Rant time. The longer I keep bettas, the angrier I get when I see things like this.
Bettas are not decorations, they are living animals. At the very, very least they should have a gallon of water, and even that isn’t really suitable unless you have minimal decor to give them maximum swimming room.
I don’t really understand why people buy small glasses like this, because it’s not like it’s any more difficult to care for if you put it in a larger bowl. You can easily make larger containers just as visually beautiful, if not more so!
"But I’ve kept my betta in this vase for a long time now and he’s survived."
Yes, but what if I stuck you in a closet for years and brought you food and water everyday? You’d survive. Not comfortably or happily, but you’d survive. You wouldn’t keep your dog pent up in a kennel his whole life would you? No, that’s something that we call animal police on.
That’s exactly how it is for these fish. They can “survive” in these conditions but it’s a very cruel and sad form of life. Nitrates and ammonia build up in the water from their own waste, which can make it hard for them to breath and can even poison them if not changed constantly.
"But my fish doesn’t even do anything, he lays around on the top/bottom all day."
That’s called depression. Any adequate betta owner can tell you that most of these fish are actually quite active if they actually have the swimming room to be so. In a small glass like one of these, what else is there to do but sit around and do nothing? There isn’t space to do anything else. And his poor fins! Wouldn’t you like to see how beautiful they truly are? Too bad he has no room to spread them out in that little cup of his, he can only keep them cramped together.
I can guarantee that there is a remarkable difference when you transfer one of these creatures from a small glass to an actual bowl (Ideally 2.5 gal and up). Make sure the water is either tap water if you have a well, or treated tap water if you live off a town water system. It should also be between 70-80 degrees (all fish’s preferences will vary); if your house is already pretty toasty, that’s fine, but if not they have tiny little betta heaters you can purchase for very little cost. Put in some decorations or toys, and feed him more than just pellets. Dried brine shrimp can easily be found in the fish food section. Now give him a week or so, and watch his personality change. Given adequate living space/temp, good food, and even some interaction from you, he will become much happier and healthier - and prettier!
"But those small containers are just so lovely."
Trust me, I know, I love interior design. As a suggestion, I’d say you could get one of these and put him in it for a night if you were having a dinner party and used it as a center piece. But only a night! In the morning he should go back to his real home. And what’s so hard about having a decorative large environment anyway? There are a million different colors of plants, statues, and gravel for you to choose from! Why not pick some out that have a theme or compliment his colors? It really wouldn’t be any more trouble for you to clean every week or two, it only takes about ten minutes. Put him in a holding cup, take out his decor and rinse them off with your hands (no soap!) and then shift his stones around in the water to loosen the waste so you can just strain it out. Fill it back up, put decor back, and put him in (remember, you need to acclimate your fish back into the water, don’t dump him back in right away or the temperature change will send him into shock). Those things are all really simple to attend to, no more effort than keeping him in a tiny little bowl. Except now, both you and him will benefit from it.
DO YOUR RESEARCH like you would for ANY new pet.
These fish can be extremely personable if you let them. Stop betta abuse.
They are not decorations, they are living creatures.
