Hi :)

[Bettas DESERVE BETTER]

I will post pics when i can busy at the min with christmas and new year plans.

the tank sizes are what i believe to be the best for these fish, and probably matching these you could extend all the ones you keeps lives, as i said though it really is down to how much time and effort you put into them, i HATE seeing them in unfiltered jars and bowls - it boils my blood.

[indjo]

Originally Posted by Bettas DESERVE BETTER

A good sized tank that gives them plenty of room to swim about and exercise isnt a bad thing, if you heavily plant the tank then there is no problems - one of the reasons i joined this forum was because of the stuff i was reading, and how wrong so many people treat their betta - and wonder why they are ill all the time.

This doesn't always work for me. I've kept 20 or so 2cm fry in a 162L/42.8g heavily planted tank, 10 - 20% new water every 2 days - but they die.

Then I've kept 12 fry of the same size in 4.73L/1.25g bare tanks with 30 - 90% daily wc and they flourish.

I do agree that they (bettas) deserve much better than cups or 4L/1g tanks. And I've tried to change my ways - learning better fish keeping methods from members here, trying to keep them alive for more than 2 yrs..... But it doesn't work for me and I eventually go back to my old methods..... which IMO is rather cruel.

Please share your methods....

[Bettas DESERVE BETTER]

Like i said, BIGGER is always better when it comes to tanks, you keep some you lose some - its always been hit and miss and forever will be, yet i still see people on here posting pictures of their betta's in JARS - and then they wonder why im being so cruel in my posts? ironic really isnt it? me having an opinion and trying to make things better seems like im the bad guy because I dont do the same and suggested something different that DOES work, providing the right environment for a fish will ALWAYS prolong its life, as the water quality is much more stable and the fish has all it needs... joining this forum i think was a big mistake... its full of kids posting questions as to why their betta is dying, missing scales - the answer SOLELY lies with the conditions its being kept in, perhaps if people got out of the 2.5 gallon attitude that seems to surround this fish, bettas would have a much better and healthier life.

Like i said you have to have patience with these fish sometimes they die sometimes they dont, sometimes they live longer than most other animals - providing the right care is always the top reason for this, where i would love to share my methods (and i truely would) it would just be the biggest waste of time you could think, not one person (bar the people who are SERIOUS about their betta) would take notice and begin to make change...

[indjo]

I'm sorry you feel that way. It's true that a lot of members here are very young and new to the hobby. Further many have been mislead to believe that these fish can flourish in cups and other myths. But that's IMO, the fun of it - helping them understand better care methods and increase their interest in the hobby..... at least that's my main goal.

It's not your opinion that they're against but it's the way you said it plus the remark you made. We all have to be open to new/different opinions, incl. us oldies. How else can we learn if we think our way is the best and the only way to do things.

I truly hope you could understand and help develop this hobby.

[Scruffy Nerfherder]

Originally Posted by Bettas DESERVE BETTER

yet i still see people on here posting pictures of their betta's in JARS - and then they wonder why im being so cruel in my posts? ironic really isnt it? me having an opinion and trying to make things better seems like im the bad guy

One thing I learned over the years is this: it's not what you say, it's how you say. I understand that you have a passion for this, and that's fine and good. Everyone should have a passion for something. But if you approach someone in a confrontational manner, you're not going to receive thanks. People don't like to be told they're cruel, because it implies that they're a bad person. Most instances here are not cruelty; they're born of a lack of knowledge or misinformation, neither of which is ever malicious. Treat those people as students rather than blasting them outright. For example:

"Keeping your betta in that is CRUEL!"

vs

"Your betta would be happier in a larger tank, and less likely to have any health problems."

The first is more likely to put someone on the defensive, as it is accusatory. Is it sad that the betta is in a small container? Yes. Unfair? You bet! But cruel... that implies malicious intent, and I doubt very much that anyone here is malicious. The second, on the other hand, points out their error and offers a solution without delving into accusations. The best thing you can do to avoid looking like the bad guy (despite good advice) is to ask yourself this before posting: "Do I want to berate and punish this person for their error, or do I want to put them on the right path?"

[dramaqueen]

I agree with Scruffynerfherder. It's the way things are said that make people angry. I can understand the concern for the fish but there is no reason to be rude to someone about it.