Question For Only Those Of You Who House Their Betta In A Bowl

[Forestpisces]

You can compare a fish to a human as it is still a life (anything under 3 gallons to me is not a tank as it cannot be heated or filtered)

Bettas can live in appaling and squalid condisions but that does not mean they should, please remember that not all diseases show blatantly obviouse sighns and the fish can die within hours.

A tank that small will lead to:

Heavily shortend lifespan

Depression (yes this does effect fish i rescued one of mine from such conditions)

Heavily suseptable to disease

So on and so forth, but the thing that worries me most about your situation are the ammonia burns that your fish WILL be enduring in such a small container with water changes only every three weeks, fish produce ammonia all the time through their gills and waste, this is heavily toxic to them and will literally BURN them alive if the concentration gets too high.

Please read all the pinned threads on betta care and cycleing in the newbie section this is stuff all fish keepers NEED TO KNOW, i beg you to get at least a 3 gallon tank with filter and heater,

No creature deserves to live in a torture closet.

 

[lilacamy931]

this will sound mean but tbh I would flare at you if I was in a small contained space. Bettas/fish are pets and in this example you wouldnt (or more pointedly shouldnt) put a dog in a tiny foreboding cage so it could barely move.

To move on everyone will have their own opinons, sources and experiences, some will learn change, others wont. Most on here will want the best for their fish as they are pets and they want what is best for them. If you did water changes more frequently you may find your betta perks up more than what he is used to.

The reason heaters are recommended is more optimum temps for them, the reason for filters is to keep the ammonia and nitrites at bay (not essential if do water changes often as the fish wont then sit in its own excretment). Larger bowls/tanks are recommended for the better life for a fish, also to give more leeway for nasty things in the water, etc. If he is the only betta you have ever had how do you compare his happiness and normal everyday stances? (not an attack just curious?)

Anyways sorry Galanta we have over taken your thread, how is your betta doing?

 

[Cloud]

I must have spent hours so far reviewing what different people say about the correct timing and way to change water for a fish living in a betta bowl. It seemed that just about everybody was saying to do 100% water changes with the interval being determined by the size of the container the fish is kept in.

But recently I found another small LFS which seems very good. It is the only place I could find that actually sells the Atison Betta Pro (which my betta is going totally NUTS over). When I mentioned to the owner that I do 100% water changes he was horrified and said that this should NEVER be done, not even if the fish was just living in a cup.

So now I am wondering again ... Azumo is living in a 3-3.5 gal bowl. After a 100% water change I can go for a week and there is still 0 ammonia. In fact can go for a week, do a 50% change and then go for another week and still not show any ammonia. But when I do this, the water is not quite as clear as it is after 100% changes and I am wondering if there is really any benefit to doing a partial change rather than a full change (since a fish bowl is not cycled and it is not like I am getting rid of beneficial bacteria, etc.)

So I was wondering what your routine is:

a) What size container does your fish live in?
b) How often do you do a water change?
c) How much of the water do you change?
and especially d) how long as your fish been living like this and have you ever had any health issues with him/her?

Does anybody know of a betta fish that lived 2 years or more in a bowl - and if yes, what his water change routine was?

I didn't even answer the question.

A) 0.7 Gallons
B) Full water change once every three weeks
C) 100%
D) No health issues, he's active which includes bubble nests

this will sound mean but tbh I would flare at you if I was in a small contained space. Bettas/fish are pets and in this example you wouldnt (or more pointedly shouldnt) put a dog in a tiny foreboding cage so it could barely move.

To move on everyone will have their own opinons, sources and experiences, some will learn change, others wont. Most on here will want the best for their fish as they are pets and they want what is best for them. If you did water changes more frequently you may find your betta perks up more than what he is used to.

The reason heaters are recommended is more optimum temps for them, the reason for filters is to keep the ammonia and nitrites at bay (not essential if do water changes often as the fish wont then sit in its own excretment). Larger bowls/tanks are recommended for the better life for a fish, also to give more leeway for nasty things in the water, etc. If he is the only betta you have ever had how do you compare his happiness and normal everyday stances? (not an attack just curious?)

Anyways sorry Galanta we have over taken your thread, how is your betta doing?

It just seems a bit excessive. Heaters, filters, and huge tanks for just one betta fish. It's like doing something that doesn't need to be done because it makes no difference.

 

[lilacamy931]

Different people, different experiences

 

[stevefish21]

It just seems a bit excessive. Heaters, filters, and huge tanks for just one betta fish. It's like doing something that doesn't need to be done because it makes no difference.

I am really sorry if this offends you, but your attitude towards fish keeping is dreadful. Look up where these fish actually originate from. You will see that they need warmer water than most other tropiclas.
And these "huge tanks" you are refering to are not huge. A huge tank is something a lot bigger than 10 gallons, but i suppose compared to your 0.7g a 10g would appear huge?
Heaters are not, as you put it, "doing something that isn't needed", but part of the basic needs of a tropical fish. That is unless you live in the tropics like Thailand or a sauna.

 

[lilacamy931]

i do agree with you stevefish21 but unfortunately it is unlikey Cloud will change their mind. To Cloud, with your experiences and outlook on fish and their setups just be a little prepared on the forums for a lot of disagreeances and most people will go by larger tanks and filters and heaters as necessities.

 

[Cloud]

I will prepare myself.

I just think these things are just extras. I mean if you want to provide your betta with a 3+ Gallon tank, filter, heater, and excessive cleaning then so be it, there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. It's just that my way, seems to be working fine.

Also isn't the betta better off in a 0.7 gallon tank then a cup in wal-mart? I'm sure this comparison has been made several times, but hey it's the truth.

 

[bae1994]

I will prepare myself.

I just think these things are just extras. I mean if you want to provide your betta with a 3+ Gallon tank, filter, heater, and excessive cleaning then so be it, there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. It's just that my way, seems to be working fine.

Also isn't the betta better off in a 0.7 gallon tank then a cup in wal-mart? I'm sure this comparison has been made several times, but hey it's the truth.

in some ways no as in a cup theres a chance that it will get a proper sized tank
but in a 0.7 gallon tank its his permanent home

 

[Cloud]

The norm here where I live is Betta Hexes, IPOD Tanks, or Tanks attached to the wall.

 

[stevefish21]

I can see that whatever people say, you are going to have an answer. Of course, what would i know, i have only been keeping and breeding bettas for 10 years.

Think of it this way, does a rescue dog couped up in a little kennel deserve to be rehomed to a slightly bigger kennel or to a home where it has a garden to run around in? And yes, this is a fair comparision.

 

[Cloud]

It's a fair comparison in terms of life. But not in terms of monetary value of a betta and a dog.

Also, when a betta is transferred from a cup to a 0.7 gallon tank wouldn't they be happy no matter what seeing as though they have never experienced anything bigger then a cup?

 

[chuddy]

i doubt they were born in a cup

 

[home breeders]

tbh were going a bit of topic here, I think if clouds fish has been in those conditions for over two years, and is still going strong he/she must be doing something right?!?!? no?

I kind of agree, 5 gallons is excessive for one fish which is kept in a vase in japan.....

 

[Cloud]

Exactly, I'm not saying that everyone here is doing it wrong. I'm just saying I've taken an alternative route to taking care a betta. There are other methods, it may not be as good as the "norm's" methods but it is still both effective and efficient. It could also be because I am a lazy ####, but it still works.

 

[Mugen]

Exactly, I'm not saying that everyone here is doing it wrong. I'm just saying I've taken an alternative route to taking care a betta. There are other methods, it may not be as good as the "norm's" methods but it is still both effective and efficient. It could also be because I am a lazy ####, but it still works.

Honestly, I agree. I have kept bettas for several years (at least 7), and in my experience a betta can be just fine in a small bowl if properly cared for. I currently have one betta in a filtered 2.5 gallon tank and I was told this was too small and that I would be torturing it in anything less than 5gal. He is active, very obviously happy (I've seen "depressed" bettas before.), blows bubblenests all over the place, and eats like a pig. I genuinely believe that this is an adequate situation for that fish. If your fish is doing everything you say he is, chances are he's actually happy. I'd still say get a test kit since ammonia can sort of be a silent killer, but I can completely see the possibility that he's just fine.