Caring for Betta Fish

Betta Fish Vases - Are They Safe?

Betta fish vases are one of the hottest fads in years. A Betta fish (also called a Siamese fighting fish) is kept in a vase along with a Peace Lily.

I admit they do look lovely. But are Betta fish vases safe for the fish who live in them?

I'm not an expert on Betta fish care, but I've spoken to people who are and they all told me the same thing. Betta fish vases are Not safe!

First, Betta's need room to move around so they don't tear their fins or scales. But a vase severely limits their movements. Also, Betta's thrive in water that is kept at 80 degrees Fahrenheit. Any colder than that and the fish will become lethargic and may stop eating. It's just not practical to regulate the temperature of a Betta fish vase.

Another concern is oxygen. While Betta fish do breath oxygen from fresh water, they also have a specialized respiratory gland that allows them to breath directly from the atmosphere. But in order to do so they need access to the surface. Vases are small and cramped, especially with a lily sticking out of it. If the Betta fish can't reach the surface, it may suffocate.

In other words, putting a Betta fish in a vase is like locking a dog in a cold, cramped shed in which it can barely move or even breath. The fish will be miserable and you can expect its life span to be shortened significantly.

My advice is to steer clear of Betta fish vases and instead keep your fish friend in a nice roomy tank with clean, warm water. Learn as much as you can about caring for Betta fish so you can be sure to have a happy and healthy pet.

To learn more about caring for Betta fish, check out Marcus Song's Betta Fish website at Caring for Betta Fish

Betta Fish Care Tip: Always leave your tank covered. Betta fish can jump, and if you leave them uncovered they can jump right out of the tank.

If you forget and leave the tank uncovered you may come home to a dead fish on your floor.

Because they're so beautiful and easy to identify, Betta fish are often seen in the movies. I can think of two movies in particular:

In the James Bond thriller "From Russia With Love" there are 3 bettas seen. The leader of SPECTRE, Ernst Blofeld, compares the 3 fish to the US, the Soviet Union, and SPECTRE.

He puts them together and watches two of the fish fight until one is dead. The exhausted survivor is then quickly finished off by the third fish who quietly waited for an opportune time to strike.

Blofeld plans to set the US and the USSR against each other and then strike when the victor is left too exhausted to fight.

The second movie I was thinking of is "The Naked Gun" starring Leslie Neilsen. Nielsen, playing bumbling Detective Frank Drebin, drops a pen into a tank containing a betta fish. He tries to get it out and the fish attacks his finger, and then his nose.

Sadly, Drebin accidentally kills the fish by impaling it on the pen.

NEVER put two male bettas in the same tank. They call them fighting fish for a reason. Two males in the same tank will invariably fight until one is dead.

Female bettas can coexist in peace, as can one male with one or more females.

But putting two male bettas together is a recipe for disaster!

Did you know that Betta Fish are also known as Siamese Fighting Fish?? It's true.

Bettas originate in the shallow waters of Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam and Thailand (formerly called Siam).

If properly cared for, the typical betta fish will live for about 3 to 5 years.