Re: Solitary beta fish are very gentle in community aquariums. They only fight with other betas
Posted by What kills them is keeping them in those crummy little bowls! on 8/24/08
I'm always confused when I see all these "Dying beta" posts,
because I've had betas live for years. They THRIVE in
community tanks, where they hang out near the top, mind their
own business, and have room to swish around and show their
beautiful colors. It's best to give them some floating plants
to hide in when they're feeling shy. I have NEVER had a beta
get aggressive with any of the other fish. The male betas
fight with other male betas; they leave everybody else alone.
I think you can even keep a male and a female together,
although I can't remember if I've done this.
What WILL kill them is keeping them in one of those awful tiny
bowls they're sold in. They're miserable there! They won't
be healthy in any room-temperature fish bowl for long,
whatever its size. Like any tropical fish, they ABSOLUTELY
NEED to be in an aquarium with a heater and a good thermostat
so the water temperature isn't always fluctuating. Every fish
tank should also have a good filtration system to remove waste
from the water and keep it well aerated. This will solve your
"frequent cleaning" problems.
Every tank should also have at least one plecostamus and two
corydora catfish--cories like to play and should NEVER be kept
without a friend or two, nor kept in a tank with sharp-edged
gravel at the bottom. Softer sand keeps their little whiskers
from breaking. They'll help take care of algae on the sides
and food scraps that fall to the bottom. BTW, algae on the
sides of the tank is no problem for the fish as long as it's
healthy and green.
As for goldfish, they really aren't happy in a tank with
tropical fish. If the water's warm enough (mid-70s F) for
tropical fish, it's too hot for goldfish, who like their water
temperature down near 65-68 F. Even in a goldfish tank,
though, you need to have a good filter and aeration system.
It's not fair to keep any fish in a small bowl full of
stagnant water. They need plenty of room to swim, and as in
nature, they're healthiest in clean, well-aerated water.
A fifteen-gallon aquarium is really the absolute minimum size
anyone should buy, and again, it needs a good filter, a
heater, and a thermostat! If you're just going to buy a fish,
plunk it in a cramped little bowl and leave it at that, don't
bother, because your fish aren't going to live for very long
no matter what kind they are.
But I really want to clear up this myth about beta fish. A
solitary beta is a beautiful addition to any well-maintained
community tank.
On 4/17/08, Julie wrote:
> Note to all thinking about getting betta fish as a
> classroom pet, it is not a good idea at all. They get very
> sick and normally die in about a month's time. I suggest
> getting the classic goldfish, and they can be alot cheaper
> and easier to replace without upseting the students if
> they happen to die. Goldfish can also be placed in a tank
> with other such fish unlike betta, which MUST remain alone
> and surprisingly require quite a lot of attention and
> care, and their tanks must be cleaned often.
Posts on this thread, including this one
- Betta Fish Notice!, 4/17/08, by Julie.
- Re: Betta Fish Notice!, 4/23/08, by Aimee.
- Re: Betta Fish Notice!, 5/10/08, by Amy.
- Re: Betta Fish Notice!, 6/18/08, by Davia.
- Re: Betta Fish Notice!, 6/19/08, by Big E.
- Re: Betta Fish Notice!, 6/22/08, by Mary Schutte.
- Re: Betta Fish Notice!, 8/02/08, by Angela/FL/3.
- Re: Betta Fish Notice!, 8/02/08, by Kerry.
- Re: Betta Fish Notice!, 8/21/08, by Sarah.
- Re: Solitary beta fish are very gentle in community aquariums. They only fight with other betas, 8/24/08, by What kills them is keeping them in those crummy little bowls!.
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