Betta

X3FiiSHLUVA · 10-27-2006, 10:18 PM

I was thinking about getting my little cousin a betta, shes quite young and i was jsut gonna give her a small bowl for it. When i was talking to her mom, she said that the best spot to keep it would be the bathroom, so that my cousin could easily clean it. the problem is that the bathroom doesnt have any windows and i dont know how the betta would do in the dark.. any opinions on what i should do?

Loman · 10-27-2006, 10:42 PM

There are several boards that are dedicated to Beta's that might have better info but IMO I think you should be okay. They tend to live in fairly harsh conditions such as a bowl with no heater or light. hey like to be a bit solitary so I think you should be okay

gm333 · 10-27-2006, 11:31 PM

Should be fine, if they are worried about it have them put a nightlight in the bathroom, this way it wont be in total darkness. Would be even better if they could put it where it could be viewed regularly.

Tommy Gun · 10-28-2006, 12:45 AM

I agree with gm333 here. To keep this fish in the dark on an almost constant basis would most likely result in a very skittish fish every time the lights come on all of a sudden and go out all of a sudden as well.

Loman would probrably know more about this than me, but I might also be worried about the tank temp during things like hot showers and what not. Think about how cold it is when you first step out of the bathroom from taking a shower. I dont know how long it would take for the air temp in the bathroom to change the tank's temp, but assuming that it is going to be in a small amount of water, I would think that it could change pretty quickly.

Otherwise, I would go get me a really small aquarium like the ones that have everything built right in. That way you could keep a light on the tank during the day, or better yet at night to act as a nightlight. I would assume that the fish would just go through something like 'jet lag' and have to adjust from day being night and vice versa.

My real thinking on this question is why dont they keep it in a more visible spot and when it is time to clean, they could always just carry it to the bath room. I mean, it wouldnt be hooked up to a bunch of air hoses and electrical sockets, and it would be pretty easy to carry in a small bowl (which I really recomend going with a larger bowl or one of those small aquariums). This way the fish would be visible and it would be easier to see if there are any problems going on.

Good luck

Loman · 10-28-2006, 11:40 AM

I admmit I was thinking about my kids bathroom which always has a night light on

. Most of the time the overhead light is on too where they forgot to turn it off

. If the light really is total darkness a lot I would not think that is all that great but could be fixed with a small light. Beta's can take a wider variation of temps than other fish (I use to understand why but I do not recall the details now). Obviously, the comments about keepping it somewhere else is not a bad suggestion and they are easy enough to move. One thing when I really think through this that is probably a bigger concern in the bathroom is the potential to knock the tank over or cover it up with clothes like a towel or something inadvertantly.

jd@ga · 10-28-2006, 11:49 AM

Sounds to me the mom thinks the fish is nasty or something? I would probabley scrap the whole idea. Sorry , that`s just me. I `m not tring to be mean or anything. Although the mom saying that probably was. I have many betas and I wouldn`t dare stick them in a bathroom , might as well stick it in the closet. ppl are funny about pets as gifts sometimes.

X3FiiSHLUVA · 10-28-2006, 08:09 PM

Thanks for all the ideas. Her mom doesnt really want a fish, but the daughters been asking for a pet for so long that shes gonna give in. She figures that if its kept in the bathroom it is more likely to have its water changed and be fed as a daily routine. Is there any other fish that might be better suited for a child of about 8?

Tommy Gun · 10-28-2006, 09:34 PM

LOL, in that case I would get them one of those really loud talking birds, just to make a statement about how nice fish are! Ok, just kidding.

I would think that a betta fish would be the easiest fish for an 8 year old to keep as a first pet. I think many people might also suggest a goldfish, however they are really too messy and can reach too large of a size to keep in a 'bowl' for very long.

I also might rethink your plan as well if you consider the fact that this fish most likely wont last forever and it may be hard to explain to your neice why it wont swim any more. On the other hand, my 9 year old son has seen fish come and go and I felt that it was a good lesson for him to learn. I just wonder if you are going to be putting her parents in a position that they dont really want to be with having to deal with those questions. I realize that sooner or later they will have to deal with that, but it would be up to you if you want to be the cause of it or an otherwise unsuspecting target of her parent's frustrations over the whole thing. It is easy for me to see the positives this can bring to any kid's life, but for others who do not share my love for the hobby, it might be a bit harder to persuade them.

I am going to refrain from making an absolute statement about my opinion on if you should go through with this for now, but if you do, I would probrably go with a betta fish as they are probrably the stronger fish because they do not need so much oxygen in the water as others (including goldfish) and will not get too large for the small vessel you are thinking about keeping it in. Although, I would suggest getting one of those small aquariums with the built in lights and filtration system just to increase the chances of survival. I have a couple of them around for things like feeder ghost shrimp and three danios in my kids room (which I forget to clean and feed sometimes myself) and they are pretty awesome. Relatively cheap to when you look at the prices of some 'bowls' and all the decor and what not. The only issue there would be having to cycle the tank a bit to get the filter up to snuff (most of them I have seen are bio-wheel type filters) but I wouldnt think that it would take too long to get a couple gallons ready for a fish.

RedBaron · 10-29-2006, 09:01 AM

As an off thought, can you set up a tank for her at your house? A small 3G tank for "her" betta that when she comes to visit she has something to look forward to? I agree with the other posters, it is not a wise choice to procure a pet against the wishes of the parents.

This could be setup as a unique adventure between cousins. Between the two of you, you can help advise, create and maintain her fish. I am sure that the parents would not mind having the "pet" at another location, but it gives her the chance to be a part of it.

msemanuel · 10-29-2006, 09:12 AM

I would have to agree with tommy on the small tank part of it. Why not get a small tank cycle it at your house then present it to the girl. Give the beta a better shot of survival. I did this with a girlfriends/wifes daughter four years later she still has it. Ya we have replaced a few fish here and there. But theres a tetra in there thats been there since i got the thing. Its a 5gln tank. Thats my 2 cents