Have you seen those wall hanging fish bowls which have nothing but some gravel and a plant in them, and the idea is the plant will feed the betta and keep the water clean and you won’t need to do any work to keep it alive? Or the very common practice of giving a betta some colourful rocks and fake plants and expecting it to live for more than a month.

I have, and unfortunately people actually fall into this trap! It’s awful for the fish and it’s just not a good idea in general.

Why do people think it’s okay to basically starve their fish and keep it in a small bowl? Is it because it’s convenient and they don’t want to do any work? It’s pretty to look at? Fish may not give us affection the way dogs do, but they are living creatures and depend on us to care for them properly..here’s why an aquarium is better – and easier – than the generic fish bowl.

Filtration, Filtration, Filtration: Fish poop. Poop creates ammonia (an article on Ammonia and Nitrates coming up soon.) Ammonia is harmful to fish. Bowls don’t have filtration. Filters are important for two things: they help to remove Ammonia from the water and the movement of the filter also provides oxygen for your fish. The reason bettas CAN survive in a bowl is because they have what’s called a Labyrinth Brain which is similar to ours, so they breath 2/3 air rather than water like most fish. This is why you’ll see your fish swim up to the surface and gulp air. While it is possible to keep a healthy betta in a bowl, that requires frequent water changes. With a filter you will still need to do water changes, but less frequently, and not as much. The common issue of cloudy water many people have from exchanging too much water will be gone. It’s Easier to Have Live Plants: Live plants do more than look pretty. They serve as mini filters and oxygen producers too. Having a healthy aquarium (even a small one with a single betta and one or two plants) can do wonders! Plants use fish poop as fertiliser, helping to remove some of the Ammonia from the water (there are some very easy to grow plants that can thrive on this alone but please do your research first, or you may be disappointed) and they use the carbon in the water produced by your fish to put in more oxygen. It’s the cycle of life going on right in your little aquarium. Having plants in a bowl is challenging because they can be sensitive, and it’s better to have an established tank with cycled water rather than completely still water. It’s just cleaner. Your Fish is Less Likely to Get Sick: This is for a few reasons. In an aquarium, it’s not a rounded glass bowl which warps the angle of things; you can get a close up look at your fish, therefore allowing you to detect diseases easier. Another reason is again FILTRATION. Cleaner water means a healthier fish, which means it’s less likely to catch diseases. And if your fish does get sick it’s less hassle to treat an aquarium than a bowl. It Simply Looks More Attractive: Clear water and plants are a natural background for your betta and it will thrive in these conditions. Plants allow for your fish to have hiding places in case it doesn’t like too bright of light, and there are many different options for aquariums. You don’t need a giant tank, you can get one that’s only 3 gallons. The cool thing about Siamese Fighting Fish is they actually prefer a smaller tank and they don’t like a lot of heavy filtration because they have long, flowy and fragile fins, so they aren’t very good at swimming against a current like smaller fast fish. There are many different shapes and styles for small aquariums on the market these days, and once you have it set up it takes virtually no effort to maintain. Tanks Come in Larger Sizes: 90% of fish bowls are going to be too small for a single fish, and bettas are no exception. They may be slow moving rather than darting around the tank but they still need space! Someone helpfully noted the minimum would be 2.5 gallons, and I would say more than that is better. One betta certainly doesn’t need it’s own 10 gallon tank but I’d say 4-5 gallons is perfect – Enough room for some natural plants (Bettas love Java Ferns!) and one happy betta!

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