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Just cant keep bettas2007-11-24 23:37:57

I have come to a conclusion, I cannot keep bettas. From this day on I shall no longer purchase these creatures for they have all ended up finding an early demise. No matter what condition I keep them in. My latest tradegy (RIP Phineas) was found in the filter of his 2.5g heated tank. Chem levels were all good. *sigh* Poor thing.

Has anyone else come to a type of conclusion like this? You just can't properly take care of. or whatever.

Answers:

I strongly agree that they need tanks of 2 gallons minimum, and heaters. They are tropical, so unless your home is always at 75 degrees or more, they need a heater. And filters are good, and provide a good place for the nitrifying bacteria to live, but the current should be low (sponge filters are the best.very little water movement). Fast current can stress a betta and cause it to succumb to disease. And yes, they do live in rice patties, but these are far from the puddles people seem to think they are. They are often a couple of feet deep and span many miles, so they are in no way small, and a 10 gallon tank is a much better approximation of a betta habitat than a tiny bowl. There is simply no logic to a smaller space being better.they are harder to control ammonia and other nitrogenous compounds in, the temperature fluctuates too much, and they allow too little room for movement. Bettas are smart, curious creatures that need room to swim, soft plants to lay on, and things to explore and play with (they even like moving marbles across a sand substrate with their noses).