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

[wendex]

what a cool idea having a mirror for ur fish - bet angels would like that idea as well :o) I'll def. consider a betta for next tank.

[jockboy]

my betta whose name is Mr. Finn is my pride and joy... I got him for my birthday on Jan.5 His body is different shades of orange and white with black spots .. His finnage is different shades of aqua and very long and graceful. He lives in a very large vase with plants growing out the top which provides roots in the vase for him to hide and play in. I use only spring water such as Aquafina etc. I change the water ... 1.5litres... every 3 days. He does like flake food but his favourite is betta pellets . His feeding is kept strict .. 3-4 pellets per day with a few flakes. He is extremely lively...and very happy. I cannot believe how attached they become to you..via ..recognition .... He was very quiet

[mana122]

Lupin: While this is informative, and I think it's important that people understand the possible living conditions of betta in the wild, the point you're trying to drive home isn't neccisarily valid.

I have a friend who owns several beta throughout her home. It's important to remember that betta have remarkable varied personalities. One betta may greatly enjoy a tiny little bowl where it has just enough room to move around, while another may only enjoy having a GIGANTIC tank with all the fixings.

Just a thought.

[froglady]

when I brought my new betta hom saturday. he was over joyed to be in a 5 gallon tank, no more tiny confined space, his personality really perked up. and hes happy.

[silverd]

Hey guys, I am a big supporter of giving a pet, no matter how small, a proper home. However, I got my first Betta and put it in a .5 gallon, thinking this would be suitable. It was so happy, it blew bubble nests all day long, and loved it. However, I decided to upgrade it to a 3 gallon after a couple days because I thought it would love more space. Unfortunately, I think it did not like its environment. I gave it proper temperature, food, and I changed the water constantly. It was unhappy and eventually died. Sometimes, it just depends on the fish and how experianced you are in taking care of it. I think that anything below a 1 gallon is cruel, but a fish that lives by itself does not always need a 10 gallon tank to be happy. I currently have another fish who LOVES his 3 gallon tank (don't worry I completly cleaned the 3 gallon tank out disinfected with the right stuff with no soapy detergent by products etc) He has actually gone from a pale blue from when we bought him to a bright blue/purple color, swims around, loves the filter current, and is not afraid of us anymore, and is blowing bubbles. Just comes down to a fish's personality I think..lol...(My first fish was Black Jack, Now this one was Blue Jay. Was going to name him voldy at first cause he looked so miserable in his little cup lol)

[whitedevil]

if you consider those puddles then by all means.

They get stuck in the shallow irrigation system when the monsoon rains come they flood out and the bettas go do their thing.

When my grandpa was in vietnam he used to write home about the fish all the time, even has some black and whites of them, however when the monsoon rains came he rarely had pics and rarely wrote about them other then saying they were gone.

I wouldnt put a betta in anything smaller then a 10g anymore.

[MrVampire181]

bettas have been found in hoof prints (says Walt Maurus's book, Bettas a Complete Introduction) but they really live in hundreds of gallons, so much for the "they like small places" myth :P

[MrVampire181]

Originally Posted by LittlePrincess

This is a great article, Im going to look for a 20+ gal for my betta and add some gentle fish to it.

20+ gallon huh?

Dominus patrus bla bla bla, I give you my blessing :P

[MrVampire181]

Originally Posted by tmz

i've had my betta for about a month now. it is around an inch long and lives in a 1 gallon sized bowl with a plastic t-rex. i do full bowl changes at least once a week and i flush out the gravel. i also plan to put a tiny drop of preventative medicine in the water one the last water change of the month.
would this be deemed suitable?
or should i invest in a new environment?
i dont want to torture my little bagel D=

maybe a bigger bowl? or a live plant?
loves the t-rex though (which i find kinda funny.), so i wouldnt get rid of that.

Go with a live plant, otherwise it seems good, I keep my pet bettas in 1 gallon jars (except for the first ones I got who get tanks), I think he will be just fine, see www.bettatalk.com to see more info on this setup (you have the large jar setup by the way).

[dramaqueen]

Gallon containers are fine as long as water changes are kept up with.