Bettafanatic
Aquarium Advice Addict
Submitted by Bettafanatic
Common name: betta fish, siamese fighting fish
Scientific name: betta splendens
Category: Species (ie: Cichlid)
Family: Osphronemidae
Origin: Southeast Asia
Main Ecosystem: Rice paddies
Salinity: Freshwater
Temperment: Semi-aggressive. They will be very aggressive with other bettas and fish that look and act like bettas, such as labyrinth fish, fish with long flowing fins, or fish with bright colors. They will leave alone most community fish, such as tetras and catfish. It really depends on the individual betta. Some will accept all other fish and others will refuse to have anything alive in his territory.
Diet: Carnivore
Care: Bettas are easy fish to care for. They're good beginner fish and, although it's not ideal, can survive in smaller aquariums
Housing: Betta fish need aquariums of five gallons or more. Although they can survive in tiny half-gallon bowls, let me stress that they will only survive, not thrive.
Feeding: Bettas are carnivores so their diets need lots of protein. They will appreciate a diet of a mixture of different foods. They will accept flake food, pellet food, bloodworms, brine shrimp, and other meaty foods.
pH: 6.5-7.5, but prefer a neutral pH
Temperature: The optimal range is 74-78 F, but going down to 72 F or up to 80 F will not harm them.
Hardness: Less than 100 mg/L
Potential size: Up to three inches, but I've noticed that their size usually depends on the size of their aquariums. I had a friend who kept her betta in a 1/2 gallon tank and he was only 1 inch, but when she moved and I placed him in better conditions, he gained another inch.
Water Region: Bettas are mainly top-dwellers, but will swim all over the tank.
Activity: Diurnal. They will usually sleep hovering in the water.
Lifespan: Under optimal conditions, bettas usually live 3-5 years, but there are stories of bettas living up to 7 years old.
Color: Pick any color under the sun. You'll find a betta with that color. Common colors are red, blue, and pink
Mouth: Upturned, will feed from the surface
Sexing: Bettas are extremely easy to sex. Males will have long, flowing fins and brighter colors while females are usually duller and have short fins like a plakat betta. Females can be housed together (although it depends on the individual fish) but male bettas are much more territorial with each other.
Acclimation: Place the bag in the aquarium and let if float for fifteen minutes to adjust the betta to the aquarium's temperature. Open the bag and pour in a half cup of aquarium water into the bag every ten minutes for an hour. Once finished, catch the betta in a net and place him in the tank. Drip-acclimating isn't necessary.
Breeding: Breeding bettas can be lots of fun and a great experience, as long as you have enough room to house a lot of male bettas and aggressive females separately. It's best to have a place for the bettas to go before breeding. Usually the harder part is raising the fry. Getting a pair to breed is pretty easy.
Spawning: Set up a fry aquarium. Make sure it's heavily planted to give the female places to hide. Java fern is a good plant to have in the fry tank. Place a divider in the center of the aquarium. A sponge filter and low water movement are a must.
First choose your bettas. Make sure they are healthy and strong. Condition them for breeding by feeding live or frozen foods such as shrimp or daphnia. When the time for breeding comes, place the bettas into the tank, one on each side of the divider. Wait a few days for them to get used to each other. When they are ready to breed, the male will flare a lot and act aggressively. He will also have built a bubble nest. Providing a cup cut in half floating on the surface will encourage the male to build the bubble nest under the cup. The female will develop vertical bars on her body (they are usually difficult to see in lighter colored fish). Remove the divider so they can breed.
The male will usually chase the female and act aggressively towards her. Make sure there are lots of plants for her to hide in. The male will swim under the bubble nest and, when she is ready to breed, the female will approach the male with her head tilted down.
To spawn, the male will wrap himself around the female and "hug" the eggs out of her. Once all the eggs are out, remove the female. Make sure to have another tank with clean water for her to recover in. The male will scoop the eggs into his mouth and place them in the bubble nest.
Raising the Fry:
Once the eggs hatch, they will remain in the bubble nest until they can swim. Once they start free swimming, remove the male at this time. He will try to keep the fry in the bubble nest or even eat the fry.
Feed the fry crushed flakes, baby brine shrimp, or microworms. Perform water changes every other day to make sure the water stays clean, and vacuum any uneaten food from the bottom. Having a bare-bottom tank will make it easier to clean any debris.
Once the fry start to develop color and long fins, the males will become aggressive with each other. Separate the males at this time. In some situations, a male won't act aggressive to his sisters because he knows they are his siblings.
Comments: I have been keeping betta fish for years now. They are wonderful fish and my favorite aquarium fish! I have learned so much about fish through keeping them. Each one has their own personality. For example, my betta Martin is a very aggressive boy who always thinks he's the boss. He really intimidates my other betta, Sayir. He even attacks my hand whenever I place it in the tank! However, Waffle, my halfmoon plakat, is the exact opposite. He's a calm and docile fish. He loves the company of snails and loves to watch them eat algae and crawl around. He hardly ever flares but when he does it's beautiful. He's pretty shy and loves to relax. Every betta I've ever had has been different and they are a wonderful fish to keep as long as you understand their requirements.
Hope you liked my profile!
Common name: betta fish, siamese fighting fish
Scientific name: betta splendens
Category: Species (ie: Cichlid)
Family: Osphronemidae
Origin: Southeast Asia
Main Ecosystem: Rice paddies
Salinity: Freshwater
Temperment: Semi-aggressive. They will be very aggressive with other bettas and fish that look and act like bettas, such as labyrinth fish, fish with long flowing fins, or fish with bright colors. They will leave alone most community fish, such as tetras and catfish. It really depends on the individual betta. Some will accept all other fish and others will refuse to have anything alive in his territory.
Diet: Carnivore
Care: Bettas are easy fish to care for. They're good beginner fish and, although it's not ideal, can survive in smaller aquariums
Housing: Betta fish need aquariums of five gallons or more. Although they can survive in tiny half-gallon bowls, let me stress that they will only survive, not thrive.
Feeding: Bettas are carnivores so their diets need lots of protein. They will appreciate a diet of a mixture of different foods. They will accept flake food, pellet food, bloodworms, brine shrimp, and other meaty foods.
pH: 6.5-7.5, but prefer a neutral pH
Temperature: The optimal range is 74-78 F, but going down to 72 F or up to 80 F will not harm them.
Hardness: Less than 100 mg/L
Potential size: Up to three inches, but I've noticed that their size usually depends on the size of their aquariums. I had a friend who kept her betta in a 1/2 gallon tank and he was only 1 inch, but when she moved and I placed him in better conditions, he gained another inch.
Water Region: Bettas are mainly top-dwellers, but will swim all over the tank.
Activity: Diurnal. They will usually sleep hovering in the water.
Lifespan: Under optimal conditions, bettas usually live 3-5 years, but there are stories of bettas living up to 7 years old.
Color: Pick any color under the sun. You'll find a betta with that color. Common colors are red, blue, and pink
Mouth: Upturned, will feed from the surface
Sexing: Bettas are extremely easy to sex. Males will have long, flowing fins and brighter colors while females are usually duller and have short fins like a plakat betta. Females can be housed together (although it depends on the individual fish) but male bettas are much more territorial with each other.
Acclimation: Place the bag in the aquarium and let if float for fifteen minutes to adjust the betta to the aquarium's temperature. Open the bag and pour in a half cup of aquarium water into the bag every ten minutes for an hour. Once finished, catch the betta in a net and place him in the tank. Drip-acclimating isn't necessary.
Breeding: Breeding bettas can be lots of fun and a great experience, as long as you have enough room to house a lot of male bettas and aggressive females separately. It's best to have a place for the bettas to go before breeding. Usually the harder part is raising the fry. Getting a pair to breed is pretty easy.
Spawning: Set up a fry aquarium. Make sure it's heavily planted to give the female places to hide. Java fern is a good plant to have in the fry tank. Place a divider in the center of the aquarium. A sponge filter and low water movement are a must.
First choose your bettas. Make sure they are healthy and strong. Condition them for breeding by feeding live or frozen foods such as shrimp or daphnia. When the time for breeding comes, place the bettas into the tank, one on each side of the divider. Wait a few days for them to get used to each other. When they are ready to breed, the male will flare a lot and act aggressively. He will also have built a bubble nest. Providing a cup cut in half floating on the surface will encourage the male to build the bubble nest under the cup. The female will develop vertical bars on her body (they are usually difficult to see in lighter colored fish). Remove the divider so they can breed.
The male will usually chase the female and act aggressively towards her. Make sure there are lots of plants for her to hide in. The male will swim under the bubble nest and, when she is ready to breed, the female will approach the male with her head tilted down.
To spawn, the male will wrap himself around the female and "hug" the eggs out of her. Once all the eggs are out, remove the female. Make sure to have another tank with clean water for her to recover in. The male will scoop the eggs into his mouth and place them in the bubble nest.
Raising the Fry:
Once the eggs hatch, they will remain in the bubble nest until they can swim. Once they start free swimming, remove the male at this time. He will try to keep the fry in the bubble nest or even eat the fry.
Feed the fry crushed flakes, baby brine shrimp, or microworms. Perform water changes every other day to make sure the water stays clean, and vacuum any uneaten food from the bottom. Having a bare-bottom tank will make it easier to clean any debris.
Once the fry start to develop color and long fins, the males will become aggressive with each other. Separate the males at this time. In some situations, a male won't act aggressive to his sisters because he knows they are his siblings.
Comments: I have been keeping betta fish for years now. They are wonderful fish and my favorite aquarium fish! I have learned so much about fish through keeping them. Each one has their own personality. For example, my betta Martin is a very aggressive boy who always thinks he's the boss. He really intimidates my other betta, Sayir. He even attacks my hand whenever I place it in the tank! However, Waffle, my halfmoon plakat, is the exact opposite. He's a calm and docile fish. He loves the company of snails and loves to watch them eat algae and crawl around. He hardly ever flares but when he does it's beautiful. He's pretty shy and loves to relax. Every betta I've ever had has been different and they are a wonderful fish to keep as long as you understand their requirements.
Hope you liked my profile!
