Richard,

For a second there I thought you were saying that Tony Pinto was the
one who published the original story of the betta in the hoof print. I
almost fell off my chair vowing to tell him how crazy he has made me
with that story the next time I see him. (LOL) Only, as I read on, I
realized that wasn't the case. :-D

FYI: If you are in the area, (MA), Tony will be speaking on 3/21 about
his adventures in fish catching. It should be really interesting and
I'm sure it'll be geared toward anabantoids.

Anyway, I'm getting off track. My point is that I don't believe lily
vases are the best possible or even good homes for Bettas. It doesn't
come close to replicating nature and it's not an ecosystem in and of
itself. With some heavy customization, you might be able to convert it
into an acceptable home. Otherwise, a cycled tank is the way to go.

~C
ps. I appreciate the debate.