# Number of Bettas



## Pixielator (Jul 22, 2012)

I'm a long time tarantula (and other invert) fanatic and new betta fanatic. I've been on arachnid forums for a couple of years and just made my account on this forum (my first fish forum) about a week ago if that. I thought it would be interesting to talk about one of the differences I've noticed in the two hobbys.

When it comes to tarantula keepers everyone knows about "the potato chip effect", once you get one tarantula you keep getting more and more and more. Most people in the hobby have 10 to 100 different tarantulas or more. And normally the ones with 1 to 20 are just starting out.

So far from being on this forum it seems that most betta keepers (except for breeders) have only have a few bettas, I haven't seen anyone other than breeders with more than 10 bettas.

Why do you think this is? Would it be seen as unusual for a betta lover who isn't a breeder to have a collection of 40 bettas? I'd love to read everyone's thoughts on this.


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## lvandert (Feb 23, 2012)

oh there are a few people who have more than 10 easily. Sororities are at least 5 and I know people who have multiples.


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## registereduser (Jul 30, 2010)

I have 2 boys and 3 girls.....soon to be NINE girls! :shock::lol:

Plus I want to start rescuing so I will have a revolving door of bettas. I foster kittens, too, so I have a revolving door for them, why not fish? :lol: I hope there will be lots of adopters here on the board.


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## OrangeAugust (Jul 23, 2012)

I'm beginning to realize that having Bettas is a bit like having Orchids. Once you get one Orchid, you are addicted and have to get more. I don't have as many as a lot of other Orchid collectors have, but once I had one, I had to get more, and then types of other species, etc. It does seem like Betta keeping is similar in its addictiveness.


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## Pixielator (Jul 22, 2012)

registereduser said:


> I have 2 boys and 3 girls.....soon to be NINE girls! :shock::lol:
> 
> Plus I want to start rescuing so I will have a revolving door of bettas. I foster kittens, too, so I have a revolving door for them, why not fish? :lol: I hope there will be lots of adopters here on the board.


 
Oh wow, thats a cool idea. Where would you be rescuing these bettas from? Btw, the betta in your avatar is absolutely beautiful, where did you get it?

EDIT - And congrats on your new girls.


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## ao (Feb 29, 2012)

im stopping at one lol.  one room one tank one betta


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## Pixielator (Jul 22, 2012)

aokashi said:


> im stopping at one lol.  one room one tank one betta


 
You have great will power. Haha.


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## ao (Feb 29, 2012)

Pixielator said:


> You have great will power. Haha.


i used to have two, I guess that number didnt work out too well for me  and I think it's more fun having one tank to obsess over and rearrange


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## registereduser (Jul 30, 2010)

Pixielator said:


> Oh wow, thats a cool idea. Where would you be rescuing these bettas from? Btw, the betta in your avatar is absolutely beautiful, where did you get it?
> 
> EDIT - And congrats on your new girls.


I'll just be looking in Walmart and Petsmarts and petcos and trying to find bettas in trouble. My avatar is Irving and he's from Petco. He was opaque and now he has marbled fins, lots of red showed up. Thanks for thinking he is beautiful, I think so too, he's a delta and his fins are so graceful he reminds me of a bride.


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## LittleBettaFish (Oct 2, 2010)

Um I have over 40 and I wouldn't classify myself as a breeder although my wild species spawn every so often and give me some fry. 

People think it is odd I have lots of imported fish and mainly keep them as pets, but that's because I want something nice to look at and am willing to pay extra for that. 

It's so easy to get so engrossed in this hobby as you see a betta you like and before you know it it's yours. I had to cut way back as I was buying bettas that were nice but not really what I enjoyed having. 

It is definitely not unusual for a betta owner to have a lot of fish that are pets rather than breeding stock. You just have to poke around this forum a bit to see that haha.


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## Pixielator (Jul 22, 2012)

LittleBettaFish said:


> Um I have over 40 and I wouldn't classify myself as a breeder although my wild species spawn every so often and give me some fry.
> 
> People think it is odd I have lots of imported fish and mainly keep them as pets, but that's because I want something nice to look at and am willing to pay extra for that.
> 
> ...


Oh, I guess I just have to pay more attention. Haha.
Thats what I wanted to do, have a bunch of beautiful bettas as pets. But then I'd go broke. So instead I plan on breeding a little later. That way I can still have lots of pretty bettas, but I'll also be able to make some of my money back, and depending on how I do, maybe make some extra.  The only thing I can't really get over is the culling thing. I'm not judging those who do it, but I just know that I can't. I'll have to find places for all those fish to go. Thats the only part I haven't figured out yet.


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## staffylover (Jun 10, 2012)

I only wanted one and now have 3, soon to be 4. All mine have individual tanks so 4 is definately my maximum.
I do however have another smallish tank with a few neons in and nothing more but I wont be adding a Betta to this tank


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## toad (Jul 17, 2012)

For the first 3 months, I had only 1 betta. Now, I'm up to 5 - 3 boys, and 2 girls.

I'm hoping to find more places to put tanks when I rearrange my house


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## KevinPham123 (Jul 24, 2012)

IMO - the things stopping most people from keeping more than 1 or 2 betta fish is because of the lack of space or/and is the maintenance of the tanks, also some individuals may not have the time to keep with the needed schedule I guess. Some people just don't mind AT ALL lol.


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## teeneythebetta (Apr 29, 2012)

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe Sakura has 21! Wouldn't that be awesome? I'd love that many!


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## Pilot00 (Jul 24, 2012)

I have one male in my 36g. However i will move to Sweden in a month or so. If things turn out good for me up there i will setup another 30+ tank and go for a sorority probably.


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## Pixielator (Jul 22, 2012)

KevinPham123 said:


> IMO - the things stopping most people from keeping more than 1 or 2 betta fish is because of the lack of space or/and is the maintenance of the tanks, also some individuals may not have the time to keep with the needed schedule I guess. Some people just don't mind AT ALL lol.


Thats a good point. And tarantulas are low maintenance pets, so that could definitely be a factor.



teeneythebetta said:


> Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe Sakura has 21! Wouldn't that be awesome? I'd love that many!


Yeah, I noticed after I started this thread that Sakura has 19. Woops, haha.

While its been pointed out that there are some people with more bettas than I thought, there is still noticable difference in numbers between the hobbys. I just thought that was interesting.

Now I have a question for those of you who have stated that you have 10 bettas or less or that your max number is 10 or less. Are you/will you be content with this number? Or are you just trying to keep yourself from taking on too much responsibility/work at once? If its the latter, will you feel urged to buy more bettas anyway?


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## lvandert (Feb 23, 2012)

i'm quite content with my fishies but I don't have a max lol. I don't have the urge to buy more but if I see one that just calls my name I have a few spare tanks around.


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## Pilot00 (Jul 24, 2012)

Pixielator said:


> Now I have a question for those of you who have stated that you have 10 bettas or less or that your max number is 10 or less. Are you/will you be content with this number? Or are you just trying to keep yourself from taking on too much responsibility/work at once? If its the latter, will you feel urged to buy more bettas anyway?


I want definitely more. But i dont have the space and funds right now.
If things go well in perhaps three months ill get a sorority and at least two males (in different large tanks OFC).


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## xShainax (Feb 11, 2012)

I have close to 15. 7 in a sorority and 6 males


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## underdebate (Jan 26, 2012)

I have 28 bettas.  I absolutely DO NOT have the experience to breed though-- the majority of my bettas are rescues or adoptions (largely from other people on this forum!), a few are from the lovely local aquarium shop, and ten were intended for a sorority (although the number got bumped down to eight, and the other two have homes of their own now). Now that the sorority's set up, I have no intentions of getting any more, though, so 28 is probably my max!


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## mkayum (Jul 5, 2012)

OrangeAugust said:


> I'm beginning to realize that having Bettas is a bit like having Orchids. Once you get one Orchid, you are addicted and have to get more. I don't have as many as a lot of other Orchid collectors have, but once I had one, I had to get more, and then types of other species, etc. It does seem like Betta keeping is similar in its addictiveness.


I also collect orchids. I think I have like two or three different kinds of orchid. The most is just normal orchid (Phala).  yes it's addicting and I decided to stop buying more orchids because it's taking over my space limit. I sold some and got my money to buy supplies for my pets.


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## staffylover (Jun 10, 2012)

I would like to get a large tank and split it but I just dont have the room. I have a large parrot cage that takes up quite a bit of room so cannot add a tank too.
I wont be getting any more after I set up my 5th tank. One due to finances and secondly due to time as I work full time, spend at least an hour after work out with the dog (more at weekends) and also help out at my local shelter so time is tight


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## Twilight Storm (Apr 14, 2011)

I plan on breeding bettas. I maxed myself at 8 pets due to tank maintenance. 

When I start to deal with jar maintenance for juvies, I wanted to be realistic on what won't drive me crazy, and what I can physically handle. 

Basically I figured on 8 pets + 50 jars + 1 breeding pair. (to start) My "pet" count at that point would be 10 + a few juvies to breed (max 4) = 14 bettas living with me permanently  And it will go up exponentially because I don't know if I would get rid of/sell the parents I keep to breed yet... I have a feeling I might become attached. I don't plan on doing more then 4 different lines of bettas either.

Spiders... *shivers* I'm not a big fan of them, but to each their own.


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## AquaKai (Jan 2, 2012)

Currently I have 3, but I have an empty 1.5g that is begging me to fill it... Must fight temptation!


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## Pixielator (Jul 22, 2012)

Twilight Storm said:


> I plan on breeding bettas. I maxed myself at 8 pets due to tank maintenance.
> 
> When I start to deal with jar maintenance for juvies, I wanted to be realistic on what won't drive me crazy, and what I can physically handle.
> 
> ...


Yeah, most people aren't. My friends, husband, and my husband's family all used to be arachnophobes. Trust me, the more you learn about them, the less afraid you become. Theres actually a book out called "The Legacy of Annie Rose" which is a true story about an arachnophobe that became a tarantula lover. I've been meaning to buy it and read it. You should read it, the worst that could happen is you read an interesting story.

Anyway, sorry, trying to convert arachnophobes is a habit (but seriously, you should read the book). :-D


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## JackisLost (Feb 26, 2011)

i have one that gets all my attention


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## Enkil (Jan 15, 2012)

I'm new at breeding, but here is what I have:
1 pet male - Hannibal. He is my daughter's but she is too little to care for him.
1 mystery male - bought from someone who was moving. He's still growing
3 HM males - My dragon brothers. Breeders.
1 HMPK male - Yellow dragon. Breeder
1 HMPK female - Yellow marble. Breeder.
1 HMDbT male - Marble. Breeder.
1 HMPK male - Metallic green with orange fins. Breeder.
1 HMPK male - Marble. Breeder
1 Giant HMPK male - True giant. Has some marbling on face and beard.

Then I have the following coming in this month:
HM females, HM dragon females, HM female with dragon geno, and a HMPK dalmatian dragon male.

What I plan on getting:
- HMPK females
- True giant HMPK female(s) and possibly another male.

I have quite a lot of room and tanks. lol


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## Bettanewbie60 (Jun 26, 2012)

I got my first betta at the end of June...I just went to Walmart at 1am to get hubby a birthday cake, and came home with my 5th betta! Hubby is gonna freak! I'm Kim, I'm a betta addict.


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## toad (Jul 17, 2012)

Bettanewbie60 said:


> I'm Kim, I'm a betta addict.


Hi Kim :wave:

:tongue: It's okay, we understand you.


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## teeneythebetta (Apr 29, 2012)

Bettanewbie60 said:


> I got my first betta at the end of June...I just went to Walmart at 1am to get hubby a birthday cake, and came home with my 5th betta! Hubby is gonna freak! I'm Kim, I'm a betta addict.


Lol you're so funny! 

...he doesn't know yet?...


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## CandiceMM (Jul 15, 2012)

I currently have 20 Betta's and I dont know if that's my max lol! Yes crazy Betta Girl right here and proud!!!!


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## Enkil (Jan 15, 2012)

My 11 just aren't enough. lol That's why I'm getting more. XD Plus I have a pair going into the spawn tank. >>


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## mkayum (Jul 5, 2012)

I have five betta and the three are under the rainbow bridge "betta heaven"

I think I had enough.  One day I'll get a king betta if I have room for it! Wahh!


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## Shirleythebetta (Jan 9, 2012)

I'm at 25 hoping to make it 27 this weekend. *blushes* I am not a breeder either. I am not obsesive.... IM NOT!


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## jeremywadejunior (Jul 11, 2012)

How do you care for tarantulas? Can you keep them in the same cage (or whatever you keep tarantulas in ;-))?

Since bettas usually can't be kept together, space is an issue and so is the expenses of buying and setting up multiple tanks. I only have one fish right now. But after I looked in the betta aisle at Petco, I suddenly want another! haha


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## lvandert (Feb 23, 2012)

tarantulas are solitary animals as well. You can keep them in large critter keepers but once again they prefer big cages. Long shallow ones with a lid lol. The like sand bedding and the bark like bedding (forgetting what it actually is) and the mossy kind (think wild natural habitat). Crickets and insects for food and a very shallow water dish. Fresh water every day and make sure its not too deep. They go into the dish to drink and it needs to be shallow. Once a month go through the tank and clean it; sweeping up old webs, dead crickets etc etc. You can add decorations for them to crawl on and a hidey hole. 

I've personally never had a tarantula but I kept a wolf spider for 8 months before she laid eggs and died. My ex's father had 2 really big ones though. Pretty things! 

If any of it is wrong please correct me, I'd hate to be giving the wrong info!


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## jeremywadejunior (Jul 11, 2012)

I don't think I'd ever be interested in owning a tarantula, although it does sound like an interesting pet to look after!


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## choob99 (Aug 9, 2010)

I think most would have over 40 bettas here, but the problem is separate tanks for them all and the work involved in water changes, and just general care, so it makes it difficult for most ppl to keep that many


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## Bettatastic (Jun 20, 2012)

I have 15 bettas and I'm not a breeder. I have to agree about space and maintance. Those two things can stop someone from getting tons of bettas. I'm almost at my max now.


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## Pixielator (Jul 22, 2012)

jeremywadejunior said:


> How do you care for tarantulas? Can you keep them in the same cage (or whatever you keep tarantulas in ;-))?
> 
> Since bettas usually can't be kept together, space is an issue and so is the expenses of buying and setting up multiple tanks. I only have one fish right now. But after I looked in the betta aisle at Petco, I suddenly want another! haha


 
Oh no, tarantulas can't be kept together, they'd eat eachother. Haha. There are actually a few arboreal sp. that CAN be kept together, but they don't like it, they just tolerate eachother, and at some point there will probably still be some cannibalism. Its recommended that even each individual of these tolerant species gets it's own cage. 

There are different ways to care for different tarantulas as a lot of them come from different climates. So basically give them the right amount of humidity (like that from their natural climate) and a temp of about 75-85 degrees F (the higher the temp the faster they grow). Always keep a waterdish in the enclosure with fresh water. Provide a hide. Feed them about once a week. And keep the enlosure clean (clean poop whenever you see it, remove whats left over from its food every time it eats, change substrate and clean the eclosure once a year or two using your own judgement)

As for their cages, unless you're trying to make it look really nice, you don't have to spend a lot of money. My 3 Chilean Roses are each in $3 sterilite containers that I got from Big Lots and then drilled holes into. With ground-dwelling (terrestrial, like Chilean Roses) species, you don't have to worry about the heigh of the container as long as there is enough room for them to walk around, in fact shorter containers are better for them because they're bad at climbing and can easily fall if they do. For tree dwelling (arboreal) species, a medium to large kritter keeper, has enough climbing space for a small to medium species.

Sorry if that was more than you were asking for I didn't know exactly what you were asking about when you asked how to care for them. Heres some pics of my Chilean Roses' enclosures and also one of my Cobalt Blue who just molted a couple days ago (Just thought I'd add in a pic of her cuz she's really pretty ).

PS: The reason there is no hide in the open enclosure right now is because the hide was wooden and I spilled water on it while filling her water dish, so now I have to get a new hide. I can't keep the wet one cuz now it might mold.


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## Pixielator (Jul 22, 2012)

lvandert said:


> tarantulas are solitary animals as well. You can keep them in large critter keepers but once again they prefer big cages. Long shallow ones with a lid lol. The like sand bedding and the bark like bedding (forgetting what it actually is) and the mossy kind (think wild natural habitat). Crickets and insects for food and a very shallow water dish. Fresh water every day and make sure its not too deep. They go into the dish to drink and it needs to be shallow. Once a month go through the tank and clean it; sweeping up old webs, dead crickets etc etc. You can add decorations for them to crawl on and a hidey hole.
> 
> I've personally never had a tarantula but I kept a wolf spider for 8 months before she laid eggs and died. My ex's father had 2 really big ones though. Pretty things!
> 
> If any of it is wrong please correct me, I'd hate to be giving the wrong info!


 
Most of that was right. 
In the wild tarantulas only move a few inches away from their burrow in their entire lifetime (except for males because once they mature they go looking for mates and then die about a year later), so its no big deal if their cage doesn't have tons of room, but if you WANT to provide a big cage thats not a bad thing. Though some will argue that big cages make the spider feel insecure, I think as long as they have a cozy hide they don't mind. Bark bedding is usually not a good choice for them, there are oils in some trees that are toxic to them especially cedar. Its argued that sand can be abbraisive to the exo skeleton, but theres no proof of this so far, I'd only be comfortable with doing a 50/50 mix of sand & peat moss or coconut fiber for desert species. Moss is good, mostly for species from moist climates, the moss helps keep the humidity up in the enclosure, and some T's will use it to line their burrows. Its best to clean out poop and food reminants at least once a week to avoid mite infestations.

Do you mean wolf spider or rabid wolf spider? I've never been able to find a wolf spider, but I kept a rabid wolf spider for a few months before I had to move. She was actually one of my favorites, I would choose her over some tarantulas.


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## Pixielator (Jul 22, 2012)

Also, if anyone of you ever goes into a pet store and they are selling a Chilean Rose and the enclosure looks humid or the substrate damp, PLEASE let the staff know that this is a species from a desert that has gone years at a time without rain. Roses DO NOT LIKE MOISTURE!! If it remains moist in there, they will die from stress. It should be bone dry except for a water dish. Just thought I'd say that because I've seen this many times in corporate pet stores. One thing I've learned is that you cannot trust pet stores to give you the correct care information, you should always do your own research.


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## jeremywadejunior (Jul 11, 2012)

I was just curious as to how tarantula care was compared to betta care  But that's interesting!! Thanks for sharing! Your tarantulas look happy! ;-)


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## Shirleythebetta (Jan 9, 2012)

I don't like spiders and the blue one was even gorgeous to me.


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## jeremywadejunior (Jul 11, 2012)

Shirleythebetta said:


> I don't like spiders and the blue one was even gorgeous to me.


Same here!!


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## Pixielator (Jul 22, 2012)

jeremywadejunior said:


> Same here!!





Shirleythebetta said:


> I don't like spiders and the blue one was even gorgeous to me.


 
She appreciates your compliments. 

Normally she's holed up in her burrow, but I have her in a temporary container because I'm trading her for a different tarantula tomorrow. Although she's pretty her species is fast and aggresive and I'm tired of being afraid that she'll dart out of her cage everytime I open it, it would really suck catching her.

But I'll stop rambling on about my spiders now. Haha. Sorry guys.


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## jeremywadejunior (Jul 11, 2012)

Pixielator said:


> She appreciates your compliments.
> 
> Normally she's holed up in her burrow, but I have her in a temporary container because I'm trading her for a different tarantula tomorrow. Although she's pretty her species is fast and aggresive and I'm tired of being afraid that she'll dart out of her cage everytime I open it, it would really suck catching her.
> 
> But I'll stop rambling on about my spiders now. Haha. Sorry guys.


Thanks for teaching us about tarantulas!!


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## Pixielator (Jul 22, 2012)

It was my pleasure.


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## lvandert (Feb 23, 2012)

Pixielator said:


> Most of that was right.
> 
> Do you mean wolf spider or rabid wolf spider? I've never been able to find a wolf spider, but I kept a rabid wolf spider for a few months before I had to move. She was actually one of my favorites, I would choose her over some tarantulas.


Yay I'm not completely useless in my knowledge of spider care!! lol. I had a North Carolina Wolf Spider. I found her in the hallway to the girls locker room. rIt was fall so she was trying to find a place inside to stay warm. I had a janitor stand over her and make sure she didn't move while I ran to the little medical care place in the building for a bag (in my baithing suit mind you). I named her Twiggy and she was fed baby crickets once a week. I never tried to handle her because she was wild but she was beautiful!


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## Pixielator (Jul 22, 2012)

lvandert said:


> Yay I'm not completely useless in my knowledge of spider care!! lol. I had a North Carolina Wolf Spider. I found her in the hallway to the girls locker room. rIt was fall so she was trying to find a place inside to stay warm. I had a janitor stand over her and make sure she didn't move while I ran to the little medical care place in the building for a bag (in my baithing suit mind you). I named her Twiggy and she was fed baby crickets once a week. I never tried to handle her because she was wild but she was beautiful!


 
Wow, she's pretty. You can buy those at kenthebugguy.com.
Heres my rabid wolf spider:


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## lvandert (Feb 23, 2012)

pretty!


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## AquaKai (Jan 2, 2012)

Those trantulas so make me want to get one. I've always wanted one, but the mother is entirely against them! And beautiful spiders btw.


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## Pilot00 (Jul 24, 2012)

Skawy! I would not be able to sleep with a spider that large in the room.
Then again i am contemplating on having a scorpion...Oh well she looks funny!


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## Pixielator (Jul 22, 2012)

AquaKai said:


> Those trantulas so make me want to get one. I've always wanted one, but the mother is entirely against them! And beautiful spiders btw.


Aw man, that sucks. Idk what to tell you. When I lived with my mom she was completely fine with it. She was already used to me bringing home baby snakes and various bugs from the woods, haha.
But, I did always find that when there was something I shouldn't do (or in your case, get) it was always easier to ask for forgiveness than permission. ;-)
Of course your mom might be different.



Pilot00 said:


> Skawy! I would not be able to sleep with a spider that large in the room.
> Then again i am contemplating on having a scorpion...Oh well she looks funny!


Haha, thats what my sister in law's boyfriend always says.

I did get a scorpion once, but I ended up bringing it back to the pet store because I just wasn't that interested in it. Also it was an emperor scorp so it needed lots of moisture and mold began to grow in its tank at least once a week, it got to be a pain. If I ever get one again (which I probably will), it'll be a desert species so I don't have to worry about mold.

Which species are you thinking about getting?


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## jeremywadejunior (Jul 11, 2012)

Yikes! Scorpions scare me!


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## lvandert (Feb 23, 2012)

I want to say the only species they sell in pet stores is emperor scorpions because of their gentle nature.


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## Pixielator (Jul 22, 2012)

lvandert said:


> I want to say the only species they sell in pet stores is emperor scorpions because of their gentle nature.


In most pet stores thats is. Corporate stores only sell emperors. But I'm lucky enough to have a pet store nearby that sells lots of dangerous venomous bugs. :-D Haha. You just have to be 18 or older or have a parent sign for you when you buy them. Just today I was there looking at a camel spider.
Maybe you have a pet store like that somewhere near you? If not, you can always go online and look at the different species for sale. I can recommend you some good sites if you'd like.


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## lvandert (Feb 23, 2012)

wow! My LPS has baby tarantulas I should figure out what kinda they have


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## finnfinnfriend (Feb 3, 2012)

aokashi said:


> I think it's more fun having one tank to obsess over and rearrange


+1 to that! lol


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## Pixielator (Jul 22, 2012)

lvandert said:


> wow! My LPS has baby tarantulas I should figure out what kinda they have


Let us know when you find out!


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