Re: Why are bettas typically kept in room-tempature water?

Thank you very much for all the information about bettas and the nasty
conditions in which they're usually kept. I knew that thinking that they
actually do better in small spaces was absurd, but I wasn't entirely sure
about temperature, wondering if there was a reason other than commercial for
keeping them at room temperature. I'm glad to know that a betta will indeed
do better if transferred from a unheated bowl to a real, heated aquarium. I
figured it would prefer the heat, but was worried about the temperature
change shock. I guess that as long as the change is gradual a betta will be
very happy with such a move.

Francois


"TYNK 7" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote in message
news:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> >Subject: Why are bettas typically kept in room-tempature water?
> >From: "François Arsenault" [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> >Date: 11/25/2003 3:01 PM Central Standard Time
> >Message-id: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> >
> >Hello everyone,
> >
> >There's something that has always puzzled me about bettas. From what I've
> >read, not only are they tropical fish, but they actually prefer higher
water
> >temperatures than most tropical fish. So why are they typically kept in
> >room-temperature water? Is it because they're more adaptable than most
> >tropical fish? Or did someone at one point say "Well, they're very
elegant,
> >colorful, attractive, they tolerate low levels of oxygen fairly well,
> >they're not very active and don't produce much waste. They'd be perfect
for
> >selling to people, who could keep them in small, unfiltered, stagnant
bowls.
> >A cheap, convenient pet for customers, and very lucrative for us. So what
if
> >they live in warm water? Adding a heater to a small container costs more
and
> >isn't as convient. Not as many people would buy them if we told them they
> >need the heat. So let's pretend bettas can tolerate them and let people
> >treat them the same  nasty way they treat goldfish"?
> >
>
> Sadly, this is the case.
> They easily mass produced, and can *survive* in those nasty conditions.
> Also, Goldfish are the LAST fish that should ever be put in a bowl. Poor
> things.
>
>
>
>
>
> >Now, if people are under the delusion that just because bettas tolerate
> >smaller spaces better than most they do just fine is small jars, is it
the
> >same thing for temperature? I mean, is keeping them at room temperature
also
> >a form of abuse? It is just a commercial thing that disregards the
comfort
> >of the fish, or are bettas really more tolerant of colder water than most
> >tropical fish, despite their natural preference for warmer water?
>
> The difference is that Bettas can survive in small spaces of low
oxygenated
> water.
> This was Mother Nature's way of allowing these fish to survive the
dry/drought
> season. This is also their doom. As somebody had the bright idea of
marketing
> these lovely fish this way. They decided it would be best to tell everyone
that
> this is how they prefer tolive...therefore no guilt on their part.
> If I hear one more person say."they prefer it because they live in little
mud
> puddles in rice paddies."
> ::rolls eyes::
> Rice paddies about the size of a lake and are about 18 inches deep. This
is not
> the case in the dry season, which is what folks are talking about when
they say
> "small mud puddles".
> This is why they developed their labyrinth organ. So they *could* survive
until
> the rains came again and everyting went back to normal.
> http://www.bettadreams.com/ricepaddies.html
> Check out the link above. It'll show what a rice paddy looks like.
> Not a little mud puddle.
>
>
> >
> >Also, assuming a betta is relatively tolerant of room-temperature water
> >(after all, some do manage to live a few years in there, though whether
> >they're happy is another matter), how well would it take a transfer from
a
> >heated tank to colder water? For instance, if a pet store keeps some
bettas
> >in heated tanks (where they really should be kept), as some do, and then
a
> >customer buys one to keep in a unheated bowl, does the betta have a good
> >chance of adapting reasonably well, or will it be a nasty shock for it?
It
> >seems to me that any radical change in temperature isn't good news for
any
> >fish.
> >
> >What about a betta that's used to colder water who gets transferred to a
> >warmer tank? The warmer water is closer to the betta's natural habitat,
but
> >what about the temperature shock? If it lives it may get used to it and
> >actually be happier than in his old container, but isn't the transition
> >traumatizing for the fish?
>
> Bettas that are used to being kept properly don't fair so well went moved
to
> cooler water and cramped quarters. They actually mope about and pout.
Their
> color is blah too.
> On the other fin, put a Betta that has lived in a room temp bowl and add
him to
> large tank, water temp about 78*f and he's king of the world!
> It's color will become vibrant and he/she (sex doesn't matter) will become
> quite active.
> Some poor things have been kept in such small bowls for most of their
lives
> need to learn how to swim.
> When first added to a tank with a filter the current seems to blow them
all
> over thank. These need time to learn what those fins can do.
> Once they learn...they swim the length of the tank...no matter if it's a
gallon
> or a 55g tank...back and forth...and quickly too.
> Those who claim these are slow moving fish hasn't seen these fish swim!
> They are *not* slow at all.
> The reason they are considered "slow moving fish" in the hobby is because
of
> being kept in small bowls.
>
>
>
> >
> >Anyway, maybe I'm wrong and bettas actually don't mind typical
goldfish-like
> >conditions. But I'd be very interested to know what people think about
this.
> >
>
> You're not wrong at all.
> People (years ago) used to know how to take proper care of these fish.
> Then the doo doo hit the fan. Some dimwit thought it would be a great idea
to
> make a gift. One that would cost almost nothing to make, and they could
charge
> $50 bucks for!
> They stick a Betta in a small vase and stick a Lily plant on top of it.
Tell
> them that they don't even need to feed the fish, as it would eat algae off
the
> Lily's roots.
> That's when Bettas (and the mispronunciation as "bait-uh" instead of
"bet-uh")
> started being kept so poorly.
> I've been keeping them for close to 26 yrs now. I specialize in them and
it
> makes me sad/mad/crazy/ angry/happy all at the same time. I like that they
have
> become popular, in the way that more folks can know what great fish these
> are..personalities to each of them, knowing who you are is a pretty cool
thing
> for a fish to do with it's keeper. Also, it has brought the better fin
> varieties to the general public, such as Delta, Comb and Crowntails.
Better
> coloring has come too.
> However, there's always a price to be paid.
> The Bettas are paying for it bigtime.
>
>