wish I could give other bettas good homes

[Allie]

Currently I have one betta. He is in apox. a half gallon bowl that my other betta used , and lived happily in for 4 years.....

Tonite I looked at the bettas at Wal Mart and Pet Co and , yes wanted to buy another one.

I want them all to have good homes, but know I can realistically keep one betta...... with a Doberman and Cockatiel to care for also....

BUT.....I did buy a new bowl.....its probably between 1/2 gallon and 1 gallon...bigger than what I am using now.....

Do I switch my happy bubble nesting betta that I have now to this bigger bowl? I want him to be happy but he seems happy now. I don't want to disrupt him....should I use the bigger bowl?

 

[ThinIce]

Difficult. I'm tempted to say - the bigger the better for the Betta

However, given that your last one lived for four years you seem to be doing ok with the existing setup - and when things aren't broken....

I'm wondering (given the state of most of the Betta fanciers in this area of the forum) how long you'll be able to resist getting another anyhow...

 

[GSD]

if he is happy id leeave him where he is!if helived for 4 years you must be doing something right...leave him and get a new one!!

 

[BettaMomma]

I would say in this case, GO for it.
There won't be a whole heck of a lot changing from his perspective, except he's got a little bit longer to swim and it just might make him really, really happy.

The issues I always have are when people say they're going to move their perfectly happy healthy boys from an unfiltered, non-currented tank to something like a 5 gallon filtered tank. Then there are problems on the horizon, if you ask me and they don't tolerate that sort of change very easily....

I would take him out like you normally do for a water change, arrange everything into the new tank exactly like they are in the old one, then put him in and put it right back where the old tank was. He probably won't even know the diff and just think the world has gotten a little bit bigger.

Then, set the other tank (blatantly empty and in need of another fish) right out in the open as a reminder that you have room for another fish.

 

[RandomWiktor]

You fish would probably fair well either in its own tank or in the slightly larger one. It sounds only marginally larger, and since it would still have no filter or any major changes, it shouldn't stress him out.
I'd agree with BettaMomma that if you've had a fish in one type of tank for a long time, a major change is a bad thing. I start my bettas in a 1 gal with a very mild bubbler, then move to a 2.5 with a disposable/adjustable filter, then finally into a 5 with a power filter. Might seem silly to have a 1 and 2.5 sitting around being unused for this purpose, but I am finding that taking these guys in a pet store who have never had a filter OR any space and throwing them in a massive, fast-current 5 gallon is way too stressful.

 

[Allie]

Thank you all for your replys. Rascal probably would love the bigger bowl. And it wouldn't be that much of a change for him..

Went to Petco today to return something. Looked at the bettas again. They had some pretty ones. I'm no good with the official coloring names of bettas , but some were whiteish irridesent and blue, just a beautiful blue irridesent color. Man, I almost broke down and bought another one, but decided against it. I guess I'm just a one "species" person, lol..... I have one Doberman, one Cockatiel, and one Betta.

Hats off to all of you who care for many bettas. They are wonderful fish who all deserve good homes. You all seem like very caring betta keepers.

 

[boozybears]

Quick thought... if it's a bowl, isn't there a chance he could jump?

 

[Allie]

Quick thought... if it's a bowl, isn't there a chance he could jump?

Yes my betta could jump out of the bowl, that is true. My first betta that I had for four years never jumped, and this new guy doesn't seem to want to either...