a little confused?

[ren]

HI! i have been keeping betta fish for some time with great success. but i have stumbled upon this site and some threads that indicate i have been doing this all wrong?
i have my betta (beautiful tricolor) in a clear flask. his water is changed EVERY three days (unless otherwise needed) with distilled room temp water, he is fed every day and excersized as well (my friends think i am nuts) there is no heater and no filter.
but everything i am reading here seems to indicate he must live in a filtered environment with a heater? the research i found when i first started keeping bettas (about 6 years ago) told how bettas are best kept in still water due to the fact that currents in a regular aqaurium could harm fins. i knew that certain temps were valuble to breeding efforts but i was never breeding my fish.
my previous bettas (a red, cornflower blue, tricolor, speckled female, and dim gray male) all donated to a betta enthusiast due to a very long move; were kept for years in these conditions, that i was told to be more natural?
just thought i would pick all ya'alls brains and see what new advances in betta raising have come about. Thanks!

[Drumachine09]

Thats not natural. Even though they live in little puddles, the air warms the water, and there are natural filters that filter the water. You need 2.5 gallons at least to keep a betta happy (IMO), but 3 or even 5 is better.

[Rue]

I agree with Drummachine...

...although a betta can live out it's life in a vase/bowl...it's akin to a prisoner living out a life-sentence in an 8X10' cell...he/she can certainly do so...and even be quite fit and healthy...but it's not a very interesting existance...

A betta in a small planted aquarium is a beautiful thing! They love plants...

I also have 4 in my 25g community tank that are all doing well...again, lots of plants...

[ren]

before i go into what i have learned i should elaborate on a few things. my bettas aren't thought 'stupid' for lack of a better term. i realize their intelligence and attention spans. they have personalities that require special individual attention, and they have and can form memories. so before you all gasp in horror:fish2: i have done research on activities and excersizes to stimulate brain activity. such as the use of different objects for a set number of days, (for some reason my cornflower blue betta was in love with a teal irredecent marble) placing their containers in different spots with different colors (and he loved the color red). and excercizing them with hookless flies used in fishing (my tricolor liked to flaunt infront of the yellow one). anyways just wanted to let you know i wasnt running a betta prisonthumbs2:
but i did learn they love plants and plans are under way to incorporate them into their daily life. i feel more confident also that filters are indeed safe for use with bettas and they will have an adequate heat sorce to keep them happy. i hope you guys dont think im a nut too:ezpi_wink1: Thanks!

[Rue]

Sorry! My prison analogy wasn't meant to imply that anyone is keeping their betta in a prison...just making the point that being able to exist healthily in a small space doesn't mean it's the 'best' option...as the 'betta in a bowl' campaign has suggested...

...but when all is said and done...if you have a happy, healthy animal...then you ARE providing it with a great home!thumbs2:

[ren]

so if i add more plants to slow the current in my 10g goldfish tank, my betta will be ok?

[Chrona]

so if i add more plants to slow the current in my 10g goldfish tank, my betta will be ok?

Goldfish prefer colder temperatures (65ish) whereas bettas like higher (78-80), so they are not really compatible. That being said, plants will slow down the current, yes.

How many goldfish do you have in that 10g btw? Goldfish really need 20 gallons for 1 and 10 gallons each from there on.

[Rue]

I think so...but the only way to know for sure is to try it...

Mine seem to like the floating hornwort...seems it's dense enough to provide cover and cut the water flow...

[roulfi004]

I think some fish lovers take a few issues to extreme, but there are good reasons to what they are saying: For example, more water changes for a tiny tank could mean alot of stress for the fish. Bigger containers mean less changes and happier fish...

Still... adaptability is key

Although trying your best to mimic the natural environment that bettas lived in, it doesnt mean they wont be happy in another environment.

But 1 thing is for sure, they like surface plants or plants that reach the surface. It helps them keep their bubbles steady


I have 2 male and 2 female bettas

-The first male is kept in a 3g tank with substrate and 2 plastic plants that touch the surface. He is blowing bubbles and happy
-The other is in a 1g tank with no substrate but with 3 small plants that touch the surface too, and he is also happy and blowing bubbles

So just like RUE said, as long as their behavior and physiology indicates they are happy and healthy, its fine ...yours survived for years which is great for bettas (2-3 years are a long time)

[Betta_noob]

I think everyone sort of covered what I was going to say, but to elaborate on the goldfish issue.
Goldfish require the heavy current, even though I don't believe they should be in a 10 gallon lets go with that. For a 10 gallon tank w/goldies the filter should be at least set for a 20 gallon, and they need that constant water circulation. Putting up a "baffle" of sorts to slow it down would defeat the purpose. As well Goldfish are plant eaters and will likely eat all your plants.
BUT the bettas and the goldfish can't mix anyway because it's all a moot point. As already stated goldfish are coldwater and bettas are tropical. Not to mention goldfish are built differently, this is to say that there are one of THE most waste producing fish avaliable as a pet, and as such honestly should not be kept with anything that can't handle the immense amount of amonia. In short they could kill your betta with their poop, not to mention cause amonia burns on his pretty fins.
Also because they are different strains of fish it it often believed that goldfish have immunities to diseases that a lot of tropical fish don't, putting your betta in could leave them succeptable to something that the goldfish are just fine with.
*steps off soap box*
Hope this helped.

[Drumachine09]

I think everyone sort of covered what I was going to say, but to elaborate on the goldfish issue.
Goldfish require the heavy current, even though I don't believe they should be in a 10 gallon lets go with that. For a 10 gallon tank w/goldies the filter should be at least set for a 20 gallon, and they need that constant water circulation. Putting up a "baffle" of sorts to slow it down would defeat the purpose. As well Goldfish are plant eaters and will likely eat all your plants.
BUT the bettas and the goldfish can't mix anyway because it's all a moot point. As already stated goldfish are coldwater and bettas are tropical. Not to mention goldfish are built differently, this is to say that there are one of THE most waste producing fish avaliable as a pet, and as such honestly should not be kept with anything that can't handle the immense amount of amonia. In short they could kill your betta with their poop, not to mention cause amonia burns on his pretty fins.
Also because they are different strains of fish it it often believed that goldfish have immunities to diseases that a lot of tropical fish don't, putting your betta in could leave them succeptable to something that the goldfish are just fine with.
*steps off soap box*
Hope this helped.


http://www.coralforum.com/forums/images/smilies/soapbox.gif
lol



Well, i agree with everything you said, except the filter issue. Most filters can only do half of what they can do, so idealy for a messy fish (goldie or oscar and such), you would want 4x what your tanks is. If it says its good for 10g, chances are its not. I would get a bigger filter. JMHO.

[ren]

i have 2 fantail goldfish in a 10g tank as a starting tank they are infants by goldfish standards...1" and 1.33" long. they are soooo cute:luxlove:

but, got it on the goldfish and betta combo...i will probably go with a five gal. first as i have it on hand. and yes gold fish are pretty dirty (but they are still me fav)so they have excellent current and excellent filtration.
THANKS GUYS!!!:ezpi_wink1:

[ren]

i know you cant see it very well in the avatar pic...but isnt he BEAUTIFUL!!!

[Tails]

I'm getting a betta soon, and yes, your guy is beautiful! Though I must admit, I'm more partial to the Reds :P

[ren]

ok...so, i have my 5+ gal. tank set up with a heater, filter and plants...but when i turned on the filter it created a bit of a current even with all the plants. it is a small filter built for 2-8gal aquariums. so how do i know how much current is too much? betta has to swim to maintain a stable position. and if it is too much what do i do?:confused:

[Rue]

...adjust the flow rate...see how slow you can get it...and keep the water levels higher...

...floating plants really help...maybe you need more?