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Betta fish and plant set up

they say that the betta eat the roots of the plant wich is true. but, my 3 only live 3 months. But then i got a bottle of betta food and fed him every other day and ive had him for almost 3 years. just thought you might want to know this

thanks
mike
 
What only lived 3 months the plant? I think thats why in that site they say to use a cup to keep the plant in so it allways has some roots in the cup that the fish cant eat .What ever roots are growing out of the cup holes the fish may eat but it should not kill the plant because the plant will have some roots in the cup to keep it alive

I. I was just looking at the Hydroponics Forum at another site and found someone put this link .

It looks cool I may try it my self .
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totally not true at all ,my experiance with bettas have made me an metuar and i've also bred mine , bettas that live in those vases with the plants in them , the bettas do not eat the roots nor the plant . they are not herbivores they are carnivores , no wonder yours lived for 3 months , mines lived in the vase with the plant , i feed him pellets and he has lived for4 years and is still alive and very big . the second thing , betas do not need oxygen but the prefer a small amount of room .
 
Well... I'm sure that without oxygen Bettas would die quite quickly... Just like any other aerobic organism on this planet. They simply go to the surface to get their oxygen. A mechanism they've retained from their little puddle dwelling cousins in asia... They're gills are greatly reduced...

And the fact that they prefer tight/small containers is more myth than truth. They *can* live in small places because of the fact that they can breath from the surface of their water bowls, but you may notice captive bread Bettas are rather lethargic, and possibly mishappend. They are fish, and they need to excercise. Although aggressive in breeding, and do have tha pinash to fight back at other fish, Bettas are timid, adn merely need places to hide, and swim around in. So a massive tank with lots of castles and plants would be preffered by a Betta, over a tiny bowl...

On to the plants.

I had a floating plant in with my betta... As long as you keep the fish *well* fed (not over fed, baaad), it will leave them alone, barring the odd pecking here and there... I left my fishy alone for a tad bit longer than was healthy, adn he simply demolished the plant. It ripped every single leaf off of the plant, and left only small pieces of severed stem. They are carnivorous by nature, but will obviously revert to herbivory, like alot of other creatures (dogs, cats...) would without the presence of an adequate food source...
 
Please, please, please, please... Never keep a betta in anything less than 2 gallons, always provide filtration, always provide proper nutritional food, and NEVER believe anything you hear/read about them liking small spaces. To do anything else is not only abusive, it will guarantee that your fish will have an unaturally short, disease prone life.

As for eating the plant, or plant roots, they aren't. They are eating the micro organisms on the plants... often these "little buggies" hide at the base of the plant leaves/roots.. thus why the betta rips the plant to shreds... it's hunting.
 
One more quick note.... the plant is not providing air... the leaves give off oxygen, not the roots.
 
Bettas need at least 1 gallon of water - you do a middle of the week 25% to 50% water change and once every week you do a full change - that means cleaning the gravel, any decorative plants (I use silk - plastic can rip their fins). The water must be conditioned - they can do great in small unfiltered bowls no filter is needed - have to get the chlorine out. Letting water sit for a day or so will not get rid of the chlorine. Bettas are also meat eaters. I use Hikari Betta Bio-Gold pellets - they float and mine are now both "trained" to come to my hand and I give them about 3 pellets 2x a day - they eat it immediately. Don't overfeed! Live plants in the water can be ok, I guess, as long as you keep everything CLEAN, leave plenty of room at the top for the Bettas to come up to breathe. yes, Bettas breathe air.
 
sorry , i meant they did not need an air stone , of coarse they need oxygen .
 
  • #10
Betta's breath atomosphere, hence thier classifiction as labyrinth fishes (also know as Anabantids) along with Gouramis as well as the climbing perch.
Labyrinths are so called because they are equipped with an auxiliary sponge-like breathing chamber just above the gills. This chamber, or labyrinth, lets the fishes breathe atmospheric air, therefore allowing them to survive in oxygen-deficient habitats and "crawl" out of the water in search of better environments.
Not all of them crawl.

Peace
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  • #11
</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (Sarracenia0 @ Nov. 03 2002,4:24)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">they say that the betta eat the roots of the plant wich is true. but, my 3 only live 3 months.  But then i got a bottle of betta food and fed him every other day and ive had him for almost 3 years.  just thought you might want to know this

thanks
mike[/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>
Not to start an arguement but, bettas don't eat plant roots, Mike. Bettas are strictly carnivorous fish, therefore they can't and won't eat plant roots. Giving a betta a plant to eat is like giving a VFT a leaf to eat. I'm not suprised that your three bettas didn't live but for three months with you feeding them roots.

But thanks for telling everybody that. I hope people will take heed to your post about your fish dieing because you believed everyone else and fed them roots. Maybe now people will get the point that the bottom line is: <span style='color:red'>don't make your bettas eat roots!</span>
 
  • #12
Go to www.bettaaddicts.com and see what I am talking about. The members are signing a proposal against the Lily vase. This is the worst set up for a Betta. They die in 3 months. I own 3 and they live peacefully in their 3 gallon vases. Each one has a lamp and also a nice set-up. They like scenery. They are totally carnivorous. The best things to feed them is pellets and for treats I have bloodworms and shrimp. They love live food.
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Go and check up the proposal and sign it if you have a betta and want the best for them
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