Can Betta Fish Live In A Bowl Without A Filter? 2022 Guide

Betta fish or Siamese fighting fish are extremely beautiful and colourful exotic fish that many want to keep in aquariums because of their bright and different colours. More than just colours, they are famous for their rich tail fin.

Even though they are beautiful, you need to know how to maintain the aquarium to keep them alive for a longer time.

In this article, we bring you another perspective and answer the question: can betta fish live in a bowl without a filter. Read till the end to find all the good tips!

Why Are Filters In Aquarium Important

The basic role of filters in aquariums is to filtrate water and remove impurities from the water. Impurities usually appear after feeding fish, but also as a consequence of having fish and plants in the aquarium. You can clean a fish tank if you remove fish and wash it, then add fresh and clean water. Yet, removing fish and having them in different water for some time can be very stressful and lead to disease or even death. What is more, treating aquariums with chemicals can potentially be dangerous and fish will need more time to adapt which is time-consuming. To avoid it, you can simply use a fillet. There are different types of water filtration that you can choose from and some of the most popular are biological, chemical and mechanical filtration. 

Biological filtration is an easy process where bacteria resolve nitrite and ammonia into nitrate, which is less dangerous. This process imitates a natural ecosystem and needs to have a natural surface they can stick to, such as rock or sand. Bacteria need fresh and oxygen-rich water, but you can induce their growth with vodka dosing reef tank. This is the most natural option, but can’t be the only solution in most tanks. 

Chemical filtration involves using chemical elements that are added to water to dissolve any type of waste. Their main task is to filtrate the water regularly, so it is effective for hobbyists. The most popular chemical method is to use activated carbon in the aquarium. 

And what people usually imagine as the true filtration system is a mechanical filter that filtrates all the water and removes any particles in it. It collects all solid particles and you need to remove them every three to four weeks. 

Positive And Negative Sides Of Filter

Filtration of the tank water has a very important role in the well-being of your tank life. To decide which is the best and successfully keep your fish, you need to be aware of some positive and negative aspects of filters. 

The positive aspect of any filtration type is that you don’t have to do it manually, which saves your time. What is more, it is automatically less stressful for fish and you can easily avoid damage to plants and other accessories. What is more, you can combine more than one type of filtration to get clear and healthy water. It provides you with clean tank glass with a minimum level of bad chemicals. Overcleaning and aggressive methods can damage the natural balance inside the tank, such as natural algae and bacteria. It is easy to find the matching filter, which usually depends on the tank size, and use it instead. 

Negative aspects depend on the type of filtration. When you use biological filtration, you need to feed and take care of bacteria. This includes feeding them and a balanced ecosystem. Yet, it isn’t strong to be the only choice and way of filtration. If you use a chemical filter, like activated charcoal, it doesn’t harm fish or pollute water, but lasts short and you need to invest more money into maintaining it. For mechanical filtration, it is possible to remove solid parts, but it isn’t effective with nitrate in the water. So, the best combination is to use mechanical and biological filtration at the same time for the best results. This will save you both time, but also money investment. 

General About Betta Fish

Betta fish are very popular for coral reef tanks and aquariums. Part of the popularity is because of vivid colours, but most of the beauty is in its rich tail fin. In nature, they needed to survive long periods of floods and find their way among rice fields, so are often called labyrinth fish. Originating from southern Asia, they are used to warn conditions but can live in bad conditions for a longer time. They can even survive some time breathing air, as long as they stay moist. They usually eat everything organic that they find on the surface, so their feeding is very simple. 

Betta fish usually live from 2 to 3 years, but some modern species can live longer and are ideal for pets. They come in many variations and can have multiple colours. Some of the most often combinations are with gold and blue colour but can be black, orange or even purple. It is very unusual, but they prefer a solitary life. If you pair betta fish, they usually fight and compete for space which can lead to mutual hurting and shorter life. Also, they don’t stand other smaller fish which they won’t eat, but rather hurt them. 

How To Maintain Betta Fish

Since betta fish can live in very poor conditions for a long time, they are an excellent choice for beginners. You should be aware that they still need care and regular maintaining because any other case is simple torture. Betta fish prefer warm and slightly acidic water, but you can easily change it by simply adding two-thirds of freshwater in the tank. Be sure that the new water is at the same temperature to reduce stress. 

You need to feed them once a day with a sprinkle of pellets or mixed food on the surface, so they will have enough food for the whole day. Also, you can add some plants and rocks to make it more interesting scenery. All in all, they are easy to maintain and beginners can easily afford them as pets. 

Can Betta Fish Live In A Bowl Without A Filter

Betta fish are ideal for a gift because they can survive in a really small space. You can notice them swimming in ornamental vases or bottles on the table. It is common to see them as part of a floral arrangement or as a present in the bottle. While this can be very decorative, is it comfortable for betta fish to live like that? 

Betta fish are used to small spaces and can live for days in the same water. The best point, they can live without a filter. There are some positive and negative parts about it. 

It is positive to put them in the tank without a filter to avoid colder water where they are prone to disease. What is more, any type of current they need to swim against can kill them quickly. 

The negative aspects of living without a filter are that you need to clean the tank more. This will require more of your time and energy. Also, you need to take care of oxygen, as well as other gases. It is the best solution to use bacteria as a natural balance.