Betta Bowls

Question
I have a Betta and the bowl am using is a tall vase with a peace Lilly in it. I left room for the Betta to come up and take some air. 1. what I really need to know is can I use sea shells I got from the dollar store for the bottom of the bowl or do I have to use stones ? I want to make it look more ocean type .2 is the bowl am using ok.? with the peace lilly in it. I heard that I should not use a bowl like that but every one does and they sell them for the Betta's .    Thank you , Becky

Answer
Hi Becky,

Unfortunately, bowls are the 2nd worst possible place that fish can be placed in - after the toilet bowl, of course. Bowls and vases are among the greatest causes of fish deaths, and any bowl/vase is a 100% guaranteed death trap for fish. Here's why:

Fish produce waste, and in a normal aquarium setting, beneficial bacteria will colonize in the filter to remove the by-products of this waste - ammonia. Wait - did someone say filter? Yes, filters are necessary to sustain fish life. A filter provides filtration and biological space necessary for all fish life. The beneficial bacteria (which are present in air) will come to colonize the filter and remove this ammonia. Ammonia is lethal to fish, and is the #1 cause of fish death.

This 'beneficial bacteria', or more specifically, Nitrosomonas, are necessary to convert toxins to less harmful substances. Without this bacteria, you cannot have an aquarium. Without a filter, you cannot have sufficient quantities of this bacteria, so it can be easily said that without a filter, you cannot have fish.

Moreover, such a small tank volume really decreases water quality. In a proper tank, there is enough volume to help dilute ammonia produced by fish waste and waste food, but not in a small bowl. This build-up of toxins kills the fish.

In a bowl or vase, a fish will last about a couple of months, tops.

In a proper aquarium, a Betta will LIVE (not 'last') 2-3 years!

Here's what I recommend that you do:

-Purchase a 2.5 (MINIMUM) aquarium, preferably a 5-gallon aquarium kit (it includes a filter, light, and everything you need to set up a new tank)

Here's an example of a nice one:
http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2752385&lmdn=Brand

-Get a 25-watt heater (Bettas need a constant temp of 78F)

-Transfer the Betta into this new, much more suitable, home.
-Until you get your new aquarium, change 50% of the water in the vase daily to help dilute the toxic pool in the vase.

Please do the right thing and get the Betta a proper tank - the Betta will be much happier and live a long life, show off great behavior, and of course, vivid colors!

P.S. Some people will tell you that Bettas can live in bowls, because they normally live in shallow pools in the wild. However, the shallow pools are only seasonal, as new water comes in in the winter and floods the pools, meaning that they are only in the shallow ponds for a few months. Even in the ponds, the water volume is far greater than that of a bowl.

Good luck, and Happy Fishkeeping!