Omg...

[Faing]

I can swim. I bet he's never been in an environment like this his entire life. He's all alone in there with plenty of space.

I swore I'd never have another fish but when I want to relax they're the perfect thing to look at.



Sorry but, in my opinion, bettas should have a filter so I went out and got a nice little tank and some decorations for him. I used to keep bettas in bowls but after learning more about fish I decided to keep them in filtered tanks. That led to the exquisite madness "Fluffy" can now call his home.



I'll probably add a small background or something later.

 

[B8709]

Cute setup and fish you got there.

 

[pouchedrat]

heh, I just set up a 1.5 gallon tank like that with filter and heater and light... for triops! We'll see if they actually take to it or if they just die off due to my ignorance.

 

[H. laoticus]

I'm glad you gave your betta the luxury edition lol

I'd never keep fish without a filter whether or not they "need" it, but that's just how I keep my fish

I've noticed that I also get much more activity out of my fish if there's a filter, especially one that gives off a nice current.

 

[Faing]

Thanks guys

Yeah, he doesn't have a heater right now but for the moment my place is pretty much always warm-ish. When winter time comes around I'm sure I'll scrounge up a heater.

 

[bugmankeith]

Bowls are old school, nowadays most people should know that bettas need at least 3-5 gallons, and do great in 10-20 gallons. I HATE seeing any bowl or vase sold for any type of fish now. As long as the current isnt strong, the temp is kept warm, lots of plants, and the other fish are compatable, bettas are great community fish. I have 2 both in 3 gallons of their own and they do great, if I could fit larger tanks they would be in them though.

These are mine.

 

[stevetastic]

As long as the current isnt strong, the temp is kept warm, lots of plants, and the other fish are compatable, bettas are great community fish.

Bettas, at best, can be considered community tolerant, because some do ok in a community tank (usually only for a while) but no fish that is aggressively solitary by nature and bred for heightened aggression could ever be considered a "great community fish."

My wife is a betta rescuer and I can't tell you how many bettas she has received over the years from pet stores and people who want their betta to have a "buddy" that are all chewed up. She also has a bunch that the owner choose to get rid of because it killed his/her other fish.

Putting bettas with other fish is also downright stressful for the betta. In the wild they have there own little territory and they defend it from any foreign invader, including other fish. A betta in a community tank that ISN'T attacking the other fish will either attack them at some point or is to stressed because it can't set up its own territory.

 

[Miss Bianca]

As long as the current isnt strong, the temp is kept warm, lots of plants, and the other fish are compatable, bettas are great community fish.

I have to disagree. Bettas are not "great community fish".
They can, at best, tolerate being in a tank with other fish. Their nature is to be alone within their territory.
IMO it isn't about how many plants you include and if the fish you add are compatible.

 

[NikiP]

I will agree & disagree...

Bettas aren't good community fish, which other species.

Males aren't good with other males.

However, if carefully done, you can do a female betta community. I had the nicest 10gal planted (minimum filtration) with about 5 female bettas that was my pride & joy for the longest time.

 

[stevetastic]

However, if carefully done, you can do a female betta community. I had the nicest 10gal planted (minimum filtration) with about 5 female bettas that was my pride & joy for the longest time.

Sorority tanks sometimes end in massacres as well. And its not really a question of if it can be done, it is a question of if it SHOULD be done. There is no reason to keep a solitary, territorial, aggressive fish with other fish besides "its pretty."

 

[Obelisk]

The bettas that you see in pet stores here in the US came from a line of fighting bettas, but there are other betta species that are said to do better in groups.

Wild-caught bettas such as B. smaragdina and B. imbellis usually don't have the same aggressive personality as the pet store bettas.

 

[bugmankeith]

I want to stress that a Single betta ALONE in a 10-20 gallon can do great if plants are provided and the filter current is not strong. The rumor they must live in tiny bowls is wrong, they do enjoy the freedom to swim around, in the wild they have space to swim, the water is shallow( but deep enough they can ascend and descend), but it can be areas as wide as a pond. I'm sure in the wild they encounter small fish species, they are not the only fish in those waters, but since I have not witnessed them in the wild, I cant say which fish they are.

Here is footage of wild mouth brooding bettas, notice the water is shallow but still deeper than an aquarium, but goes on and on. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aj5OEvBQPVo

Bettas get along very well with the albino cory catfish and that I have proof of, no aggression to each other, i've seen it done many times with no problems. As far as schooling fish, there is debates on them with bettas. I guess being they have been kept in bowls for so long, people are now learning more about keeping them in larger tanks, and seeing what fish can or cannot go with them, it's trial and error for now for those who attempt it.

I dont think females really have territories in the wild, when it's not time to mate they have to be somewhere away from the males right. And usually females outnumber males, so I think they do form small sororities, I think males mate with more than one female in the wild, so possibly he "owns" a small group of females. In captivity I would suggest 20 gallon with 5 females, and lots of plants so they can hide if one was stressed. But again, it can be risky, so if you do take caution!


Wild-caught bettas such as B. smaragdina and B. imbellis usually don't have the same aggressive personality as the pet store bettas. That is correct!

 

[ZergFront]

I will agree & disagree...

Bettas aren't good community fish, which other species.

Males aren't good with other males.

However, if carefully done, you can do a female betta community. I had the nicest 10gal planted (minimum filtration) with about 5 female bettas that was my pride & joy for the longest time.

Yeah if carefully done they seen to do ok. I had a male that was fine with the lionhead goldfish but got upset a few times with the male fancy guppies. Looked too much like bettas I guess. The guppies were smart enough to back off at least.

 

[Weird_Arachnid]

I'm glad I'm not the only one who likes for their betta to have lots of space.

Nice setup you have there.

 

[bugmankeith]

Yeah if carefully done they seen to do ok. I had a male that was fine with the lionhead goldfish but got upset a few times with the male fancy guppies. Looked too much like bettas I guess. The guppies were smart enough to back off at least.

One BIG problem with that. Goldfish are cold water species, bettas and guppies are tropical species, goldfish and bettas should NEVER be in the same tank for that reason alone. Either your goldfish was too warm, or your betta too cold.

 

[LeilaNami]

One BIG problem with that. Goldfish are cold water species, bettas and guppies are tropical species, goldfish and bettas should NEVER be in the same tank for that reason alone. Either your goldfish was too warm, or your betta too cold.

This! Not to mention since goldfish do not have a true stomach and faster metabolism they are very dirty and the bioload builds up a lot faster. Goldfish also are nippy.

I'm glad you gave your betta a good home! I hate fish bowls and I made it my mission at petsmart to sell at LEAST a two gallon tank for every betta. I would usually succeed except for those people that just want a cheap pet. Why can't you understand a tank is a lot less maintenance than a fish bowl?! :evil:

Haha but anyway, good to see your betta is going to have a good life.

 

[kingrattus]

Mu male Beta lives in a 90gal community tank. He has his own space & will shoo other fish away if they try to visit him. During feeding time he is very silly, as he's one of the first to dart to the feeding area. He never fights with the others during feeding time, & every day he comes out of his home (lower section of a plant) for a swim.

 

[Faing]

Mu male Beta lives in a 90gal community tank. He has his own space & will shoo other fish away if they try to visit him. During feeding time he is very silly, as he's one of the first to dart to the feeding area. He never fights with the others during feeding time, & every day he comes out of his home (lower section of a plant) for a swim.

That's probably an interesting sight.

I've always kept bettas alone so I cannot delve into the conversation of whether or not bettas should be allowed in a community tank.

I didn't mean to start a debate thread, but I think I may have Sorry. Good luck everybody!

Oh, I forgot to mention, "Fluffy" got his name because that was the name of my first tarantula. Sadly, I have gotten rid of all of my tarantulas for the moment. In a few years I might start collecting again but not until then.

 

[pouchedrat]

We used to keep a male betta in a 30 gallon community tank with tetras and such, before. The male betta seemed completely fine, had his own little area to himself, and would chase a tetra out if it got too close then swim back to his spot again. The 5 gallon tank the betta lived in cracked, so it was a temporary solution that wound up working well