Betta Fish: Often Sentenced to “Solitary” by Uneducated Buyers

Siamese fighting fish are fighting for their lives as their popularity grows and they are increasingly sold as “decorations” or party favors. Pet shops, discount superstores, florists, and even online catalogs sell Siamese fighting fish (Betta splendens) in tiny cups or flower vases to consumers who are often uneducated about proper betta care.

Many people mistakenly believe that betta fish must be confined alone and that they can survive in a so-called “complete ecosystem” of a vase with a plant without being fed. As a result, fish are being sentenced to dull, lonely lives and/or slow death by starvation. In an effort to prevent the needless suffering and deaths of countless fish, PETA is urging fish breeders and pet store owners to share the following important information with customers:

• Betta fish do not have to be kept in “solitary confinement.” Females can live together, and males, who will fight with other male bettas, can nevertheless be placed singly in a “community” aquarium containing other species of fish.
• Betta fish are native to Asia, where they live in the shallow water of rice paddies, ponds, or slow-moving streams. Since the water is shallow, it is also warm, which is why betta fish in captivity require a sizable amount of water in an aquarium that can be kept heated to at least 75°F. Bettas require a minimum of 10 gallons of water, according to Gaddy Bergmann of the Department of Biology at the University of South Florida. Harro Hieronimus, chair of the German Livebearer Society and the International Rainbowfish Association, believes that fish must have a minimum volume of 13 gallons of water in an aquarium approximately 24 inches by 12 inches by 12 inches in size. His expert opinion has been translated into law in Germany.
• Plant roots do not provide adequate food for betta fish. Bettas are omnivorous; in nature, they eat mostly insects and insect larvae. A diet consisting of plant roots may keep them alive for awhile, but since it lacks the proper nutrients, the fish eventually become sick and die. A plant placed at the top of a vase may also restrict access that the fish needs in order to obtain oxygen, as bettas are known as “labyrinth fishes” and take their oxygen from the surface of the water.

“The fish-in-a-vase fad is making fashion victims of bettas,” says PETA Special Assistant Laura Brown. “Fish aren’t centerpieces—they are living, feeling beings with physical and psychological needs.”

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