Are pebbles bad?

[finnfinnfriend]

I read in a book that smooth round gravel is bad and dangerous....Is this true? Do they just mean the big river rocks? Because the more rounded gravel actually seems safer to me....

[Goldibug]

My guess would be they are talking about the small river rock. The bettas may mistake it for food. I know with goldfish you can't use small rock because they'll eat it and choke. Bettas might do the same.

[finnfinnfriend]

Originally Posted by Goldibug

My guess would be they are talking about the small river rock. The bettas may mistake it for food. I know with goldfish you can't use small rock because they'll eat it and choke. Bettas might do the same.

like sand? The small river rock I see are way too big for a betta's mouth....they are like 1/2 a centimeter average....

[thekoimaiden]

How old is this book? When reading stuff like this you have to consider the source. I know it's not great to keep goldfish with gravel that can fit in their mouths, but it would have to be a very small piece of gravel to get lodged in a betta's mouth. Sand is perfectly fine because it will pass through the digestive tract. Substrate isn't typically a problem with bettas.

[finnfinnfriend]

The book was published in 2006. I think the author was trying to say not to use large stones because they will get hurt trying to rummage through them....that doesn't sound quite right to me either though...

[thekoimaiden]

You're right. I have used large stones with betta and had no problems at all. Most betta don't even bother with what is in between the rocks. Without having some logic or experience to back up his claims, I wouldn't put much stock in them.

[finnfinnfriend]

Originally Posted by thekoimaiden

You're right. I have used large stones with betta and had no problems at all. Most betta don't even bother with what is in between the rocks. Without having some logic or experience to back up his claims, I wouldn't put much stock in them.

So pretty much any commercially available type of substrate is safe for bettas?

[thekoimaiden]

The only ones I would caution against are really rough substrates. I know some of the enriched substrates have rough parts in them and shouldn't be used with cories or other substrate fish for that reason. I wouldn't use them with long-finned males for fear or tearing their fins.

[finnfinnfriend]

What types of substrates are too rough?

[thekoimaiden]

I've heard that Seachem Flourite is a bit too sharp for cories, and that makes me not want to put a long-finned male in there. The Caribsea crushed coral I use to harden my tanks is kinda sharp, too. I don't let my goldfish touch it, and I wouldn't let my bettas touch it either. I don't really know too many others as I've never worked with anything but smooth gravel and sand.