File :-(, x, )
FishBowl Anonymous
I have a betta fish (AKA fighting fish) and I'm trying to come up with a way to house it that is a little more interesting than a bowl with colorful rocks at the bottom. Any ideas?
>> Anonymous
KEEPING BETAS IS ANIMAL ABUSE
>> Anonymous
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LubYMbtL23E

check out this tank
>> Anonymous
Get a plant of somesort. A java fern is good. Bettas usually like those.
>> Anonymous
When I had my betta, I kept him in a deep glass vase, with a peace-lily planted at the top; the roots dangled down into the bottom, and he liked to swim around and nibble off of them. Also, I had red and clear glass hearts in the bottom that were really nice and easy to clean.
It may be a bit girly for you though, haha.

There are a variety of interesting tanks that I've seen (I just started working at PetSmart); There are lava lamp-type aquariums specially for bettas that are neat looking.
>> Anonymous
Bettas belong in aquariums just like any other tropical fish. Not in bowls. The only reason they can survive if because they can get air from the surface and don't have to breathe through their gills. Believe it or not, they can actually swim. Bettas also need to be in water that's around 80-82F or they are prone to diseases and get lethargic and die.

Bettas do not eat the roots of plants,>>312010. They are carnivores. Those peace-lily vases were banned in some places because they're just about the worst thing you could keep a fish in.
>> Anonymous
Beta bowls (those little cups/gallon aquarium tanks) are being actually banned in pet stores in Europe. They really are abusive if you think about. Betas typically live 2-5 years; can you imagine living in some really tiny tank for that long?!

Yea, don't put a plant in the tank covering the surface area, btw cuz betas need to get air from the surface to live. just read that on some fish website the other day...
>> Anonymous
     File :-(, x)
I TOOK APART A LIGHTBULB FOR MY BETTA, HES QUITE HAPPY IN THERE! DONT LISTEN TO THESE PETEFAGS,
>> Anonymous
>>312112
pets are not ornamental...
they are living beings.

you dont need to be in PETA to know that, dumbass.
>> Anonymous
>>312118
I bought it, its my property, i own it i can do as i will, cry harder petafag... and if you listen closely you can hear me not giving a shit.
>> Anonymous
>>312112
I wish for you to be enclosed all your life in such a home.
>> Anonymous
Okay, I'm going to play devil's advocate here. Don't fish only have about a 10-minute memory, so every ten minutes they basically look around and go "Oh wow, look at this and that and the other thing" they've seen a million times already, thinking it's something new? I think pretty much the only things they want is to not get eaten, to make sure there aren't any other males around in the case of bettas, and to get it on with any females around. I think they can be satisfied and not-stressed, but it's a stretch to think they're actually happy, sad, angry, or any other emotion. So while a nice big aquarium makes *us* feel better, as long as they aren't being eaten and have enough to eat and aren't sick or injured, life probably seems just perfect to them even in a smaller area.
>> Anonymous
>>312144
I figured the same thing. I used to have gold fish in a fish bowl and someone was like OMG THATS CRUEL HE MUST BE SO BORED FFFFFFFFF and I said, well, he only has a 2 second memory so it's all new to him.
>> Anonymous
http://kwc.org/mythbusters/2004/01/mythbusters_sinking_ships_gold.html
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/02/19/2166204.htm
http://nootropics.com/intelligence/smartfish.html
http://www.answerbag.com/q_view/8105
>> Anonymous
It's not cruel because it's boring - it's cruel because it's physically unhealthy. It takes no time at all for waste build up in such a small, enclosed environment to reach toxic levels. Even if you replace the water regularly, it can physically stress the fish out enormously. The fish will either get sick or die.

Additionally, bettas are tropical fish, they really do need temperatures in the mid 70s to stay completely healthy.

OP, I suggest you invest in something that holds at least 1-5 gallons and get a small heater for it. Make it interesting with about 1/4 inch of pea gravel (gravel that's 1-3 mm across) and a small underwater plant - an amazon sword or a java fern is good, and some sort of decoration with no sharp edges for the betta's tail to catch on. You can finds jars up a gallon, bowls from 1 to 2.5 gallons (sometimes 5), and glass or acrylic tanks from 1 to 5 gallons on Google Product Search.
>> Anonymous
>>312144
>>312148
No, that is a myth.

There should be tests handed out at the door of pet shops before people are even allowed inside.
>> Anonymous
If pet stores only sold to anal /an/ fags, then they would never make any money.
>> Anonymous
when i was at the petstore the other day, i saw some lady with some kids sitting in her cart, along with 2 cups with bettas in them. whatever nothing special. then she sets 2 "fish bowls" onto the counter which were hardly bigger than the damn cups the fish were in. i raged silently to myself because i knew the fish would die because that woman couldn't be arsed to spend an extra $10 on something that would be considered at least moderately acceptable.

also, my sister houses her betta in a very small ~decorative~ tank that has like, plastic office furniture and shit in it. in other words the fish hardly has any room to swim and often gets stuck in the plastic parts. last time i was over there the water in the tank was brown and slimey and she thought the fish was dead...somehow it was still alive.
>> Anonymous
>>312144
considering that you can train fish to to tricks, like put a ball through a hoop, and that they will remember them long after being trained...lol ur rong.
>> Anonymous
bettas are awesome fishes with much personality...
people keeping their apathtic fish in a cramped bowl would be amazed at how lively they actually are when given enough space...

also : what is cruel in keeping fishes in small bowls is not that "baww the poor animals, they are in prison zomg you couldn't live in such a small space etc..."
it's that actually you are letting them die a slow and painful death (because toxic levels are rising little by little in the water you faggots can't be bothered to change)


still, awesome fish is awesome
>> Anonymous
that youtube example is great. it shows what you need for an attractive tank that the betta will thrive in.

go to a pet store and look at the smaller aquarium kits that cost 20-30 dollars. add five bucks for fine aquarium gravel, preferably a dark color like black. look at their decorations, see what you like, but try to fill the tank with things to swim through. bettas love swimming through vegetation. they also love surface cover, like floating plants. a suitable plant will be a couple bucks and will require no maintenance. a light, especially when shining through some floating plants, will make the whole tank look much better. all this may make the tank look great, but room temperature water will make the fish lethargic and weak. spend a few bucks on a heater and thermometer to warm things up and your betta will look incredible.

i'm sorry to say that i have one of my bettas in a bowl right now. i've done everything i can to make it suitable, but the low temperature and relatively cramped quarters have have changed his activity in the past week. trust me, you'll be much happier with your fish in a real aquarium.
>> Anonymous
>>312782
two more things i should mention. stay away from bright colors and air pumps. bright colors will draw attention away from the fish, so don't get a bright pink tank. air pumps look terrible and make noise, which will disturb you and your fish. note that the filtration system in this kit uses a water pump, not an air pump.
http://www.petguys.com/-047431502860.html
>> Anonymous
     File :-(, x)
I've got mine in a 2-gallon tank with a filter, a heater, a rock he can swim and hide in, and a few plants.

He's happy and healthy. :3 I'd just recommend something that's bigger than a plain bowl, and a way to keep the water at a constant warm temperature.
>> Anonymous
>>313507

...You make me happy.