# Betta vs. the Fluval Edge



## BarleyBear (Feb 18, 2012)

On several forums, including this one, when someone mentions putting a betta in a Fluval Edge, concerns are raised over whether or not the betta will be able to find the small opening in order to breath.

I wanted to start a thread to gather some anecdotal evidence from folks who have kept or know someone who's kept a betta in either the 6 or 12 gallon Fluval Edge. My hope is that with more real experiences reported, folks will be able to make an informed decision rather than one based on speculation.

From the very few personal experiences I've read so far, success seems to rely on the individual betta. Most report their betta has no problem finding the hole, but I know of at least one person who says their betta just could not learn where it was, so he took him out.

I have the 12 gallon Edge, and my betta has not had any trouble at all finding the hole. He's very smart and adventurous, though, and there isn't a nook or cranny--top, bottom, or in-between--that he doesn't explore or hang out in.

Someone mentioned possibly training a troubled betta by placing a covering on the glass parts of the top so the only light source is the opening. That sounds like a good idea to me. 

Since there seems to be evidence going both ways, my advice to anyone wanting to try a betta in an Edge is to make sure you can monitor him for several hours until he seems to learn where the hole is and be prepared to lower the water level or re-house him if he can't.

So, betta/Edge owners, what has been your experience?


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## NWA-Planted (Aug 27, 2011)

Ok, my only thing with this is... Its a fish! yes betta can breathe surface air due to their labyrinth lung, but thats a evolution thing allowing them to live in dirty low oxygenated water or in someones tank with to much co2 lol. point is they have gills as well, as long as the water is oxygenated they shouldn't need to hit the surface... Just my opinion

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## Daximus (Oct 19, 2011)

NWA-Planted said:


> Ok, my only thing with this is... Its a fish! yes betta can breathe surface air due to their labyrinth lung, but thats a evolution thing allowing them to live in dirty low oxygenated water or in someones tank with to much co2 lol. point is they have gills as well, as long as the water is oxygenated they shouldn't need to hit the surface... Just my opinion
> 
> Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk


Sorry brother, Bettas are special fish. 



> Even though Bettas do well in waters low in dissolved oxygen, that does not mean they require less oxygen than other fish. Bettas have a special respiratory organ that allows them to breath air directly from the surface. In fact they inherently must do so. In experiments where the labyrinth organ was removed, the fish died from suffocation even though the water was saturated with oxygen. For this reason, Bettas must have access to the water surface to breath air directly from the atmosphere.


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## reignOfFred (Jun 7, 2010)

I aslo mentioned the idea that betta have gills they can use.

Every source I've beeen able to find about this topic agrees that betta can use their gills in well oxygenated aquariums.

but on this site, for some reason, nobody agrees.

I am going to be testing the theory soon I think, to settle this once and for all.


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## NWA-Planted (Aug 27, 2011)

Daximus said:


> Sorry brother, Bettas are special fish.


never seen that. thats interesting but makes me wonder to that if removing that lung could have caused other issues? like maybe its tied to their ability to process oxygen to? be curious to know more.

I say that because a paradise fish I had never hit the surface and they have the same lung

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## Daximus (Oct 19, 2011)

NWA-Planted said:


> never seen that. thats interesting but makes me wonder to that if removing that lung could have caused other issues? like maybe its tied to their ability to process oxygen to? be curious to know more.
> 
> I say that because a paradise fish I had never hit the surface and they have the same lung
> 
> Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk


Heck I don't know. The subject posted got me curious and I googled it, that quote was from the first reputable looking site I came across. I'm far from a biologist, lol. 

Perhaps all the insane breeding we (people) have done has made them less adaptable?


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## NWA-Planted (Aug 27, 2011)

Daximus said:


> Heck I don't know. The subject posted got me curious and I googled it, that quote was from the first reputable looking site I came across. I'm far from a biologist, lol.
> 
> Perhaps all the insane breeding we (people) have done has made them less adaptable?


bah I find your argument invalid! lol.

It is curious.... Hmm research time

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## BarleyBear (Feb 18, 2012)

I'm not sure we're focusing on the right issue here. I don't know whether or not bettas HAVE to breathe air, but they do. Whether they have to or not, they do it, and that seems to make for a happier, less stressed fish. Bettas can also live in tiny cups in fish stores and in tiny bowls. That doesn't make them happy fish.

This thread is really for posting what Edge owners have experienced who've kept bettas. Are their bettas coping with the small opening or not.


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## @[email protected] (Oct 24, 2007)

NWA-Planted said:


> Ok, my only thing with this is... Its a fish! yes betta can breathe surface air due to their labyrinth lung, but thats a evolution thing allowing them to live in dirty low oxygenated water or in someones tank with to much co2 lol. point is they have gills as well, as long as the water is oxygenated they shouldn't need to hit the surface... Just my opinion
> 
> Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk


opinion<fact
bettas can (and do) drown. i had one drown when it got itself caught in the hairnet i was using to tie moss onto a piece of wood (now i only use string).
they evolved the labyrinth organ to breath air, but their gills are no longer (if they were ever) capable of supplying all the oxygen the fish needed.
it would be like a person with only 1/4 of a lung, they would still suffocate, just a little slower.


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## Daximus (Oct 19, 2011)

BarleyBear said:


> I'm not sure we're focusing on the right issue here. I don't know whether or not bettas HAVE to breathe air, but they do. Whether they have to or not, they do it, and that seems to make for a happier, less stressed fish. Bettas can also live in tiny cups in fish stores and in tiny bowls. That doesn't make them happy fish.
> 
> This thread is really for posting what Edge owners have experienced who've kept bettas. Are their bettas coping with the small opening or not.


Sorry for the derailment.


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## NWA-Planted (Aug 27, 2011)

@[email protected] said:


> opinion<fact
> bettas can (and do) drown. i had one drown when it got itself caught in the hairnet i was using to tie moss onto a piece of wood (now i only use string).
> they evolved the labyrinth organ to breath air, but their gills are no longer (if they were ever) capable of supplying all the oxygen the fish needed.
> it would be like a person with only 1/4 of a lung, they would still suffocate, just a little slower.


thats just crazy, I am going to have to do some reading

However if he got caught in a hair net, did it starve/ injure or suffocate?


And yes sorry for the derailment!!

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## BarleyBear (Feb 18, 2012)

Please keep the discussion on topic. Of the 10 posts to this thread, none have responded to the request in the original post. If you want to debate whether or not bettas can drown, please start a new thread to do so.

Bettas breathe air whether they have to or not. Most Edge owners report bettas do fine in their tanks. Some report they do not and the fish seem stressed. However, many people caution against keeping a betta in an Edge. I'm trying to gather first-hand experience to see if that precaution is warranted or not. My betta has no problem, but it is a concern that comes up again and again. 

I wanted this thread to gather first hand experience from other betta/Edge owners, so folks can make a more informed decision instead of relying on cautionary tales and rumors. 

Thanks.


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## CatB (Jan 29, 2012)

BarleyBear said:


> Please keep the discussion on topic. Of the 10 posts to this thread, none have responded to the request in the original post. If you want to debate whether or not bettas can drown, please start a new thread to do so.
> 
> Bettas breathe air whether they have to or not. Most Edge owners report bettas do fine in their tanks. Some report they do not and the fish seem stressed. However, many people caution against keeping a betta in an Edge. I'm trying to gather first-hand experience to see if that precaution is warranted or not. My betta has no problem, but it is a concern that comes up again and again.
> 
> ...


i don't have my betta in an edge, but are you sure the stress is from the lack of an area to breathe at the surface, like did the betta owners with stressed bettas in fluval edges acknowledge that as the reason? some bettas supposedly don't do well in a larger tank, like if you move it from a gallon tank to a ten gallon thing, it'll freak out and not adapt to living in the larger environment. most bettas seem to do fine in the larger space, but.


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## BarleyBear (Feb 18, 2012)

That's a good question. I've asked the person who posted that experience to join the conversation here.


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## BarleyBear (Feb 18, 2012)

He did specifically say the betta couldn't find the opening and freaked out. He removed him after a couple of days because he was too stressed.


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## xjasminex (Jul 26, 2011)

I am very interested in getting the 12 gallon for my betta, i thought that i would keep the water line lower than the top glass portion like an inch or so to allow breathing room but also so you could view all the pretty floaters that are in his ten gallon right now, i thought it would look really cool like that.


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## chomper149 (Dec 16, 2011)

^ how was the betta able to survive days without being able to find the hole to breath?


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## haralds (Jul 19, 2009)

Betta are very interesting. I think, they have a definite personality. I have had no trouble with mine in either 6G or 12G. It's the second. My first died due a swim bladder condition I could not cure after having had him for a number of years - first in a a small cube, then a 1.5 gallon, then the Fluval 6G! :frown:

The only trouble I have had is their piggish feeding behavior, and that they can bug the snails and small shrimp.

I have never seen them having trouble finding the opening.


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## Ashted (Mar 8, 2012)

This thread is exactly what ive been searching for for quite a while. Peoples experiences with bettas in EDGE tanks in particular. I know this post has nothing to do with my own experience with introducing a betta in my own tank however i would eventually like to do so using the help with you guys on here!

Could i perhaps lower the waterline when first introducing him to the tank and then raise the water line a cm or two over a period of a couple of days to slowly introduce it to the small opening? or would he just get confused and thing the surface was gone completely?


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## BarleyBear (Feb 18, 2012)

Haralds, Ashted, glad to see you here. 

Ashted, if it were me, I'd just keep it filled up normally and see how he does. You can always lower it later if he's having any problems. I'd be more concerned that he'd get used to having all the surface area to begin with and then stressing out when it starts to disappear. If he has to find the opening from the get go, I'd think he'd be more likely to get used to it quicker.


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## Ashted (Mar 8, 2012)

Good point. Thankyou once again. ha


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## FlyingHellFish (Nov 5, 2011)

I brought the original Edge 6 gallon when it came out and was introduced to this wonderful hobby. The very first fish introduced to the tank was my blue betta. 

The fish store had a display model with 1 betta and several other fishes, they recommended the betta as a good choice for a beginner. 

*Experience:*
It was awful watching him struggle at the top, he would dart up constantly around the hole. Sometimes he would get lucky and find the hole, other times I would watch him slowly drift down to the bottom. I think the lack of air is stressful, maybe not deadly but defiantly stressful. 

My sister has her own betta fish in a 10 gallon and his behaviour is a lot more pleasant to watch. They like to sit on top of plant leaves and float up for air. Mine had to swim for a while before reaching the hole, which sometimes doesn't happen.

The final straw was watching him sleep (or rest?) then drift up for air, only to find an invisible wall. It was an awful sight and I couldn't enjoy my tank. 

*Additional Problems:*

Beside the fact that it took him a while to find the hole, I saw him flare with his reflection. The side panels of the Edge are mirrors (if view within), this caused him to flare quite a bit. A frontal view of the Edge reveals a two sided mirror, these mirrors at both sides give a 3D effect. I'm not sure if it's healthy for a Betta to constantly see his reflection.

*Problem Fixed: *
After a week, I decide to fork out a few bucks for his own tank. I'm sure there are people who successfully house a betta fish, I guess it all depends on how smart your fish is. 

Maybe I should of waited more than a week but I couldn't stand watching him dart around the top glass.


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## synthorange (Feb 1, 2012)

I wouldnt worry about the tetras being eaten. They're much better swimmers than a betta.


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## sockfish (Jul 11, 2007)

My anecdote:


I had a betta for about a year in my Edge 6. I had the flow turned down and a Fluval intake filter sponge on the HOB. He could find the opening and he was fine. I moved him to another tank only because I wanted to add shrimp.

sox


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## Aquatic Garden (Mar 19, 2013)

I put a Betta in my 6 gallon Fluval Edge 3 months ago, and he seems healthy and happy to me, although I haven't actually witnessed him taking air from the opening. He just as frequently finds air bubbles that hang about at the top just under the glass. Either way, he seems to be thriving.


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## Clemsons2k (May 31, 2009)

@[email protected] said:


> opinion<fact
> bettas can (and do) drown. i had one drown when it got itself caught in the hairnet i was using to tie moss onto a piece of wood (now i only use string).
> they evolved the labyrinth organ to breath air, but their gills are no longer (if they were ever) capable of supplying all the oxygen the fish needed.
> it would be like a person with only 1/4 of a lung, they would still suffocate, just a little slower.


It suffocated because fish need _flowing_ water over their gills to breathe. Any fish would also die, not just bettas. Only certain species of fish (such as the nurse shark and most catfish) can sit motionless and breathe fine. Now obviously if there is a good current in the tank then fish can appear motionless while breathing but in reality there is water flowing through their gills at a rate that allows them to breathe.

[/offtopic]

To the OP, your best bet with most things is to try it and see. Some bettas will find the opening and some won't. Depends on the fish.


EDIT: lol oops didn't realize this was a necro thread.


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## DrakeScree (Jan 30, 2013)

When I had a beta in a Fluval Edge 12g it did fine. It would go to the surface without a problem.


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## tomfromstlouis (Apr 2, 2012)

My betta seems to be doing fine in his 6g Edge. I doubt he could build a bubble nest but that is the only restriction I see.


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## BrokeCurmudgeon (Oct 20, 2012)

I have a female Betta along with 5 Guppies, 2 Endlers and 5 Corydoras Habrosuses. Everything is just fine. The Betta is happy and thinks that she is a Guppy and has had not trouble finding the hole. Also, I filter using a Ehiem filter and the water parameters are good. No nitrites.


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## [email protected] (Feb 18, 2018)

I've had my betta in a fully filled Fluval Edge12 gallon for about 36 hours now and I've seen him some concerning behavior. On two occasions I've seen him rapidly bump the top of the tank like he was trying to break the surface. He has spent a good amount of time glass surfing. And he's darted around rapidly in little bursts of energy. He doesn't seem to have much trouble making it anywhere in his tank, he's explored every inch at this point. He'll hang out in different spots for minutes at a time.

I'm a first-time owner and only know what I've read over the last week about bettas, but his top bumping behavior made me think he might be suffocating/drowning.

I did finally see him hanging out in the little space that contacts the air this evening. I was glad he found the area to breathe, but I'm concerned he might not always remember. So I've actually lowered the water about a quarter inch from the top.

If you get this thing filled properly the small opening is so close to the filter outflow and the light, that I wonder how comfortable it is for the betta's only breathing hole.

Another thing to note is that I haven't planted it yet, which I plan to do next week. So he really doesn't have anything interesting going on save one rock and a pot of dwarf grass. This could explain some of the glass surfing?


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