[KatieMR]

Welcome to the Forum!

What a lovely home. Bet she loves playing in that castle.

The only thing I would recommend is purchasing a heater. They make Betta bowl heaters that can be placed under the gravel. Until they started making small adjustable heaters that's what I used and never had any issues.

We are quite proud that shaming of any sort is not allowed on this Forum. How can people be feel welcome and be honest when seeking help if all they get is criticism for something not based on fact? And that's the really sad part: The appropriate size of a Betta home is strictly opinion. It's not based on studies or facts.

Thank you! I just switched out the castle on Saturday, and I'm not sure she has quite decided if she likes it or not. The other one I had in there was quite a bit smaller and it took her a bit to warm up to it also. But she may be doing more exploring of it when I'm not looking. Chadashah is a bit of a show off, and it is so hard to do that well if you can't be seen!

I am coming to realize that a lot of fish keepers have very strong (often contradictory) opinions that they expressed as fact, and it has made it a lot harder to know what to do as I start my own fishkeeping journey. I looked around this forum a bit before registering and it seems like people here are a lot more open to admitting that what they say might not be a hard and fast rule. Just that simple thing makes everything so much less overwhelming! And knowing I can be honest about my situation without being accused of animal abuse is a huge relief. I'm looking forward to learning more from you guys, and I'm sure that Chadashah will appreciate it too!

 

[KatieMR]

The only thing I would recommend is purchasing a heater. They make Betta bowl heaters that can be placed under the gravel. Until they started making small adjustable heaters that's what I used and never had any issues.

There actually is a heater in there; It's the black rectangle behind the left turret of the castle. It's nothing fancy, just an Aqueon 5 watt. I have it hooked up to a timer and there is a thermometer in the tank. I have the timer adjusted so it turns on and off throughout the day/night and keeps the temp pretty stable between about 76 and 80, but usually right about 80.

 

[grumpyfish]

She's beautiful, and I love your setup! Your betta knows that she's in a larger amount of water with more room than she had in her tiny cup, she has heated, filtered water, is loved and cared for. That's what matters. It's absolutely just opinion of the fish keeper. I have had bettas for a long time, and in judging from the behavior of the bettas, most seem to prefer a smaller bowl with low water flow. I have mine in a heated, 2 gallon bowl that I "filter" with live plants. He's a super happy guy. I test the water parameters often, use seachem prime, stability, and indian almond leaf. If you're more likely to keep up with regular water changes in a smaller tank, then guaranteed your fish will be happier. Water quality is the most important thing to a betta. As long as they're in at least 1 gallon, they're good.

 

[KatieMR]

She's beautiful, and I love your setup! Your betta knows that she's in a larger amount of water with more room than she had in her tiny cup, she has heated, filtered water, is loved and cared for. That's what matters. It's absolutely just opinion of the fish keeper. I have had bettas for a long time, and in judging from the behavior of the bettas, most seem to prefer a smaller bowl with low water flow. I have mine in a heated, 2 gallon bowl that I "filter" with live plants. He's a super happy guy. I test the water parameters often, use seachem prime, stability, and indian almond leaf. If you're more likely to keep up with regular water changes in a smaller tank, then guaranteed your fish will be happier. Water quality is the most important thing to a betta. As long as they're in at least 1 gallon, they're good.

Thank you for the encouragement, Grumpyfish!

 

[Momofbetta]

Welcome Katie!!

I have had many bettas over the years and my longest lived made it to 4.5 yrs. He lived in about 1.6 gallons of water, unfiltered with a small heater (an 8w Marina).

I took a break for a few years and when I got a betta again, made the mistake of joining a mega-website that has a subsection dedicated to betta fish. I was thrilled! Until I was called an animal abuser and told that I needed a 5gallon tank to have any chance at keeping a betta alive

 

[grumpyfish]

Thank you for the encouragement, Grumpyfish!

You're very welcome! Feel free to post more pictures, I always love looking at bettas and people's setups

 

[grumpyfish]

Welcome Katie!!

I have had many bettas over the years and my longest lived made it to 4.5 yrs. He lived in about 1.6 gallons of water, unfiltered with a small heater (an 8w Marina).

I took a break for a few years and when I got a betta again, made the mistake of joining a mega-website that has a subsection dedicated to betta fish. I was thrilled! Until I was called an animal abuser and told that I needed a 5gallon tank to have any chance at keeping a betta alive

Ugh I hate that, and am sorry that was your experience. As I've said above, the most important thing to a betta is water quality. They do need room to move, explore and thrive, but as long as they're in at least 1 gallon that's heated and properly maintained, they're good. People often have the mistake of confusing their opinion with fact, and we belittle others who have differing opinions. I bet your betta was better cared for than many that live in 5 gallons, but are overstocked or not cleaned often enough

 

[KatieMR]

Welcome Katie!!

I have had many bettas over the years and my longest lived made it to 4.5 yrs. He lived in about 1.6 gallons of water, unfiltered with a small heater (an 8w Marina).

I took a break for a few years and when I got a betta again, made the mistake of joining a mega-website that has a subsection dedicated to betta fish. I was thrilled! Until I was called an animal abuser and told that I needed a 5gallon tank to have any chance at keeping a betta alive

Wow! That is a long time. I hope Chadashah's around that long! It is so encouraging to hear stories of people who were able to make small tanks work. I would eventually like to get a bigger tank (more fun for me!) but I feel so much better about waiting from hearing all these stories. Thank you so much for sharing!

 

[Momofbetta]

Ugh I hate that, and am sorry that was your experience. As I've said above, the most important thing to a betta is water quality. They do need room to move, explore and thrive, but as long as they're in at least 1 gallon that's heated and properly maintained, they're good. People often have the mistake of confusing their opinion with fact, and we belittle others who have differing opinions. I bet your betta was better cared for than many that live in 5 gallons, but are overstocked or not cleaned often enough

Right?! Water quality is key! He was my kitchen buddy so had lots of interaction too. He seemed to be a happy wee guy!

 

[Mr. B]

Russell whar do you get your Vases. Sorry if you have posted this already.

 

[Mr. B]

Oh and do your bettas jump out? BTU they look good!!

 

[RussellTheShihTzu]

Wal-Mart, Goodwill, Salvation Army, flea markets, yard sales.

 

[Mr. B]

Wal-Mart, Goodwill, Salvation Army, flea markets, yard sales.

Thank you! And what filter do you use?