Not sure on the spelling but anyways,who here has kept them to the life expectancy and what might that be?Whats the real deal with them as far as keeping them in a wide top surface bowl or such.Since they are so cheap and Ive got a little shelf space plus I like their little monster attitudes.I might go get one.I had one when I was young that seemed to thrive in algae mucky water more than if I kept it clean all the time.Fill me in please.
bettas
- Thread starter jason longboard
- Start date
They do great in a one a 5 gallon aquarium with a low flow heater and filter. Although you can keep them in a 1 1/2 gallon bowl if the rooms warm and there's plenty of plants in it.
i wouldnt keep them in a bowl, unless it was a big one. i had one in my 10, then 20 gallon community tank and he loved it.
they have a lot of personality, though i suppose it depends on the individual fish. mine(who just died today
) liked to be "petted", ate out of my hand, and was as much of a beggar as my oscar. he was always up and about, especially when i came close to the tank.
they need a heater(78-80*), a filter, and clean water. yours probably did better in the dirty water because he was used to it. when fish in high nitrate water for a long time get a water change, they get really stressed, could get shocked and even sick from the stress or die. people encourage acclimating to clean water for tanks that have been miserably maintained.
bettas like live plants, wont ever eat them. ive found(and so have others) that they like to sleep on "beds" near the surface.. like a driftwood stump or a wide leaved plant. they like to be near the surface so they can take a breath easily. they dont do well with fast water movement or heavy current, and come from generally still water environments in the wild.
if you have them in a larger tank, like a 10 gallon(in comparison to their plastic cups and bowls).. they like to have a sheltered area, or a decently planted area to chill in when theyre not swimming all around and exploring. i think a 5 gallon is a perfect size for them, though they will still use all the space in a 10.
they can live 4-5 years if well taken care of, and are usually about a year old when you get them at a LFS. sometimes younger, sometimes older obviously.
id say get one! they have the most personality of any little fish that ive ever had.
when you are picking one out, look for illness as always, see how responsive they are, etc. you want to pick out a feisty one.
they have a lot of personality, though i suppose it depends on the individual fish. mine(who just died today
) liked to be "petted", ate out of my hand, and was as much of a beggar as my oscar. he was always up and about, especially when i came close to the tank.they need a heater(78-80*), a filter, and clean water. yours probably did better in the dirty water because he was used to it. when fish in high nitrate water for a long time get a water change, they get really stressed, could get shocked and even sick from the stress or die. people encourage acclimating to clean water for tanks that have been miserably maintained.
bettas like live plants, wont ever eat them. ive found(and so have others) that they like to sleep on "beds" near the surface.. like a driftwood stump or a wide leaved plant. they like to be near the surface so they can take a breath easily. they dont do well with fast water movement or heavy current, and come from generally still water environments in the wild.
if you have them in a larger tank, like a 10 gallon(in comparison to their plastic cups and bowls).. they like to have a sheltered area, or a decently planted area to chill in when theyre not swimming all around and exploring. i think a 5 gallon is a perfect size for them, though they will still use all the space in a 10.
they can live 4-5 years if well taken care of, and are usually about a year old when you get them at a LFS. sometimes younger, sometimes older obviously.
id say get one! they have the most personality of any little fish that ive ever had.
when you are picking one out, look for illness as always, see how responsive they are, etc. you want to pick out a feisty one.
Yeah they're great! I wouldn't put one in a community tank with other fish that had flowing fins such as fancy guppies though. They have a tendency to nip them.
I had a betta in a 5 gallon tank, with a nano filter that was turned all the way down almost. He lived for 6 years before I had to put him down. I did a 20 percent water change once a week, fed him bloodworms, and betta pellets. You have to be careful not to feed them too much, cause they will bloat and die. One or two bloodworms, or two or three pellets do it. They need to have their tank at least 77 or 78. No lower than that. I love these little guys, and I have one now, as well as two females. They also really like to have a mirror if you're keeping them by themselves. Although they are very aggressive towards their own kind, they like company, hence the mirror. Please put a filter on whatever tank you get, just make sure the current isn't strong because it will kill them from exhaustion.
thats some good info k626
the longest i kept was for 2 years
but didn't keep a filter just a 6g tank and weekly water changes
the longest i kept was for 2 years
but didn't keep a filter just a 6g tank and weekly water changes
K626;1773025; said:
Also I wouldn't keep the mirror up all the time as they'll flare up and tire themselves out.
had one in a 5 gallon. little filter, heater and planted to recreate natural habitat, lived happily with some otos for 2 years, leaving them without a heater/filter can lower their immunity and fin rot will run riot! RIP Sammy .
I couldn't enlarge your pics without a log in.Well thanks guys for the info.Sounds like they are best in one of those small kits like maybe an eclipse or something.I am debating in my mind weather its healthy for them to see a reflection or another male for long periods of time.I wouldn't see that being good and I would think the tanks that hold 3 side by side would be awful.Well Ive kept fish for about 20 years or so and Im still setting back up my 125 so maybe I should just focus on that for now.I was under the assumption they were cool in non filtered tanks with water changing.I just had a little shelf space but you never know.May happen sooner than I think,lol.I liked the thread so if you want,keep posting.Thanks all.Angel51087;1773800; said:had one in a 5 gallon. little filter, heater and planted to recreate natural habitat, lived happily with some otos for 2 years, leaving them without a heater/filter can lower their immunity and fin rot will run riot! RIP Sammy .
