so they must have come from somewhere big before their home was drained or evaporated. You can raise a human child in the confounds of a bathroom as some sickos have proven but does that mean a child loves it? who wouldn't want to stretch their fins (or legs) and swim (run)?

[JadeAngel]

Originally Posted by ChoclateBetta

In one study of betta fish they were kept in bowls vs aquariums the aquarium fish lived 7-8 years the bowl fish lived 2-3 years in bigger tanks they can excerise like walking a dog another study removed the labyrinth then put them in highly oxygen rich water they died shortly after people say there betta lived a long time how long is that a year two years eight years.

Can you point me to this study? I would absolutely LOVE to print up the information on it, and pull it out every time some idget tries to get snotty with me and tell me how tiny bowls are pefectly fine for them

[homegrown terror]

Originally Posted by bettababe89

it doesn't rain bettas

that is just such an awesome mental picture!

[ChoclateBetta]

Originally Posted by JadeAngel

Can you point me to this study? I would absolutely LOVE to print up the information on it, and pull it out every time some idget tries to get snotty with me and tell me how tiny bowls are pefectly fine for them

Read it in a book but also the bettas that live the longest seem to be in bigger tanks.

[Olympia]

Lol not true. :s
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[VictorP]

Definitely not true. That's just your opinion.