Local newspaper "bowls for bettas"

[azazal]

You DO know that Bettas live in Thailand in the wild? How does one heat a plastic fishbowl?


I had a Betta for who knows how long in a heated, filtered, planted 5g. He was an awesome fish with more personality than any other small fish I ever had. Then the dang thing took a leap of faith and is now, I assume, decaying behind my dresser

yea i do understand there natural environment and i also know the temps in Thailand (Cambodia and Vietnam also)range from 50 deg to over 100 degrees.. and can change 30 degrees from day to night ...do you replicate that with heaters?...i personally keep my glass bowls room temp ...70-80 depending on season ...in the winter months i leave there lights on longer as an indirect heat source...they never get below 68F..i also use substrate and have silk plants for hides .i also staited that my AVERAGE life expectancy INCLUDING the odd suicide was 4 years...my purple is almost 6yrs old..you dont even know how old your fish with "awesome personality " is and never bothered to move dresser to see if it was still alive? how long before you noticed your "awsome " fish was missing?

 

[Lepisosteus platyrhincus]

lol. 2g is fine for a betta IMO

my mom had a betta in a 1g that got a WC maybe once every 3 weeks. lived for over 3 years, and when she finally upgraded(to a 3g), it became lethargic and died a week later.

 

[Chicklette]

how long before you noticed your "awsome " fish was missing?

Not long, I had two HUGE african clawed frogs and I lost one. To this day I have no found it. No smell nothing, you think it would stink but I have never found the remains. I have two jack russell terriers and the thought of them snacking on that, um, no.

 

[Pepito]

Poor bettas, there are probably more myths about them and their care than any other fish. Yes, they can *survive* in a pint of water... but that doesn't mean that's how they should be kept. :/

 

[BODYDUB]

Some people are more knowledegable in some subjects than others..........

 

[Chicklette]

Poor bettas, there are probably more myths about them and their care than any other fish. Yes, they can *survive* in a pint of water... but that doesn't mean that's how they should be kept. :/

Yes, they can but it's unfair, totally unfair. They need room to swim and not be kept in cups. I don't understand that.

 

[Foster]

People really don't realize that they should compare a fish tank to the living quarters of any other animal. A betta can live fine in a tiny container, a kitten can live fine in a small box. The quality of life for both would suck but how many people would speak up about the cat before the fish? If I went to PETCO and said "Hi! I keep my 3 month kitten in a 10 gal fish tank!" they would have their jaws dropping but at the same time they will sell those crummy gigantic glass brandy tumblers for a fish.

How many people on here have horror stories about bringing home the 3 oscars for their 30 gal tank because the employee said it would be fine? People just don't give a care about fish. If you would of asked me if I wanted a pet fish a year and a half ago I would of laughed... Now I think there one of the most personable pets in the world and I keep piranha.

Bettas are great pets, I agree with the article there but at the same time it just means more people go out and buy disposable pets. My mom got pretty devistated when one of hers died. She was really happy she graduated from the 1 gal tank to managing to keep both males in a 30 gal tank without having any fights.

 

[phillydog1958]

Write a letter to the editor in response to the article. If they have room, they might publish it. Also, send a copy to the person who wrote the article.

 

[gomezladdams]

Its a shame these practices continue.Aside from bowl shows there is no good use for a fishbowl.

 

[Knowdafish]

Some one should write into that paper, or even leave a comment about that article... i would have personally, but i'm too lazy...

Barrett Newkirk can be reached at 966-0692 or bnewkirk@gannett.com.