I have written this article with the hope of discouraging Betta owners from engaging in potentially hurtful practices when it comes to their fish. Bettas are treated quite casually and often abused. I believe they are much smarter than generally known (see article entitled The Underrated Betta Fish) and deserve better treatment.
The most important abuse that takes place is this: they are made to fight with each other in many countries, their owners knowing full well that they fight to the death. In the US and the more “civilized” countries, this practice is not as wide-spread, though what we have here is not a whole lot better. Here we sell Betta aquariums with clear dividers that are meant to house two or more Bettas in clear view of each other. This is supposed to enhance their appearance, because the poor things puff up their fins, thinking their territory is threatened. What few people realize is that this practice is very stressful for the Bettas. Although the fish are not damaged externally, and what I mean by this is that they don’t tear each other up, internally they experience the same stress. We all know what stress does to our bodies. Well, it has the same effect on Bettas. How would you like to live every moment of the day continually angry? That is what happens to them when they are placed in those sorts of aquariums. They feel continually threatened, and live in constant stress. Overtime, they get sick and die, whereas they would have had much longer and better lives if they were left to lead a peaceful existence.
Bettas are bred and transported in tiny little jars, and most of them never see a bigger aquarium, since they are also kept in small jars by their owners. This is an error, and it can be attributed to those people who say that Bettas are not pretentious, and that they’ve even heard of them living in the puddles left by horses’ hoofs somewhere in Southeast Asia. Just because Bettas can live in that sort of an environment doesn’t mean they like it. Fish love to live in large spreads of water, no matter what species they are.
Another issue is the cleanliness of the Betta aquariums. Just because Bettas can live in murky water doesn’t mean the average Betta owner can let the tank water get ridiculously dirty before they change it. What’s worse, some people actually believe that they can buy these sorts of Betta jars, where the poor thing is sandwiched in between the bottom of the tank and some silly plant growing above. I’m not sure who spread that silly rumor, but apparently they’ve said the Bettas need no food or fresh water when they’re placed in that sort of jar — and the rumor has spread! Apparently, the jar can be a fully self-contained, perpetual eco-system! What kind of a cockamamie story is that? I’d like to know what these people were on when they came up with this crud. Would you like to live in a tiny jar, surrounded by your own pee and doo-doo, and be forced to nibble on bitter plant roots when you’re naturally carnivorous? If you do, there’s something wrong with you. Bettas enjoy a nicely sized aquarium as much as the next fish. Don’t forget that while their origin is indeed from Southeast Asia, and they are commonly found in flooded rice paddies, their”aquariums” over there are quite large. They encompass entire fields! Yes, the water may be murky at times, and when the sun dries up the fields, they may shrink in size to little puddles, but that doesn’t mean the Bettas like to live that way all the time.
A mistake that people make is not spending enough time with their Bettas. Most of the time, they are thought of as ornaments to the room. That’s not how a smart fish can be treated. If they are continually ignored by their owners, the Bettas will withdraw into themselves, and will become loners. They will shy away from the owner when they are fed. The owner’s face next to the bowl will cause the fish to be frightened instead of happy.
Another problem I’ve found — and although it may seem minor, it does matter — is the size of the Betta Bits, the round pellets one finds in the pet stores. I’d like to know if the people who make those things have ever tried to feed them to the fish? They are much too big for their small mouths. My poor Bettas struggled to swallow them until I discovered that if I split them in half, it would make the job much easier for them. Why aren’t these things sized right? Bettas are not goldfish. They don’t have huge mouths. They are not the pigs of the aquarium; they are delicate little creatures, and their food ought to be tailor-made for them.
Do you know of other ways in which Bettas are shortchanged or worse, abused? Write about it in the comments.
Raoul Pop 
I have two beautiful betta fish, both male. But one I keep in a ten gallon tank with a louch, snail, and a baby pleco. The other is my more docile of the two; a multi-colored crowntail named Thorn and he shares his 29 gallon home with a school of tetras and resboras, a bloodfin, 2 baby pleco, a cory catfish, a oto, and two bottom feeders. They love their home very much with all their hiding places and live plants. Thorn and Rogue love shrimp pellets and blood worms. Rogue has been with me since the beginning of the year and Thorn a couple months. But what he says is true. Bettas can grow to be about 4 inches in length and I knew a guy that had one that lived for over 20 years! That’s a long time. Clearly he did something right. 😀
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i am sure that a betta lived for 20 years! how stupid do you think i am? i have a betta fishand he is alone in a tank but recognises my face and
swims to the glass when i walkin.
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Recently I bought a male betta at Pet.co.
He such an adorable little fish. I call him Lance. He lives in about a 1 and a 1/2 gallon tank. Is this big enough? Do I need a bigger tank? I do not have a filter but I have a heater, but I did not put it in the tank. Should I? I have also noticed that he is not pooping. A little worried about this, the food im feeding my little baby is “aqueon betta food, daily nutrition for all bettas” and he keeps spitting it out. Also he has not made a bubble nest yet. I love him to bits and im taking really good care of him but he dosent seem happy. Any suggestions to make my baby happy?
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Also need some info on daily care!!!
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Ok I’m.in betta fush owner hell …I really care for my betta …make sure he has food an clean tank proper lighting. Prop water temperture an heater to keep him warm etc …but he acts like ges spooked or frightened most if the time.. Im thinking of getting him an mate to keep him company …..I’m trying to keep him comfortable happy…..I’m trying to figure out why he acts spooked all the time……feeding him is an trip because although he eats I
Constantly have to clean his tank so the uneaten food pellets don’t end up posioning him or water…which I’m sure.he.hates ..I.clean his.tank.daily …ir try.to wait an couple of days in between cleanings ….help what more.can I do to calm him down or keep him healthy and happy rg
. cobstantly
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Bro, I bet your fishy is shocked because you keep changing it’s water. Taking a fish in and out of it’s habitat can lead to a purty stressful experience. A few pellets at the bottom of his tank won’t hurt him, but you can fish them out with, I dunno, a toothbrush or tweezers or something. He could swim around it and interact with it while you’re jiggling it around and such. And DO NOT get him a mate. That’ll make him even more stressed out/angry, because, as mentioned above, they’re extremely territorial. Just treat your fishy like a companion, and not your prized possession. Obviously the water heater and lighting are great for your fish, and you should certainly use them, but realize that these are also found in the wild and can handle many different types of water, yes?
Relax, bro. You’re a pet owner, not a nanny.
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relax … bettas r lovely yes… and of course they shouldnt b abused or kept in disgusting envir. but its still just a 4$ fish… my fish my $ my fantasy… u fish nutz out there kill me… maybe u should try a hobby that will b less likely to give u such a neurotic complex… try a cactus…
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I bought a Betta fish from Wal Mart today, and I wouldn’t be suprised if it died tomorrow.. I just thought I’d tryy to save it. I’m 15 and I’m trying everything to keep it alive and save it. It’s still in the little container it came in right now til it’s tank gets to room temp. and all the chlorine and metals evaporate or whatever… So I’m putting it in tomorrow.. I bought some little pebels that go in the bottom.. Is that okay? And I bought him some food pellets and he ate one, then spit it out so I don’t think he likes it or it’s too big..? Also, I don’t have a heater or filter cause I’ve always heard they don’t need a filter. I need to buy some water conditioner and a plant cause I heard they don’t like to be seen while sleeping. Do I NEED, absolutely NEED a heater and water conditioner? Will he die without these? Please reply ASAP. and how do I know if it’s a boy or girl? My email is halona_justice7@yahoo.com
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I got a Betta from Walmart once. I couldnt believe how they are treated. Terrible. They need to be reported. Total animal abuse. They shouldnt be allowed to sell them.
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I had a Halfmoon Betta for about 6 months, and he was so smart! Whenever I approached his bowl he would swim up to the top to say hello, and would follow my finger along the side of the glass. Unfortunately, my cat was smarter and my poor betta fish became cat food 😦
I just got a new one (in a cat proof tank) and he seems very skittish. When I am further away I can tell he is very active, however, whenever I get close he dives behind a plant, and when I drop food in the water he gets scared and swims off. I’ve only had him for two days now so hopefully he’ll get more comfortable. He is also much smaller than my old fish-it took my a while to realize he couldn’t eat those pellets of food because they wouldn’t even fit in his mouth.
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I bought a baby female betta fish for my 6 yr.old daughter. We noticed everytime we play the piano, and everytime we’re right in front of the aquarium & talk to her, she shows excitement and doesn’t shy away:) at night she sleeps and she can tell if someone’s around she swims close to us. whenever she wants to eat she goes all the way up and pretends she’s eating, then we give her small portions of her food. We love our betta fish and we named her “Finn”.
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My wirdest experience happened my baby sister put her mirror next to my fish ball. My betta splenden came to it and started swiming in circles and showing off as if he was a model praticing his moves. What does this mean?
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Well, not all bettas are agressive! especially not yours! lol
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He thought he saw another fish, he was “showing his stuff” to that fish in the mirror! 🙂
He was prep pin’ to FIGHT!
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I have a red male and he is amazing! Iv had him for 7 months now in a 20 gallon tank with 8 Poecilidae guppies, an assassin snail and a African dwarf frog. He has always been happy with his friends and never attacked any of them but he has recently been very lazy, chilling ontop of the filter most of the day. Im worried he’s ill 😦 could be just be getting old or could there be something wrong with him?
Regarding the conditions you guys have seen bettas in I am shocked!! Im from the UK and have never seen a bettas in a tank any smaller than 50 gallons. It’s sad to think how they are treated. Especially considering how smart they are.
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Well, just to let you know, my 2nd aunt’s betta was eaten by a snail, so be careful… and for your fish, I don’t know…
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never mind i found it. 😛
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Hi there, I have a Betta of my own and he always comes to me if i am near. He is always really happy and makes cute bubble nests on the top of the water. People told me it means that they are happy. whenever i put conditioner inside he never makes bubble nests anymore, so i stopped. is this a good choice, or am i being a bad owner?
I also don’t have a heater but as i said he seems happy. should i get one?
email a reply at: ccoyne01@lbpearson.qc.ca
as i will not be able 2 find this site.
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I hate going to Walmart and seeing all of these Betta fish plastic bowls stacked on top of each other and sitting beside each other. I’ve seen male Betta fish in so bad of shape that I mistook them for females. If anyone knows what a female Betta fish looks like understands what I’m saying. I feel horrible for all of them. I wish I could take them all home like I did my little Betta, Ciel. (Haha I just noticed Ciel is actually watching me type this from his tank by my bed.) But anyway I wish Walmart would either stop selling Betta fish or learn how to properly take care of them. It’s like they don’t care. I saw an almost completely white one there that just looked horrible and my friend said it looked adorable. I looked at her and told her that the Betta fish was sick because Walmart wasn’t taking care of it right. I’m lucky that I did find my Ciel before he was there too long because he probably would have died.
Another thing that annoys me that people do to their Betta fish is stick a mirror next to a male’s bowl. I guess it is supposed to make them feel like their not alone! In reality it’s like putting a male Betta next to them. It just irritates me how much no one cares to get information about their pets before they get one.
Hey then I have a question. Is it ok to put an algae eater in with a male Betta fish? I have issues with algae growing very quickly in the bowl and was hoping an Algae eater would help. I have not bought one yet but I was wondering if it was ok. The tank I have is almost a gallon tank when filled completely.
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I rescused two betta’s, have them in their own 2 1/2 gal tank with a small filter (shop around for a small quiet one that doesn’t vibrate) and a Tetra submersible heater that is for a 2-15 gal tank. It has an automatic turn off when the water gets to about 78, it’s a great thing. NOW regarding the ABUSE of Betta’s, especially at WalMart. Just sent the corporate office an email complaining about the treatment of their fish (Betta’s)department. Telling them that they should close down that department, and allow the Betta’s and any other fish to be considered recuse fish so people that know how to treat a sick Betta will take them, treat them and adopte the out. Unless you make an issue of the abuse of these little creatures no one is going to do anything about it. I told Walmart that I will go to Animal Control (suggested by PETA)and the news media. I am also contacting the Aqueon, Tetra, etc. that make the small containers that say this is for a Betta. It is the companies that give out misinformation to the public. Again, unless you sound off, nothing will be done and people will have no idea how Betta’s are to be treated and housed. I even called a couple of pet store, Petco, PetSmart, Pet Supermarket, and the all say Betta’s live just fine in small spaces, they don’t need a water filter, etc. Very misleading.
So, if you are really upset about the Betta’s are treated, then Please, do something about it. If you Google Betta Abuse, you will come across a Website with a petition to Walmart regarding their Betta’s and other fish. Please look for it and sign it.
Thanks
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I know what you mean. I got a Betta there once and saw what you described. I couldnt believe how they were treated. They need to be reported and stop selling Bettas.
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Hello.. I have a question. I have a male betta in the office. He lives in less than a 1/2 gallon tank (I think). Is he comfortable? I am planning to buy a 1 gallon tank, I wanted to know if I should by an oval or rectangle is tank? & does color matter (white or black) & if I should get a ghost shimp ( I clean his take Tues & Fridays) Thank you for your time.
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A bigger tank is always better, and I think a lighter-colored tank would also be better. As for the ghost shrimp, I don’t know. Probably okay. Perhaps someone else reading this can chime in on that?
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The tank is way to small. I have 4 female bettas in a 5 gallon tank and I am planning on rescuing one more for that tank. I am also getting a 2 gallon tank today so I can get a male betta. He will have the 2 gallon all to himself. A rule of thumb for tank space is for every inch of fish you need a gallon tank. My female betta’s are all 1 inch. I would recommend getting at least a 2 gallon tank, possibly even a 3 gallon. 1 is fine but bigger the better. Shape is completely up you and so is color. Ghost shrimp, snails, and other creatures can be placed in tanks with male betta’s, so, yes, a ghost shrimp could work.
Also, get a filter if you don’t have one already. And, if you really want to make your betta happy, get a heater because betta’s are tropical fish. Set the heater to 74-80 degree’s F if you get one.
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your betta will eat the shrimp…
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Minimum 2-1/2 gal tank, ideally 5 gal, add a small water filter and Tetra has a Submersible heater for 2-15 gal tank, it is preset for about 78 degrees turn on/off automatically, I have two Betta in 2-1/2 gal tank ea., they were rescue fish, and they are happy as can be. Very social fish, with me. If you go to Betta Abuse,you will get some great information how to house and treat your Betta. They are very smart.
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Very happy to have found your site!
I have just received a Betta Fish as a gift, I’m quite pleased to have one, but as a new owner with no experience, I wouldn’t want to harm it unintentionally!
Since it came to me as a surprise, I quickly put it in the best thing I had at home which is a big 3, almost four gallon vase ( with no plant growing above it of course)…altho it’s made out of glass, it’s tinted blue…Would that bother it?
Honestly, I think the creature is enjoying his new open space, he’s been swimming all day, altho I haven’t put anything in it yet….
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I bought a betta fish for my son after purchasing several goldfish to be housed in a large tank. I was amazed how smart he is, it is really striking in comparison to the goldfish. He greets me whenever I approach the tank (whether I am feeding him or not). He likes to get “rubs” (I run my finger along the side of the tank where he comes to visit) and will sulk in the back of the tank if I don’t make time for him daily. We moved recently, and I moved his tank from our bedside (lol, guess what, the parents got the betta, not the son) to a counter near the dining room. He seems ok, but I think he was happier sleeping nearby us. I’m currently looking into plants, maybe some simple games/tricks, something to help him feel more stimulated. I get the sense he’s bored. BETTAS ARE GREAT!
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Braz, do you have a small heater for your betta? I have a 2.5 gal. tank with a small heater for my betta. I’ve had him over a year now. He’s happy but getting old.
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I got my betta from a pet shop yesterday. He likes in a 2.5 gallon by himself. When I tried to fees him today he swan and hid in his pink plant. Is he just getting used to his new enviorment? Or is he scared
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He’s scared, give him time. You don’t know what this little guy went through. Take good care of him, he will make you laugh and on a bad day, when you watch him he will make you calm down…..Enjoy him..
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Raoul, this is a good article. The problem is that even well known pet stores will put Bettas in tiny “pound” containers and little jars that don’t allow the fist to move much. Then they sit there and look like they are dying… because they are!!!
I was forced to move my betta out of a larger tank and now have him on my desk in a 1 gallon tank. He’s got a nice rock that gives him cover. Bettas love to squeeze themselves into some tight spaces but want the ability to swim. It’s the smallest container I’d ever put this fish and am looking for something larger. Overall he’s pretty happy, has room to swim but his water must be changed once a week. If you’re in those tiny jars, it’s once every two days and that never happens. After all, how would you feel if you were swimming in your toilet?
If you’re interested in seeing my gorgeous purple and white Betta, you can catch him on my personal aquarium fish site aquariumspace which is going up again this week. He recovered from an attack from other fish in the big tank and now he is as gorgeous as ever. Pets need care and common sense!
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That must have took you a long time heh, :D.
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My betta Neptune is in a 2.5 gallon tank, and he used to be in a 1/2 gal. vase. He actually got sick when I put him in the 2.5 gal. tank, after a couple of attempts to get him to live in the 2.5 gal. tank he finally adjusted after the 3rd try and is now fully adapted and thriving! Oh, he has a heater too. So he’s one happy tuna!
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I also appreciate that there are people out there with a health respect for fish.
However – for the people saying they are having issues with their betta’s in the fishbowl – I would verture to say it is becasue a 1 gallon bowl is really not a good home for a betta. Thats about the same as keeping your dog locked up in the bathroom all it’s life.. without room to run & play. My betta lives in a 20-gallon tank, and beleive me, he swims the whole lenght of it in one flick of his long flowing tail. He’s a happy happy fish!
First of all, Betta’s are a tropical fish, which means they need heated water (should be between about 74-80). Second, they need more room than that to move around. Third, a 1 gallon tank does not ‘cycle’ properly, meaning it does not have the right ‘healthy’ bacteria for them to live.
There’s some great sites out there about Betta care, maybe try forums. Sadly, some sites say 1/2 or 1 gallon is acceptable, but I would say anything less than 2-3 is cruel. I know when I breifly had to move my betta from him 20-gallon to a 3 gallon due to cycling issues, he was miserable, would not swim, eat, or move… but as soon as I moved him back, he was active and ahppy.
Good luck, I hope this helps!
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Well I have a one and he swimmims all around. He loves it. I have a snail to.
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I just want to say that I have a betta named Sam Well I will tell you this, he stays the weekends on his own, but when I come in during the week, when I get here that is, I see him swimming all over the place happy like. I think he does recognize me, if that is possible. He also knows his feeding time!
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I used to own a Betta fish, when I was around 14 years old. His name was Zoro, and he was a bright blue, red and purple male betta. He was the first pet that was mine, and I had a nice sized bowl for him. I never doubted his intelligence, but later doubted mine.
I’d had him for two years as a very healthy, happy fish. Then, I had a friend watch him, with strict instructions, when I went on vacation for two weeks. He was fine at first, but then… my friend painted her house. And inhaled the fumes, since they do breath air. I’m guessing that she didn’t take him out of the room. He was dead soon after, poor thing.
Yeah, you have to be really careful with fumes and bettas. Like birds, they are very sensitive to anything that is sprayed, or any strong odor. I haven’t gotten a betta since then, though I have other fish now. Who my brother watches when I’m not home…
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@Maria: My Male Betta (Gallidon) is undergoing the same actions as yours. I’ve tried cutting up some small peas & varying up his diet, but he hasn’t eaten to close to 2 weeks now. He’s always hanging out @the bottom of the aquarium & only moves when he takes in air from the surface. If anything changes, please lemme know & I’ll do the same.
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I had bought a sick Betta from Petco, I knew he was sick, but I was going to get him well. Didn’t really know what the problem was, but I had him in Fungu Cure over night and then switched him to Bettafix (both meds are by API (Aquirium Phamaceuticals)I followed the instructions, kept him in 1 pint water, it took 12 days before he started to eat, finished out the treatment and he was fine after that. I had emailed and called API, they actually emailed me back and called me to make sure I was
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Great post! I think everybody should read this article!
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I once knew a girl who decided to buy a betta in college and after one week she didn’t want it anymore because it was “too much work”. She decided she was going to starve it to death. When after two weeks it didn’t die, she flushed it down the toilet….ALIVE! I was apalled and I would have taken it out of kindness if she would have said something before. I don’t think people realize that fish ARE pets and deserve to be treated with respect. Why waste your money on a tank/fish/supplies when you’re just going to flush it down the toilet?! I think people need to read up on the kind of fish they buy to know how to handle them and how to become good owners. I treat my betta like a member of the family. That might sound strange, but he has become a good friend and I have never regretted buying him or thought he was too much work.
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After weeks of trying to clean my Betta fish’s one gallon tank without removing him I could never get the tank really clean.
I decided to keep him healthy the water had to be changed. I removed my Betta and cleaned the tank thoroughly. I replaced the water with water set aside for a day. After returning him to the tank he stayed at the top of the tank and did not move. I thought he was not going to make it after the tank cleaning and started researching the problem on line. I attribute his reaction to being stressed. After 24 hours he moves when I move the tank and is swims only then. I also changed the placement of the tank from a table to a side table.
Should I have not removed him for a thorough cleaning?
Should the tank not have it’s water replaced in full?
Should I not have moved the location of his tank?
How do I get his water really clean if not to remove him?
Not sure how to clean his tank without stressing him?
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What i do when I’m cleaning my betta’s tank is i’ll take him out but i keep some of the old water in so he’s used to some of it and he doesn’t have to change to completely different water
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I enjoy caring for and getting to know my betta (fillet). He has brought joy to my life simply just by being a betta.
Anyways I thought I would post a great link for all those looking for information about sick fish. It may help answer some questions. This link includes pictures and symptoms and treatments.
http://www.bettatalk.com/betta_diseases.htm
enjoy your betta
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you can email me me your advice at segerose@yahoo.com
thanks!
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hi, i just bought a really pretty red male, and he seems to be adjusting well, but i want to make sure he stays happy and relaxed…some people have suggested u put a mirror in front of him every once in awhile, but i dont want to stress him out unnecessarily. i’d also like to get an algae eater to keep in the tank (unfiltered) with him, but am unsure what other fish can be kept with him in an unfiltered tank…any ideas or tips would be greatly appreciated! i want to make sure Kona stays healthy and happy!
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I have a betta fish and I have a snail with him. He does not bother him. But do not put a ghost shrimp with him because you betta will eat it.
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I have three bettas that I keep in separate tanks of their own. They all have different personalities. I am concerned about one female who is usually very active. Her habits have changed dramatically. She is very lethargic and she now stays in a vertical postion often. I am thinking that she wants to mate, but I would not be able to take care of the babies and I would not even know where to begin with letting her mate with the male. What I would like to know is if I do not have them mate, am I harming her? Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank You!
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my female fish is like that too. if nova your male is trying to mate with her she may be to stressed to do anything… i will let her relax for now and if she seems better try again…. also she may not be ready. i have mated bettas before and when the female is ready to mate she will look like she ate a marble. she will also try and swim with the male and not be afraid of him. before you mate them, make sure you have tall plants(live ones) for her to hide behind. o and i 10 gallon tank is always better to use…. well i hope this advice helps and i hope your fish is less stressed out with this
sinceraly,
brittany and rain(betta)
P.S. rain says sea salt and stress conditoner helps a lot i have used it(rain) and it make me feel a lot better…enjoy:-)
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good for u my friend good for u
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Hello.I was looking for a solution for my male betta. All of you guys have the same kind of ideals I have about bettas: they are kept in horrible conditions and deserve some respect and space. Now, I already have one aquarium, but my 2.5 gallon betta tank is separate. My male (Nova) was with me for about two weeks or so before he began making a bubble nest. So, I bought him a female, hoping that they would mate. As soon as I got her, though, she will shy away from everyone and everything. I’ve done everything I can to make her comfortable in her surroundings, even taking Nova out for a couple of days. When I re-introduced him, she just went to hide again. I have no live plants in the tank, but there is one fake one. She hides between these larger rocks I had placed in the aquarium, and even though I bought her a castle, she continues to hide in the same place!
What should I do to get her more comfortable? I can tell she’s stressed, and Nova has tried to mate with her, but he doesn’t pick on her as much as I thought he would, so I don’t know why she does this.
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The thing that saddens me the most about bettas are the enviroment from which you have to buy them from. I went into a pet store the other day to get some water conditioning tabs for my betta, and saw a display of about 6 or 7 of them on a shelf. I walked over to admire them and I was absolutely horrified from what I saw. They were cramped in tiny 4 inch decorative jars swimming in brown/yellow water that looked like it hadn’t been changed in about 2 weeks with fecal material and sunken discolored bloodworms lining the bottom. One of them was so sick that he couldn’t even swim to the top of his jar to get his food. They were all hungry, so I put 4 or 5 bloodworms in per jar, all of which were eaten almost as soon as they were dropped in. I was highly angered by this and would have told the smart-alec teenager working what I thought about the store’s treatment of their fish had it not been for my boyfriends urging. If I had the money, I would have bought every one of them that night.
I think it’s inhumane to keep them in such small quarters and so close together. Mine is in a glass gallon bowl and keeps me company at college. He’s always swims to the side of the bowl that is closest to me and keeps an eye on me while I write my papers. He is very attentive, and flutters his fins back and forth and looks like he’s bouncing whenever I come to his bowl and talk to him. Mine also was very sick when I got him and was eaten up with ick, but he was better within a month. I just hate to see things mistreated.
In response to Ameila, you can find bloodworms just about anywhere now. I got mine at Wal-Mart, but I’ve seen them at most pet stores and aquarium shops.
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Amelia, I’m not sure what to tell you about the little Betta babies. You can try keeping them together as long as possible, and only separate them when they start to fight. There’s a fair chance that some of them will get along, especially if they’ve grown together since birth. Other than this, I don’t know. Let’s hope someone else chimes in with more advice or an offer to adopt a few of them.
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I admire and love your dedication to the Beta, I am completely in love with mine and the food I feed them seems to be the right size and they love it enough to spawn. I would like to get some blood worms or other types of live bait but am not sure where to find it.
Also I have committed a serious offense by letting my Beta mate. They are such good parents and it just seemed natural but now I don’t know what to do with all the baby Beta, I cannot bear the thought of them in a cup at a pet store or in one of those tiny eco-system things that you mentioned. I cannot afford to take a trip to Siam and set them free, although I have already looked into and am seriously considering it. And the climate I live in could not sustain Beta life in an outside pond, it gets too cold in the winter.
Please forgive me for my ignorance and help me find my baby Betas good homes, I won’t let them be neglected, abused orphans because of my stupidity. Not after understanding them better and knowing how much they need to be loved and cared for.
I am currently cultivating insuforia for the fry and am excited to see the little ones grow but am ashamed of my selfishness and thoughtlessness. I will do what ever is in my power to do to provide for them and find them good homes. I don’t know how but I will think of something and maybe anyone reading this can send me an email amelia.maka@hotmail.com, with some ideas and advice. If I have to I will get 50 different spaces and areas for them in my home although this really is not a practical solution, and hoping they are all female and I will just need one giant aquarium where they could live with their beautiful mother is unlikely.
I would be willing to pay for any travel they might need to endure to find a good home, in other words spread the word to anyone you know that would take good care of them that you know where to get them for free.
Thank you for your insight into the Beta world.
Regretfully,
Amelia
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I buy my Freezed dried worms at Petsmart for my 5 female betta fish and my one male betta fish. They go crazy over this stuff and even try to jump up and get it out of my hand before I even feed them. Thanks, theresa
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is there any Pet smart on the west island.
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Great information post on bettas. I guess I am guilty as well treating them a bit roughly! They are pretty aggressive so you do think they are tough guys! 🙂 please come and talk on our Betta forum http://www.bettafishforum.com/ cheers!
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