bettas in Bowl

[pillairp]

i have always seen stores keeping bettas in small bowls ... can please someone tell why is it so and dont they need more water to breath .... i have heared from ppl u only need to change water once a week even if its in a small bowl...

[Brhino]

Stores can do that because the fish won't be there very long before they're sold. If the fish had to stay in there long-term there would be lots of problems and premature deaths. Bettas need space, filtration, and water changes just like every other fish.

[Xavier]

Bettas can breathe oxygen from the air as well as breathe oxygen in the water through their gills. When the oxygen in the water is depleted, they breathe oxygen from the air through an organ called a labyrinth.

As Brhino points out though, keeping the fish in these conditions isn't good. In nature they can survive short periods of time in puddles, hence why they have this duel breathing strategy, but they need clean water. Without a filter, the ammonia builds up and burns their skin. I recommend a minimum of a 5 gal tank for a betta, and a HOB filter of proper power. I use a diffuser to limit the amount of water current created by my filter, since bettas prefer still water.

Also, bowls don't have heaters. This is the biggest problem, because you need to keep the water above 23C (23C to 27C is ideal). Without a heater, a 5 gal tank's temperature can drop quickly if near a door or window in winter. Most people lower the temperature as they sleep (18C-21C, leaving the poor betta to freeze in the wee hours of the morning.

My betta is in a 15 gal tank with a filter, a heater and real plants. He spends all day swimming at the front of the tank and sleeps at night on an dwarf anubias plant near the surface. It is tied to a piece of driftwood.

[kingkarter]

Bettas can breathe oxygen from the air as well as breathe oxygen in the water through their gills. When the oxygen in the water is depleted, they breathe oxygen from the air through an organ called a labyrinth.

As Brhino points out though, keeping the fish in these conditions isn't good. In nature they can survive short periods of time in puddles, hence why they have this duel breathing strategy, but they need clean water. Without a filter, the ammonia builds up and burns their skin. I recommend a minimum of a 5 gal tank for a betta, and a HOB filter of proper power. I use a diffuser to limit the amount of water current created by my filter, since bettas prefer still water.

Also, bowls don't have heaters. This is the biggest problem, because you need to keep the water above 23C (23C to 27C is ideal). Without a heater, a 5 gal tank's temperature can drop quickly if near a door or window in winter. Most people lower the temperature as they sleep (18C-21C, leaving the poor betta to freeze in the wee hours of the morning.

My betta is in a 15 gal tank with a filter, a heater and real plants. He spends all day swimming at the front of the tank and sleeps at night on an dwarf anubias plant near the surface. It is tied to a piece of driftwood.

i agree 100%

[Gisela]

I also agree with Xavier. I have my Betta in a 6 gallon Fluval Edge with driftwood and real plants. He looks pretty happy.

[Cyberra]

I wish I had the room to give all my bettas their own 5-gal tanks... Unfortunately, I don't. My largest tank is a 3-gallon, and Mid STILL isn't quite sure what to do with all that space. Water gets completely changed once a week for the larger tanks, twice a week for the smaller tanks. The one time I had a heater in I lost a fish, but I tend to turn the thermostat up at night instead of down, so my fish haven't really been bothered much. The fact that my room is a heat sink helps.

[Michael Milligan]

perhaps putting your bowls on a heat mat that is used for plant?

[Xavier]

I wish I had the room to give all my bettas their own 5-gal tanks... Unfortunately, I don't. My largest tank is a 3-gallon, and Mid STILL isn't quite sure what to do with all that space. Water gets completely changed once a week for the larger tanks, twice a week for the smaller tanks. The one time I had a heater in I lost a fish, but I tend to turn the thermostat up at night instead of down, so my fish haven't really been bothered much. The fact that my room is a heat sink helps.

My sister-in-law lives in Sydney, Canada. LOL!

If you put in a real plant or two, they will eat up the nitrates, making 100% water changes unnecessary, provided you have a cycled filter.

I keep my heater to 24-25C. During the day, it doesn't turn on, but it does at night. The tank is close to the window, so it needs a heater.

[pillairp]

Thanks for all the help and advice... i stay in india and temp is not a issues here as most of the time we have 28 to 32 C..so most of the time the water temp is undercontrol

[Cyberra]

My sister-in-law lives in Sydney, Canada. LOL!

If you put in a real plant or two, they will eat up the nitrates, making 100% water changes unnecessary, provided you have a cycled filter.

I keep my heater to 24-25C. During the day, it doesn't turn on, but it does at night. The tank is close to the window, so it needs a heater.

No heaters and no filters. My tanks are too small for filters. I'll stick with the water changes >> The three larger ones came with air pumps, but they create too much turbulence at the surface, so I don't even use them.

Oh, does she? No one I know, most likely