# Betta Fish



## RattieLover1331

So this is a rant..about Betta fish.

Today my brother's betta, Charlie, passed away. Charlie was a gift, and when he came to us, he came in a .5 gallon tank. Now betta fish owners know that bettas are happiest in a 2.5 gallon tank or larger, a heater, and a filter. Well, I had a spare 1.5 gallon tank, but it didn't have a heater, or a filter, but I put him in that. Now since he was my brother's fish, I really had no part in it. My brother didn't really care for him, he fed him, but never cleaned the tank. I was planning that once my brother moved out of the house, I would keep Charlie (He wouldn't take Charlie.) and I would get him a 3 gallon, heated, and filtered tank. Well, that didn't happen.

I'm just upset that I couldn't do anything to help. I'm too young to get a job, so earning money for me is difficult.

Now, here's the rant part: When people keep bettas in unsuitable living conditions. When I got Memo, I got him from my sister-in-law because they were moving and couldn't take him. He lived in a 1 gallon tank, no heater, no filter. She rarely ever cleaned the tank, or fed him. When I got him, I saved up for a 3 gallon tank and a heater, and now he's really happy in a heated/filtered tank.

Now, I will admit, that my first betta that I got when I was 7, was in a 1.5 gallon tank. It was filtered, but not heated. Somehow, Rocky lived over 6.5 years.. I have no clue how, but he did. Bettas usually live 2-3 years, so....

My best friend got a betta a few months ago. He's kept in a 1 gallon tank, that's filtered. She doesn't clean the tank unless it looks dirty. But with a tank like that, it would have to be cleaned a few times a week. When she first got him, I told her he's probably unhappy, and she should save up for a bigger tank. Well her response was: "Well, your betta lived for 6+ years, my will be fine. Plus he's pretty happy, I mean I got him out of that cup from the store right?" Uh wrong. Now i feel horrible that my "example" with Rocky led her to think her fish is fine.

I just hate it when people say that their fish is fine when kept in a tiny tank. And also petstores telling people it's perfectly fine. Ugh is just makes me so upset.


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## EmilyGPK

Yeah, I can't even walk past the part of the stpre with the betta cups. I have two bettas in two ten gallon aquariums. They are adorable although one (a female) is a real grumpy pants.


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## Zabora

My roommate recently lost her first Betta Donte. She now has Ragnarok and they were/are kept in a 5.5 galon tank with leaf hammocks to rest lots of plastic plants and hiding rocks with a filter and heater. There is also a lid because they are jumpers. It always amazes me that people dont take the time to understand an animals basic needs before getting them.


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## CleverRat

Just because they can 'survive' in small tanks, does not mean that they should, or are happy in small tanks. My first real pet was a betta fish that I got for I think my 7th birthday named Dodger. He was kept in a 5 gallon tank and sometimes a 10 gallon tank. I didn't really do research and I didn't have gravel or a filter for him but I did have a heater and some hides that he loved. I'm pretty sure he lived for two years and when he was young, he LOVED dodging, darting, and swimming all over his tank. I can't imagine him being in anything less than a 5 gallon at least when he was young.


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## ksaxton

I didn't know any of that about bettas, now I feel terrible about keeping my betta Flo in a goldfish bowl  I was like 9 then and didn't know about the internet or research though. 
I REALLY can't stand it when pet owners basically decide that "well my pet is alive, therefore it's happy and thriving!" I see it all the time. People have inadequate housing/food for a pet, and instead of listening someone trying to politely inform them, they say "yeah well my pet LOVES *insert crappy food/cage". Uh, no, just because the animal is alive and cannot verbally say "I hate this food" does not mean he loves it. YOU love it because its cheap and convenient and you're uneducated about your pets needs.


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## nanashi7

Speaking of, my friend wants a betta and has always had them in a tiny bowl and refuses to believe they need filtration and a heater. Can anyone point me to or write out a care guide?


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## MeinTora

Oh god! My betta, Claude, is in a 15 gallon community tank. It makes me really sad that people keep them in such tiny tanks  I'm sorry about Charlie.


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## Jaguar

Yeah, unfortunately, they are like goldfish in that people think they can be stuck in a bowl with no filter and no heat and be "fine". People don't seem to realize that while some of them did live in rice paddies they were large, warm, and had fresh flowing water.

My betta's 4 years old now. He lives in a Fluval Spec V (5 gallons) with a guppy fry I tried to feed him but he never ate.


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## ksaxton

And even goldfish need a lot more than people think. My brother got a free goldfish at camp, and my parents got the fish some friends, and then my mom took over and got them a giant tank, filter system, all kinds of water treatments, I always thought she was a bit nutty for doing so much for a goldfish. The fish lived a fairly long time though and got HUGE, I was a little weirded out by how much it grew I didn't even think pet store goldfish got any bigger than a crayon to begin with.


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## RattieLover1331

nanashi7 said:


> Speaking of, my friend wants a betta and has always had them in a tiny bowl and refuses to believe they need filtration and a heater. Can anyone point me to or write out a care guide?


Here's a betta fish forum..they have proper care on there  
http://www.bettafish.com/


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## Lita

This thank you! I got into Betta when I convinced my old boss to get a tank for our break room. Watson was a dumbo dragon scale and had the smallest tail he almost looked like a girl, but he was wicked smart! Everyone loved him and when I moved I took him and a second one I had gotten home with me and when they didn't make it I was so upset. Ashkiso refused to eat after the move, nothing would make him eat, and Watson got to cold while we were trying to get space for his tank. I plan to get betta again, but I have such limited options here I'm not sure how long till I find the perfect betta again. Watson was perfect and changed my ideas about fish. Ashkiso... Well he was pretty but no super in the personality department. XD he was a rosetail and had the pretty snakeskin pattern and I just got him for that. He was much shyer then Watson for sure, more hermit then social butterfly. But I miss them both very much.


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## Jaguar

ksaxton said:


> And even goldfish need a lot more than people think. My brother got a free goldfish at camp, and my parents got the fish some friends, and then my mom took over and got them a giant tank, filter system, all kinds of water treatments, I always thought she was a bit nutty for doing so much for a goldfish. The fish lived a fairly long time though and got HUGE, I was a little weirded out by how much it grew I didn't even think pet store goldfish got any bigger than a crayon to begin with.


Those really cheap goldfish from pet stores are usually feeders for larger fish - they don't often get to grow much  Standard goldfish can get absolutely massive though they are somewhat limited by the size of their tank/pond. My mom has some goldfish that could feed a family of 4!

Here's a pic of my betta, for fun:


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## ksaxton

Wow he is stunning! That's a really good picture


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## Hagguu

Ugh, I wish people would realise that bettas are tropical fish...
I had one named Ray, and around 10 neon tetras and a leopard catfish in a 7.5 gallon tank.
I've seen some awesome ideas for small tanks, but I think I'd appreciate them more if there wasn't a betta swimming inside with absolutely nothing at all in there with it....or in fact just kept them as anything but a fish tank.
Oh, or when people put their new bettas in with fish they aren't compatible with due to zero research and wonder why their betta isn't doing so good/their fish population is slowly decreasing xD


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## Hagguu

And jaguar, she's beautiful! 
Their fins aren't as impressive as the males, but their colours, regardless of gender are amazing.


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## Jaguar

He's a boy  Just a plakat (short/wild tail). He has an uncommon grizzle (spotted) pattern. He's a retired breeder, imported from Thailand  He looks different depending on lighting and he's gotten a lot more blue over the years. Here's a lighter pic:










And a stock photo of his brother, who was a bit too expensive for me"


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## CleverRat

I feel like goldfish have it even worse. We had two in a ten gallon and it was a TON of work siphoning their cage all the time. I personally think they should primarily be pond fish. We ended up giving ours to my moms friend's pond. We just visited them, and Chang, who is our feeder goldfish was almost 6"!


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## Hagguu

I never have come across a plakat fin, I only ever had Ray xD sorry for the confused sexing, I just jumped to the conclusion he was a girl haha! Ray was a red and deep purple halfmoon (didn't realise there were so many fin types!) Still beautiful, I can see the pattern. 
And yeah, I mean, people just throw them into a small tank, no filter or anything, and expect them to survive....some people don't even keep an eye on the PH levels. And that sounds like a huuuuge fish! My friend won one at the fair, a tiny goldfish, and he's now around that size too. They grow to suit their environment, if it's large enough, and can live for decades. But they are used to rivers etc so I do agree with you on them really being suited as pond fish. Goes to show too, if your old fish managed to grow to that size xD


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## RattieLover1331

Wow Jaguar! They are gorgeous!

Here is Memo when my sister-in-law first got him (ya know she put him in a small tank)









He then started fin biting, until I got him. He doesn't fin bite anymore, but his fins won't grow back..

Now he looks like this:






(sorry for the bad picture)

But hey, at least he's happy now..


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## anawelch

I remember my mom bought me a betta one time and I was probably 7-8. It was in a tiny little tank that had a filter but no heater. Being a child, I had no idea how to do anything but feed it. I kept begging my mom to help me clean the tank but she always said "we'll do it tomorrow". Eventually the boy guy died almost finless and in a filthy tank. I cried for days. I hated what had happened to him but I was too afraid to clean the tank myself because my sister told me I would kill him if I did. That's one of the reasons I don't keep fish. I know I can't handle them.


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## anawelch

*the poor guy


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## JulianBashir

Aw, I love betta fish. I kept them for years in my late teens. My last two lived in 10 gallons. They're such personable fish with distinct personalities. I can't imagine keeping them in cruel little bowls. People are so misinformed about fish because they think they're "just fish". It's sad the ways that this misinformation is spread. Goldfish especially are victims of the fishbowl myth as they need tons of space and lots of filtration. Jaguar, your fish are beautiful!


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## ratty213

I remember getting my first betta fish, I kept him in a 1/2 gallon tank for most of his life, i felt soooo guilty when I learned that they need bigger tanks. I like to rescue the females because no one buys females cause they think they are "ugly"
They are so smart I taught them to jump out of the water. I could also hand feed them, they suprisling bite hard.


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## Zabora

I believe Bettas can live up to 8 years? When they have proper housing and care/food. This is Ragnarok my roommates betta. He is hard to see cus he blends in so well with the leaves but he is there. Two of the photos of just him were when she first brought him home. He is a crazy fish too. He tries to attack his food. He fights with the water fall of the filter and will randomly start attacking his leaf hammock.


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## Grotesque

My Betta is seven years old. I had to transfer him from his heated 5 gallon tank to a shallow rectangular tupperware container with a plastic plant. I heat it with a heating pad made for fish bowls. 

He suffered an injury and partially paralyzed his spine so he cannot swim which is why I have him where he is. I considered putting him down but oddly he seems very happy despite not swimming. He always acts very happy to see us, nips at our fingers, eats his food (needs to put right by his mouth), and blows bubble nests constantly. 

Believe me, trying to decide if we should humanely put him down or not has been an ongoing issue in my family. I'm a firm believer that an animal will tell you when it is time... fish not being an exception. 

Sometimes I feel like I am not caring for him properly but when I see how happy he seems every day, it makes me wonder. Humans and other animals live long and fulfilling lives with disabilities. Are fish no different? 

Just felt like sharing my story since I saw the thread about Bettas.


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## RattieLover1331

Grotesque said:


> My Betta is seven years old. I had to transfer him from his heated 5 gallon tank to a shallow rectangular tupperware container with a plastic plant. I heat it with a heating pad made for fish bowls.
> 
> He suffered an injury and partially paralyzed his spine so he cannot swim which is why I have him where he is. I considered putting him down but oddly he seems very happy despite not swimming. He always acts very happy to see us, nips at our fingers, eats his food (needs to put right by his mouth), and blows bubble nests constantly.
> 
> Believe me, trying to decide if we should humanely put him down or not has been an ongoing issue in my family. I'm a firm believer that an animal will tell you when it is time... fish not being an exception.
> 
> Sometimes I feel like I am not caring for him properly but when I see how happy he seems every day, it makes me wonder. Humans and other animals live long and fulfilling lives with disabilities. Are fish no different?
> 
> Just felt like sharing my story since I saw the thread about Bettas.


Honestly, I think you're doing the right thing.

I've never heard a story like yours..It's really cute c:

See you are someone who obviously goes above and beyond for your animals..


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## Zabora

Aww poor little fish. He has lived a long and happy life it sounds like.


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## MissSix

I get pissed when I see them advertise those small tanks and make it seem like it's normal for a fish to live in a test tube! I've never owned fish and I know this is bad for them! 
The worst is the people that keep their bettas in flower vases with flowers plugging up the top. Uh, hello? Oxygen exchange still needs to happen! I usually tell people that think they can keep their fish like that to go live in a close and only get their waste cleaned out once in a while, see how they like it.

My friend's bettas are gorgeous and thriving, and she has a catfish in another tank that is also growing huge.


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