Is It Okay To Keep Bettas In Small Vases?

[Chazwick]

I've been doing a hell of alot of research on Bettas recently when i happened to stumble across a website with a review on Bettas... now they are known to be fine small-ish places (even if i don't agree with giving animals a tiny living space.. or keeping them alone), but what i went on next to read, disgusted me! There is actually a trend to keep Bettas - living, beautiful creatures, in vases. Now these are tiny, empty vases with no filter, heater or air pump (etc), no gravel.. no place to hide.. it is disgusting! And people that would do something like that to a living creature should put themselves out of their misery.. if they feel it's right to do something like that! I actually felt sick seeing them...
Below are two pictures, in the second you may think 'wheres the betta?' it's that massive 6" creature squished into the vase, that cannot move. What kind of life is that for an animal?

 

[Igor The Cat]

i think we all really know the anwser to this question

 

[Chazwick]

What is it to you then?

 

[Igor The Cat]

notice were all the votes are, lol

 

[DC_APEX]

I do not like it neither, is getting very popular here in the state, but if you look at how they sell Bettas in the pet shop (in a Dixie cup with 5 oz of water), a glass vases is a whole lot better than a Dixie cup.

Don

 

[SANND]

I personally would not choose to keep my bettas in a vase, however, I also choose not to judge others.

 

[Chazwick]

Ooh - i love Judging others!!!!


J/k ... i think.

 

[lordroad]

Well, I chose hell no, simply because by small i was thinking like half gallon or smaller vase. However, if any larger vase and the vase has a healthy live plant in it and it gets regular maintenance, it's fine. I have a male and a female betta in 2 different well planted vases. Do a cup of water change every other day and feed every other day. Colors look great.

So it can be done.

 

[Igor The Cat]

i wont put anything but plants and clams,lol, in anything under a 2.5 gallon

 

[lordroad]

Here's how I keep bettas in vases... it's quite different than the pics shown above.

http://www.joshday.com/bowlfish.htm

Some very advanced aquarists who are fond of "Experimental" or gimmicky type setups have kept 100 gallon systems, densely planted, with no water movement or filtration whatsoever... the plants are the filtration as they consume nitrate.

This principle is what makes the vase work.

I've kept my two planted vases for nearly six months now, and no disease or any malady has struck. The fish are colorful and healthy and the vases all look better than my other tanks with live plants. Largely due to the frequent water changes.

 

[Chazwick]

That one looks okay, i guess. Better than the pics i uploaded, i'll admit.

 

[Firebug]

as long as it's like lordroad's then it's fine. I'll admit, I have done so, and will probably do it again too. I love what he's done with his:| it makes me want to "dress up" my vase and get a betta. A betta can and will be happy in there as long as you do right by him!

 

[R0UNDEYEZ]

Alot of people who buy those vase setups also arent aware you need to feed the beta since they are told the beta will just eat the roots.. which of course isnt true since Betas are carnivores.
So even though ignorance isn't an excuse, just because someone buys one of those setups doesnt mean they are a mean spirited jerk that hates animals ..they are just a misinformed fool that doesn't know any better

::edit:: oh yeah I forgot to mention, Your setup looks really nice lordroad.

 

[discus4everGrl]

I have read that you can find betta's in mud holes in Asia. Makes since cause they have that gland to allow them to breath air. So I guess they are quite adaptive and appreciate a clean enviroment. I don't like the way the fish stores sell them though, although I know they can't put them in tanks or they would destroy each other.

 

[phOOey]

lordroad's vase looks a whole lot betta then them tiny little cramped ones where the roots take up the majority of the vase, but still voted hell no!

 

[f8fan]

Here is a picture of a rice paddy, where these fish live in nature...not so small and shallow, eh?

 

[discus4everGrl]

By the looks of where the mud is on that guys ankle who is standing in it, I would say that its damn shallow. And it isn't a pond for sure. Still qualifys as a mud hole to me. I guess that's why I think they like clean tanks.

 

[wayne]

I have read that you can find betta's in mud holes in Asia

I don't believe that at all. They might be stranded there as floodwater recedes, but it's hardly their normal enviroment. If they're all living in these tiny mudholes how do they breed? Urban myth

 

[sweetvegan74]

Sigh

Ugh and I use to cringe when my mom told me tales on when she use to get chicks dyed in colors for easter. But when I found out about this I was like put the who in the what now

I voted hell no cause that is like you standing in a closet with the door closed and open a bottle of ammonia and inhale deeply because you know alot of people that purchase this death sentence doesn't have a clue on Betta care. Lets just pray this fads dies down as quicky as it went *thumbsdow

 

[Chazwick]

Sweetvegan, you're totally right!
Is your avatar a picture of your own betta? If so, that's beautiful!