Graceful. Beautiful. Colorful. These are the words that best describe the male Betta, also known as the Siamese fighting fish. Now you may be wondering why I am only referring to just the male Betta’s, well personally the males are the beautiful ones. The males of long flowing fins like the robe of an important king, they are also very, very territorial. Male Bettas come in a wide variety of the shapes, sizes and colors. Now the females well, they are plain, small and are highly out matched when it comes to the beauty and grace of the male Betta.I myself have always wanted to have a male Betta for myself, because there beauty just astounds me. I could watch one for hours and hours. So I have written a little about Bettas (including the females) and I have provide many links, helpful sites on Bettas and sites the give you information on how to care for a Betta. Enjoy.
Mainly about Bettas:
Bettas are tropical fish found in warm and hot waters in Southeast Asia. You can find them in the wild in slow moving waters like swamps. They also love to hide in rocks behind seaweed and other places that help hide them away. Bettas are great fish, and are very interesting to have around the house. I will go into the Betta in a little more detail.
Bettas are Anabantids this means that they have a labyrinth organ in their heads that allow them to take air from our atmosphere and also from the water. So it is very important that you’re Betta has a gape in its bowl that allows going it to go to the top and breathe or else they will drown.
Bettas are also carnivorous they also surface feed. Wild Bettas feed on Zooplankton, larvae of mosquitoes, crickets, and flies and many other insects. Bettas that have a high diet in protein tend to live longer, have brighter colors, and heal more quickly. Your Betta can also eat bloodworms, brine shrimp and daphnia; these can be alive or frozen.
Female Bettas can lay 100-500 eggs. Females are also known for eating their own young. After the female has laid her eggs the male will create a bubble nest at the surface of the water this is to protect the eggs. The eggs will hatch two days after birth.
Bettas come in a large variety of colors, like red, blue, orange, yellow, white, green, and turquoise. Breeders have also managed to get some colors into the females but unable to get the long flowing fins of the male Betta. Besides the large variety of colors there are also many tail shapes.
• Veiltail (non-symmetrical tail, only two rays)
• Crowntail (highly frilled, extended spiny rays)
• Combtail (less extended version of the crown tail)
• Half-moon (large tail fin that forms a 180-degree, or larger, half circle)
• Short-finned fighting style (sometimes called "plakat")
• Double-tail (the tail fin is split into two lobes and the dorsal fin is significantly elongated)
• Delta tail (tail span is less than half-moon with sharp edges)
• Fantail (a rounded delta tail)
When male and female Bettas are intimated or to attract a mate, Bettas flare their gill covers. Horizontal bars will show on the fish when the Betta is stressed or frightened. When threatened or even without a threat a Betta needs a place to retreat. A Betta will become territorial of that place he chooses, either it be a rock or a swaying plant. He will make that his place of retreat. Bettas are even aggressive to their own reflections. They bang against the glass of their bowl, and a mirror if they “see” another Betta. Males are typically more aggressive than Females, but some females some pretty high levels of aggression.
Typically you shouldn’t keep two male Bettas in the same tank, for they will fight each other to the death. In the wild male Bettas don’t fight to the death, because the loser will retreat but in a tank there is no retreat. So they will keep fighting till the death, no matter what.
If you have a male and a female together you should be wary, for female usually steer clear of males since males usually kill females. You should only have a male and a female together if the tank is large enough for a female to retreat when under attack, and also if the fish are breeding and if they are juvenile siblings. You should also be wary of having two or more females in a tank for usually one female will bully another. But you should always scan the tank for any aggressive females.
Now all this doesn’t mean you Bettas has to be alone in his/her tank. I have found some good tank mates for your Betta, so you won’t always have a lonely Betta. These fish are:
• Platies
• Corydoras
• Catfish
• Loaches
Females can share a tank with:
• Danios
• Tetras
• Barbs
• Gouramis
• Shrimp
Now every Betta is different so you need to find just the right tank for your fish, some Bettas are more aggressive than others, but some are more skittish and are better be housed alone. It all depends on your Bettas personality.
Now some people might think that you must house your Betta in a small tank in order for the fish to be happy. WRONG! Bettas, like any other fish, are happier when kept in a large roomy tank. They are healthier, more active, and grow larger. You should at least have one gallon (3.75L) of water for each cubic inch (16.5cm), this though is a estimate some fish might acquire more space. If you want to learn the proper conditions for your Betta please click here for more information.
Now as you finish reading this post you may be thinking of getting a Betta (or not) but you should now that it is a living creature and should be treated as such. Given its every need for a long and healthy life, it is you’re responsibly as a fish owner to provide full and proper living conditions for your fish. Bettas wonderful fish, but acquire much care and it comes with much responsibility. I hope you found this post useful, please comment and tell me what you think.
Information used:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siamese_Fighting_Fish
http://www.firsttankguide.net/betta.php
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