Betta fish, also known as Siamese fighting fish, are widely considered to be among the most popular types of fish breeds. Betta fish are a beautiful addition to the aquarium of any person who has a passion for keeping fish because of their multicolored fins and bodies that flow gracefully.
They have a calm manner, however the male betta fish are aggressive toward one another so it’s not a good idea to keep them together. It is possible to house multiple female betta fish in the same tank. Bettas should not be kept in fish bowls, despite the fact that this is how they are commonly sold. Betta fish thrive best in water that is soft, and that has a pH that is neutral to slightly acidic.
Origin and Distribution
Betta fish were first discovered in the shallow waters of Thailand (which was formerly known as Siam, which is where they got their name), Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, and certain regions of China.
Bettas can be found living in all of these environments, including rice paddies, ponds, slow-moving streams, and swamps, which are all found in these regions. Bettas have been brought into many new areas in recent times, which has resulted in the establishment of non-native populations in a variety of nations.
The common name “Siamese fighting fish” came about as a result of the common practice of males engaging in organized fights with one another, very similar to cockfights. The money made from betting has ensured the continuation of these matches up until the present day. In some regions, males are purposefully bred to be aggressive so that they can compete more effectively in fights.
Betta Fish Colors and Markings
The male betta is one of the most well-known aquarium fish due to his vibrant coloration and long, flowing fins. Females are typically less colorful than males and have fins that are significantly shorter. In the wild, this species’ appearance is typically more subdued in terms of coloration.
Breeding programs in captivity, on the other hand, have produced a wide range of colors, including white, yellow, orange, red, pink, blue, green, turquoise, brown, and black There is an almost infinite number of coloration permutations that can be observed, ranging from those with consistent coloration throughout their bodies and fins to those with patterned coloring. Because of selective breeding, different types of fins have also emerged. Crown tails, delta tails, fans, half moons, lyre tails, and split tails are just a few of the newer variations that have replaced veil tails.
Both sexes have a body that is shaped like a torpedo and a mouth that is turned upwards so that it can feed on food on the surface. Adults reach a size of two to three inches in length, with females being marginally smaller than males at this stage in their development. One of the distinguishing characteristics of this species is the presence of a labyrinth organ, which enables them to obtain oxygen from the air rather than from the water. As a result, they are able to live in pools that contain very little oxygen.
What fish can live with betta fish?
If the tank doesn’t have any partitions or separators, male fish can’t be kept together. In most cases, multiple females can be housed together without any issues, and even one male can be added to the mix without causing any disruptions. They can be housed together with other species of fish as long as those other fish are small and do not have a tendency to nibble on fins, like tiger barbs. Fish that can be kept with betta include : Kuhli Loaches, Cory Catfish, Ember Tetras.
Betta Habitat and Care
Bettas are one of the most well-known, colorful, and frequently controversial freshwater aquarium fish. There is a lot of controversy surrounding whether or not it is appropriate to store them in relatively small bowls. It is essential to become familiar with their natural habitat in order to have a complete understanding of their requirements. In their natural environment, they reside in large rice paddies, shallow ponds, and even in streams that move very slowly. Even though many people who keep fish are aware that bettas originate from shallow waters, the temperature of the water is frequently disregarded.
The betta’s native regions are tropical, which means the water temperature is typically very warm, reaching into the high 80s on a regular basis. Bettas require warm water to thrive, and when the temperature drops below 75 degrees Fahrenheit, they become increasingly lethargic. The inability to easily regulate the temperature of the water in a miniature bowl makes temperature control the most compelling argument against housing a betta there.
Although bettas are able to thrive in environments with low levels of dissolved oxygen, this does not mean that they have a lower oxygen consumption rate than other fish. Bettas are able to breathe air directly from the surface of the water due to a specialized respiratory organ that they possess.
They are compelled to do so by their very nature. In the experiments in which the labyrinth organ was removed, the fish died of suffocation, despite the fact that the water contained a high concentration of oxygen. Because of this, bettas require access to the water’s surface in order to take breaths of air that come directly from the surrounding atmosphere.
When it comes to maintaining the health of betta fish, the water should be gentle, warm, and have a pH that is neutral to slightly acidic. Because the amount of water movement in the aquarium should be kept to a minimum, power filters and powerheads are not appropriate equipment choices.
Bettas can be housed in a community tank so long as the water conditions are maintained and there are no fish in the tank that are known to be either aggressive or fin-nippers. However, you are only allowed to keep one male in each aquarium, unless there is a barrier separating the two of them.
If you want to keep more than one betta in a tank or if you want to keep them in a tank with fish that might nibble on their fins, using plastic boxes that hang inside the aquarium is a good option for both of these scenarios. It is safe to house multiple females in the same open area because they are less likely to engage in combat with one another.
Diet and Feeding
In the wild, bettas get almost all of their nutrition from insects and the larvae of other insects. They have an upturned mouth that allows them to easily grab any unfortunate insect that happens to fall into the water. Their internal digestive system is designed to process meat, and as a result, their alimentary tract is much shorter than that of vegetarian fish. Because of this, the ideal diet for bettas consists of live foods; however, they can learn to eat flake foods, foods that have been frozen, and foods that have been freeze-dried.
Some great choices that can be found frozen or freeze-dried include brine shrimp, Daphnia, plankton, tubifex, glassworms, and beef heart. If flakes are used as the primary source of nutrition, they should be supplemented with frozen, freeze-dried, and live foods whenever it is possible.
Male vs Female Differences
Males are distinguished by their brighter coloring and longer, more graceful fins. In addition to this, males are larger than females and have a “beard” that is more pronounced (located under the coverings of the gills). When they are ready to mate, females will display vertical stripes and an egg spot on their fins. Their fins are short.
Breeding Betta Fish
Although betta fish can live for up to a year, they make the best breeders when they are younger than a year old, and the bettas sold in pet stores are typically at least six months old. They do not need a particularly large tank or any specialized equipment in order to reproduce because they use bubble nests.
Although smaller tanks are also suitable, the majority of breeders find that a bare-bottomed tank of approximately ten gallons is the optimal size for successful breeding. In an ideal scenario, the fish should be conditioned prior to the breeding process by consuming a diet consisting primarily of live foods. The water in the breeding tank should have a pH of approximately 7.0 and a temperature of approximately 80 degrees or slightly higher.
When the male is ready to spawn, he will construct an elaborate bubble nest using his bubbles. Because courting can bring out the more aggressive side in some males, it is important that the female has somewhere to hide. A female may lose a few scales or have her fins fray during spawning even if she has a safe hiding place.
When they are ready to spawn, the pair will begin circling each other under the bubble nest, and they will display intense coloration. When the female has turned over onto her back, the male will encircle her in this position. As she expels the eggs, they become fertilized and start to sink to the bottom of the container.
The male will gather all of the eggs into his mouth and then spit them back into the nest. The male will be in charge of caring for the young from now on. Taking the female away is smart because the male may become hostile as he protects his young.
The male will continue to take care of the bubble nest, replacing any eggs that are lost by spitting them back into the nest. The eggs will hatch in about two days, and you’ll be able to see the fry hanging upside down in the bubble nest. During this time, the male will continue to pick up any fry that fall out of the nest.
They will continue to feed off of the yolk sack that they have for the next 36 hours. It is important to remove the male within the first two days after the fry hatch because they have the potential to consume the young once they are able to swim on their own.
It is recommended that the fry be given a few feedings per day of baby brine shrimp or very fine baby food. The company Tetra produces a dry mixture that is designed specifically for fish that lay eggs, and many pet stores sell frozen baby brine shrimp. Be careful not to overfeed the fry, as any food that is not consumed will contaminate the water and can quickly become fatal to the young fish.
You might also be interested:
Guppy Fish Care Guide
Neon Tetra Care Guide
Why Is My Fish Gasping for Air ?
