Fish of the Month: Betta Splendens

Anyone who knows me knows that I LOVE betta's of all sorts. I find them to be one of the most characteristic and interesting fish out there, despite the fact that they're all over the place. In every fish store you should find at least 10 bettas for sale. If not, then I wouldn't think the store is even worth a visit.

That being said, betta's are quite possibly one of the most underappreciated and misunderstood fish anywhere. Consumer America tells us that they require little or no care, can live in any size container, and are obviously appealing to the eye.

Don't get me wrong, I myself keep my betta's in relatively small containers. They need more than just water, however, to truely thrive and be at their prettiest. One of the things people misfire on when setting up a betta tank is not including a heater into the mix. Betta's are tropical fish and do best in temperatures from 75-80 degree F. Mine only get heaters in the winter, since room temperature in the summer where I live is the right temperature for a betta. Without this heat, betta's can live, but they're a very slow-moving, listless fish when kept in colder waters.

Another thing people misfire on is choosing the way a tank looks over it's size. I've seen some VERY cool betta setups for sale out there, but some of them don't even add up to a gallon of water! Betta's can live in small containers like this, but they do enjoy more room to swim, and it takes more work on the owner's part top keep it clean. I like the regular 2.5 mini-tanks that almost every pet store chain sells. They look nice, are big enough, and are easy to clean.

Many 5 gallon setups are excellent for betta's as well, but some find the included filter's current to be too stressful. This depends entirely on the fish. Some betta's will ride the current for amusement, others are blown around haphazardly by it and can become too injured or stressed. EVERY betta is different.

As we all SHOULD know. Male betta's are to be kept alone or in a suitable community setup. They DO NOT get along with other males. And they DO NOT get along with other females. A casual betta keeper cannot hope to breed them, because breeding betta's takes much time a patience and a whole lot of staring at two fish, best left to the professionals. A male in a community fish tank can work, given that he isn't with any fish he may fight (I.E. gourami's, which are relatives, guppies, which have long fins, etc.) or any fish that will find enjoyment picking at the betta's fins (barbs, danios, fast aggressive fish)

Also, female bettas. Many people pass them up for males because "they're not as pretty." The only aesthetic difference between a male and female betta is fin length. Females can be just as colorful and vibrant as males.

In fact, one of my favorite fish to keep in a group are female betta's. Groups of females establish a hierarchy with each other and have small battles to prove who's the stronger fish. Keep in mind some females are more aggressive than others (in fact, if you're thinking a male would always win in a fight with a female, you're dead wrong) and may stress another female to the point of death. It's best to introduce your females all at once on neutral ground, or to rearrange tank decor when introducing a new member to the group.

I've heard all sorts of myths concerning betta's, one of the most popular being where they originate. Betta's do not live in puddles on the side of the road in Asia, you can't go out and scoop one up after a rainfall. They live in rice paddies and other such boggy, low oxygenated waters. Their territories are staked out as they are in captivity, by fighting. The difference here is that a betta can back down if need be. In a 20 gallon tank, males fight to the death because neither feels he can escape.

There are also other species of bettas than what you normally see in stores. Wild strains of betta's are becoming increasingly popular. Some are mouth brooders, unlike their bubble-nesting cousins. And many of them are just as beautiful as Spendens.

Spendens are the betta's you see everywhere. The air-breathing, bubble-nesting fish we all know and love. and withing this species there are many fin-types to choose from. The most common is veil-tail and crowntail. Halfmoons have fuller, more luxurious fins, plakats are shorter finned, there are halfmoon plakats, crowntail plakats.... The list goes on forever it seems. Aquabid.com has a section for each fin type, and that's worth checking out to be sure.

Speaking of Aqubid, let's talk about the difference between show-quality betta's and store bought. Show betta's are raised in the most pristine water conditions possible. And often when they are taken to a home where less water changes take place suffer under the new conditions. So, if you get a show-quality betta, make sure you give it more care than you would a normal one.

...That's all for now off the top of my head... If I left anything out or you have any questions, let me know!