Betta Cube

[Quisty]

The things that make me upset are those betta bowls that have the clear separator so you can put two bettas in and watch them try to get at each other..... there is barely enough room in them for the betta to swim around and no filter. The things people will buy just for show.....

this is the one i saw, built in filter.
http/www.warehouse-aquatics.co.uk/index.php?p=product&products_id=5408&cid=1

That is an interesting set up.

 

[silverrabbit]

Well we could "survive" living in an igloo in the North Pole, but it's not something i'd want to do for the rest of my life as I suspect i'd get ill pretty often.

What's the point in providing an environment that will mean the betta is at risk of becoming ill? They are a tropical fish and should be allowed to live in the right conditions.

In hotter countries, i assume room temp water is more than 18.

 

[OldMan47]

I would personally not keep a betta splendens below about 22C. I know full well that a betta can survive and thrive at that temperature. Since many of our homes are that warm in the summer months, you will have plenty of time to locate a nice small heater before fall. The minimum volume for a betta splendens is debated at length both on our forum and others. The factor that is seldom part of those debates, they are hardly civil enough to be called discussions, is that maintenance practices are the real thing that determines minimum tank size. A simple gallon container is plenty if water changes are done often enough and are done properly. "Jarring" bettas is a practice followed by any commercial Betta splendens breeder. Using huge volumes to care for the males cannot be supported at a practical level. Since the livelihood of the breeders depends on them delivering top quality fish to the retail market, they never take chances on using too little water but they also cannot afford to waste water. It is a fine balance that they strike. Most hobby situations, outside of breeding programs, again will use something between 3 gallons and 5 gallons as the minimum that is found acceptable. We do not do the major frequent water changes that betta breeders must do. The debate will undoubtedly continue but there is no such thing as a gallon container that cannot be used for a Betta splendens. The question, as always, is best measured against the maintenance regime being used.
On the other side of the argument is often people who would strongly disagree with my own approach to keeping bettas. I place them into a community situation of considerable size. Right now my oldest male betta is in a planted 45 gallon endler tank along with a few bristlenose plecs and some cories.

 

[GAB99]

on the today show i saw a betta tank maybe about 6" on each side cubed with at least 3 seperate places to keep fish, they called it a betta apartment

 

[OldMan47]

There is no doubt that containers are sold that are too small for any serious betta keeper. I didn't think we were talking about any old container on the TV, but a particular one the OP had seen.