Bettas are the most colorful and well-known tropical fish in the World. Everyone recognizes the colorful Betta. You will run out of fingers and toes before you can count all the different colors and different types of fins currently available.

The females have short fins and are a peaceful fish. A small collection of three to six will can provide a lot of color in a community tank. They get along fine with other peaceful fish like Tetras or Livebearers. They do not bother live plants and will even keep the snail population down. (They eat small snails)

A single male is an especially flashy addition to most small tanks. They are peace loving and generally hover near the surface waiting for some insect that wants to become a Betta snack. Beware, this makes them a target for any tank bully who will sneak up from behind and nip the Bettas colorful fins.

Bettas originate in Southeast Asia. Wild Bettas called Plakats live in shallow water. They have an organ similar to our lungs that allow them to breath air. Because he has lungs, no expensive pump and air stone or filter system is necessary. Male bettas are territorial. Like many wild animals the male will fight to keep other males out of his territory. In the wild, the looser will swim away but in captivity, when two males are placed in a small container, the looser cannot run away and hide so the fight usualy ends in the death. Males will also chase off females unless they are ready to spawn and make baby bettas.

The perfect home for the adult male Betta is a clear container holding between one and three gallons of water. Although they prefer 80 to 84 degree temperatures, they do quite well at room temperature and no heater is required. Most Bettas enjoy a small potted or floating plant. Color accessories add a lot to a fish display, but you will find it easier to change the water if you put the decorations on the outside.

I’m sure you’ve all seen a Betta in a flower vase. It looks great. But Bettas breathe air and they must have room at the surface to get it. If the surface is covered with plant roots and there is no place to get air, they will die. Some people believe that the Betta can exist by eating plant roots, but Bettas are Carnivores and hunt bugs not plant roots and if you don’t feed them, they will die. Bettas like live food like mosquito larva, snails, brine shrimp, daphnia and small worms. Most pet stores carry frozen food and freeze dried food as well as high protein pellets for bettas. Be careful not to feed your betta more than he can eat in 5 minutes. Excess food and fish poop will sink to the bottom and decompose in the water, polluting it and making the water turn cloudy. Without a filter system you will have to change the water in his home once a week, or sooner if it starts to get green or cloudy. Just remember to use de-chlorinated water, even though they have lungs and breath air, the chemicals we put in our drinking water can kill Bettas.

If you don’t have a Betta, try one or two or three. They are addictive. They all have personality and no two are the same. Some will eat out of your fingers, some will bite your fingers and some will not go near your fingers. Enjoy!

Credit: TCBettas.com (Phishphreek)

Asia

5 years

Omnivore

Dimorphic

Males are flashier, longer fins and brighter colors. Females are smaller with short fins.

Bubblenester

After you introduce the female to the male, flaring, chasing, tail nipping and other acts of foreplay begin. This is why a hiding place is necessary. If one of the pair becomes severely damaged, remove it and provide medication. Better luck next time.

24-48 - hrs the pair will spawn. The male will wrap himself around the female and squeeze. The female will release some eggs and swoon. The male will gather up the eggs and place them in the nest. When the female becomes active she will sometimes help and sometimes eat the eggs. After all the eggs have been placed in the nest, the pair will spawn again. This cycle is repeated many times until the female is out of eggs. Spawns with over 100 eggs are not uncommon. When finnished the male will begin to protect the nest and chase the female away. If you don’t see the spawn take place but the male is guarding the nest and the female is hiding, check the bottom of the nest with a flashlight and you should be able to see the eggs. Light colored bettas have light colored eggs and dark colored bettas have dark eggs. After you have confirmed the spawn remove the female . I replace the existing warm jar with a new jar of water and place the female in the jar of warm water while I medicate her wounds. The new jar does two things, it maintains the water level for the nest and it provides warm water for the male when I remove him. Now is the time to place the cover on the spawning tank to protect the developing eggs & fry.

36-48 hrs – During this time, some eggs will fall from the nest and sink to the bottom. The male will pick them up and return them to the nest. As the eggs hatch, the young fry will break free from the nest, try to swim but start to sink. Again papa will return them to the nest. Eventually, the fry will break free of the nest and start swimming. When the fry are able to make it back to the nest on their own, it is time to remove the male. The longer you wait, the greater the odds that papa will get totally frustrated trying to keep them all in the nest and eat the fry. Place the male in the jar that is in the tank to avoid temperature shock and add a little medication, just in case. After the male is removed, add a new jar of water to maintain the water level, insert a sponge filter and adjust the airflow rate to its minimum. Baby bettas do not like strong currents. The sponge filter will help to keep the water clean, provide a home for infusorians which the fry eat and keep any film from developing on the water surface which makes it hard for the baby bettas to get air. Continue to keep the tank covered to protect the fry as their lungs develop.

3 days old – The egg sack that fry are born with is gone and food is required. Add infusorians, green water, micro worms or other tiney food.

1 week – Start feeding baby brine shrimp or small daphnia.
Increase the water level in the tank a little each day until the tank is full.

10 weeks – Larger males start nipping other siblings.
Move the aggressive males to individual jars.
Starting feeding adult brine shrimp, black worms or large daphnia.

20 weeks – Next generation, Do it all again.

• Reclusive/Solitary
• Good for community tank (only 1 per tank)
• Aggressive only to same species
• Males aggressive toward females during breeding

Easily Obtained