# RANT: Bowl life



## carolineelisabeth (Oct 15, 2012)

UGH. So my friend has a BEAUTIFUL betta. Like, Ive never seen such a pretty boy. Greens, reds, purples, blues, all over his fins. Too bad, because his fins are shriveled... He lives in a .25 gallon bowl. Its like the capacity of a large soup bowl, maybe. They still haven't gotten him food, its been about a week since they ran out, and his bowl is nasty dirty. Cloudy water. I asked them if they wanted to give him to me, but they said its their fish and they love it. I feel as if if you loved him, he would be in a big bowl with food and clean water...


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## harleraven (Sep 4, 2012)

Oh man, I hate when people say they love an animal and use that as an excuse to not give it to someone who can actually take care of it. It'll be REAL great when it dies. -.-


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## LadyVictorian (Nov 23, 2011)

Have you told them about your concerns for the fish? Maybe they don't knwo what they are doing is bad.


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## carolineelisabeth (Oct 15, 2012)

oops, i meant to say big tank, not big bowl!

And yes, I have. I told them all about how he needs more space to live, and a healthier diet. I am going to give her a spare tank of mine, but its only a little bigger (2 gallons), and a small filter for him. I have some food for them too. I just wish that some people wouldnt get a fish if they can't/wont take care of them the way they deserve.


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## ChoclateBetta (Jul 22, 2012)

You are a true saint remember the heater also I used to keep carter in a bowl not anymore.


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## lelei (Apr 30, 2012)

I Had to do the same thing for a friend of mine, I showed her pix, and explained that proper care means everything, she asked me how my fishy's looked so good, and how they grow and swim so much..I told her plain strait..MORE ROOM, and Good food, and a regular water changing schedule..and now she is proud to say she has 2 bettas in 2- 3 gallon tanks, and takes much better care of them, and would never have beleived that it was needed, cuz the Petstore told her differently..


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## LadyVictorian (Nov 23, 2011)

I am going through the same thing with my step sister. She has a betta in a .5 gallon bowl in the bastment where room temp is almost always 65 degrees constant and in winter gets to 50 bellow. I don't think he will survive the winter to be honest.


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## stephanier (Jul 15, 2012)

I put my first betta in a 1/2 gallon "tank" and it died in 5 days :-(. I then bought a 2.5 gallon tank and had another betta who lived for 3 months (he got sick and, despite my efforts, he died from whatever he had). I just a new betta who seems very healthy . I keep learning more and more about how to better care for them. When I have the experience and the space, I'd like to have a bigger, divided tank


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## ChoclateBetta (Jul 22, 2012)

LadyVictorian said:


> I am going through the same thing with my step sister. She has a betta in a .5 gallon bowl in the bastment where room temp is almost always 65 degrees constant and in winter gets to 50 bellow. I don't think he will survive the winter to be honest.


I would have bought it from her and either kept or adopted it out.


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## LadyVictorian (Nov 23, 2011)

She refuses to give it up because it's HER fish and besides she said if it dies she can just buy a new one. I said if it dies it died because of her poor care and not to get another. She's just one of those people and at that age.


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## ChoclateBetta (Jul 22, 2012)

I would print out piles of info and leave it in her mailbox or call our arch enemy PeTA or complain.


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## Pitluvs (Jun 22, 2011)

Don't feel bad about giving her a 2g tank for that boy, that is going to feel like a mansion for him after being in that 0.25g bowl! There are still many here who feel a 2g is acceptable  Just make sure it's heated, as I am SURE she's not going to run out and buy a heater for it lol


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## LadyVictorian (Nov 23, 2011)

I'm almost tempted to buy my stepsis a new bowl and heater just so her fish can have a better home. Maybe a 2.5, they can be pretty cheap and easy to heat.


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## ChoclateBetta (Jul 22, 2012)

Most people who keep bettas in bowls do not know they are curious,active, and colorful.


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## Pitluvs (Jun 22, 2011)

I have actually convinced others to upgrade to a larger tank, and they were amazed at the difference in their fish. They do bloom when it larger spaces!


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## ChoclateBetta (Jul 22, 2012)

Yeah carter just stayed on the surface of his bowl now carter is super active and curious/aggressive I could divide it but the 10 gallon looks great.


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## Friendlyfishies (Aug 16, 2012)

Ive been there too...some family members have them and I try and help them out, they roll their eyes and shrug it off, its sad


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## ChoclateBetta (Jul 22, 2012)

Bettas are so abused.


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## carolineelisabeth (Oct 15, 2012)

I will tell you this, when I first got my Betta, I didnt intend to. I wanted to get a guinea pig, but my boyfriend said we just did not have the space for a guinea pig as they also need large homes (most of the cages in pet stores arent big enough for them!) He convinced me to get a fish, as he knew they didn't require GIANT homes like a guinea. I should have done my research, but I didn't. I just got Chops. The pet store said that one- gold fish and bettas can live together, and that they require minimal effort. They tried to talk me into the same 'bowl' my friend has (a little 'decorative' office bowl with no room whatsoever) because it was more expensive. But after I said no to that, they said they only need a bowl. Again, being inexperienced, I got the bowl, gravel, and food they said that they require. After setting everything up, I did my research for several weeks and found out that bowls are NOT GOOD for bettas and even though they aren't giant fish, they need tanks, heat, food, filters, all the works. I have Chops in a 10 gallon, Claudia in a 20, and Felix is in a 2 gallon until I can get a bigger one this weekend. 

So, yes, beginners make mistakes, but if someone who knows better tells you what you can do to prolong their lives, then they should listen. 

Also, my crowntail I just got definitely has fin rot :/ Nothing I do is fixing it...


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## Sena Hansler (Aug 24, 2011)

We went out and got my boyfriend's sister's fish a 1.5 which was a big upgrade from a 0.5... she took it lol. I also gave her proper food. If advice is not the best weapon, pull out the big guns! We had to for her. "You should really get a bigger tank." reply: "it takes up too much room." Well we went out on purpose and got her one anyways, and she realized it was NOT too big.


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## ChoclateBetta (Jul 22, 2012)

Yeah for some reason people think a 2.5 takes up like ten feet from there response.


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## Thebettaqueen (Feb 20, 2012)

I remember when my friend had about 3 different bettas because she thought they were 'pretty and replacable after they die." Ugh. Her 'bowl' was so narrow, poor things didn't stand a chance against that lazy individual...>.>


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## ChoclateBetta (Jul 22, 2012)

I am so lazy I gave Carter a ten gallon less cleaning as Carters owner he is not replaceable I will always remember him after the day he dies he used to be in a bowl no one ever told me bowls were bad I gave him a heater figuring it was good then when I had the room after getting my appendiz out my parents let me set up Carters 10 gallon had spare room I never heard the myths.


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## Thebettaqueen (Feb 20, 2012)

ChoclateBetta said:


> I am so lazy I gave Carter a ten gallon less cleaning as Carters owner he is not replaceable I will always remember him after the day he dies he used to be in a bowl no one ever told me bowls were bad I gave him a heater figuring it was good then when I had the room after getting my appendiz out my parents let me set up Carters 10 gallon had spare room I never heard the myths.


I had no idea bowls were bad either until I did research; that's when my betta obsession started XD It started out with one, then two, then 6, now 13...I'll never stop! XD


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## ChoclateBetta (Jul 22, 2012)

I only have two but they are not complaining I spend almost all my money on Carter.


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## Sena Hansler (Aug 24, 2011)

I do not mind bowls too much, preferably a gallon and up though. Many peoe are fed bad information, by stores and media and think buying those deadly chemicals (that "remove" waste) is the best way of cleaning. I don't ever use chemicals like that


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## ChoclateBetta (Jul 22, 2012)

My Betta rule is any tank with a Betta on front is bad.


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## Neight (Oct 20, 2012)

My betta is housed in a one gallon tank, with a hidey-hut and a plant. I do a fifty percent water change everyday, and a one hundred percent every week. I think if the size is about a gallon, though not under, and the owner isn't lazy, the fish will thrive. People seem to think that the big set ups with fancy-schmancy everything are what people are suggesting when they say the betta needs more room, but in reality, that 'more room' can be as little as a large fish bowl, so long as they're willing to put the work into it. If they're not, yeah the betta needs a bigger tank with more money put into it, and if they're not willing to do that, either, then they shouldn't be allowed to have fish... I agree with what everyone is saying, except for the fact that they must be kept in tanks. Better, yes. Necessary, not really.


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## ChoclateBetta (Jul 22, 2012)

In my opinion a 1 gallon does not leave a lot of excerise but just my opinion.


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## Neight (Oct 20, 2012)

I know. At the moment it's a bare minimum, but as I type this, I am waiting for a reply to a tank I am looking to buy- a 10 gallon.


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## ChoclateBetta (Jul 22, 2012)

I have a ten too Carter loves it can not wait too see it.


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