Sunbathing Your Betta

[ThePiggy]

So, I've heard a few times about people giving their bettas sunbaths to keep their fins straight... what does this entail and is it truly beneficial to the betta?

 

[guppy_man]

So, I've heard a few times about people giving their bettas sunbaths to keep their fins straight... what does this entail and is it truly beneficial to the betta?

Uhh what?! where have you heard that? never heard it before, and im guessing it means actually getting the betta out of the water, which can't be good.

 

[ThePiggy]

Here.
And Here.
Also Here.
There are many places where it's mentioned, but I couldn't find any actual literature.
It's not talking about taking the betta out of water and putting it in the sun.. but putting it in a bowl in the sun for a short time every day.

 

[loraxchick]

uv is very much more important than many realize in healthy organisms (humans included)
i havent read the links, but im not skeptical. theory makes sense and wouldnt hurt (well, if you could keep the algae in a tank in the sun at bay)

 

[ThePiggy]

So, would it be beneficial to the betta to, for instance, have a 1/2 gallon bowl of the betta's original tank water, undecorated, and put it in the sunlight for a half hour (monitoring the temperature), then bring it back in and acclimate it back into its own tank? And if so, how often? Once a day, every other day, once a week?

I know, for humans, we get our daily dose of vitamin D in just 20 minutes of sunlight.

 

[Athena]

I don't think that moving a fish in and out of its tank too often is good for them and you could end up causing more harm than good due to stressing the poor Betta out.

As there isn't much definitive literature on this theory of putting Bettas in the sunshine - I'd treat it as just that - a theory. Those links you provided certainly didn't convince me it was the right thing to do. Sorry - just my thoughts on it.

Athena

 

[ThePiggy]

Thanks This thread is basically my attempt to collect information on this to formulate an opinion. Since there isn't much to read about it, it's hard to come to a decision.

 

[three-fingers]

uv is very much more important than many realize in healthy organisms (humans included)
i havent read the links, but im not skeptical. theory makes sense and wouldnt hurt (well, if you could keep the algae in a tank in the sun at bay)

The UVB used to synthesis vitamin D is filtered out by any glass or the plastic tanks are made of.
Maybe it would work if you put the fish in a shallow bowl in direct sunlight outdoors, but if vitamin D deficiency is really the issue then switching to a better brand of food or even supplementing with aquarium fish vitamins or adding vitamin d for human consumption tot fish food would be a more effective option.

Given that bettas often live in tannin-stained ponds under a forest canopy, they probably get most of their vitamin D from food in nature anyway.