Betta Fish - In the acquarium
Because of its beautiful colours and wonderful fin shapes, the Betta is popular with aquarists. The Beta fish originated in the hot, dampish rice paddies of Asia. The Beta Fish developed a way to breathe oxygen directly from the music, using a lung - like " warren " organ to survive as the rice paddies experienced drought. This way the bettas could still obtain music, while living in muddy, shrinking moisten holes and could survive until the rains reciprocal.
Members of the genus Betta, to which the Siamese fighting fish belongs, are a type of "labyrinth fish" (a name also given to anabantids) because they have a labyrinth organ in their heads that allows them to take oxygen directly from the atmosphere in addition to the oxygen taken from water via their gills. The floor of the tank should have, as a minimum, a thin (5 mm or 0.25 in) layer of gravel to increase the surface area for nitrifying bacteria to colonize. Decorations can provide hiding places, especially important when two males are housed in a divided tank, or when the betta is living in a community tank. (Note that some bettas enjoy leaping out of tanks, so a breathable lid is highly recommended.) If the betta has no access to air, it will suffocate.
Bear in mind that fish with 'fancier' tail forms such as half-moons can be more difficult for the novice aquarist to keep in optimum health. There is a stereotype that in the wild, bettas live in tiny muddy pools, and therefore that it is acceptable to keep them in small tanks, but bowls are usually too small. In reality, bettas live in vast paddies, the puddle myth originating from the fact that during the dry season, the paddies can dry out into small patches of water. It is not a natural state of affairs by any means, and in the wild, fish trapped in such puddles are likely to die in a short period of time when they dry out.
To maximize the lifespan of the fish and ensure their wellbeing, they should always be kept in appropriate sized tanks. As a rule of thumb, for each inch of fish there must be at least one gallon of water in its tank. Bettas idealy should be kept in a filtered tank 10 gallons or more and treated like any other freshwater tank fish. Although these conditions are ideal, with proper care and filtration a betta can be happily kept in a smaller tank.
Tankmates Because of the aggressive nature of this species, tankmates must be chosen carefully, and two male B. splendens should not be housed in the same tank unless they are separated by a dividing wall. As a general rule, male Bettas cannot be housed together. It is possible to house two male bettas in a single very large tank, provided that there is plenty of cover (such as floating plants) and enough space for both males to establish their own territories. However, this is an extremely risky procedure because of the male's natural territoriality. These experiments in housing males together often end in the death of one or both inhabitants of the tank. (Male bettas do not 'fight to the death' in the wild; once one fish has clearly won the encounter, the loser will retreat to a safe location. In an aquarium, however, there is no place to run, and the winning fish will continue to attack the loser, often ending in death.)
While they might eventually mate, keeping a male and female together may prove too volatile since the male will often be much more aggressive and mating conditions must be precisely conducive. Often, breeders have a special container so the female may display without being harmed by the male prior to induced breeding.Females may or may not be able to coexist peacefully in the same tank depending on their temperaments. They are not schooling fish, and are still rather aggressive, but with enough room and many hiding spaces, they can learn to get along. There should never be exactly two female bettas in a tank together--a pecking order, a hierarchy, is necessary for them to live peacefully. With only two fish, one will be the bully and the other will be picked on. However, with three or more, a hierarchy is established.
Before co-housing Siamese fighting fish with other species, their compatibility should be carefully researched, and the owner should have a back-up plan if the shared tank does not work. Common tankmates include mollies, catfish, or loaches. Although bettas are most aggressive towards each other, they have been known to kill very small fish or nip at the fins of fish such as fancy guppies, perhaps mistaking their finnage for that of another male betta. Certain fish should not be housed with bettas. Schooling fish often become fin-nippers, making the betta a prime target because of their flowing fins. Also, aggressive fish like barbs should not be around bettas. Keepers have also reported problems when attempting to keep Betta in the company of piranha, for obvious reasons. It is strongly recommended that bettas given tankmates should be housed in a tank that is at least 2 gallons per fish in the community (depending on bio load) with plenty of hiding places. Anything smaller will stress the Betta. Only females can be kept in communities, and you still must watch out for aggressive females who will cause trouble in your tank.
Carnivorous, the betta feeds on zooplankton and mosquito and other insect larvae. Domesticated bettas will feed on bloodworms, daphnia, and brine shrimp. Betta pellets are typically a combination of mashed shrimp meal, bloodworms, and various vitamins to enhance color and longevity. For variety and fiber, bettas may also be fed finely chopped vegetables high in protein such as soybeans, green beans, broccoli, corn, or carrots.Bettas are primarily surface feeders, that is their mouths are upturned, so any food items added should be able to float on the surface of the water.
Betta fish are beautiful and interesting fish to own. Beta fish are intelligent and will quickly learn who their caregiver is. You will notice that your Beta fish will soon learn when you approach and become very excited! If you give your Beta fish the attention and care that he deserves, you will be rewarded with a stunning and interesting pet that is a pleasure to own.
About the Author
Sylvia owns http://www.bettafishcares.com which helps people learn about betta fish care
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