# Betta tank size



## BBB (Aug 5, 2007)

I just have a quick curiousity question. Why is it okay to keep bettas in 1 liter aquariums or even 2.5 gallon seeing that they get pretty big for a aquarium of that size or it least to me. Is it because they dont produce much waste and dont need much swimming room?


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## Willow (Mar 20, 2005)

I personally do not believe a liter is big enough for a Betta. I do think a 2.5 gallon tank is big enough for one Betta and provides plenty of swimming room, they don't get very large, IME. I think my biggest guy was only about 2 inches in actual body size, his fins were longer, though.


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## FinnFan (Aug 28, 2007)

I'll attempt to explain this to the best of my knowledge... 

Bettas are a type of fish belonging to the suborder Anabantoid. This means they have a speical organ called the labyrinth organ, This organ allows them to breathe oxygen from the air, in addition to their gills which take in oxygen from the water. In fact, a betta who doesn't have access to the water's surface will eventually die.

This doesn't mean it's optimal to keep them in tiny containers. (The typical comparison: You COULD live in a closet, but would you want to?) It just means that they have access to oxygen from two places, and therefore to keep them alive, it takes less water.

If you really want a happy, showy betta who will entertain you with his or her personality, I believe you (and the fish) would be much happier with a gallon or more bowl, or tank. My betta is in a 2 gallon planted bowl, and he is always building bubblenests and swimming around happily.


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## BBB (Aug 5, 2007)

Ok i was just wondering cause i see people keeping them in little vases and found it kinda cruel. If i gotta betta i would never keep it anything like 1 liter, probably more like a 5 gallon tank.


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## anasfire23 (Jan 19, 2005)

I've kept Bettas in those tiny plastic critter containers which hold about 750ml of water (3 cups), but I did water changes every other day and whilst they survived they didn't 'thrive'. In some cases like when breeding it is necessary to keep them in smaller amounts of water, but breeders are usually scrupulous about frequent water changes (like daily or twice daily). If you are a novice betta keeper and just want the fish because they are beautiful and make great companions I'd suggest nothing less than 3 litres. In a 3lt+ tank you don't need to do water changes as frequently (like once a week instead of every other day) and can start to add extras which make the job easier such as filters and heaters etc. I have 6 male bettas at my place at the moment (all that remains from my 2 spawns at the end of last year, each spawn was of about 100 fry) and I have 2 in large tanks, 12lt, and the rest are in 2lt soda bottles with the tops cut off, floating in my guppy fry tank which is heated and they get cleaned out every other day to remove waste and add fresh water.


Well that's my 2 cents...later all


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## khachdatinh (Sep 17, 2007)

*betta*

"This doesn't mean it's optimal to keep them in tiny containers. (The typical comparison: You COULD live in a closet, but would you want to?) It just means that they have access to oxygen from two places, and therefore to keep them alive, it takes less water."



You COULD eat raw meat but do you want to? now throw that raw meat to the lions and see what happens. I don't understand why people always comparing fish, animals to human beings. Why 2.5 gallons? would it be more happy with 10 gallons? 55 gallons...or wait, it was originally live in rice field in Asia! why not raise them in rice field to make them more happy??? 

Bettas can live HAPPILY EVER in a liter of water as long as you feed them live food and keep the water clean. 

I've grown up in ASIA and i've seen Bettas breed, live in the footprints of Water Buffalos which contains very little water. they bred just fine and until next year around july when people put water into the field they spread out again and retreat to whatever little holes with water again after we siphon the water and cut the wheats. YES that's 6 months living in those small holes with little water and lucky if any mosquitos stop by to lay eggs. 

Please use facts, not emotions in terms of raising and breeding bettas. Yes you can put a betta in a 125 gallons tank. thats fine! good ! and nobody care aobut you showing off your richness. some of us have 300-600 or more and we need a football field for each one of them to live in a 2.5 gallons tank. If you have 1 or 2 betta and have never visit Asia to take a look at where bettas are originally from, to see how they breed, live in the wild (rice field) then you don't know what you are talking about.


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

You sound a little emotional yourself, Khachdatinh. Please don't pick on the newbies. Yes, they're wrong to call small container "cruel" . But, I think the human metaphor is valid. We can live quite happily in the school dormatory, but offer us a mansion and we'll take it every time. 

If you have have 600 bettas, you count as pro and all of experienced fish keeper don't take the advise we give. All of us keep fish in smaller tanks than we recommend. The difference is that we have more than one tank and can always move the fish to a bigger tank as it grows. And we have systems for taking care of the fish we have. I bet you would never miss a scheduled water change. Larger tanks give much more "room for error" and for a person with only one betta a 2.5 gallon tank is not too much and may save the fish's life the first time they overfeed. Just because what we recommend is not what you do does not mean it is wrong to recommend it. If the "old pros" like you would answer the beginner's questions themselves, the people who "don't know what they are talking about" wouldn't have to pass on what they've just learned themselves.


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## FinnFan (Aug 28, 2007)

Eh? No need to get all worked up. I was simply pointing out the standard comparison of keeping bettas in teensy containers. I didn't make up that comparison, nor do I think it means that all bettas need to live in 20 gallon tanks... LOL

I personally am not one of the people who thinks it is cruel to keep bettas in anything smaller than 2.5 gallons. I keep one of mine in a gallon. If you want to keep yours in a pint, a quart, or whatever - that's fine. You're certainly entitled to your opinion, and your own style of fishkeeping. What really matters is that the fish is healthy and well cared for.

I may not be an "old pro" but I'm not ignorant. At this point I've done a very good bit of reading on the subject. Try not jumping down my throat, and perhaps we could learn a few things from each other, eh?


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## FinnFan (Aug 28, 2007)

PS - there are also people who think it is "cruel" to crate their dog (for any length of time). I don't agree with them either! I am pretty well-versed in dog behavior and training, and I know that many times, dogs actually benefit from being crated. So I can understand the concept of "bigger not always better" for fish.

I realize it's a hotly debated topic, and I'm not going to take sides until I've owned bettas for many, many years. So didn't mean to make it sound as though I were definitely saying it was cruel. Simply that I choose a bigger tank because I like it, and like emc was saying, it decreases the likelihood of a new person from accidentally killing their fish.

I hope we can communicate more effectively in the future.


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## Willow (Mar 20, 2005)

Yeah, that's the main reason I don't recommend anything smaller than a gallon for a single Betta---most people don't keep up with their water changes, and most casual fishkeepers overfeed......I don't think keeping a Betta in a liter tank (or smaller) is necessarily cruel, just inadvisable for the average Betta owner. I also can't see that a Betta kept in a smaller tank is any fun as a pet, you can't decorate the tank nicely or watch the fish swim around a lot or anything. It's different for breeders and other professionals that keep up on water changes and are careful about feedings.


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## darkfalz (May 7, 2006)

I wouldn't keep a betta in anything less than 5 gallons now, after a few years of experience with them.


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