You know....This poll is good.... but since this is BF.com, I'd also like to know how many of these people have ONLY bettas in their tanks, and also how long they've kept fish.
People who are new to fishkeeping and only have one or two bettas might have a different opinion than those who have large tanks with multiple species, or who have had their tanks running for a long time.
I'll play along here.
I ranked myself a 9. I
feel like a 10, but there are some tests I've never bought or had done (pH, KH) and some things that I know I don't know, yet have no desire to know at this point in time. So I backed off from giving myself a 10. I still feel very strongly that the knowledge I've sought and gained here is the only reason my betta is alive, much less thriving. The more I've learned, the better I've been able to care for him, and the more enjoyable it has become for me.
I am new to fishkeeping and have only one male betta. My teenager adopted him from a friend last August, and I took over his care in December when he was at death's door - he's mine now.
When he first came to live here, I helped my teenager follow the care instructions she was given by his previous owner. I didn't want to research or learn more. As you may guess, the instructions were dangerously insufficient. I found this forum when I was looking for safe water temperatures for bettas, only to find that we'd been doing just about everything wrong. Eight months ago I didn't think a fish would feel like a real pet. Now I see he's got personality, and I'm rather fond of the little guy.
