So Now I've Been Wondering Something...

[PrairieSunflower]

First a little update, Jimmy the betta has settled in beautifully and is happy and very very active.  I've decided it might be a good idea to catch my assassin snails as I see them (the big ones anyway, there are probably at least 100 babies in there...) and move them to the other tank... I don't think any food will be dropping to the bottom and they will probably starve if I don't move them.
 
ANYHOW... I was wondering something about bettas water.  If people keep them in bowls or unfiltered tanks or they lived in stagnant water in the wild... why does this not affect their health?  (mine is in a cycled 10 gallon)  Wouldn't ammonia and everything else still be a concern for their health even if they do breathe a bit differently?

 

[NeonBlueLeon]

The idea behind proper bowl/unfiltered tanks for bettas is that the owner will be doing 100% (or something like that) daily. 
 
In the wild, nature has ways of removing ammonia from the water.  True stagnant water will have nitrifying colonies established.  Very soft flowing waters are, well, flowing, so ammonia gets washed away.
 
Ammonia is still very much a concern for bettas.  They are able to survive brutal conditions set by uneducated owners, but surviving is not thriving.  I'm glad your betta is in a healthy home.    We'd love to see some pics!

 

[techen]

I think it's due to bettas being quite hardy from the wild. The rainfall would have kept the water up to shape for the bettas in the wild. However bowls and unfiltered tanks is just asking for problems. But if they keep up with water changes every so often it's kinda just like the wild.

Although there's more crud in our tap water than there is in rainfall.

K neon beat me too it

 

[PrairieSunflower]

That makes a lot more sense.  I was thinking stagnant water as something without a current and not going anywhere.
 
This is Jimmy (my kids named him).

 
I was reading FAQs on a few different forums in case I was missing something and noticed someone's weird looking betta picture.  Then showed it to an online friend who loves bettas and asked her why he looked like that... and she said he was flaring.  Turns out... mine doesn't seem to flare.  His fins stood up a little twice and that's it.  I think he is quite mellow.  Very busy all the time looking around.

 

[Wildbetta]

A bettas natural habit is really hardly every "stagnant".  Most of them are from rice paddies which stretch hundreds of miles and slow moving streams both of these have constantly changing water levels and ever changing water.  Because of the tropical temperatures and slow moving water, bettas evolved the labyrinth organ to deal with the low oxygen levels in these types of water.  In the cases where people keep bettas in unfiltered tanks and bowls, there is a necessity for 100% water changes every day or every few days -- all depending on how big the tank/bowl to keep ammonia down as low as possible.  

 

[PrairieSunflower]

Now I've been wondering something else... just figured I'd post here instead of bombarding the board each time I come up with a new question... especially since it is nothing urgent.  LOL
 
I was thinking... should my betta ever get ill with something... can you dose meds the same way as other normal fish with scales or do they have any special sensitivities?  He isn't ill or anything, he is doing awesomely.
 
I've been pondering whether he'd like me to move his thermometer or not... I can't tell if he now loves it or it is in his way.  I often go to check for him and he goes all stealth along the side and sneaks up and pops out from behind the thermometer... I can't figure out if he uses it for cover or it is just in the way in his favorite corner... he seems to like to watch stuff from that corner.

 

[Wildbetta]

You can move it and see if he "follows"  the thermometer.  If he does, then it was part of his "cover".  LOL  I have never had a betta really seem to be bothered by the thermometer before.  
 
There are some considerations to be taken when treating bettas since they breathe differently than most other fish.  Medications that end in "fix" are normally not recommended for labyrinth fish since the oil in these medications have the ability to coat the organ and make it difficult for the fish to breathe.  Fish that have this adaptation will drown with out the ability to use this organ or to get to surface air.  Other than that, most meds will work for them that would work for other fish.  It is however best to figure out what is wrong with a fish before administering any kind of medication.  Most of the time, a good waterchange with clean warm water is all that is needed to fix a lot of problems.

 

[PrairieSunflower]

Excellent to know!

 

[PrairieSunflower]

I think he really does use the thermometer for cover!  Silly boy!  I moved it to the other corner and he is going back and forth from the middle to the thermometer now.