The truth about bettas?

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I don't want an argument, just making that clear now. :)

As far as bettas in cups go, sure its doable, I've even done it myself when I first started. But after keeping my betta in a 120ltr tank for three years and seeing the difference in the quality of life he has, and how active he is with all that room, I'll never personally keep a betta in anything smaller than 30ltrs.

When I googled the lifespan of bettas I found that most live for two-three years. Bruce (my betta) is over 3 years old and still acts like he has years of life in him. Personally I credit his health to his diet, water quality and --- tank size.

Also, does anyone understand how muscle deterioration works? And does it have the same principals and effects on fish as it does on mammals, reptiles and birds? Because if it does..
 
dogofwar said:
Then - by that definition - there are a heck of a lot of hobbyist "commercial operators" on this site, whether they know it or not :rolleyes:

A single betta spawn can yield hundreds of babies. When I kept and bred them (I guess I was a commercial operator back when I was 12 and they were the first egg layer that I bred), I'd raise the fry in a 10g tank (the tank they bred in) until males started to fight...at which time I'd jar the most interesting and promising. The rest got fed to cichlids (at the time a group of Frontosa). Of course I had bunches of jars but to require as many tanks just doesn't make sense.

Reality is that betta care is quite simple and that many people, from casual to advanced hobbyists, successfully keep bettas for long lives in bowls and jars. If the people who are at the elite level of hobbyists who breed and raise fish to win IBC shows do it, then it's probably what works best (or they'd do something different).
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Hello; This thread is "the truth about bettas". You have given us an example of one such truth from your own experience. Breeders, commercial or hobbiest does nt matter to my point, cannot keep and raise all the offspring produced. Even after the culling there are too many males for most people to have even two gallon tanks for each one. So the males are kept in small jars.

It works and has worked for decades. I first became aware of this back in the 1960's. The answer has been for those decades that bettas can be kept in small jars. In addition to the small size of the containers as a question of quality of life, there is the question of how devoted a fish keeper is to keeping up with the water changes in those small containers. While possible, I doubt that each small container has a bb population to deal with the ammonia the fish produce. The bettas are tough enough to survive the conditions or this type of practice would not exist.

I suspect we are in at least two camps on this. I am in the camp that thinks a betta should have a decent sized tankof a couple gallons or more.
 
This whole idea of betta living in small puddles in the wild is only a half truth. They are spotted in small pools but these are larger pools, that have shrunken. They also are spotted jumping from small puddles trying to get into larger bodies of more stable water.
 
There's a big difference between a cup and, say, a quart or 1/2g bowl or jar...

Matt

Kittiee Katt said:
I don't want an argument, just making that clear now. :)

As far as bettas in cups go, sure its doable, I've even done it myself when I first started. But after keeping my betta in a 120ltr tank for three years and seeing the difference in the quality of life he has, and how active he is with all that room, I'll never personally keep a betta in anything smaller than 30ltrs.

When I googled the lifespan of bettas I found that most live for two-three years. Bruce (my betta) is over 3 years old and still acts like he has years of life in him. Personally I credit his health to his diet, water quality and --- tank size.

Also, does anyone understand how muscle deterioration works? And does it have the same principals and effects on fish as it does on mammals, reptiles and birds? Because if it does..
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Advanced hobbyist can get away with raising betta in jars and daily water changes etc but recommending a beginning hobbyist keep any fish in bowl or similar container is almost assuredly guaranteeing them a short life of ammonia/temp spikes
 
dogofwar said:
There's a big difference between a cup and, say, a quart or 1/2g bowl or jar...

Matt
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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. :)
 
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Fancy bettas aren't found in the wild... they're captive fish with unnaturally long fins and other man-made characteristics that make them unsuitable for life in the wild.

If they're from Asia, their "native habitat" is probably a pint whisky bottle.

Matt

Wailua Boy said:
This whole idea of betta living in small puddles in the wild is only a half truth. They are spotted in small pools but these are larger pools, that have shrunken. They also are spotted jumping from small puddles trying to get into larger bodies of more stable water.
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dogofwar said:
Fancy bettas aren't found in the wild... they're captive fish with unnaturally long fins and other man-made characteristics that make them unsuitable for life in the wild.

If they're from Asia, their "native habitat" is probably a pint whisky bottle.

Matt
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Believe it or not, the fancy betta varieties are line bred from wild stock, like nearly all ornamental species...
 
A cup is too small. A quart bowl gives the fish plenty of room to swim, build a bubble nest and maintain good water quality with regular water changes.

As I pointed out before, the "optimal" set-up for a fancy betta is a theoretical , unknowable thing. In theory, a massive, shallow tank would be "optimal". Fish would probably hang out in a corner and build bubble nest :)

Look: I learned to keep bettas from people who are really good at keeping and breeding fancy bettas. Not some kind of commercial farmers but experienced hobbyists. I learned three things: start with good stock...feed quality food...and change the water in the bowls a lot.

Matt

skjl47 said:
Hello; Sorry for this but I cannot resist. You seem to be pointing out that the bigger container is the better choice??
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