Vultureinred

Vultureinred t1_j6o8u16 wrote

I 100% agree that bettas need large tanks. Some countries don’t even allow ANY fish in tanks below 15gal.

But, the reason 5gal at bare, absolute minimum is enforced and implied, is because many people want to go below that, putting them in damn shot glasses like this. Sad, 1gal or 2gal tanks. 5gal at least allows the betta to move and explore, and have a small territory.

Is it ideal? No of course not! But it’s the bare minimum of supporting their life, as long as the people can keep up with the parameters. Encouraging the people who neglect their bettas in incredibly tiny environments to at least get a 5gal, and informing them of bettas natural environments and such, helps the owners learn more about the betta and care for it better.

Eventually, more people will start saying 10gal at minimum once people have more commonly conformed to 5gal, which is genuinely hard enough as it is to make people get at least 5gal! Lol

Immediately telling new owners who obviously think of this fish as nothing but decoration that it needs a 20gal long tank.. is likely not going to encourage them to get that tank and spend that much money. Because they see it as too much for something that is “just a fish”. A 5gal is much easier to convince people to get. The care standards will keep on increasing as time goes on and these inexperienced owners learn and grow.

So, yes, I do believe bettas should be in 10gal+ tanks.

But for the general public that doesn’t understand anything about bettas, it’s easier to slowly introduce them to the idea that fish are.. actual animals that have needs, yk? Instead of immediately bashing on them and insisting that they NEED a massive tank in their eyes. When everybody gives their bettas a 5gal, we can start looking to encourage larger tanks more heavily.

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