Description
About Bettas
The Betta or Siamese Fighting Fish is one of the most popular aquarium fishes throughout the world. They are known for their territorial temperament, exceptionally beautiful colours, and fin shapes. They have a lifespan of 3 – 5 years with proper care but due to their popularity in the hobby, many beginner Betta owners look over the needs of these beautiful fish.
Where Do They Come From?
Betta fish originated from Thailand but can be found in nearby countries such as Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia. Wild bettas live in shallow, freshwater areas such as rice paddies, stagnant ponds, marshes, and slow-moving streams. Being used to Asian climates, they prefer warm water around 27º Celcius.
Because their usual habitats are extremely low in oxygen, bettas have evolved to breathe air at the water’s surface. Adults gulp air and capture the oxygen from it using something called a labyrinth organ, which is attached to the gills and functions similarly to a human lung.
Traits & Behaviour
Besides their beautiful fin types and colours, Bettas are very well known throughout the world for their aggressive and territorial behaviour. Their common name, ‘Siamese Fighting Fish’ already explains their behaviour. Males are typically much more territorial than females and will attack other male Bettas in their territory. This territorial behaviour is why males should not be housed together in the same tank as the fighting will lead to one male being badly injured or outright dead. They can be housed with other fishes though but with the condition that the other tank mates are peaceful and there is enough space in the aquarium for the Betta.
A healthy and happy Betta fish is full of personality and can recognise its owners. They are curious fish and will explore anything new that is put into the aquarium. They are also very good jumpers so prepare a lid to prevent them from jumping out.
Environment
Aquarium Size: A 5-gallon (17L) tank should be the minimum to keep your Betta happy and healthy. One of the biggest myths regarding bettas is how they can live just fine inside a tiny bowl or container. This isn’t ideal as a small confined space increases the risk of poor health and diseases. To put this into perspective, you could live inside a tiny room too if given food and water right? You wouldn’t be very happy or healthy though.
Bettas are oftentimes displayed in small confined ‘tanks’ in pet stores. These small tanks are just for display and are used to separate them to prevent fighting as these fish are aggressively territorial.
Filter: A filter is highly recommended for any aquarium setups. It not only circulates and clears the water from waste, but it will also prevent toxic ammonia (from fish waste) from building up in the water by housing beneficial bacteria in the filter media. A filter will make an aquarium’s environment much more healthy for its inhabitants. Be sure to choose a filter with an adjustable flow rate as Bettas do not like too much flow.
Lighting: Betta fish require both daylight or artificial light to stay awake during the day and complete darkness to sleep at night. Establishing a consistent day and night cycle controls their internal biological clock. If they do need to spend some time out of the direct light, some plants and other decorations offer shade.
A maximum of 8 hours of light is enough. Too much light will cause an algae outbreak in the aquarium. It’s not harmful to the fish but it can be quite unsightly for owners.
Decorations: Decorations for Bettas can include live plants, woods, rocks, leaf litter, hides, or small ornaments. Decorations provide a safe place for your Betta to hide away and rest. Decorations can also stimulate your Betta’s curiosity and prevent boredom in the tank (yes, Bettas can also get bored).
Substrate: A Betta will tolerate any substrate in the tank. Soil, gravel, and sand are all suitable in a Betta tank.
Water Conditioners: Good water quality is super important for any aquatic animal. Water conditioners help eliminate dangerous chlorine, chloramines, and heavy metals from the water after every water change. A good quality water conditioner will also have vitamins and contents that help enhance the health of your fish. Other water conditioners that benefit bettas include black water extracts that reduce the water’s pH and hardness.
Nutrition
Bettas are carnivorous fish. In the wild, they hunt and feed on small insects, plankton, larvae, and crustaceans. They should be fed foods with high protein content. Bettas can be given pellets or flakes as a staple food. An occasional feeding of bloodworms or brine shrimps will help with better health and colouration.
Make sure not to overfeed your betta. Their stomach is roughly the size of their eyeball and should be fed accordingly. 3-4 pellets per feeding are all they need. Feed your betta 1-2 times a day. Any leftover food should be removed to prevent it from fouling up the water.
Tank Mates
Although bettas are aggressive by nature, they can coexist with other smaller and peaceful community fish if there is enough space for many species of fish to swim comfortably. Small fish like Neon Tetras, Rasboras, and Corydoras are peaceful and will get along well with bettas.
Avoid aggressive, fin-nipping fish like Tiger Barbs, overly active fish like Danios, and fish with long or large fins like Guppies as it can intimidate the betta into fighting them. Keep tankmates to a minimum as Bettas do not like overcrowding and will stress out when bigger or more active fish are in the same tank.
Keep either 1 male in its own personal tank or with a few small peaceful fish. 4-5 female bettas can be mixed to form a sorority but NEVER mix 2 males together.
Aquarium Maintenance
It is recommended to do your aquarium maintenance at least once a week. Weekly maintenance helps keep your aquarium clean and healthy for its inhabitants.
- Turn off the filter.
- Wipe down the glass with aquarium wool.
- Trim any plants if needed.
- Brush off as many algae from any corner or surface in the tank.
- Change 20-30% of the water by vacuuming the substrate or just siphoning out the water.
- Clean the filter if needed.
- Refill the tank with water slowly.
- Add your water conditioners.
The maintenance process should be done without removing any of its inhabitants.
Supply Checklist
Here are some necessary supplies to set up and maintain your Betta tank.
- Appropriate size aquarium (5-gallons/17L and above)
- Filter
- Lighting
- Substrate
- Plants
- Decorations
- Betta food
- Water conditioners (anti-chlorine, beneficial bacteria, blackwater extract, etc.)
- Aquarium maintenance tools (aquarium would, scrapers, scrubbers, etc.)
Take It One Step Further
If you want, you could create a natural environment for your Betta to live in. Bettas are found in rice paddies, stagnant ponds, marshes, and slow-moving streams. A lot of these environments are littered with fallen branches and leaf litter, which creates a Blackwater habitat.
A Blackwater habitat features much more acidic waters (3.0 – 6.0 pH) and brown water. Fallen leaves and branches release tannic acid which reduces the pH of the water and creates the distinctive brown colour of the water (just like making tea). The Blackwater environment is loved by Bettas as it mimics their natural habitat. An environment like this boosts their health and colours, prevent diseases, and can also encourage breeding.
If you are interested and prefer the look of a natural environment. Why not try creating a Blackwater tank for your Betta?
And you’re set! All the best to you and your Betta!
Have more questions? Contact us at 03-7733 7469 or drop by our shop and speak to our team!
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