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

224K views 144 replies 90 participants last post by  mjfa 
#1 ·
Mythbuster: Do bettas really live in "tiny" puddle

Okay, folks, after a research breakthrough and reminiscing of memories on how I often see people suggest to use vases and bowls for bettas considering "they live in tiny mud puddles", I decided to crash this myth in an effort to put a stop on what we call betta abuse simply by placing them in a container with no heater, no filter, etc at all. I've read plenty of books and discovered there is a lot more than what you see on a betta. It has always been a misconception that bettas live in mud puddles. Everytime I see people saying this, I keep thinking to myself "Is this possible?" Even the mud puddles dug by animal hooves would be quite horrible for a betta.:shake: What were those labyrinths for?

Before I go further, please note there are several betta species more than you can think of distributed around Asia, however, the human developments have seriously depleted their habitats with some species already lost and feared extinct.

While roaming around on forums for possible summaries, I discovered this paragraph (I don't own a lot of books however I do spend plenty of time in bookstores but I cannot copy every important bit without purchasing the said books which are expensive.)

Information is taken from Labyrinth Fish: The Bubble Nest Builders written by Horst Link and published by Tetra in 1991.

"In my opinion, the natural distribution range is very much smaller than had been supposed until now and is, in fact, restricted to central, western, and northern Thailand...Betta splendens lives in paddy fields and associated ditches, in marshes and flooded grass pits and in the klongs (canals) of the residential parts of towns and villages. At different times of the year, they may be very numerous."

A very important advice...
The view that fighting fish often live in mudholes and therefore can be kept in such conditions is not really tenable. The fish will exhibit their full finery in a well-established, balanced aquarium and it is only under such conditions that their keeper will be able to appreciate their beauty at its best

So the questions now are..
What exactly is a klong?
A picture is worth a hundred words.
Klong of Thailand


What paddy field are we talking anyway?
Is this really a mud puddle? Is it really small?


What is your conclusion on the whole?
Going to back to the above, I've shared to you my thoughts. Now to answer the question, What were those labyrinths for?, this doesn't mean all anabantids can live in mud puddles as previously suggested by several people but this means it allows them to survive in warm, shallow, slow moving waters with very low oxygen levels.

So like other fish, we should treat the bettas with great care. Efficient filter, heater, etc just like what other tropical fish deserve.

~End of lecture.~

I will sticky this so people won't have a difficult time searching for answers like this.

This site provides excellent information as well.
http://betta.tasarin.net/aquarium.php
An important thing to know when housing a Betta Splendens is that most metals are lethal, and never should metal decorations be used unless they are marked for this purpose. Copper is especially dangerous. Nonetheless, to keep an individual B. splendens, a minimum tank size of 3 U.S. gallons at least is recommended, if it will be kept in a warm room. Decorations can provide hiding places, especially important when two males are housed in a divided tank, or when the betta is living in a community tank. Every decoration must be free of rough areas or sharp points which can damage the delicate fins of the betta. For this reason, silk rather than plastic plants are recommended. Live plants will improve the water quality. Also, since the betta obtains oxygen from the air, the tank must not be covered with an air-tight lid and the betta must be able to easily reach the surface. (Note that some bettas enjoy leaping out of tanks, so a breathable lid is highly recommended.) If the betta has no access to air, it will suffocate.

In Canada and the United States, the Betta is sometimes sold in a vase with a plant, with the erroneous claim that the fish can feed on the roots of the plant and that it can survive without changing the water. This is dangerous for the betta in two ways. First, the betta has a labyrinth organ which allows it to take in oxygen from the surface air, similar to the human lung. If the betta can not reach the surface of the water, which can be the case if a plant's roots are covering the surface, the betta will suffocate in a matter of hours. Secondly, Betta species are carnivorous and an appropriate food must be provided, such as dry "betta pellets" or live or frozen bloodworms or brine shrimp. However, most aquarium-bred specimens will accept dried flaked food suitable for tropical fish. When kept in a small container such as a vase, the fish need frequent water changes, and the container must be kept in a warm room. A larger tank with a heater will provide better living conditions. Wherever the fish is kept, water must be treated with an appropriate water conditioner before use.

There is a stereotype that in the wild, bettas live in tiny muddy pools, and therefore that it is acceptable to keep them in small tanks, but bowls are usually too small. In reality, bettas live in vast paddies, the puddle myth originating from the fact that during the dry season, the paddies can dry out into small patches of water. It is not a natural state of affairs by any means, and in the wild, fish trapped in such puddles are likely to die in a short period of time when they dry out.

To maximize the lifespan of the fish and ensure their well being, they should always be kept in appropriate sized tanks. As a rule of thumb, for each inch of fish there must be at least one gallon of water in its tank. Bettas idealy should be kept in a filtered tank 10 gallons or more and treated like any other freshwater tank fish. Although these conditions are ideal, with proper care and filtration a betta can be happily kept in a smaller tank. I, personally, keep my Betta in a tank holding 2 gallons of water and it is perfectly happy and healthy.


Other good links:
http://www.ikanpemburu.com/html/field/pontian.htm

http://www.ikanpemburu.com/html/field/Ayer_Hitam_last1.htm

http://www.ikanpemburu.com/html/field/Thailand2.htm
 
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#66 ·
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.
 
#67 ·
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.
 
#71 ·
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 :twisted:
 
#68 ·
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.
 
#69 ·
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.
 
#70 ·
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)?
 
#72 ·
#77 ·
I meant bigger as in a tank were they can excerise. How many Bettas live 10 years in bowls. A fish with proper excerise I meant they live longer in big spaces like over 2.5 because the leading killer of Bettas is not their they can excerse.
 
#76 ·
Why are people making a point of betta's living in a mud puddle although any information points out this happens mostly when the rice paddies, swamps or shallow ponds dry out during the dry season. So no matter whether you originally lived in a paddy field, swamp, shallow pond, river, lake, etc..., you may end up in a mud puddle anyhow if it gets too hot too fast and fish get stranded in a mud puddle or such. Bettas have adapted to that climate and can survive the dry season in such a small, low oxygen space, with lack of food, etc...But many die during this period.
I've read that outside the dry season bettas may claim teritory for themselves even up to a square meter each which compared to a 1G bowl is laughable and there are studies published by betta reasearchers suggesting that keeping them in 20G, well planted tank, with driftwood, good filtration, etc.. is best.
Sometimes people just don't acclimate the fish properly as well when moving them from a bowl to a bigger tank, or the tank is bare with not too much plants or decoration to hide, with aggressive tank mates they had no clue they are incompatible with, and then they keep posting how their betta freaked out from the big space and is happier in a bowl. If I was locked in a basement for a good while, I'd be stressed of course on the first glimpse of a bigger world too.
There are so many stories of bettas getting stressed to the point of biting their own tails in small unfiltered bowls with little or no decoration and still survive for a good while to call it: "they did ok"

Also, why do you think they have adapted to jump from water to water? Why would they do that if they like their small mud puddle?



Also, you can't put all bettas in the same group. For example betta taeniata's natural habitat is the upper parts of fast flowing rivers, looking for food in the shallow areas. It looks like this:

 
#78 ·
Why are people making a point of betta's living in a mud puddle although any information points out this happens mostly when the rice paddies, swamps or shallow ponds dry out during the dry season. So no matter whether you originally lived in a paddy field, swamp, shallow pond, river, lake, etc..., you may end up in a mud puddle anyhow if it gets too hot too fast and fish get stranded in a mud puddle or such. Bettas have adapted to that climate and can survive the dry season in such a small, low oxygen space, with lack of food, etc...But many die during this period.
I've read that outside the dry season bettas may claim teritory for themselves even up to a square meter each which compared to a 1G bowl is laughable and there are studies published by betta reasearchers suggesting that keeping them in 20G, well planted tank, with driftwood, good filtration, etc.. is best.
Sometimes people just don't acclimate the fish properly as well when moving them from a bowl to a bigger tank, or the tank is bare with not too much plants or decoration to hide, with aggressive tank mates they had no clue they are incompatible with, and then they keep posting how their betta freaked out from the big space and is happier in a bowl. If I was locked in a basement for a good while, I'd be stressed of course on the first glimpse of a bigger world too.
There are so many stories of bettas getting stressed to the point of biting their own tails in small unfiltered bowls with little or no decoration and still survive for a good while to call it: "they did ok"

Also, why do you think they have adapted to jump from water to water? Why would they do that if they like their small mud puddle?



Also, you can't put all bettas in the same group. For example betta taeniata's natural habitat is the upper parts of fast flowing rivers, looking for food in the shallow areas. It looks like this:

Rats I have to get a twenty gallon as soon as possible my 10 gallon is too small so sorry carter. I am being serois. A betta in a .5 will not out live a betta in a 10 gallon no matter how many water changesthe number one killer of Bettas is diseases related to lack of excerise.
 
#84 · (Edited)
This is false, Chocolate. This is your opinion only and has no real support to it. A 1 gallon is the absolute minimum to cover the needs of the fish but a 5 gallon is a preferred size that produces many benefits.

The reason behind a 1 gallon being minimum is simple First, you have to look at the needs of the animal. Betta fish need the following in a living environment: tropical temperature range water from 76 to 86 degrees with 78-82 degrees being ideal, water that is clean of naturally occurring toxins, exercise room, and surface air space.

A 1 gallon is the minimum because all of the above can be obtained on a normal person's schedule. 1 gallon is the smallest standard volume that can maintain a proper temperature without large fluctuations that can harm a betta fish's health, it is the smallest standard volume that does not overpopulate with toxins such as ammonia to fast to be dealt with, it provides the minimal room for decent exercise, and with the proper shape a 1 gallon tank will provide proper surface air.

While bigger is better and studies have shown that betta fish living in larger environments have longer lifespans (though many factors may contribute to this), a fish with a dedicated owner can live just as high a quality of life in a 1 gallon.

After all, a properly kept 1 gallon is better than an ignored 5 gallon.

EDIT:: Also, can you provide proof that the "number one killer of bettas is diseases" related to a lack of exercise? It has been widely recognized that the number one killer of betta fish is ammonia. Lack of room to swim may not be goof but it has not caused any disease as far as I can recall off the top of my head.
 
#80 ·
A lot of discussion about minimum tank size. Is my 3 gallon setup ok? It will have a filter soon. I change a gallon of water once a week and supply plants and an ornament for hiding in. He seems happy in there, active and greeting me everytime I'm at the desk. Of course, some of that may just be that he sees me as his food source. I do believe these small fish can have just as much personality as a cichlid, but much easier to keep.
 
#82 ·
Thanks, I'm just glad I found this site. I want to do right by my little guy. The larger setup was definitely the right move, his color is so much prettier now than in the little pet store cups. He is content to hide within the plants or his ornament, so I guess his is a happy little world.
 
#85 ·
A lot of discussion about minimum tank size. Is my 3 gallon setup ok? It will have a filter soon. I change a gallon of water once a week and supply plants and an ornament for hiding in. He seems happy in there, active and greeting me everytime I'm at the desk. Of course, some of that may just be that he sees me as his food source. I do believe these small fish can have just as much personality as a cichlid, but much easier to keep.
In all my tanks I change 50% water a week and all have filters(not all betta tanks) If you really want to know whether a 3g bowl with no filter and only 1G water changed a week, buy a liquid test kit for ammonia and nitrItes. Test the water before water change, if any of them is not 0, then the fish is living in a toxic enviroment that will lead to disease and death early or later. Lucky for betta keepers the poor bettas withstand months of suffer before they finally give in. Even if you get a filter, it will take anything between 4 to 8 weeks for it to cycle(convert ammonia and nitrItes to non-toxic nitrAtes which in turn is lowered by weekly water changes). And you need a heater too because they need not only higher but stable temperature which only a heater can provide. In 3G tank you can barely put all this stuff inside. So 3G can work, but is very small and even if cycled, it tends to be unstable because the water temperature and conditons can change too fast for the fish to cope with.
 
#87 ·
Thank you, Victor. I make it my mission to correct misconceptions about betta fish, even if those misconceptions are with the good intentions of improving betta life. In order to end improper care, proper knowledge is needed and to truly understand the species it is critical to know the reasons behind the ideas.
 
#88 · (Edited)
For instance, although 1 gallons "are not ideal" I know many awesome people who use them, on this site even, and they are bullied into staying quiet and NEVER asking for help because they are afraid of people lashing, arguing, ranting etc at them. Help, not hinder :)


Also another reason two males cannot be together... Bred by mankind to fight and kill, domesticated bettas also lack the room to flee, and since the "land" is really glass or acrylic there is no absorbtion of smells, or toxins. In the wild they live in the same body of water...sure... But think of the massive difference in size of environment, mother nature VS artificial, and in the wild... nature cares for them. We have to be that surrogate "mother nature" to them, in captivity. Another reason it is crucial to care for bettas appropriately without ever uttering "but in the wild..."

edit: reading back... ChoclateBetta though I respect you as a person, and your opinions as such... I disagree here. I had a 7 year old betta in a bowl. Cleaned his bowl twice a week because I found it got too dirty otherwise. That was my first ever betta. Some of my bettas in 3-20 gallons died young, died old, died sick (usually severe rescues), died healthy. There erally is no pin-point to how long a betta lives in comparison to the size of tank... However the care that is behind that said tank is what really matters. I find 1 gallon+ best, because anything smaller literally needs 3-7 cleanings a week...and who ever does that?! :lol:
 
#90 ·
It's not too small. I don't mean to be rude but when will you get that through your stubborn head chocolate? Just respect others decisions for housing.
 
#91 ·
Chocolate, your signature does not hold anything of scienfitic value or proof or suggestion. Your signature merely states the number and type of fish you have, as well as "Bowls are soup not fish!" That is an opinion without reason behind it. I do agree that fish should be kept in as large a volume with as large surface space available. However, that does not mean that people who house their fish in a volume of 1 gallon are abusing their fish.

Animal neglect, as defined by the ASPCA, requires an owner of an animal to habitually deny the basic needs of life to an animal in a way that diminishes the quality of life and harms health. As I explained in my previous post, with questions you chose to ignore, the basic needs of betta fish are covered in a 1 gallon in a way that most people (i.e. no breeders) can manage with reasonable amounts care. Unless you can prove otherwise, you are forcing your opinion on others and CONTRIBUTING to the misconception of these creatures.
 
#93 ·
Thanks for the compliments guys but I do not want it to seem as though we are putting Chocolate down. She has her opinions that are based in love and care but it would be beneficial if she would acknowledge that there is a scientific perspective.
 
#95 ·
Sorry, Chocolate. I thought we had a conversation and you said you were a girl. My bad. While that may be what the Admin suggests, aside from the fact that the admin says 2.5 gallons, there is not evidence as to why. 2.5 gallons is generally a better size if a person has to do a smaller volume tank because it is easier to find heaters and maintain water changes for it in comparison to a 1 gallon.

However, as I showed you, a 1 gallon can be safely maintained and cover the basic needs of the fish but like all smallest and minimum standards, it is harder to deal with. It is not impossible for a non-breeder to handle and thus a plausible permanent housing option.
 
#96 ·
In all honesty even a 2.5 is really small like I would never keep carter in a 5 because he loves his 10 but I just do not like 1 but that is my preference just all the 1 gallons I have seen are too small for active fish your right no tank size has no evidence except lifespan.
 
#97 ·
It is also important to keep in mind that certain show breeds, such as Halfmoons with dumbo ears, are weighed down by their heavy fins and struggle to be in larger tanks, especially since you do not see many 10 gallon tanks that are shallow enough to accommodate them. Some fish have to be kept in lower volumes because of such problems and because their basic needs are met, it is an acceptable amount. Lower than 1 gallon, however, and conditions are impossible to maintain on a regular person's schedule for permanent housing purposes.
 
#98 ·
My female is in a 2.5 gallon tank and she has PLENTY of room to swim around, not too small at all and it holds five plants comfortably.
My male is in a 5 gallon and perfectly happy. He would be more stressed in a 10 gallon due to his heavy fins. He's such a slow fish even when he is trying to be fast he's slow and will rip his tail if he swims too hard (aka tries to swim too fast for too long).
 
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