Why are you addicted to Bettas?

[xxSarahxx]

I was looking at another thread and thought I'd post this and examine the responses!
I am actually really interested in this as I would like to know why Bettas are so addictive!
I would love people to reply to this thread as well as just casting their votes. Apart from one or two the Betta forum has the most posts and most people wouldn't deny just how popular they are so.................. well please vote as that is quite enough of my rambling!!!

 

[Elise]

I voted all or most of the above because I am addicted for lots of reasons:
range of color
range of tail types
PERSONALITY!!!

Also, how easy they are to keep happy and how non expensive they are to get
(it's hard to be addicted to having multiple horses what with the purchase price, the hay, the barn, the fencing....etc!)

 

[wwestar2000]

I don't know how people can stay addicted to bettas. When i first started i bought 6 and after a while i just started to get sick of them. Constant water changes etc. Now I'm just sticking to the 4 bettas i have but won't be replacing them. Not very conveniant like having fish in a ten gallon with a filture. The smallest filture i have found was 5 and it would kinda depress me having a 5 gallon and just a betta in it. And maybe a snail. When i could have maybe 3 female guppies.

 

[xxSarahxx]

wwestar...... I can completely see you point as when I go away in December the person coming into look after my fish is dreading the water changes for my betta tank!!!
The downside has to be the water changes and so on, but I can't imagine not having them now. I also THINK that they make up for the extra effort and reward you for it! Thank you for being honest!
I have however, found 'small world' filters that are very good in my opinion and help the situation to an extent.

 

[wwestar2000]

what i do which might stir up the betta lovers here is i keep one male betta in a breeding net. It's maybe 1/5 gallon or bigger. But if he weren't in there he would probably not be in the best water conditions. So now i only keep one male in a 1 gallon and the 2 females in my cichlid tank. But like my males i would hate to lose thats why i only gave 1 away. And it was 2 my little brother who lives in another house. The other one sadly died like 2 weeks after i got it. Like 4 months ago.

 

[Synirr]

Bettas can be a lot of work, but they're also a very rewarding pet... they're all just such characters and such individuals. It's a great joy for me to have all their grumpy little faces to come home to every day, and I actually enjoy taking care of them and doing what's best for them so they can live long, happy lives and be with me as long as possible

 

[xxSarahxx]

Synirr......... couldn't have said it betta I mean better!!! (Sorry I know that a very old pun but couldn't resist it!!)

 

[SPLiSH]

I voted Most or All of the Above... these are the reasons I love bettas:

- Their beautiful fins can be heaps of colours and shapes.

- Every betta is different, maybe it's just a stripe or two of a different colour but they are individuals... so much more interesting than having say, 10 neons all looking the same.

- They have unique personalities, for example my male is a chilled out, slow swimming betta who goes nuts for food; my female is constantly zipping around and is sort of nervous.

- Looking after them is fun... I like doing water changes... ) Well I do now since I got a gravel vac.

- They do reward you for all the hard work you put in... the more time you spend with them or near their tank, the less skittish they'll be. I remember on a thread I started a bit ago, some people said their bettas rubbed up against their fingers when they put them in the tank.

- I like how you can keep them individually. I love aquascaping their tanks and watching them play and swim in them.

 

[ScoutCarcer]

Im just addicted. Well actually it was my love for fish that brought em to my first betta. I was at Walmart and they had 4 bettas 3 that where blue and red(different patterns) and in th eback was a betta with light blue fins a light pink body and 3 red spots near his head. I wanted a unique one so I got the Pink/Blue/Red betta. He got named Carcer and I had Carcer for a year and he died of old age and finrot(I like to confuse people dont I). I started to get more and more bettas over time. A classic case of
Multiple
Betta
Syndrome

( Cant you see I love smilies )

 

[lljdma06]

I don't know how people can stay addicted to bettas. When i first started i bought 6 and after a while i just started to get sick of them. Constant water changes etc. Now I'm just sticking to the 4 bettas i have but won't be replacing them. Not very conveniant like having fish in a ten gallon with a filture. The smallest filture i have found was 5 and it would kinda depress me having a 5 gallon and just a betta in it. And maybe a snail. When i could have maybe 3 female guppies.

[snapback]888263[/snapback]​

I can understand you point of view, and if I had to keep bettas without a filter and do water changes constantly, I don't think I'd have as many. But I keep my bettas in larger, divided tanks where there's the possibility of filtration. Another plus is I can control the water flow to a level where bettas are comfortable and can build nests. When you cut out the source of a great deal of work, it makes this hobby easier.

 

[OohFeeshy]

They need smaller tanks . Nah, the first tank I got was a 3g, obviously nothing else would really fit, then I just... got another one..... and a few more..... and I'm debating whether to get two today from Bettaman ....

 

[Booboo puppy]

I ran out of electrical outlets before I ran out of surface area on which to set tanks. I can't turn on all the lights like I want to do--so today I get a new power strip with more outlets. I think once I have the lights on more often, Hubby will cave and start to enjoy them too. Then I can gradually sneak in one or two more... They are all on our entertainment center so if the lights are on, you can't help but to see them and learn to appreciate their individual colors and personalities.

 

[GSD]

for me its their faces...and theyre all so individual!

 

[xxSarahxx]

I am loving this guys!!
Keep them coming!
P.S. Keep an eye out in a few hours for pictures of my new boys getting a look at my females for the first time........ with interesting outcomes!!!

 

[FishEnthusiast]

I chose all or most of the above.

I loved bettas before I even started keeping fish. When I went to stock my first tank(55G) I wanted to stock it around a betta.

Thank goodness the lady at the lfs dissuaded me and convinced me to keep them in their own tank. I went home heartbroken, I couldn't get a betta that day. I got a 5G tank for hospital use, but I didn't like it sitting empty, so I got a betta. YAY! I actually bought 2 that day and put one in my hubby's 10G community. Well, Dopey didn't like being in the community tank, so the next day I went and bought a 10G and a divider and another betta, Goldie. It all went downhill from there. I discovered 1G bowls at Walmart for $5. I would go out, find a betta I liked, buy it, then go to Walmart and buy the bowl.

I of course did this after I discovered this forum. And knew for once that I wasn't alone in my addiction.

I love each of my bettas for a different reason. I do a lot of water changes, in fact all my smaller bowls are lined up on my washing machine right now waiting for me to clean their bowls. It will take a while, but I have a system down. I enjoy the routine.

I love their tails and how they all look so different. I recently discovered the beauty of a plakat. Originally I didn't like the short tail, but after being here for a while and seeing all the pretty picture, well you all know how that ends.

In the future I am going to get a whole bunch of 10G tanks and divide them to eliminate the need for 100% water changes. As it stands I have 9 small tanks that need weekly 100% water changes. I added live plants to all of my tanks to help with the absorbtion of ammonia, nitrite and nitrate.

I am addicted to the bettas I have, but I am not going to get anymore unless, God forbid, there is a death in the family. I just don't have the room or the time to take on anymore. I have also decided to refrain from purchasing from my lfs. I have decided that breeders are the way to go, the stock is sooooooo much more healthy.