Despite the fact that there are a lot of different vases, bowls, and small tanks on the market, choosing the right size tank for your betta is not difficult. In my opinion, some of these containers serve more as a decoration or a piece of art than a place to house your new friend. I have seen some betta bowls that will only hold 8-12 oz of water…before adding decorations.
The main problem with these super small containers is two-fold. First, the smaller the housing, the more frequently you will need to change the water and do maintenance. Second, the betta fish actually needs room to swim around. It is a well know fact that bettas thrive in shallow water. This may be true, but that does not mean the betta doesn’t have a football field sized shallow rice paddy to swim around in. So the bigger, shallower tank you have, the happier the betta fish will be. And the longer he will live in a stress-free environment.
So now you are probably wondering…does this mean I need to spend a lot of money by purchasing a 150-gallon aquarium with all the bells and whistles to house my betta?? No, I would recommend you buy an actual fish tank that is between 2.5 and 10 gallons to house your betta fish. If you plan on trying to breed your betta, or add other fish, I would suggest that you start with a 10-gallon aquarium.
