Getting a betta fish! 🐠

[Tracer04]

One thing with aquariums that is kin to orchids you have to mimic fish's natural environments. So with betas they live mostly in stagnant rice patties. So this means that flow from a filter can cause stress to them also larger tanks can cause stress also. All of our Bettas have been kept is 3 gallon or smaller tanks. We do water changes periodically but other than that we just enjoy there little fishy antics


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[astrid]

Originally Posted by Tracer04

One thing with aquariums that is kin to orchids you have to mimic fish's natural environments. So with betas they live mostly in stagnant rice patties. So this means that flow from a filter can cause stress to them also larger tanks can cause stress also. All of our Bettas have been kept is 3 gallon or smaller tanks. We do water changes periodically but other than that we just enjoy there little fishy antics


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They live in rice paddies. Meaning they live in water that is several inches deep (up to 20 inches or so) and that the rice paddy can go on for miles! It is a misconception to think that any fish can survive in a puddle.

It is therefore illogical to say that a large tank is somehow stressful to a betta fish. Their natural habitat is (to them) neverending expanses of shallow, tranquil water.

Please get bigger tanks for your bettas- to keep them in something like 1 gallon is cruel.

[AussieVanda]

A mate of mine has bettas in a very large garden pot in his yard which he sealed up. It's like a giant above ground pond.

[Tracer04]

I'm not say that you can't do it I'm relating my experiences yes rice paddies are not just puddle but the are not big expanses of open water and then when you plunge into the patty they are full of rice plants, roots and so on. To me that means that there is a lot of water but a lot of small chambers.
So to be able to keep my beta where I can see and enjoy them. So a larger tank with lots of vegetation would be great for them.

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[jmmehler]

I love tangents, so here goes. Everyone has had Bettas... And yes they are beautiful albeit solitary creatures. Check out Killie fish. You can just get one pair, or multiples. Males get along with each other, and they are constantly breeding. Aphyosimium Austraele (Golden Lyre Tale) is a very easy one to keep and breed, but there are dozen of other types.

Unlike Bettas (which you can keep with the Killies), they generally stay near the bottom, and are constantly in motion (fo deyo do doeing).

If you do absolutely nothing at all to help them beed, one or two fry will constantly be reaching adulthood, to continue the circle of life.

But beware! once you google 'Killie Fish' you may never come back.

[RandomGemini]

The rice paddie thing has gone around for a long time, but it's kind of a myth. The betta fish that you can purchase from your local pet store has adapted to a certain kind of lifestyle and bears almost no resemblance to its wild cousin. They require clean water, very clean water or fin rot can set in easily. They are more susceptible to this than goldfish. A healthy adult betta will live between three and five years with proper aquarium habitats. They do FINE with filters and thrive in tanks that have them. My local fish store has a female betta living in her 90 gallon planted tank. This fish is now 7 years old. Bettas are best kept in cycled aquariums. My current betta is living in a 10 gallon planted tank with no community members. Mostly because in 10 gallons, I don't have room. There are plenty of community members you can keep with bettas. He's two now, healthy and thriving. He fertilizes the plants and wags his tail at feeding time.

[neofans]

5 gallon tank is perfact for some dwarf shrimps.

[wintergirl]

Originally Posted by jmmehler

I love tangents, so here goes. Everyone has had Bettas... And yes they are beautiful albeit solitary creatures. Check out Killie fish. You can just get one pair, or multiples. Males get along with each other, and they are constantly breeding. Aphyosimium Austraele (Golden Lyre Tale) is a very easy one to keep and breed, but there are dozen of other types.

Unlike Bettas (which you can keep with the Killies), they generally stay near the bottom, and are constantly in motion (fo deyo do doeing).

If you do absolutely nothing at all to help them beed, one or two fry will constantly be reaching adulthood, to continue the circle of life.

But beware! once you google 'Killie Fish' you may never come back.

Killie fish are very cool and beautiful but their lifespan is so short. My favorite fish are cichlids, the more peaceful ones They do great in my hard well water. I had to take my tanks down to make room for a wood burner stove. Hope to someday get an addition to the house and have more plant and fish room.

[RandomGemini]

I love Cherry Shrimp. I have them in my planted tank in the kitchen with some cards. They just make more cherry shrimp, so once you put in a group of them, you will always have some. Unless you put them in with a betta. Bettas will eat them all.

[Subrosa]

Originally Posted by wintergirl

Killie fish are very cool and beautiful but their lifespan is so short. My favorite fish are cichlids, the more peaceful ones They do great in my hard well water. I had to take my tanks down to make room for a wood burner stove. Hope to someday get an addition to the house and have more plant and fish room.

Not all killies are annuals. I have about 50 species of killies in the bred book so far, and find most of the non annuals have lifespans comparable to other tropical fish of similar size. I maintain a population of Rivulus cylindraceous for mosquito control in my water gardens, because of their tolerance for low temps which let's me keep them outside until water temps get below about 55F. To go off onto yet another tangent, completely unrelated to this reply, I always find it interesting when I see people express more concern for the rights of animals than they do for the rights of their fellow humans. Getting back onto killies there are many species which would appreciate your hard water. The native genera Fundulus and Cyprinodon contains members that can live and breed in either fresh or full strength saltwater. Also the Eurasian genus Aphanius are good in hard water. All of these are however temperate species which require cooler winter temps for their long term well being.