# Why do you think this when it makes no sense.



## Jrf456 (Jun 23, 2011)

Look, I LOVE bettas, I have 7 that are more like spoiled children than fish! I agree they need good space, and agree that the pet store cups are cruel but what I don't understand is how you think it helps so much to give one fish such a huge tank insisting they NEED 5g-10g. A huge tank may make a fish extremely happy, yes, but then again it also isn't really fair for other fish. For example, Rather than having maybe two 5g and a 10g and only being able to have 3 fish (according to some simple minded peoples standards) I can house 7 bettas each in 2.5 gallon bowls which are still roomy. Saving more fish from miserable pet store life, or having less in huge tanks.. It doesn't make sense. 

For my case, I saved 7 fish who are alive and healthy in 2.5 bowls, rather than 2 or 3. My other fish would have died in months if I didn't do this. 

Being in a spacious but not huge tank and living years healthy and happy > dying in months in a pet store cup.

So yeah.. If you disagree I'd love to hear your argument.


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## DazedBetta (Jun 27, 2011)

i agree that the tanks in the pet stores are way to small for bettas and i actually got 2 bettas atm and 4 tanks 1 2.5gal and 2 10 gal and 1 20gal and i have my male in the 10 gal cause at the time i got him there was some sale where it was 1$ a Gal and it only worked with 10 or more gal. so i got a 10 for him for him for 10bucks instead of the 2.5 which was like 11 or something it was just a little more figured might as well get the bigger one but id normally only house mine in a 2.5gal i feel like thats plenty of room for the size of my bettas but if you have king or big fish then i can understand why you would want a bigger tank but i got the 10gal for future breeding and the 20 for the growout and house mine in 2.5


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## HarlequinBBRM (Jun 17, 2011)

I think it is also betta dependant as some fish do better in smaller containers vs large ones. I think the "need" for large tanks is an out for people who don't have the time to preform the neccessary maintenance that a 2.5 gallon tank requires. Say people only realistically have time for one or two water changes per week. In this case, a tank of 5-10 gallons would be easier to tank care of and maintain the optimum habitat for a betta, than say a 2.5 gallon that will need around 3 water changes per week. 

Also, some fish just can't handle being in a small container, or even a large one. Personally, my betta Sebastian gets super stressed in anything other than his 5 gallon, but I have seen some fish that can't handle being in anything larger than a 2 gallon bowl.

And yes even though "saving" a betta from a pet store is a good thing, you have to also realise that you are also encouraging the inhumane treatment to continue, as they will stock the shelves again with more fish the next day.

All in all, it is all just a case of personal preferance, and not something to get into an argument over.


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## Pitluvs (Jun 22, 2011)

I tend to agree more towards your view, but I also understand that it's not my fish or my tanks, or my time  
Personally, I have 2 10g, a 5g and a 3g. If I could... I'd have 9 saved (not pet stores but taking in homeless bettas) babies in those tanks. BUT I have other pets, kids, and other tanks that need my attention and with Bettas being so touchy I couldn't handle it. Oh it I could thougH!!
I'd be more apt to divide large cycled tanks than to have 7 small 2g bowls though. I could never do that many water changes lol


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## Luimeril (Dec 29, 2010)

i don't get it when people insist bettas need 5 or more gallons. x: minimum. my crew is fine in their tanks, with my smallest being Lulu's one gallon, and Purple's one gallon. with Lulu, she seems to have a fear of bigger spaces(even when they're planted up with silk plants), and Purple's been fine in his 1 gallon(as long as he has his boat-cave, he's happy). other than those two, i try to get them the biggest tank i can, most often being a 2 gallon Kritter Keeper. it's alot of space, but not too much, and i can plant it up with silk plants, and they seem happy with it. bigger IS better(well... not with Lulu...), though, so i try to get them as big a tank as i can. 

my latest betta(my walmart's VERY LAST betta, King Steve), went from the tank i now have Purple in, to a 10 gallon, and he's SUPER happy.


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## betta dude (May 22, 2011)

betta homes at the pet store are way to small oh yeah i have been meaning to tell you pitluvs the backround of your avatar looks like an explosion but i know it isnt i like it


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## Pitluvs (Jun 22, 2011)

Ya when I got my first betta and put him in the 5g, I was warned that some bettas actually do poorly in 5g or larger tanks. Venom LOVED his 5gal, was ok when it was divided. Carnage HATED 2.5g... he was happier in 1g. Ben loves his 3g but he's never had anything else but a cup and he was new at the pet store.


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## Pitluvs (Jun 22, 2011)

betta dude said:


> betta homes at the pet store are way to small oh yeah i have been meaning to tell you pitluvs the backround of your avatar looks like an explosion but i know it isnt i like it


Ya, venom was a trouble maker bahaha Always found matches in the filter.


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## Kytkattin (May 15, 2011)

I don't think that bettas NEED 5-10 gallons, but for someone who only wants one or two and a lot less maintenance, a larger tank is fun to decorate and easier to take care of. Also, 5-10 gallons gives you options to add other types of fish. A perfect mini-community for the beginning fish enthusiast! 

Another argument for a larger tank is that (some) bettas that have more room to move around are more likely to exercise more. If you have a tank or 2 for relaxation, it is nice to be able to see them swim around unhindered. 

I don't really think that I would intentionally try to just cram in as many fish as I could because I was trying to rescue them from petstores. They will just replace them with more that I can't give a good home to. For every 1 I buy, there are probably 10 that will die at that store. I have what I enjoy, and I leave it at that.


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## Oldfishlady (Mar 1, 2010)

Remember the cup Bettas are kept in at the pet shop are intended to be a temporary home....not long term housing...this is for resale only....just like all the other fish in the pet shop.....look at how over crowded they are.....the pet shop setup are for display for resale......

Lots of ways to keep fish in general- you need to meet basic needs and requirements...

Fish can be neglected in large tanks just as they can be neglected in small tanks......it just take longer for water quality to decline........


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## Littlebittyfish (Jan 5, 2011)

It is all a matter of personal preference..some people love live plants..some love fake..some like traditional tanks..some like smaller bowls/vases tanks...I don't think either way is right or wrong as long as you can take care of that many bettas and do the necessary water changes and afford to heat those individual bowls...Some people also just don't want to keep than many fish.


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## fishman12 (Sep 1, 2010)

I persoally don't want to go lower than 5 gallons. It's really a matter of opinion. I like doing 1 water change a week, soon I'll be doing 2 but it's really an opinion type of matter.


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## TheCrysCat (Mar 14, 2011)

Actually, most people here will say that 2.5 is the bare minimum, not 5  Elsewhere, I can't speak for. I like my 5 gal better because it's easier to clean and I'd just prefer to give my fish as much space as possible. And once school starts up again, I'm not going to have enough time to change a bajillion 2.5 tanks xD


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## MaggieLynn (Jun 24, 2011)

I think some of the "tanks" they sell are to small, but my opinion is 1 gall min. As long as they are being cared for properly i dont see why they cant be happy. i have 8 bettas, a sorority or 5 and 3 males, 2 males are in a 5 gal and one is in a 1.5 gal and he is very happy, he has hidding spots and a airstone and is very happy, i am up dating to a 3 gal, because soon i wont have time for as many water changes. OFL has a point, as long as a fish can be properly cared for i think size shouldnt matter so much.


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## Pitluvs (Jun 22, 2011)

5g was too much for me, 1g wasn't enough. I'm happy with 3g lol I just wish mine was wide, not tall!


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## Jrf456 (Jun 23, 2011)

Yeah, Skyden and Aubin are in matching 1.5g and are very happy, Brent, Suellen and Heather are in matching 2.2g and Icen and Garland are in matching 2g. They're all very happy.


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## masshiimarro (Apr 16, 2011)

Its all about personal prefernce and what works for u. For me, i divded a 10 gal 3 way since i dont have the space for extra tanks, nor do i have the time to do extra waterchanges. Splitting 3 way offered me an easier way to manage tanks, just change it all at one time, and only once a week. All my guys are happy campers. They blow epic bubble nests and are very lively. As long as the fish is happy and taken care of, there is no reason to call anyone out for tank size. Tho there is a bare minimum. Different people have different ways of caring for fish.


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## Sakura8 (May 12, 2011)

The only reason I like tanks 2g and above are they're easier to find heaters for. Anything 5g and above I divide so as to maximize what little space I have and cut down on the number of water changes. It's a lot more sensible to make two changes a week for two divided 10g than it is to make multiple changes a week times four 1g tanks.


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## Neil D (Apr 10, 2011)

I think it's only the only reason 2.3-3gallon is the minimum is *for* heating purposes. *if* you can heat a 1g and do the WCs go ahead. Again, it's just an opinion


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## SnowySurface (Apr 25, 2011)

My arguement is simple, your arguement is flawed. There are plenty of post that prove my fish have been in 1 gallon tanks for the past 2 years. Both of them have personalities and little quirks that I actually understand. Like, the way they zoom to the corner of their tanks when it's feeding time. Snowy will pace back and forwards a bit in that general area while Luigi will float, sink, and then wiggle his butt at me until I feed him. If that doesn't happen, I know one or both are sick. If my fish have that much personality around feeding time alone in 1 gallon tanks, can't you save 14 fish with my size tanks instead of spoiling 7 fish in your set up? You have to admit that there is a point when quality of care for each individual fish trumps quantity of fish saved from a pet store. 

My reason for upgrading from 1gal to 5 gal is more complicated. I can cycle a 5 gal tank and decrease the stress of full and partial water changes for my fish. The added room increases the amount of hiding spaces and places they can explore. Since I can tell they are a little on the bored side at times, I think that's a plus. I can also add tankmates like snails or shrimp in the future. I can go and on about how I've kept bettas alive for 2-3 years in 1 gallon tanks which is a happy medium for their life spans. However, when a different set up for fish can keep them alive for 5 years, I don't mind admiting when I can do better. 

If you think I'm spoiling my fish and wasting money because a 2.5 gallon will do. Fine, you are intitled to your opinion. Your thread rubbed me the wrong way because my personal limit is 2-3 fish. I don't think I've killed the other 3-4 fish I never bought. I see myself as saving the 2-3 fish I'm comfortable raising and consider my personal betta limit.


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## Neil D (Apr 10, 2011)

That betta limit will expand lol i wish I could have 5 bettas. But I don't have time for the maintenance.


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## TheCrysCat (Mar 14, 2011)

Same here. I'd love to get two others (two open tanks at the moment) but I will not have enough time for two more 2-2.5 gallons. I'd rather spoil the babies I do have than stretch their care thin just to "save" another fish.


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## ForbiddenSecrets (Aug 15, 2010)

I personally like 10 gallon tanks. I've had my boys in 3 gallon tanks for a year until tragedy struck with two of them (one always seemed really old but not sure why he passed and then the other just... we couldn't fight off the illness) 

At any rate after that I moved my last boy to the ten gallon I always wanted him to have. In my opinion a fish tank is their entire world so I feel a bit better letting them have more of it to be in. I see nothing wrong with properly cared for fish in 2.5 gallons it's just that I enjoy giving him more room and more interesting things to play with. This is, of course, my opinion. Besides I don't have the time to care for more then three fish at a time. c:


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## Sakura8 (May 12, 2011)

Yes, I really think you need to give your fish what you are capable of handling. If you only have room for a 2.5 gallon, then make that 2.5 gallon as nice and clean as possible. But if you only have room for a .5 gallon, sadly, you can't really keep a fish.


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## fishman12 (Sep 1, 2010)

It's just an opinion... I'd rather spend a little more so I have more space and less work


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## Norichan (Jul 16, 2011)

First of all, I am not a betta-rescuer, so maybe my vote doesn't count. I bought him at PetCo, and while kept in a dish, his water was clean and he was well-fed.

THAT SAID, I do take mild offense to your criticism of my fish's housing. While my arrangement might be absurd- 1 betta in 16g's -this was born of necessity and not of lavishness.

My fish was not happy in his 1.8, which according to my research was SUPPOSED to be plenty of room. He sat at the bottom of the tank, listless and refusing to eat, until finally I stuck him in the other tank, thinking there was some problem with the water quality in the bowl. He perked right up. What he needed was some room to stretch his fins and get some exercise. Since then I've discovered that he is very energetic and active. My boyfriend actually laughed when I told him that Mongkut was a 'tropical *semi*-aggressive' fish.

And no, he does not get to keep the 16g. However, I am giving him an "excessive" 5gal.

Sure, some bettas can happily live in a 2.5. I know one that's chipper enough in a .5 that he built a bubble nest the other day (fear not- his owner is upgrading soon). But they are animals, not machines- they don't always run to the exact specifications you were told to expect. They have quirks and personalities... BELIEVE ME, they have personalities!! And the needs of one betta are not always the needs of another. Would you take the same cookie-cutter approach if we were talking about a dog or cat? A fish is a pet, a life now dependent on you to give it the best care you can offer. How can you give it any less, just on the grounds that a betta 'shouldn't' need this or that?

In the mere month that I've had Mongkut, I went from regarding him as a decorative, low-maintenance fish to an engaging pet with character and personality. By my own description he is a small, flashy, aquatic dog- he's very interactive, and needs specific attention to maintain a happy, healthy life (who knew you had to play with some bettas?! My favorite is button-on-a-string!)

So if your fishes are happy in a 2.5, great, good for you. And more power to you for increasing the quality of life for your rescued bettas. But it's not for everyone. Some of us don't have the experience or knowledge to rescue fish. For us, it's about taking excellent care of the fish we DO have. So don't knock us five-gallon betta-lovers. Sure our fish may be pampered, but that's our business and our choice. What matters is that they are adequately cared for. I've taken responsibility for a life, and I intend to maximize the quality of that life. True, that means I have limited ability to take on other fish, but the responsibility I knowingly took on is met and then some. And I think what offends me the most about your criticism is that you imply that that is somehow not valuable.


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## fishman12 (Sep 1, 2010)

*claps* very well said, you should write speeches.


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## Sakura8 (May 12, 2011)

Yes, I agree. Very well said.


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## NCPanthersgurl (Jul 13, 2011)

Yeah, I have to agree with Norichan. Only take the fish you know you'll have the free time to properly care for. Water changes are a big part of properly caring for your Betta, and they can be time consuming if you have a dozen small tanks. I have two tens and a 2 gallon that can take a bit.


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## dramaqueen (Jul 7, 2008)

I think there are always going to be disagreements about what a betta should and shouldn't have. I have 2 males and 1 female in 1 gallon tanks. The rest are in 1.5 and 2.5 gallon critter keepers. I agree with OFL that bettas in larger can be neglected as easily as one in a smaller containers. It just takes longer for the ammonia to build up. I don't think the size of the tank matters as much as the quality of care the fish gets.


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## bahamut285 (Dec 10, 2010)

I agree with Norichan and Harlequin.

It is rather rude of you (why has this suddenly started happening recently?) to go around bashing what others believe is the best for your fish?

Calling us "simple minded" just because we want to spoil our fish (absolutely rotten, I might add) is extremely offensive to some people. The people who say 5 gallons is minimum should call YOU simple minded, how does that make you feel, hmm?

As a lot of people have stated, in your 2.5 gallon "bowls" you'll have to be doing pretty frequent and laborious water changes for all 7 of your "bowls". Meanwhile the people who own tanks or split tanks that are large enough to hold a cycle, will have to do minimal maintenance.

Another main concern as somebody mentioned is heating. Unless you have one of those miniature heaters that heat 1Gal bowls, you're going to have a difficult time finding heaters for anything less than 5G. I know both my heaters' companies DO sell 2.5G ones, but they are not often in stock, because the majority of the time, 2.5G is too small to house anything except a betta (in which petstores believe do not require heaters).

That being said, I've got three 5 gallon tanks and will soon be housing 5 fish in total. My brother's CT will have 5 gal to himself, and my tanks will be split to 2.5Gallons. So don't write me off as a "BIG TANK PERSON".

HongBo loved his 5G, he passed away in a 2.5G
Lelouch is absolutely frightened in a 5G, so his tank is split in half
MeiLin doesn't care, I can put her in a 0.5G or even back in her cup and she'll be happy.
Redbeard acts like a total prince, and even flares at plants that he thinks are "taking too much room"


TL;DR
Don't complain. Don't be butthurt if somebody trolls you about your tank size.
Don't judge. Don't troll others about their tank size.


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## TheCrysCat (Mar 14, 2011)

^+999999999999999999999999999

I keep one of my boys in a five gallon. He lubs it. I would have no time to do a million changes with seven tanks.


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## ollief9 (Mar 16, 2011)

I only have one Betta. That's it. I don't actually want any more. I would rather have one spoilt rotten fish in a spacious, clean environment than trying to cram as many Bettas into my living space as physically possible. It is a little different for me, however, as I live in the UK, fish are generally in better conditions in the shops and Bettas are NEVER in cups, (usually individual filtered heated tanks), so I don't feel the need to ever 'rescue' any. 

Percy is in his own 6 gallon filtered, heated, planted tank. He thinks it's the bees knees. He used to live in a 2.5 gallon. He hated every second of it. Small tanks are difficult to filter, and poor old Percy was being blown around by the filter current. So I upgraded, and he loves it. He's building bubble nests now, he's much more active, the colours on him have brightened up considerably. 

Some Bettas do become shy in larger tanks. But then, if you lived in a closet, then you were suddenly put into a large hall, you would be frightened and nervous. I think people should give their Betta time to settle into their larger tank before they dismiss the fish as 'preferring smaller spaces'. In some cases, Bettas do like small tanks, but the least any Betta deserves is a 2.5 gallon, in which a sponge filter (NOT a power filter), and a heater can be accomodated.

All Bettas are different, they all have personalities, and the owners all have things which work for them and the fish. Everyone is entitled to their opinions and views in life. Don't get all shirty with other people simply because they have different beliefs to you. 

That's my two cents.


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## fishman12 (Sep 1, 2010)

+111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111


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## AngelicScars (May 5, 2009)

Jrf456 said:


> Look, I LOVE bettas, I have 7 that are more like spoiled children than fish! I agree they need good space, and agree that the pet store cups are cruel but what I don't understand is how you think it helps so much to give one fish such a huge tank insisting they NEED 5g-10g. A huge tank may make a fish extremely happy, yes, but then again it also isn't really fair for other fish. For example, Rather than having maybe two 5g and a 10g and only being able to have 3 fish *(according to some simple minded peoples standards)* I can house 7 bettas each in 2.5 gallon bowls which are still roomy. Saving more fish from miserable pet store life, or having less in huge tanks.. It doesn't make sense.
> 
> For my case, I saved 7 fish who are alive and healthy in 2.5 bowls, rather than 2 or 3. My other fish would have died in months if I didn't do this.
> 
> ...


I'm sorry, but the bolded is insulting and offensive. 

I personally have not read someone say they NEEDED 5-10g, but prefer to house their bettas in that size. From my understanding most people believe the min. is around 2-2.5g and I agree with that.


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## Neil D (Apr 10, 2011)

I think everyone has their own opinions, and as long as your betta can

A) swim
B) be warm
C) swim in *clean water*


It's all good!


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## fishman12 (Sep 1, 2010)

I had a 1.5 gallon that housed my betta. I hated it. But now I have a 10g and I love it. I have seen the spacousness of the 10g and personally I prefer having tank mates.


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## Littlebittyfish (Jan 5, 2011)

It would be cheaper (or about the same price as keeping 7 bowls and heaters) to buy 4 empty 10 gallons and divide them in half so that each betta has 5 gallons.
Then once it is cycled you would only need to clean 50% once a week and only have 4 heaters.You would also have room for 1 more betta!


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## Neil D (Apr 10, 2011)

Hey FM12, what's the substrate in your 10g with cories?


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## fishman12 (Sep 1, 2010)

Gravel. They get to go to my other one soon though. It has sand


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