Introduction to Betta fish

Written by Bob Berdoulay

Thursday, 08 September 2005

What you see today does not come close to resembling the drab green/brown, small finned fish that is the wild form. The origin of the fish is Southeast Asia, the Malaya Peninsula. Here it has been selectively bred for sport for hundreds of years. First imported into France and Germany in the late 1800s, the Siamese Fighting Fish, Betta Splendens, has changed over time. The Betta fish has been bred for two traits, aggression and beauty. The aggression trait is most highly developed in a short-finned variety that is used in fighting contests that people in Asia still bet on. The other trait, beauty, of course is most highly developed in the fish we so admire in the hobby. That does not mean this Betta fish is not aggressive; put two males together and war breaks out. Domestication has given us a Betta fish that has long flowing fins and a selection of colors. "The Betta fish has been bred for two traits, aggression and beauty." The Betta fish is a labyrinth fish. The labyrinth is a breathing organ that is in the head just behind the gills. This structure allows the fish to take in atmospheric air. With this ability the fish can easily survive in waters with low dissolved oxygen. Betta fishes are tolerant of a wide pH, 6-8, but prefer warmer temperatures, 75-86F. If you do decide to keep them in a community tank, medium plantings give them places to hide from fin-nipping tank mates. You can only have one male Betta fish in a tank; as was noted before, the males DO fight. A number of females may be kept together but they do not have the finnage that the male has. It has been popular to keep male Betta fishes in very small jars. Not good! Anything less than a quart container is stressful to the fish. Breeding Betta Splendens is not difficult. Set up a five-gallon tank with water 6" deep. A neutral pH is okay, but the temperature should be maintained at 82F. A few bushy plants will allow the female some retreat. No filtration or aeration is necessary; you want the surface of the water to remain still. Betta fishes are bubble nest builders. Place the male in the tank. Place the female in a separate tank near the first so the fish can see each other. You can also choose to divide the first tank placing the male and female on opposite sides. Condition on good flake food and some live food. The abdomen will begin to swell with eggs and a white ovipositor is quite evident if the female is ripe. When they are ready put the female in with the male. Observe that he is not too aggressive; if he only shows signs of mating leave them alone. In all but the pale colored females fear is indicated by the appearance of horizontal stripes. Acceptance and an denoting she is ready to breed is the appearance of a vertical stripe and her down at a 45 degree angle. If the male bullies the female then remove her and wait a few days to try again. "The Betta fish is a labyrinth fish. The labyrinth is a breathing organ that is in the head just behind the gills." The Betta fishes spawn in typical anabantid fashion with the male wrapped around the female; as she releases the eggs he releases the milt and fertilization occurs. He will release the female, collect the eggs in his mouth and spit them into the bubble nest he has prepared. The behavior is repeated until the female is depleted of eggs. At this time remove the female and allow the male to guard the nest. The fry will hatch in 24-30 hours; begin adding infusoria or try APR (Microfood from OSI). When the fry become free-swimming remove the male or he may begin snacking on his progeny. As the fry grow begin feeding brine shrimp nauplii. As with all anabantids you must cover the tank to maintain a moist layer of air above the water. The critical time in the fry's growth is when the labyrinth organ is developing. Dry, cool air will harm the fry at this stage and it is now that most tank-raised fry perish. You can differentiate the sexes at 3 months; at this time start to isolate the individual males into separate containers. Betta fishes are truly beautiful. They take up little room on their own or add magnificent color to a community tank, so give them a try. You'll like them! Article from Aquarticles and written by Bob Berdoulay.