How to Make a Betta Fish Vase

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By eHow Contributing Writer

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Betta fish are very distinctive and beautiful. The males have long, flowing fins that flare out when they are mad, startled or showing off. Unfortunately, males are very territorial, so one can only keep a single male fish at a time. A very creative and visually appealing way to keep a betta is in a vase with a plant.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

Large vase
Gemstone rocks or glass pebbles
Dieffenbachia, philodendron or peace lily plant
Plastic cup
Drinking straw
Conditioning tablets (if water is from the tap)
Betta fish
Decorative ribbon

Step 1

Locate a large vase. Most craft departments carry vases that can be adapted to hold betta fish. Sometimes, they even include the plastic cup that holds the plant above the water. If the cup is not included, find a plastic cup the snugly fits in the neck of the vase.
Step 2

Rinse the rocks and the vase thoroughly to remove any residue that could harm the fish or the plant. Gently rinse the dirt off the roots of the plant, leaving the bare roots exposed.
Step 3

Cut a circular hole in the bottom of the plastic cup that is approximately 1.5 inches in diameter.
Step 4

Insert the plant's roots very carefully through the hole. Also insert a straw halfway through the hole as an air tube to give fresh air to the betta.
Step 5

Place the rocks in the vase. Add water, leaving 1.5 inches from the bottom of the vase neck. If using tap water, add water conditioner. Wait a few minutes, then gently put the fish in the vase.
Step 6

Place the plastic cup holding the plant into the neck of the vase. If desired, tie a ribbon around the neck of the vase.

Tips & Warnings

Display two betta vases side by side. The bettas will be able to see one another and will flare out their fins, but they won't be in any danger since they are in separate containers.

Comments

pamellaneely said

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on 10/17/2009 This may be pretty, and it make be OK for the plant, but its really, really bad for the fish. First problem: from your description, there's no water surface for the betta. Bettas don't breathe like other fishes - they must have access to the surface. Second problem: bettas need more warmth than the average home temperature can provide, and there's nothing in this setup to give them any extra warmth. Third problem: its cruel to keep the fish in that small a container. It might live, but it won't live long... kind of like a puppy will live in a crate for awhile, but it wont be happy or healthy or alive for very long. There are many other problems with this vase setup idea, and it needs to stop being promoted. There's an article about it here: http://www.savemybetta.com/bettafishvase.html

kelly528 said

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on 9/24/2009 From a crafter's point of view, the betta vase may seem like a lovely little setup, but creatures are not crafts! There is no such thing as a 'low or no-maintenance' pet. By attempting this craft without doing your homework, you are abusing the animal despite your best intentions. Bettas are incredibly hardy animals, a quality that makes it possible for them to survive in downright terrible conditions. What you might not know when you go into this is that...

-Bettas are tropical fish and need heaters to survive properly, unless you live in a tropical climate.
-While a betta's ability to breathe air eliminates the need to aerate the water, this ability means that the fish will drown if there is minimal or no air at the top of the tank.
-Bettas are carnivores and will only eat roots if they are starving to death. Even then they will slowly starve from malnutrition.
-Even with a plant ...

adelais said

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on 5/10/2009 Please read the following link before attempting a Betta-plant vase:http://www.healthybetta.com/lily-vase-not-a-home-for-bettas----------------Bettas need more than a straw-worth of oxygen in their tank. Plant roots can rot, which will make your beautiful Betta sick, with a number of illnesses. Betta are not veginarians, eating plant roots is not healthy for them, they will because they are starving, but Bettas need protein found in betta-fish food.It is good that you mention letting the cold water reach room temperature (although that takes longer than a couple minutes, over night works best) and using drops to de-chlorinate, etc the water. But it is cruel to keep a betta in this kind of arrangement. If you would like to keep a plant and fish together, try Java Moss, or Java Ferns, inside the tank with your fish. Or get a fake fish and tie it to some fishingline, weight it down with...

AngelaSoup said

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on 4/8/2009 dont even put two betta vases next to each other though. Space them apart far enough so they cannot see each other. The stress of being close will cause disease. Trust me. I even work with fish for a living and when the betta cups are kept next to each other long enough they all become sick. If they are out of view from each other they will still be naturally active and flare up just to show off to you.