It's been a loooong time since the fancy fish we call fancy bettas were swimming in the wild. I've actually kept wild B. splendens, B. imbellis and others. Very different fish than the fancy ones.
The truth about bettas?
- Thread starter Buphy
- Start date
Who knows...
Keeping fish in glass boxes is inherently different than nature. I primarily keep cichlids now. A tank, no matter how large, can't replicate the experience of being 40 feet down among giant boulders in one of the Great Rift Lakes. I know that most captive fish are massively overfed and get 1/1,000 of the "exercise" that they'd get in the wild. Fewer than one fish per typical spawn makes it to reproductive maturity...
Fancy bettas are different. The burden of having massive fins and other captive-bred anomalies makes swimming difficult. How much activity do wild bettas get? If you saddled them with another entire body weight of fancy fins, how much less activity would they need to achieve the same level of exertion? God only knows.
I used to keep pieces of cardboard between jars to ensure that the fish wouldn't tire themselves out from building bubble nests by constantly "fighting"...
Matt
Keeping fish in glass boxes is inherently different than nature. I primarily keep cichlids now. A tank, no matter how large, can't replicate the experience of being 40 feet down among giant boulders in one of the Great Rift Lakes. I know that most captive fish are massively overfed and get 1/1,000 of the "exercise" that they'd get in the wild. Fewer than one fish per typical spawn makes it to reproductive maturity...
Fancy bettas are different. The burden of having massive fins and other captive-bred anomalies makes swimming difficult. How much activity do wild bettas get? If you saddled them with another entire body weight of fancy fins, how much less activity would they need to achieve the same level of exertion? God only knows.
I used to keep pieces of cardboard between jars to ensure that the fish wouldn't tire themselves out from building bubble nests by constantly "fighting"...
Matt
I completely understand this. However no one has been able to answer my question about muscle deterioration, I think that if that could be answered then we would know if it is or isn't "ideal" for them to live in jars. When your muscles deteriorate beyond a certain point, its hell (ask me how I know this). And IF fish are subject to the same physical laws as land dwelling creatures then it is cruel to keep them like that. However if muscle deterioration works differently for fish then it may be nothing to worry about. That's why I asked about muscle deterioration. Because IMO that is the deciding factor for if it should be deemed "okay".
Again, not wanting an argument. I'm actually really curious to learn about how their muscles deteriorate and the effects it has on the fish's body.
Not IME, in a 120ltr tank he makes maybe two nests a year, he'd rather spend his time exploring the caves I've made him and hunting down the young brine shrimp I have in there for him. He's amazing to watch hunt, and so many people will never see their betta hunt because they keep them in jars. Even if you put brine shrimp in the jar, it wouldn't be much fun to watch your fish swim around in circles eating brine shrimp. At least no more than it would be watching him swim in circles eating pellets imo. As you said before, finding the "perfect" tank conditions for a betta is no more possible than finding a unicorn in your back yard, that is to say, it ain't guna happen any time soon.Fish would probably hang out in a corner and build bubble nest
More experienced hobbiests can get away with keeping them in a 2ltr jar, because they are more likely to notice if the fish is ill or acting strange than someone just starting. Giving this as advice to beginners probably isn't the best idea imo..
Again, I don't want an argument. Just having a friendly debate.
I completely understand this. However no one has been able to answer my question about muscle deterioration, I think that if that could be answered then we would know if it is or isn't "ideal" for them to live in jars. When your muscles deteriorate beyond a certain point, its hell (ask me how I know this). And IF fish are subject to the same physical laws as land dwelling creatures then it is cruel to keep them like that. However if muscle deterioration works differently for fish then it may be nothing to worry about. That's why I asked about muscle deterioration. Because IMO that is the deciding factor for if it should be deemed "okay".
Again, not wanting an argument. I'm actually really curious to learn about how their muscles deteriorate and the effects it has on the fish's body.
Hello; i do not have much of an answer, but let me add this. I watched a PBS nature show that I recorded a few days ago. One segment was about a huge mesh globe cage in which salmon were being raised. It is something like 100 feet in diameter and suspended in the ocean. One thing said was that the fish had to swim aganist the currents flowing thru the mesh. While i do not recall the exact wording, I am pretty sure a point was made about how this was better for the fish in general and maybe even enhanced muscle mass.
Sorry to read that you have had to deal with muscle issues.
Actually not. Wild bettas are quite different from fancy, captive B. splendens. For one thing, the wild type ones will jump out in a second!
And the Betta genus has been split into any number of species, many of which used to be lumped into "B. splendens" ... so fancy fish may or may not be technically hybrids (not that it matters).
Matt
And the Betta genus has been split into any number of species, many of which used to be lumped into "B. splendens" ... so fancy fish may or may not be technically hybrids (not that it matters).
Matt
I've raised fancy bettas in private ponds and the males cover a fair amount of ground, probably defending a 2-3ft circle but they cross out of their territories when not guarding eggs etc.
That's why I was wondering. I wouldn't wish this hell on my worst enemy, let alone an innocent being. I assume that fish would have similar issues, but I found with my own illness that being in a body of water takes away so much pain from around my bones, because the gravity in the water is different from the gravity on land. But because fish are subject to the underwater gravity their entire lives I assume it wouldn't give them the relief it gives me, although another part of me speculates that because of the pressure from the water, they may not feel the pain to begin with.. Duno.
The thought of it has gotten me interested to know if fish have the same reaction to muscle deterioration...
