Betta Fish Bowls and temperature

[MyRainbowBettaFish]

how sad! Can you rehome the fish, or give them to another fish keeper?

[Blacklight]

Nope. We're stuck with them. My wife likes them in the bowls. She says that she's always kept them in bowls when she was in college and isn't about to change. She got pissed at me when I took her down to the stores to show her what she really needed. She refuses to spend any money and said basically "They're THREE DOLLAR FISH!!!!"
It doesn't help that aquarium stuff is so damn pricy. Heck when we priced things out, a 10 gallon tank setup with everything we needed was as expensive as two 2.5 gallon tanks and no one had heaters for those. The only tanks the heaters everyone had were at least 5 gallons AND since she bought one male and one female, we need two tanks. The cost of having two five gallon tanks $15 each, heaters $15 each, cleaning supplies $15-$20. For two fish. She flat out said "NO. The bowls are fine."
Both of us have different takes on "pets". I'm more of the "You have to care for and coddle them". She's of the "It's not a person. It's a freakin' fish. They die. Get over it." kind of person.

At least I tried.
It's not going to stop me from looking for tanks at Goodwill and Salvation Army. I've seen them show up there from time to time.

[DragonFish]

You certainly did try, and I'm sure you did your very best. :/ Some people really just don't want to understand, no matter what sort of logic and facts you put in front of them....
Sadly, in reality there is no 'cheap pet' as sadly so many people are led to believe bettas and other fish are in particular...

If funds are really the biggest issue, there are cheaper options. Like you said, Goodwill, Salvation Army, other thrift stores, Craigslist.....Sometimes you can find 5-10 gallons for just a few dollars.
Also, did you look at the Kritter/Pet Keepers? The Medium size are just about $8-$9 each and holds about 2 gallons. You could toss in a couple of silk plants, a terracotta clay pot(less then a dollar at most thrift stores; best cheap caves EVER), a heater, and there ya go. Might not be as 'decorative' as bowls....but its cheap.

Also.....if you're really pressed for cash and you could stand to wait a couple of weeks for shipping, these are the heaters I use in my 2.5-4 gallon tanks.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/-/2710315149...E:L:OU:US:3160

Just $6 each and they work fantastically. Only problem is the shipping time and the cord is a little short, but that can be fixed with a small extension cord.

With those heaters and the medium sized Kritter Keepers, each full setup, including decor, would cost around $20-$25....its bare minimum, but it will work just fine, and its certainly much better then the tiny cold bowls. Plus there is always the option of upgrade later on down the rode if you are able.

I hope this helps...

[Blacklight]

I showed her the kritter keepers and she said that they were horribly tacky and doesn't want that on display in the apartment. She's a bit obsessive compulsive and she NEEDS something that looks pleasing to HER. She hates aquariums and thinks they looks horrible.
I told her that in that case she shouldn't have gotten tropical fish and that just got me in trouble and had her storming out of the store. She sees fish as cheap.. and then they die.
It also didn't help that all the stores were full to the brim of those "tiny BETTA KEEPERS". She was telling me over and over again, "Why, if these things are SOOOOO bad for them, why do they sell these?"

[DragonFish]

Well.....you may just have to stick to thrift store hunting for larger bowls or something. You can also look at craft stores, or the craft section of Walmart for some more 'bowl-like' looking containers that are a little larger and don't have that 'tacky tank' look.

Sadly, those small tanks are all a marketing scheme, playing into the myth of bettas being easy, cheap pets that can live in tiny containers because in the wild they're found in puddles......none of which is true. Its really really sad how misunderstood these animals are....

Well I wish you the best of luck...and I do hope for the sake of these poor little bettas that you are able to find something larger and heatable for them at some point, or that you can rehome them. :/ I'm sorry you're stuck with this situation, it sounds like you would be a fantastic betta keeper if you were able.

[aokashi]

your wife... sigh...


I have a setup that doesnt need a tank and will keep your fish alive. (note key word, "alive" not "happy")



So you will need
1/2gallon+ jar
a 25w hagen elite heater ($10 from amazon)
a plant that can grow with its roots in water ( I have a lucky bamboo)
Maybe some java moss if you can find.

This is usually my temporary setup for an extra fish...
but as a permanant home. it is very lacking.

if your plant doesnt have a good root system, you will need to do 100% waterchanges everyday until it grows roots

after that...
you will need to do a 100% waterchange every second day.

edit: those $6 heaters work very well as well...

however shipping does take 3-4 weeks. by then it'd be well intothe cold season

and i think my tank looks better than a bowl anyday....
http://img.tapatalk.com/d/12/10/12/anazapyq.jpg

[Hallyx]

Originally Posted by Blacklight

My wife is going to be pissed when she hears that we're going to have to buy two separate tanks for them. She intended on getting the small fish bowls because they looked nice and took up no room. And she's going to yell at me and blame me for it. I know it. She's of the school of thought that they're perfectly fine in bowls.

None of my dam business. But then I'm famous for injecting my opinion when not asked.

Seems to me that you have other issues to work on besides fish. It might be better if you eliminate this source of contention.

Where did she get those fish? Any reputable pet dealer is willing to accept return of an unsuitable pet. Even if the dealer will not refund the purchase price, well, "It's only a three-dollar fish." So eat the six bucks and get rid of the problem. Lot's cheaper than a divorce. And a lot less stress on your relationship than what's going now. In fact, I think it's small price to pay for a valuable lesson in how to get along.

[Blacklight]

There's nothing wrong with the marriage side. It just a difference of opinion about how to care for fish and how much money to spend to take care of them. She thinks I'm crazy to suggest all that stuff just for a fish. The fact that we're financially strapped and I have a very expensive surgery ahead of me has put a financial strain on us. She fell for the "Bettas are easy fish and don't need any room or anything other than a bowl" thing. Of course I wasn't there at the time. I've had aquarium experience, but not betta experience, but I, unlike her, research the snot out of any pet I purchase, often doing days of research. For her it was pretty much. She wanted a cute fish and the pet store people gave her a couple of fish and a couple of bowls. The only fish I would ever put in a bowl might be a fish like a goldfish that can handle the temperature changes... and even THAT's pushing it for me.
Beyond the sticker shock for a REAL setup, I think she has an aversion for aquariums because her dad used her as a "helper monkey" when he worked on his tank and she REALLY resented it. She always had bowls for fish and never, ever considered an actual aquarium. So it's basically a total difference in what we think qualifies as fish care. She sees them as expendable. I see them as animals that require care and respect. She's quite upset at me because I'm challenging her belief and she feels like I'm trying to force her to spend all this money that we don't have.
Giving one of the bettas back to the pet store would not be a good idea. It would just go back into one of those horrid little cups and sit on a shelf until it died. So either way it's screwed. They stands a better chance here in a bowl that gives it somewhat decent swimming room than they does sitting on a shelf in a cup. As long as she keeps up with the water changes and hopefully it doesn't get too cold in here, hopefully they'll have a LITTLE bit of a better life than they had at the pet store.

[aokashi]

actually it might have a better life in the fish store, because the temperature is usually cool but steady. the water might or might not get changed...
and it might be purchased by someone who can give it a gpod set up. too many variables to make claims here...

[xShainax]

I am sorry but your wife sounds like a b word.