Looking Back I Feel Bad

[KrystaK]

Way back in 2010 (Before I found this site) I though tit was okay to keep Betta's in the little kits they sell at the pet store.
I was going through my pictures today and I found one of my last Betta, Allan, that my boyfriend bought me for my birthday.

Although near the end of his life I did get a 5 gal starter kit (He's what started me on fish keeping)
He got caught behind the filter and died.
My new Betta Casper is in the 5 gal that used to be Allans.

But it's because he got caught in the behind the filter that I joined this forum to try and help him, it didnt work but he did help me save many other fish from LFS diseases through this site

 

[lloyd]

OMG your so cruel..................................Actually wait a sec, your not cruel, weve all done it. i used to have a big datnaiod and 2 big tinfoil barbs in a 4 foot tank with a clarious cat

 

[pablothebetta]

At least you did something about it and came here. A lot of fish keepers will have had a bad start - it's probably what brings a lot of people here, myself included

 

[Llegmore]

I think the fish-keeper often feels worse than the fish. LOL. My past mistakes will haunt me forever

 

[OldMan47]

KrystaK, you did nothing wrong keeping a betta in that setting. If he was healthy, he would have prospered. I keep this guy in a tank that many betta people would consider cruel. It is a 45 gallon with lots of other fish and a high flow canister filter.

He completely ignores the extreme flow of the filter and simply makes believe that he is a fish. He swims right through the filter return, not a good place to catch a picture, and he competes with these other fish at meal time. He has been in that tank about 2 years so far.

Don't take it so hard.
A betta that gets lots of exercise and works out every day is a healthy betta, OK I know that is heresy here in Betta-land but my bettas always go about 5 years in my tanks. How do they do in those protective environments?

 

[alstermania]

I wish more fish keepers cared about bettas as much as you do. I had the same start when it came to keeping bettas due to the lack of education I had on fish keeping. The solution is to research and care, like you would do if you were adopting a puppy. It's that important

 

[Aquamaniac]

We all did the same mistakes. I did, i had a male and female bettas in a 60 liter tank already overstocked with angelfish,a huge pleco and a dozen other fish plus young guppys coming on all the time. At some point i had to give 40 guppys to LFS, the population was growing fast and i realized that the tank was just not big enough.
Anyway with regards to the two bettas i had, the male kept attacking the female all the time. Those were my first and last two bettas so i really never researched after if it is normal. Its common knowledge that two male bettas means deathfight but with female i have no idea.
And to be completely honest i bought the two bettas on day one and i had no ideia that:

First that it would not be easy to breed them.Wich was why i wanted a couple for.
Second that we could not keep two males and the lady in the LFS did no warn me now imagine if i had bought two males.

Well in the end of course as with almost every beginner they both died. The female first i still have no ideia if it was the male who did it.

All this to say don't blame yourself. You did your best with the knowledge available to you at the time.
Like someone said before me we've all been there.

 

[Mammabe1]

KrystaK, you did nothing wrong keeping a betta in that setting. If he was healthy, he would have prospered. I keep this guy in a tank that many betta people would consider cruel. It is a 45 gallon with lots of other fish and a high flow canister filter.

He completely ignores the extreme flow of the filter and simply makes believe that he is a fish. He swims right through the filter return, not a good place to catch a picture, and he competes with these other fish at meal time. He has been in that tank about 2 years so far.

Don't take it so hard.
A betta that gets lots of exercise and works out every day is a healthy betta, OK I know that is heresy here in Betta-land but my bettas always go about 5 years in my tanks. How do they do in those protective environments?

Your betta is beautiful! Just had to tell you that.

B

 

[-FighterFishh]

Doesn't look like a terrible setup. He's got clean water, light, and some plants. Looks like he's pretty healthy too. I wouldn't feel too bad, although it was small and he didn't have a heater he still looked pretty happy.

 

[pablothebetta]

Your betta probably wouldn't have known anything different - he wouldn't have known there were other options out there. He probably still had a nicer life than some other bettas out there, for example those who never make it to any kind of tank and die on a shelf in a tiny little cup. When you wanted to improve life for him, you did so and got a nicer tank for him, so try not to feel too bad.

 

[KrystaK]

Yeah, I've since put my new Betta in a 20 gal with my misfit Molly (She got bullied in my community tank)
After some tail nipping they get along well now, and I'm considerng adding some cory friends. Casper seems to enjoy the company and the larger tank
I'm just glad that Casper most probably has a happier life than most Bettas (And that he gets along alright with my Molly so I can keep them together)

 

[OldMan47]

Well done KrystaK. I always feel better when my bettas have company, and I think they are healthier too. It may just be my own prejudice but I feel that my bettas do better when they are treated like fish, not invalids. No restricted filter flows and no tiny solitary confinement tanks for my bettas. They are fish and can live just like any other fish. I am careful to always house them with peaceful fish since they are, generally speaking, so peaceful themselves.