Betta (Siamese Fighting Fish)

Overview

The Betta (Betta splendens) is one of the most popular and most mis-housed aquarium fish. Often sold in tiny cups and bowls, the Betta is actually a tropical fish requiring a heated filtered tank - and it lives 3-5 years with proper care, compared to the typical 6 months in bowls.

Natural History

Native to Thailand and surrounding regions. Lives in shallow standing water - rice paddies, slow streams. Males are intensely territorial: in the wild a beaten rival can retreat, but in a confined space fights can end in death; the species has been bred for fighting in Thailand for centuries.

Appearance

Adults 6-8 cm length. Males: long flowing fins in brilliant colours - red, blue, white, multicolour, marble, koi. Females: shorter fins, less dramatic colours.

Tail varieties: veiltail, crowntail, halfmoon, plakat, double tail, dumbo (ear-fin), and many more.

Temperament & Tankmates

Males are aggressive to other males (never house two together), and often to females except during brief breeding. Avoid:

• Other Bettas (males).
• Fish with long fins (mistaken for rivals: Guppies, Angelfish).
• Fin-nippers (Tiger Barbs).

Acceptable tankmates: small peaceful fish (Corydoras, Otocinclus, Neon Tetras in some cases), nerite snails, shrimp (some Bettas eat shrimp).

Female Bettas can sometimes live in groups ("sororities") but require careful setup.

Tank Size & Setup

At least 5 litres for one betta is the absolute minimum in the AAGB care guidelines, and the Practical Fishkeeping editor who printed them aims for about 20 litres for a single male; kept with other fish, a betta needs at least 45 litres (Wikipedia). Bare tanks and bowls may cause stress, as the fish has nowhere to hide (AAGB).

Provide:

• Gentle filter: avoid strong surface movement, since bettas breathe at the surface (AAGB).
• Thermostatic heater for 24-28°C (AAGB).
• Live plants, with floating ones for surface cover (AAGB).
• Caves and hiding spots.
• Close-fitting cover (AAGB).

Water Parameters

• Temperature: 24-28°C with minimal swings; kept too cold, bettas turn sluggish, eat poorly and fall ill more easily (AAGB guidelines).
• pH: wild habitats range from 6.9 to 8.2 (Wikipedia).
• Regular partial water changes with dechlorinated tap water; no salt except as a short disease treatment (AAGB).

Diet

Carnivore. Wild bettas eat zooplankton, small crustaceans, aquatic insect larvae such as mosquito larvae, insects that fall into the water, and algae; whatever some pet-trade marketing says, they cannot live on plants or plant roots alone (Wikipedia). The care guidelines of the Anabantoid Association of Great Britain (AAGB) advise a good-quality dry diet that covers all of a betta's needs, with cultured live or frozen foods as extras (Practical Fishkeeping).

The RSPCA's general advice for pet fish is two or three small feeds a day, and underfeeding is safer than overfeeding.

Health & Lifespan

3-5 years.

Common concerns:

• Fin rot.
• Velvet (parasite).
• Dropsy.
• Swim bladder disorder.
• Digestive problems, which the AAGB links to poor diets.
• Ich.

Pros & Cons

Pros: brilliant colours, small tank suitable, interactive personality, long-finned beauty. Cons: widely mis-housed in pet shops, short lifespan if poorly kept, aggressive with most tankmates.