is it cruel?

[timdam]

for people that argue that tangs need really big tanks, and for just anyone in general... do yall think it's cruel when people put bettas in really small fish bowls? i'm kinda think it is, cuz those fish bowls are tiny. even if bettas don't swim around much, it's gotta suck to be in a tiny bowl.

(i know it's not a saltwater fish question, but i was just wondering what people thought about this.)

 

[jasonrp104]

I've heard the argument that they live in puddles sometimes, but I wouldn't put one in smaller than a 5 gallon.

 

[jason2459]

I've heard the argument that they live in puddles sometimes, but I wouldn't put one in smaller than a 5 gallon.

I'd say a gallon is more then enough for a single betta really. I had one in a 5 gallon before and it rarely moved away from the back corner where I had some plants. I wouldn't put one in one of those small desk top "bowls" which are no bigger then my coffee mug.

 

[username in use]

I've heard the argument that they live in puddles sometimes, but I wouldn't put one in smaller than a 5 gallon.

It is true that they end up in puddles when the rivers that they live in recede. But the rest of the time they are in a river, and will hang out in and around plants for cover. Its one of the examples of surviving vs. thriving. A well planted tank with some decent flow will show the fish thriving and showing spectacular colors while a little tiny bowl will show it surviving and just chilling with mediocre colors.

 

[timdam]

i've seen them in normal aquariums and they do swim around. so it's not like they are always dormant.

 

[velvetelvis]

It is true that they end up in puddles when the rivers that they live in recede. But the rest of the time they are in a river, and will hang out in and around plants for cover. Its one of the examples of surviving vs. thriving. A well planted tank with some decent flow will show the fish thriving and showing spectacular colors while a little tiny bowl will show it surviving and just chilling with mediocre colors.

+1 They barely even look like the same fish. I couldn't believe it the first time I saw a male betta in a heated, filtered 5G tank planted with java ferns. He was stunning, and very active.

 

[tzhanks]

It is definatly cruel I have one in a 25 gallon and it smims around constantly

 

[jmaneyapanda]

This question is a spotlight on the principle of thriving vs. surviving. I can make a nurse shark survive in a 55 gallon tank, but that doesnt make it "OK". For some reason (And I dont know why), people care about certain animals, and dont care for others. Put a dog in a tiny cage and you go to jail. Put a shark in a tiny aquarium, and you get flamed. Put a tang in a 30 gallon, and you will get spirited arguments for both sides. Put a betta in wine glass and you will get pat on the back. It makes zero sense.

 

[timdam]

This question is a spotlight on the principle of thriving vs. surviving. I can make a nurse shark survive in a 55 gallon tank, but that doesnt make it "OK". For some reason (And I dont know why), people care about certain animals, and dont care for others. Put a dog in a tiny cage and you go to jail. Put a shark in a tiny aquarium, and you get flamed. Put a tang in a 30 gallon, and you will get spirited arguments for both sides. Put a betta in wine glass and you will get pat on the back. It makes zero sense.

exactly! where do people draw the line? i mean, what if someone sees and ant and steps on it. who is to say that the life of an ant isn't as important as a fish?

 

[lostintheocean]

they should have large tanks like all other fish, would like to see the poeple who keep them in small bowls put in a closet for a year to see how it feels.

 

[jmaneyapanda]

exactly! where do people draw the line? i mean, what if someone sees and ant and steps on it. who is to say that the life of an ant isn't as important as a fish?

Well, thats a different matter. What your discussing is ethically housing a species based on its physiology, biology, and behavior. Its not a black and white issue of life or death. It's thrive vs. survive. This entire "hobby" is mired in this very principle. Its not black and white at all. There are millions of shades of grey.

 

[forrestcook]

I kept a beautiful metallic blue plakat betta in my heavily planted 75 gallon tank. He was the biggest fish in there and went EVERYWHERE. I never would have gotten as much enjoyment out of him in a bowl as I did in that big tank.