Betta, The Best Pet Fish?
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- Опубликовано: 17 ноя 2024
- Bettas, also known as Siamese fighting fish, are one of the most common pets in the world. This isn't hard to figure out. They are extremely beautiful and can live in a cup. We have been keeping them for centuries. But is the betta a good pet? Is the betta the best pet fist for you? Let's find out!
#clintsreptiles #betta #bettafish
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I really want to see that dance! 💃
I would get a huge kick out of Jason’s betta dance! 😂
Not sure if this is the best place to ask, but how heavy do Ackie Monitors get regularly?
I know this sounds weird but can you do a video on if garden snails are the best pets because they are actually pretty good as pets
You should do axolotls next
Snowflake Moray?
I love bettas and I agree with the score. However, I'm personally giving them extra brownie points for being able to recognize their owners and come greet them when they approach the tank. And that they can be trained too.
Right!! Clint didn't even cover how smart and interactable a betta can be!
I thought the 4 in handling was going to be the fact that you can actually *play* with your betta in a safe manner. Little floating toys and logs, teaching it to follow your finger, things like that.
Yes! I raised Bettas in college, and got them habituated enough to eat pellets off the tips of my fingers. I could lower my fingertip into their tanks with pellets on it and they'd dart over to daintily pluck them off.
I can't think of a more social fish, generally speaking.
As do most fish.
As someone who kept aquariums all my life (in third generation) I am so thankful you did not sugar-coat fishkeeping. I am convinced fish are the most mistreated pet. So many people think it's just normal to buy a new "cup" or goldfish for their goldfish bowl (terrible tank choice) every week, even though they can live for years with just.. some preparation. Namely filtered, cycled, appropriate enclosures with plenty of hiding spaces, plants and lighting.
I'm right there with you. My friends know I'm a fish keeper, and they've all seen my bettas over the years... So a friend messaged me asking for advice on his new betta. I gave him the best and most accurate advice that I could, and he got mad at me and told me that I was wrong. That two bettas, shrimp and snails in a 5 gallon split enclosure was fine. It's so frustrating. Why message me if you're going to tell ME I'm wrong? I've only been keeping bettas successfully for 12 years. What do I know?
@@Venslor I am sorry to hear that. I always try to ease my acquaintances who keep fish like that into responsible fish keeping very carefully, often showing them my own tanks and what it takes to maintain them. I am always scared they will react the way your friend did. Often they realize how much work and knowledge goes into keeping actual nice tanks instead of the little plastic betta desk tanks...
I would consider myself more of an aquarium gardener really. The fish are just the cherry on top, the birds in the trees so to speak. ☺️
@@atherisGAY Aquarium Gardener is the PERFECT way to “quickly” explain a lot of fish-keeping details!!! I will use that in future conversations!!🙂🙂
Used to work as the aquatic specialist at Petco and I spent more time telling people that they couldn’t keep fish with their current setup(or that I’m not going to sell them a fish at the same time they are buying their tanks for setup) then I did actually selling fish to anybody.
Especially Goldfish, the kings of mistreatment. You can’t convince someone to spend $200+ on a setup for a .19cent fish.
Good luck keeping plants in a goldfish tank lol
In my early 20’s, I had bettas in planted tanks all over my first apartment. Seeing them do “fish zoomies” when they are put in an aquarium for the first time is so joyous. They are wonderful, beautiful, personable little animals. I adore them.
Fish zoomies 😭😭
I'll never forget when ours was introduced into a 25gal planted community tank (a couple of old tetras, platys and a cory, nothing she'd take issue with) and was just like :D and checking out every nook and corner. It was clearly her best day ever.
Clint, has this uncanny ability to explain things to you like you’re 5 years old. Which is perfect, for someone like myself who doesn’t know anything about a specific topic, like beta fish. I think it takes an incredible amount of knowledge to explain something so simply, as he does with everything, reptile/animal related.
Thank you so much.
I COMPLETELY agree!! I love these videos- my Attention Deficit Disorder doesn’t flare up!!🙂🙂
I think it's better than that. He "explains everything like you're a five year old" but doesn't sound condescending at all. You can really tell that he's extremely passionate about animals.
Something I learned about Betta's the hard way is that they can and will jump. My ten-gallon lid had a minor gap due to the heater and filter wires, and two hours after putting my new buddy in the tank, he made a break for it. While I was able to recover him, and he survived the initial shock to his system, he had fallen a fair distance and ended up passing away later that night. Please ensure your water level is low enough that they cannot jump out if you are using a lidless tank, or ensure you have a lid that does not have any gaps for them to escape through.
Truest words ever spoken. My Aunt lost a Betta that way too.
My roommate in college had a Betta, & she didn’t pay much attention to it.
One day it JUST VANISHED!!!
We panicked & looked EVERYWHERE for it!! (Fast forward to the end of the semester when we were moving out… & THERE IT WAS….stuck to the top of her headboard like a prized, taxidermy trophy fish!! We couldn’t believe we never saw him until then!!! (At least we found him & were able to give it a proper burial, even if it WAS months after he passed!!)
That is a good point. It was an oversight leaving that out of the video.
I do love trying to think about what's going on in the head of a betta fish, because they're such cute little tiny beautiful fish, And they're just complete hyper violent maniacs.
I once had to change my betta's fake plant bc it thought its another betta (had some red leaves) and attacked it
Blurp blurp blurp murder
somewhat intelligent, prob thinking when that human that keeps staring at me is gonna give me food.
WHAT'S THAT COLOURFUL BLOB AAAAARGH BETTER FLARE AT THIS SPECK OFF DUST...FEED ME?
Really cute gang members … AYO CUH YOU GOT COLORS RUN IT
Well explained! I’d also like to add that plakat bettas, which are basically short-finned bettas, are an option. Their fins don’t weigh them down as much as a regular betta’s, which allows them to swim much more easily. They are also much more resistant to fin damage. In my opinion, they are just as beautiful and healthier than regular bettas.
Alternatively, you could get a female betta, which have similar benefits.
I love plakat bettas sooo much! I have a koi plakat named Hoshi (star in Japanese)
Dumbo plakats are a personal favourite. IMO they have the best combo of fancy big pectoral fins while still being streamlined and short-finned enough otherwise to have a long, healthy life.
I'm a big fan. I'm considering an Alien betta for my 16gal. They have those same compact fins so the current in there should be ok.
I have a female koi plakat and she is a sassy murder fish lol!
@@amuseinthecraftroom6257 I will always vouch for the alien betta, i got one for my 20 gal, and the community of chili-rasporas, shrimp, snails and my betta often raise a few eyebrows from people who don't know much about different betta fish:D such a pretty and agile fish
When you think of the phrase "beginner fish", goldfish is usually the first species to come to mind for inexperienced people. But experienced fishkeepers know that the betta is the true best beginner fish, for all the reasons Clint laid out in this video. The best thing you can say about goldfish is that they don't usually require a heated aquarium. Otherwise, they're pretty high-maintenance fish that produce a huge amount of nitrogenous waste compared to other common home aquarium species. Also, as Clint said, DON'T keep your betta in a cup or even a fishbowl. That's animal cruelty, IMO. A 10-gallon/40-liter tank should be the absolute minimum for an adult male betta.
Goldfish are by no means a beginner fish is the worst part, bettas can be easily be kept in a small-ish (5-10g) aquarium with relatively minimal care and still do quite well
I am still very confused by his comment on the females. My girls never fought. I guess if you had too many but they live in little groups normally with 3-5 being a good number
10 gallons is absolutely not the “absolute minimum” for a betta. 5 gallons is plenty.
@@darcieclements4880 depends on personality I guess
I’d say a absolute minimum would be a 5 gallon
I sold fish at two different aquarium shops for about five years in the mid-late 00s, I can add a few details to think about when it comes to common bettas.
On Sight - the males are inclined to fight on sight. those big racks of betta cups you see in stores? they all have line of sight to each other. they are literally surrounded by enemies. you'll often see them flaring and trying to get at each other through the cups, but fancy bettas are bred for looks and not endurance, so they'll give up quickly (before they rub their faces raw on the side of the cup). this is still stressful on the fish. if you have bettas in two different tanks with clear line of sight within a few feet of each other, make sure they have plenty of cover so they're not eyeballing each other all day.
the use of cards or other sight blockers in between individual betta cups reflects well on a fish store.
Territory Size - 120+ gallons in a very wide (at least 18 square footprint), heavily planted tank is not enough. a male fancy betta will claim all of that for himself. at one of the stores we had these enormous flat wide plant stock tanks, full of cover. and we kept the betta cups on top of these tanks. sometimes one would fall in and come open and the betta would get out, and we'd leave it there because a betta under high intensity plant lights in a literal field of green looks *amazing*. but sometimes, a second cup would fall in. they only have the endurance to do a few laps of pursuit (meaning one fish has already lost the fight and is trying to retreat) across a six foot wide tank, and if we didn't spot that happening and extract one of them in time, the loser could wind up hiding, scrunched up vertically in a broad-leafed plant, for a week or more.
Conspecific Aggression and Predation - obviously avoid housing with other bettas species, probably a good idea to stay clear of other small anabantids too. avoid small invertebrates (usually dwarf shrimp) and anything bite sized (livebearer fry) if you want to keep such things alive. common knowledge is to avoid male fancy guppies on account of their similarly flowing tails. in one store a betta did manage to jump into the male fancy guppy tank, where it would occasionally attempt to chase them, but lose track in the swarm and give up. this is still aggression, the betta was simply overwhelmed by the target rich environment, and it's still stressful on the betta. we did move the betta to another tank after realizing what was happening (on first sighting, it was not in pursuit, and we thought "maybe it's okay like this?").
if anything, other fish, even community fish, are more likely to pick on a male fancy betta. their fins are irresistible to anything with bitey inclinations. absolutely no tiger barbs! rasboras are usually alright. danios and tetras vary, and may require some caution. even moreso with barbs. platies are fine. swordtails are fine *unless* you wind up with an aggressive male. mollies will not bother the betta directly but are such boisterous eaters that the betta might not get enough food.
displaying bettas in main tanks with appropriate tankmates reflects well on a fish store.
The Ladies - although they are still territorial, it is possible to apply an African lake cichlid mentality to female fancy bettas. In a small group, the weakest fish will be focused on and eventually killed, repeat until there's only one fish left. but in a group of 10 or more, they are overwhelmed and no one fish comes out wholly on top or at the bottom, replacing focused aggression with a constant low-level tension. this is still an artificial imposition and stressful on all of the fish, so while it is an arguably suitable approach for a store trying to keep as many bettas in main tanks as possible, I don't think I can really suggest this for a home aquarium.
Winter, and using Indian Almond Leaf - the colder it gets, the worse it is for a betta. even 40F will not kill a betta instantly in and of itself, but the fish will be so weak that it will be attacked and overwhelmed by bacterial and fungal growth in only a couple of hours. I know this, because one winter, my house heater stopped working in the middle of the night.
I also know this, because at *both* stores, we would lose 90%+ of bettas we received in the winter, most of those on the first day. be very cautious buying bettas from stores if the average temperature in your area drops below 60F. even if the store is doing its absolute best, you don't know what conditions are at the distributors, you don't know what conditions are during bulk shipping and transportation (usually bad - a lot of places don't transport bettas in cups, they put them in these 2 cubic inch bags with only enough water to half-cover the fish). not all distributors are equal, of course, but all of the ones in our area always produced the exact same results in the winter. now, if a betta makes it through all that and has been doing fine at the store for a week, it should be safe, but do consider having some basic insulation to contain the bag or cup in so that your own transportation conditions don't cause any complications for the fish.
I personally cut winter betta losses at both stores down to about 50%. because I had previously read about Indian Almond Leaf and if there was any time to try it, this was it. fancy bettas aren't just a tropical fish, they're a blackwater fish. they're from swamps. they like tannins and other plant compounds, and Indian Almond Leaf seems to produce their ideal conditions while also suppressing hostile bacterial and fungal growth to some degree. keep in mind, the stuff isn't magic, 50% losses is still absolutely horrible, but at least it's not 90%+.
honesty about the condition fish are received in, having some sort of quarantine period, and knowing about - or even better, selling - Indian Almond Leaf all reflect well on a fish store.
Best internet comment: WON!!! (Thank you- this is VERY helpful & interesting information!!)🙂
The pet stores in my country have adopted a unique style of aquarium for their bettas- a series of tiny tanks that are all linked together to a centralised water cycling system underneath.
The water gets properly cleaned this way and the temperatures remain even while keeping everyone safe and secure.
You certainly see WAY less sick and dying fish than you used to since they were added.
There exist stores that keep bettas like that in the USA as well, but it's an expensive system to set up for what's usually a pretty cheap fish. I would say only stores that at least partially specialize in selling rare varieties of bettas that fetch a higher price would really consider it.
@@FishFosh All chain pet stores are owned by corporations that make over millions and absolutely can afford to install such systems. Especially considering its mostly chain stores that keep them in cups.
VERY interesting- I haven’t heard of those- a cool new research project!!!🙂
That is how they use to keep them in the USA before the parasite issues made it unrealistic.
@@archkull of course they can afford to, but they cut costs at every corner to maximize profit, it's the nature of corporate pet stores. profit over animal welfare unfortunately. more stringent animal welfare regulations are needed.
I wish you would have talked about how bettas can recognize their owners faces, and also about the benefits of a heavily planted tank for these fish!
So glad you talked about having a 10 gallon heated and filtered aquarium for these guys, they are one of the most mistreated pet fish (besides comet goldfish) and they really deserve to be treated properly and everyone be educated on how amazing they are!
I'm in the UK and I've never seen a fish in a cup in a pet store, I imagine the regulations are different here. And I think the public would probably get a bit upset about it. I had no idea this was an acceptable way to keep them for a short time. Thanks for educating me again, Clint :)
I'd say some pet stores choose better cups then others. i've seen pet stores keep them in dyed blue water, and the fish inside is literally rotting away. I really wish we protected them a little more here :/
@@XxYamiNoEnzeruxX The blue is very likely Methylene Blue (aka methylthioninium chloride), it's an anti-fungal and anti-parasitic treatment... but healthy fish would not need it. And I doubt it helped them in any significant way.
Just curious how do they keep betas? Does each one have it’s own tank?
@@atherisGAY They're shipped in it, I assume to essentially use the shipping time as a treatment. You're supposed to change the water when you get them in the store, and then every few days.
It’s definitely not preferred but it is common here particularly in chain pet stores. The whole breathing air thing really helps, but then there is no filtration and I can’t imagine what happens to fish that aren’t sold as quickly…
I saw a sad looking betta in one of those box stores, discounted and a couple years ago. Bought him and dropped him in my twenty gallon planted tank. He's still alive, hiding in the foliage hunting blackworms and guppy fry. He's been a bit sluggish lately and since they live two or three years, he might be reaching the end. All in all, a much better life than being trapped in some two gallon bowl.
I’m happy you gave him such a nice, happy life :)
Thanks for telling me this. I'm still traumatized by the death of my long-term beta fish that I had in my office.
Used to manage the aquariums at a pet store. Whenever my fish shipments would come in, id always put the bettas in the main aquarium tanks despite corporate policy being against it. It was clear as day that as long as their tank mates wernt pricks, they looked so much happier and lived longer while waitinf for a customer.
When I was a kid one of my earliest pets was a tank with a handful of guppies I snagged at a yard sale (and cleaned up). What I really wanted was a betta, though. I read they tend to coexist with other, smaller fish pretty well, so I got a lovely blue and red one, named him Dragon, and added him to the tank.
He was, indeed, not aggro to the guppies. But in short order they started harassing and stressing him. They picked at his fins and gills in a little swarm. I was going to separate them, but a couple mornings later... I woke up to a tank chummed with guppy bits. One single guppy was left, hiding in the plants. They coexisted from that point onward, at least...
When the quiet kid fights back🤣🤣🤣
One thing I'd like to add is the importance of providing enough cover in the tank to make them feel secure (particularly males). In my experience, a very territorial fish like this can be more prone to stress in a sparsely planted tank.
I love love LOVE that you set the tank gal limit at 10 minimum. I personally keep my bettas in a 5 gal (obviously only one at a time, but several over the years) and they survive and thrive, but 10 gals are honestly a much better idea. I only use a 5 gal due to space restrictions. If I had the room for a 10 gal, I would 100% have one!
I do want to point out that bettas are pretty susceptible to cancer and other illnesses due to severe inbreeding, though. Of the betta fish I've had in my adult life, I've had one die suddenly and unexplained (one day he was fine, the next he was bloated, had no color, and was dead in his tank, and I still have no clue what happened), two die from disease that they picked up at the pet store (one had some unknown infection that we couldn't identify and the other had ich that unfortunately took him despite my attempts to treat it), two from freak accidents (snowstorm in Texas that took out our power for one, and the other got stuck in one of those godawful BettaFlo filters from PetSmart and didn't make it. NEVER use one of those death traps, they WILL kill your fish!!), and finally, the last two died of cancer. Dragonscales especially are VERY prone to cancer, but most bettas are prone to it just as a general.
My last one I just lost to cancer about a month ago, and the cancer deaths are usually the hardest ones because it isn't like you just find them dead one day... it's a slow, painful death that usually has to end with humane euthanasia. I've had to euthanize both of my cancer boys. It's nice to be able to end their suffering and watch them drift off peacefully, but it's also incredibly heartbreaking to have to be the one to do it. You can't exactly waltz up to the vet clinic with a betta fish and say "here, I need him euthanized." When a fish that small needs euthanized, you break out the clove oil and do what you have to do. It's either that or you let them suffer a painful death, and I'm not about to let my boys go through that.
As a Betta lover, I approve!
I live in Sweden, and I have never actually seen Bettas in cups. Most pet stores here have 4-5 Bettas for sale, all in different tanks 🙂
Beta or Siamese fighting fish are far more interesting than they are ever given credit. I'm old and I worked in pet shoppes in the Late 1980s and early1990. We had a customer who was breeding Betas that per passive and he was able to keep a lot of Betas in a shallow huge aquarium that he designed. He wanted to be the source of "schooling betas" a great idea but didn't work out. He still had relatively passive betas in a few colours, he believed there was a correlation between certain colours and lower aggression.
The store I worked at did sell his Bettas but all were sold as Buddha Fish. Fun times
Long story short you can not compete with the Betas from Thailand, there are just too many colours at low prices.
I believe all betas in Pet Shoppes today, are farm raised in Thailand and sent all over the world, but I could be wrong.
My wife is Thai, we met in 2002. I've told her this story and she still does not believe me. I have no proof. So take this all as an interesting story from a stranger on the internet, Maybe someone else from SouthEast Massachusetts knows of "Buddha Fish" but most likely it was such a short fad in 1990s, it's not likely.
I can see how it could sell more fish. My neices mother in law collects Buddha dolls, pictures... anything, I am sure she would have bought several Buddha fish 😉 Your story is interesting. Your wife is from here or Thailand? If from there, she has no idea how crazy this place can be especial as you get closer to the East 😁and the 90s was a decade trying to not be the 80s...so I believe you!
I have noticed patterns in aggression across different betta colors as well! I think it's related to the temperament of each gene-line, as they're usually line bred for color/fin shape/etc, so some lines may just be more aggressive because of their ancestry.
“highest score we will ever give to a non- tetrapod fish” lol, love the Cladistics joke.
Like many people here, I recommend a planted tank for a betta! There are many easy to grow aquatic plants. My betta races up to the glass when I walk in the room - really delightful fish, so easy to keep for a fish, and available in such variety in colors and finnage that you can definitely find one that speaks to you. ❤️
Yeah all of the old a dirt ones I have seen were in planted tanks
Thank you for pointing out that bettas need large tanks, not micro tanks- too many bettas suffer and die in unheated bowls or gallon tanks because that’s what pet stores sell for them. I’m currently helping my teaching partner set up a betta tank for her classroom, and after watching your video I’m thinking of getting her a 10g rather than the 5g I gifted her… because then it would be a better betta tank! :)
I can remember my sister and I each getting a betta fish when we were little, keeping them in those “critter keeper” plastic containers on top of our entertainment center and how we made sure they could “see” each other by putting those containers so close together they were nearly touching. Needless to say, my fish ate it’s own tail… Within just a day or two… and died. I was devastated. Looking back on it, now that I understand things about bettas better, I understand what happened back then and realize had he not damaged himself beyond repair, he probably wouldn’t have lived very long anyway due to not having a filter or a heater (our house was kept pretty cool nearly all the time). Personally, I’ll never keep fish of any type because there’s so many finicky things you have to keep track of that I know I’d mess something up or forget something important. Fish just aren’t my cup of tea, so to speak. They’re beautiful and interesting to watch, but I’m much more of a hands-on pet owner and would find myself wishing I could “play” with the fish, which I’m sure there are ways to entertain yourself and others and maybe even the fish themselves, but it’s not the same as being able to hold something in your hands for more than a second without harming or killing it. I admire people who have fish and take care of them without too much trouble, however they are definitely *not* the right pet for me.
I still found this video interesting and informative, and it brought back memories of my childhood, though they weren’t exactly “happy”. I have realized that I’ve come a long way in my knowledge of pet care since that first pet betta and I’m grateful that I learned that lesson early on so that I won’t make similar mistakes in the future. I make sure to research the snot out of any species I plan to keep before getting them whenever possible, and in the event that I end up with a surprise addition to my collection (which has happened a few times) I know that I can find information on that animal fairly quickly so I can take care of it properly.
Thank you for sharing this video, Clint. It got my brain working this morning and allowed me to feel grateful that this “Crazy Critter Lady” as they call me in my area has come a long way since that first unfortunate betta fish disaster and I plan to continue researching the animals I have in my care so that I can keep giving them the best possible care and life in captivity. ☺️💕
Ahhhh… the infamous “Critter Keeper”…. the demise of MANY unfortunate bugs & things that my sister & I used to hunt for & be SO EXCITED to find & love & care for….only to wake up to the horror of a DEAD critter!!! I remember be SO DEVASTATED that my crawdad was upside down, motionless, the day after I caught him!!
(I tried to revive him by putting his container on my record player & spinning him around for ‘CPR’ but it was of NO USE!!!
(I was in grade school, & it was pre-internet so we couldn’t order one at the touch of a button like you can now!!🙂🙂)
P.S. I’m known as the ‘Crazy Turtle Lady’ or ‘Snake Lady’ at most of my previous jobs, etc. Seriously, like NOBODY ever knows my REAL name!!!🙂🙂
@@turtlejeepjen314 So you know exactly what I’m talking about. My youngest son is a bug and critter lover and has had to learn the hard way that we’re better off catching, observing and then RELEASING his critter friends so they can go on to have happy lives rather than dying because we wanted to keep them. He does collect interesting dead bugs like beetles with colorful carapaces and butterflies that just seemed to stop living suddenly. He’s my kid that actually WANTS to help feed and care for our many pets. My daughter likes the pets but doesn’t like anything that’s not petting or playing with them and my oldest son is Autistic so it depends on the day with him.
Glad I’m not alone in my “Crazy Lady” Land lol. 🤣
Great video! I loved the bettas I kept. I do wish there was one step further here, showing common betta "bowls" sold and why those are not okay. Hopefully people will be able to infer from the instructions here, but shops sell things like a pint pot with a plant in it and tell people the fish will eat the roots of the plant and *never need* feeding or water changes. This is extremely typical. Heck, my first betta lived in a large (1.5L ish) vase with plastic plants to hide in, and that was only because child me insisted I wanted to give it more room than the "betta fishbowls" that were offered, and at least I knew to be changing the water. Our house was warm but I am sure now that fish would have liked a heater. A later fish lived much longer in his tank with the whole heater and bubbler setup, and a favorite leaf shelf to nap on. Thanks for the love Lorelei and Thumbtack, you were good fishies.
Ever since you covered arowana I KNEW this was going to come some day! I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again - I love how, despite your name you’re covering more than just reptiles. Leads to equally or maybe even more interesting content!
Completely agree!!! The channel here doesn’t get ‘stale’ or boring like some do!!!
I follow a few “FLOPPA” cat channels & they get kind of redundant sometimes!! It’s like Ground Hog Day!!🙂🙂
I really love bettas and they are 100% the best pet fish for me. I have two males, in separate tanks (obviously), they live with their snail friends (Yellow pomacea and Ramshorn snails). Their beauty is astounding and they are really sweet little guys. As with any animal, fish also have their own personalities. While my blue betta, Netuno, is very curious and friendly, my lilac betta is shy, but still curious.
Honestly, believe bettas are as good as it can get when it comes to fish keeping.
I had the best betta years ago. I always took him out of his enclosure by hand for cleaning. After only a couple times of that, I could just cup my hand under the water n he'd swim over n get in. Absolutely amazing fish. He was def an outlier for that, but he knew that it meant he was getting a freshly cleaned enclosure and fresh water.
in ireland, the bettas at my local pet store, which is a chain, are kept in (aprox) 2.5 gallon mini tanks, a whole wall of them, with a central water system, with live plants and shrimp!
I was excited for this video because bettas got me into the fish keeping hobby which in turn got me interested in reptiles and getting my leopard gecko. I do wish this video would've shown bettas in 5 and 10 gallon aquascapes because planted tanks are not only beautiful, but a much healthier environment too! We see this from the other animal videos, but only saw cups here :/ I know clint mentioned that he doesn't agree with them being in cups for long, but I feel like they could've done something different to demonstrate the labyrinth organ than to have the species as a whole demonstrated within said cup. There was great information in this as always though! Really neat to learn about how they utilize their labyrinth organ! I think a cool bit of information is that they're great jumpers and that this could aid in them jumping from one water source to another, when water dries up or when conditions are less favorable. And I'm somewhat joking about this but some people do "handle" their bettas! My bettas confidently swim up to me whenever I do maintenence such as siphoning, and many people do allow their bettas to rest in their hand!
“It’s hard to sell cups with dead fish in them” I guess this guy’s never been to a Poke Bowl.
betta are some of the most interactive, clever and alert fish you can keep, and have very destinct personalities and moods. they are watching you, and can even be taught little tricks! incredibly fun
I have never owned a betta, the closest thing i have ever owned is a pearl gourami. It lives in a planted tank with other community fish and while it isnt aggressive to its tankmates it does sometimes chase the brochis catfish when i feed sinking pellets, so similar fish like corydoras may not be the best choice as tankmates for more aggressive individuals. Mine isnt super aggressive, but i know that if it wanted to it probably could kill many other community fish if they were kept in the wrong environment.
I used to be a member of the International Betta Congress-I haven’t had the space for a tank in several years, sadly-I LOVE these little guys! They’re beautiful, clever, and one of the most aggressive species on the planet, and barely bigger than a thumb! Such a fantastic fish with a rich history and some of the most beautiful colors. I highly recommend them, especially for beginner fish-keepers as they’re much easier to keep and enjoy than standard goldfish.
A big tank is a must. Yes, they can live in a little 5gal, but 10+ is much better. A bio active or at least live-planted aquarium is not only beautiful but an excellent habitat. I had a 30gal sorority with three females in college! It was a delight!
Fair warning, though, on hardiness: the ones you get at common pet shops (or, gods forbid, Walmart, where I got my first) will NOT be healthy. They are often in those cups for a long period of time and may arrive with fin rot, ick, swim bladder issues, or even dropsy. They can recover well, but they may crash on you. Check the condition of the cups they’re in; if the water is grey, filled with poop, or the fish is listing/sinking/discolored in the cup, it might not survive. It’s worth finding a breeder (the IBC website has great resources) or at least an aquarium hobby shop to avoid this.
So glad to see these beautiful animals covered! I love this channel and all its videos. I hope, someday, to have bettas again-and maybe their land equivalent, the beautiful Tokay Gecko!
My house just got a beta and I have put it in a 5 gallon. The fish comes up when I walk up and I almost think it’s trying to act tough when I do 😂 it reacts to the lid being taken off and when it’s feeding time. I didn’t realize how interactive they could be.
I actually had a betta live through a power outage in the winter a few years ago… I was so worried for them but they made it and lived past that.
Funny how you make this video just as I was accumulating wish lists of supplies to make a new betta tank so I can have a betta again. They’re just so personable but don’t require as much space as other fish with similar behaviours.
I had a betta in college! He always freaked out if I tried to take him out for water changes by chasing him into a cup or using a net, but would let me just scoop him into the cup with my (clean) hand without fussing. He was a good little fishy.
I am so glad to see you doing another fish! I hope you get to cover more in the future like banjo catfish and swordtails
I love banjo catfish so much! Jet propelled mini wobbegongs!
@@ClintsReptiles that can also dig like a mole!! 😂 Mine puts and earthworm to shame
And Red tail sharks and kuhlii loaches...!
Bettas have personality. They seem so excited to see you it makes you feel good.
I love that you're branched out to include so many different types of animals 😁 Your videos are high-quality, you have a great personality... And betta fish are just so cool! My betta fish is so interactive. I always find him watching me (it's a little creepy at times, tbh) and if I wave at him he'll start swimming back and forth all excited. When I'm cleaning his tank, he follows my hand and tries to hang out it in. They're very smart, I can see him going around studying the snails moving around in his tank or new plants or decor. Betta fish are so much more aware and cognitive than people give them credit for.
Easily one of the best episodes so far. Your enthusiasm is incredible, and little facts you provide before scoring are extremely interesting
I work at a petstore and deeply love fish. I wish more people cared about them and gave them the respect they deserve. "It's just a fish. Who cares if it dies." Is something I hear almost daily. People get so offended when I recommend a 5 gallon tank minimum for a betta fish. It's pathetic how upset they get. Why get an animal if you don't care for it? Goldfish are even worse. Worst part is I can't deny fish sales. So, even if the person admits they don't care if it dies from neglect, I still have to catch the fish and bag it for them.
To see 16 more minutes of content all about Betta fish (and all sorts of fun tangents), consider supporting Clint's Reptiles by becoming a Stinkin' Rad Fan on Patreon. Then you will have access to that exclusive video, plus hundreds more just for our Patrons! www.patreon.com/posts/video-patreon-70089616
Just for future reference, it’s pronounced betta,like bet-uh
I really appreciate that you are acknowledging history that you do not condone. A lot of people today want to erase that history. It is better to learn from it.
Love this fish! Have had it my entire life. Everyone should own one at some time in their lives.
Bettas are the coolest little fish, they’re so active and say hi to you and seemingly not just for food- my dream is to have a big sorority tank
I would love to attend a class/lecture taught by him. His love for animals is so deep and genuine.
This is the most excited I've been about a newly discovered RUclips channel in awhile. Fascinating topics and excellent host. I love it!
Thank you so much for covering these highly neglected fish. It's sad how big name pet stores are still pushing such horrible and false info about their care, and I can vouch for the fact you NEED a real tank!!! I was one of those people that thought one of those tiny 0.5 "gallon tanks" was ok. It had a lil filter waterfall and I thought that would be enough. It got dirty so fast, I had to change it twice in a night. Then while I was sleeping it got so dirty the fish died and I took it back literally the next day after buying it. They cannot live in tiny cups, they need a real enclosure set up. I thankfully learned my lesson and now am setting up a 10 gallon tank with a filter and heater and live plants for a new betta.
These are 100% my favorite fish to keep. The setups are pretty cheap & I've done some really beautiful aquascapes in 5gallon tanks. They're also one of the more intelligent fish you can keep. They're very interactive. While most fish kind of just float around being fish, betta WILL notice you & you can build a bond with them. I've gotten to where I prefer the shorter finned varieties the most just because they're the most active (I've had females jump from the water and lightly my finger while feeding them) and because the larger finned varieties tend to have some issues. It's a a bit heartbreaking when you have a gorgeous rosetail only for the bones in the tail to snap from the weight once they get older :c
My female betta I raised from a fry lived over 7 years. She was very smart, and my dad trained her to eat from his hand when he had to care for her while I was on a work trip! Bram would also catch any bug that landed on her water or the rim of the tank. Certain times of the year I'd have to remove wings and legs almost daily.
Betta actually do really, really well in bioactive tanks. It’s easy to get a self sustaining tank with no need for water changes.
Can't get any less maintenance than that!
Bettas have a lot of personality for a fish. I got quite fond of the one I had in college. He would puff out his little face and fluff out his fins when I entered the room and would jump up to "kiss" (i.e. attack) my fingers when I fed him. Indigo lived to be a good 6 years old in a 2 or 3 gallon tank with a heater and bubbler, and is buried under the apple tree in my parents' yard because he deserved better than a "porcelain funeral."
Bettas got me into fish keeping and I absolutely love how social they can be with their keepers
I had a female that made bubbles and was more aggressive than any male I owned. She was so cool.
You can get tanks specially for bettas that are essentially a row of interconnected tanks but with water flow between them, so that you can essentially keep multiple bettas together in one tank with one filter but they can't get to each other.
I'm a pretty experienced freshwater fish keeper and Betta fish are truly some of my favorite fish. They're just gorgeous, friendly, tiny little fish!
Absolutely love my betta, very cute how he follows me around and goes up to the top for food. He never attacks but he'll float there and stare intently at the snails for a solid couple minutes
Hey Clint, I really appreciate how you explained why a small cup isnt the best rather then saying it's bad. Ty
I have 3 males and two females in a 5 gallon planted tank…… I had a few spats at first , but 3 years later ….. there alllll there . Love them .
My beta was my favorite pet fish. He would follow me around when I walked by his tank, get excited to see me if I was gone for a few hours, would swim into my hand to transfer during tank cleaning, and was just an awesome fish.
I had a pet betta for quite a while. He had a lot of personality - he would come to the front of his tank and follow my finger across the glass and would give me kisses if I dipped my fingers in the water. I was very upset when he succumbed to stress when I had to move. It's been years, and I still miss the little guy.
The only pet I've ever owned. I named him Peaky because his tail was big and beautiful like a peacock's. RIP Peaky. He was a good fish. :(
I really love the science lesson at the front!
When I was a kid I had a betta but they never lived long despite doing everything the pet store said. But hearing they can live up to a decade with proper care. The advice pet stores gave was clearly terrible. I live in a place where it is -30 C outside for half the year and not once was a water heater mentioned. Ever.
I remember being confused why my fish kept dying and now I honestly feel bad those fish were put in the hands of someone who didn’t know what they were doing. Don’t go off the advice that a pet store gives. Do your own research. Pet stores are one of the worst places to get care advice. The workers usually don’t know anything about the animals they‘re selling they just are normal people trying to make some money.
And from an evil pet store owner's point of view, more dead fish = more sales, if people come into the store to buy a new one every time the old one dies.
You are right CheesyNoodles, pet store employees outright just aren't trained to be able to give any proper advice.
I had a similar experience with getting terrible advice from an employee when getting my corn snake, but fortunately I already had done prior research and the guy was actually very receptive to hearing correct information about them and felt bad about having almost given bad advice.
I had a betta fish in a 10 gallon with many plants, places to hide, and a few neon tetras and a Chinese algae eater, and they all did really well together.
I also think it’s cool that bettas will change color when you put them in a larger enclosure from the pet store cup. Some of the color changes are so drastic. It’s neat, very cool fish
I love bettas! Favorite fish to keep. I bred them a few years ago and tried a sorority. Probably needed a bigger tank, but it was fun while it lasted. Just love Kois.
They are smart fish that are fun to watch when they arent bullying something. Molly fish (fat dumb greedy fish) and plated catfish seem to be bully-proof.
My Molly's were both killed by a fish I took in from a friend moving don't remember what kind now but she had Molly's with it they had just been given away so I figured it would work. I was soooo wrong. Watched them a couple hours every thing looked great I came back all my Molly's were floating upside down and you could see the blood through their skin I assuming this other fish just washed them into the wall. So then I just had him and my customer that I had had for a very long time about a week later I found my plecostomus dead because I'm assuming this other fish bullied him to death. I will never just assume a fish is fine with other fish because it worked in one situation.
@@sarahbeaulieu999 Yep, always important to watch your fish together after you get them! Anything can happen. I chose the fish I paired with them from store owner suggestion. Specifically I had a bumblebee variety, 4 of them, might actually be platys, full grown, and female bettas only. They would actually push the betas back if they got bothered, and my females weren't really aggressive.
"But it's still a fish." I think that's the biggest thing to remember. I've had several betas over the years and it took a lot of trial and error in the early days to figure it all out (about the heater and the filter and the water changes). In college, I'd move mine into a small cooler with stress-zyme to move him to my parents place for the holidays. No fish can compete with betas. But ultimately, I had to accept that "it's still a fish" and that for a pleblian like me, managing an aquatic environment (even for something as delightful as a beta) is an absolute chore.
Oh! You should do a video about paradise fish! From my experience, paradise fish (Macropodus opercularis) ARE the best pet fish. I think they would get a better score than the betta. They are larger than bettas, less aggressive, more intelligent, and in my opinion, they are more beautiful. They can breathe just like bettas and can live in low oxygenated water. Paradise fish are VERY aware of the world outside of their bowl or tank. Every paradise fish I have ever had would get excited when they would see me enter the room. The only bad thing about paradise fish is that they will jump out of their bowl or tank. Although, this wasn't a problem with every paradise fish that I've owned; a couple of the paradise fish that I had jumped out and I found them on the floor. Luckily I found them in time and saved them.
Totally agree. They also like lower temperatures and don't need a heater.
For anyone willing to keep them with other fish, I'd recommend panda Corys, cardinal tetras and bamboo shrimps. Avoid platys and guppies. Also, ideally, you want to add the beta last in the aquarium in order for him to not feel as territorial. Some Bettas actually really like "handling". I'm not talking about pulling them out of the water, but lots of them really like rubbing themselves on your finger once they get to associate you with food. They are also intelligent enough to recognize you from strangers. Their intelligence is really underrated for a fish.
*AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH* OMG OMG OMG bettas have been my absolute favourite fish since I was 10 years old (almost 25 years ago now), I even tried breeding them back then. Been in and out of the aquarium hobby repeatedly since then, but I've never fallen out of love with my bettas. They are indisputably THE BEST pet fish ever in the world, and seeing Clint do a video on them has got me so excited I had to pause this 3 seconds in so I could type this comment outta my system! 😆😆😆😆😆😆
I wouldn’t recommend this as standard, it’s not easy to set up or maintain, but I’ve personally had luck with a 2.5 gal bioactive tank! It contains just the betta and a few snails (to help manage waste) but between a healthy selection of plants and some careful chemistry my betta has thrived! But if you don’t think you can keep up with that sort of setup absolutely go with a 10 gal
I have a 20 gallon and can tell you that cleaning it once every 2-3 weeks is an absolute pain, this means that you would have to clean at least twice a week for a fish tank of this size
@@ffxfgxsfxxxg2419 What do you mean by "cleaning" it? If it's properly cycled and not overstocked you should only have to change 1/4 of the water every week or two. In face, over-cleaning could get rid of your beneficial bacteria and trigger a new cycle, making things much worse for all your livestock.
As someone who owns and operates a betta rescue, I would not recommend housing bettas in anything smaller than a 5 gallon aquarium. Long-finned bettas can do much better in smaller tanks, but plakats/females/short-finned bettas should really be kept in a 10 gallon tank or larger. Keep in mind that snails may clean up algae, but they produce their own waste as well (and believe me, they produce a LOT of it), which means water changes are much more frequent when you have a couple snails housed with your fish. If you are keeping a betta in a 5 gallon, I would not recommend housing it with any tank mates besides shrimp if your betta is less aggressive, because having too many inhabitants can crash the cycle fast and build up a lot of ammonia in a short amount of time.
Bottom line- the smallest tank size I would recommend is a 5 gallon for a single betta fish, no smaller than that.
@@aimeem Normally, a clear the filter and change out some of the water and top it off. You also tend to scrape down the sides of the tank if there's any issues there. In the tanks where I'm using a sponge filter, I just pull it out and squeeze it into the bucket I drain the tank water into.
If you've got gravel, you might also need to use a gravel vac to clean it out every few weeks.
I have my female koi plakat betta, K’Ehlyr in a 7g planted tank with 3 amano shrimp and a nerite snail. She’s great! She knows to come to her feeding ring for food, she plays in the roots of my floating plants! When I first got her she bullied the shrimp and snail for the first few days but now they are living cohesively.
If you want to avoid the problems with the giant fins it’s an easy fix, get a female or a male plakat!
Thank you for being such a great resource. My friend just got a Betta, and I was able to share this vlog with her as a resource. I think you will really help her understand her new fish better.
In one of the recent livestreams someone suggested he do a video on a betta, he said it was a good idea. It is cool that they made this video because of their request.
You should do an episode covering ant keeping! Western harvesters would be really cool since they can be found in Utah and are more readily available.
My first little betta was named Tom Petty and he actually LOVED little teeny pets/tickles from my fingers (limited and light touch didn’t seem to disrupt his slime coat). He’s the only one out of the 15 total I’ve had over the years that liked this. He loved the sound of my voice, and stared at me while I had my morning coffee every morning. These little dudes are SO cool!
The only critique I have is that you didn't mention why the cups are filled as low as they are. Frilly though bettas are, they are fantastic jumpers. They either need about a 2-3 inch airgap (sometimes as much as 4 inches for non-frilly dragonscale, plakat or wild-form bettas and females) that they can't easily get over, OR they need a cover-plant that they can hover under and give them the sense of a 'ceiling' so they wont't be so inclined to jump. I knew more people who would leave their betta in some planted vase or 'cute' goldfish bowl, filled to the near brim to give the fish more space, and come home to fish jerky on the floor.
It is also important to note that low tanks are better than tall tanks for bettas. So, many times I seen people keep bettas in tall vertical vases and so on. Not only is there simply not enough space but, even if it's the same amount of gallons as a 2.5 gallon tank. There's not enough surface area either.
The pet shop where I got my fish fortunately didn't go with the cups. Instead, they had a whole bunch of tanks in which they mutualized fish that got along with each other and had simular needs and they basically just put one single betta in every tank.
I learned a new word today; conspecific. I'm a wordy, so thanks for teaching me new words Clint! Also Bettas rock! They were one of the first animals that ignited my passion for animals, and while my parents weren't keen on animals as a kid, I now have various lizards, tarantulas, and a freshwater tank. I also attended UVU and loved it. Keep the videos coming Clint!
Oh man, I love Betta fish! My first pet, and I think I've had 4 of them throughout my life. They are very hearty and easy to care for. I even brought one to my college dorm. Always make sure to have a lid tho cuz them bois jump.
I lived with a roommate who had bought some betta fish on a whim. He unfortunately kept them in some basic fish bowls, got bored of them, and one died. I ended up adopting the last one who I could see was definitely not doing well. I got him a nice 10 gallon tank that I planted and put a few natural hiding spots in with a gentle filter. After a week or two I could see him starting to improve! He only lived about a year longer (dunno if I missed something or his bowl life had just taken a major toll on him) but I do know he had a happy last year of his life. Was sad to not have him swim up to greet me and be fed when I would come home
I don’t think many people watch a Clint video and don’t subscribe. The demeanor of a Clint serves as an antidepressant and anti anxiety medication.
I have been waiting for this video for thousands of years. One was gifted to my wife as a "gift" and I am stuck to take care of it so I decided to make it my own.
I remember my favorite betta I had from middle school to college and he was the best. Cobalt was always so jazzed to have me doing stuff in his tank and would swim around my arm and hand as I trimmed plants and did water changes.
As far as handleability goes: they earn extra points for being able to 'train' them to do 'tricks' (moisten your fingertip before touching betta pellets, they'll stick to your finger, hold it just above the surface of the water and your betta will leap for them)
They definitely deserve that score on hardiness. I had a couple of female bettas for a while, and during the process of cleaning their enclosures, I accidentally dropped one of them down the bathroom sink drain. It took me several minutes to get her back out again, and I was truly afraid that being out of the water and down a nasty drain would be enough to do her in. But, aside from a little damage to her back tail fin from pulling her out, and being rather miffed about the whole experience, she was perfectly fine. She lived for several more years without a problem.
I'm so glad. This is going to be the video people see when they decide they want a Betta, and I can't think of anyone better to explain these fish to them!
I really like that you recommend putting them in a 10 gallon minimum.
I have had freshwater fish my entire life and bettas will always be my favorite. They're so beautiful, fun, fairly easy and underrated. I wish I could have a massive display of single tanks. It could look so cool.
Great video! I love bettas and they're delightful fish to keep if you're limited on space and can't have a massive tank, or just don't WANT to care for multiple fish. When I was young and didn't know how to properly care for bettas, I had one in a fish bowl near my sink. We went on vacation, and when I came back my cat had tipped the bowl into the sink. My dried out betta was lying on a bed of its gravel in the sink. I was so upset, and as I started to pick up its little corpse with a paper towel, it twitched! I put it in some fresh water and it lived another couple months. The ordeal doubtless shaved a lot of time off its life, but it had to have been in that sink for upwards of a day. Now that I'm better at caring for bettas, I've had some live for almost 4 years. You can't know how old the bettas are in the store, or what they went through before they got there (a lot were bred before being shipped to the US), but with proper care and not too traumatic of a history they can live a long time! Whenever it's time for a new betta, I go to the pet store and request the sickest one they have and do my best to nurse it back to health. Love these guys.
I love beta. In england we dont have them in many of our pet shops anymore tho, at least in my town
It's really really important that any fish is properly cared for with a proper sized tank, filter and regularly tested and maintained water. I tried my hand at it, with a beta fish no less and failed miserably. The main issue was that my city tap water has artificial ammonia in it which bacteria cannot break down. And water transportation up to a 3rd floor apartment became a very very difficult task especially after a back injury. Fish keeping is a whole hobby and has a learning curve, even for beginner fish.
Bettas are the most interactive fish I've ever had. I have 3 betta tanks currently, and all of my bettas swim right to the front of the tank when they see me. I find that it's good exercise for them to chase their food across the surface of the water, sometimes even jumping above the surface to catch a pellet or flake. They're INCREDIBLY curious little fish and are the first to investigate anything new in the tank. I think that they get a 4 out of 5 for handleability for more reasons than one :^)
I do love my crowntail. Strange as it is...he loves the small current caused by the filter. He actually plays in it like a slide. When I shut it off ror any reason he just sits around looking sad.
I used to keep bettas and have bred them. One advice, always keep a cover on your tank because they jump out a lot.
I have multiple aquariums, that I aquascape and spend more time looking in these little worlds than I ever do the TV!
And regardless of tank size, and time spent thinking of shiny little friends..... it usually goes out the window, because to me, a tank just can not be right without a betta!
Their personality, how they behave with tank mates (always very communal)..... they are just fascinating in every way!
Clint: "Bettas likely don't get pleasure from handling..."
Norman, my Betta: "Headpat plz?"