Betta basics and care

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wuvmybetta

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Introduction to Bettas

Bettas,aka Siamese Fighting Fish, originate from the tropics of South East Asia, Thailand, Bangkok and certain parts of Vietnam.They come in a wide variety of color and fin strains. Bettas are fighting fish so you must only keep one male to a tank. Several females can be kept together in groups,provided the tank is large enough.

Bettas have seven fins ,two pairs of paired fins,the pectoral and the ventral fins. The pectoral and the caudal fins are the bettas main source of navigation and the others provide stability.

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They are anabantoids which means they have an auxiliary breathing apparatus called a labyrinth organ. This enables them to breathe air directly from the surface.Air passes over the labyrinth organ and out the gill slits. This organ allows bettas to live in oxygen depleted waters that would be lethal to most regular tropical fish. It's a wonderful adaptation for survival in the rice paddies and also why bettas are usually kept in such deplorable conditions during their time in cups.

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Temperature

The optimal betta temperature is 74-82F, the absolute minimum being 68. So when you're picking out a tank for your new betta you need to consider the temperature of your house. If he won't be warm enough, you'll need to buy a small heater. 25w works perfect for a small tank, 2.5 to 5 gallons. A heater in a tank any smaller than that can be risky. If you'll require a heater,you must buy a bigger tank.


Tank Size

Bettas can live healthy and well in anything from a 1 gallon up. A 1 gallon is the absolute minimum, preferable size is a 2.5 to a 5. Bettas are not the best community fish but it can be done. It's recommended to avoid bettas in a community if the tank is below 10 gallons. Be sure and research tankmates to avoid too much conflict.

Water Changes
Water changes in small tanks should be very frequent, at least once a week, twice a week is even better. You can do it two ways, 100% weekly changes or 50% cycled tank changes using a gravel vac. Bettas don't necessarily need filters, that's up to you. They do make water changes a lot easier,but your betta may prefer his tank water calm. You can purchase small box filters that connect to air pumps, these seem to work well.I prefer cycled tanks, they work the best. This helps to keep your water quality constant rather than building up ammonia each week before a water change.

Choosing a Betta
When shopping for a betta you should look for the most alert fish, look for clean fins, smooth scales, nice belly and clean water. If the majority of the 'cups' are clean and there are a couple of dirty water cups, avoid those, those are your dirty bettas. Some are messier than others.

Acclimating
You should take your time when you're acclimating your new betta. Float him in his tank for a good twenty minutes and then slowly pour 1/4 of his cup water out into the sink (careful that he doesn't jump out!) Never,ever pour old cup water into the new tank. Repeat the 1/4 water replacements every 15 minutes for a couple of hours until you're certain it's fresh water in his cup, then release him.

Diet
Besides clean water and appropriate tank size, diet is the most important factor in keeping healthy bettas. Try to give a wide variety of fresh,frozen and pellet food. I prefer Hikari brand for everything, they're wonderful and full of vitamins.Though they are carnivorous, they enjoy the occasional veggie,so offer some now and then. Avoid freeze dried treats, they have a tendency to cause internal damage.

__________
I'd like to invite everybody to give helpful hints to new bettakeepers Just little tidbits of information that you've picked up during your experiences. Some info on color strains or finnage would also be helpful

The best info that I can think of is...CLEAN WATER! I can't stress this enough,all of the fin rot cases,all of the illness' can easily be avoided by staying on top of your water changes.

Second...LIDS..keep your bettas covered, they DO jump. The lid also serves the purpose of keeping the surface air ,above the water, nice and humid. This is a necessity, if your betta is constantly gasping at cool air it can lead to pneumonia.

mmkay...bring on the info,guys
__________
Thanks to cocker of dragonbetta for the following

hi out there,

well, i would like to add some more about splendens to this thread

first of all, the first splendens was collected 1909 / 1910, the terra typica is bangkok.
we have to have a little look in the siam (now thailand) history to get a clear picture of what this means:
fish fights are as well as fighting other animals a traditional thing in thailand. the fights between males of splendens, imbellis and smaragdina have a 300-years lasting tradition. some people believe (me too), that the fighting and betting on fights with fishs was started somewhere round 630 n. c. - but this fact can`t historically been prooved because the written permission of one of siams kings is not to be translated clearly

also the terra typica is bangkok, there are reported found of the wild splendens from laos and saigon also, a place in cambodia is not reported.

the main problem today is to identify the real "splendens" and the real imbellis. in the breeding forms we keep today, hybrid-crossing has taking place many, many times. it is possible, that in the earlier days of betta breeding a crossing between splendens and smaragdina was also done. it is a hard thing to tell if the first specified "splendens" was a true wild form or a set free breeding form. but someone is working on that matter very hard

____________
Thanks to bkk of bkk_group for the following

"The terms ā€œPlakat Thaiā€ and ā€œSiamese fighting-fishā€ both have the same meaning. The only difference is that ā€œPlakat Thaiā€ is the Thai word for the Betta and ā€œSiamese fighting -fishā€ is the English word for the Thai Betta (Plakat = biting/fighting fish, and Thai = Siamese). Plakat Thai can be classified into three Betta species: Betta splendens, Betta smaragdina, and Betta imbellis. Betta splendens are the most famous and also the most in demand among the three species. Amazingly, in the past all three species were developed by Thai farmers to be fighting fish. No one can tell which species came first. I believe that all three species were developed along with each other locally. These three species were interbred in a pyramid pattern with the Betta splendens at the top of the pyramid. This was done through fish fighting activity, which plays a very significant role in the interbreeding choices of these three species we call Plakat Thai."

There are very few breeders in the uppermost northern part of Thailand. Geographically the north is comprised mostly of complex mountain ranges and highland plateaus. The weather there is slightly cold throughout the entire year, and as we know cold weather is no good for breeding Bettas. There is a short sunny period from March to May. Wild Betta splendens and Betta smaragdina can be found in the rice fields and the surrounding areas. However, there are many more breeding areas in the lower parts of the north, geographic basins and river junctions from the north provide stable temperatures and fertile soil suitable for cultivating live food for the Plakat Thai. These are the most essential factors of successful breeding and maintaining good stock.

The northeast part of Thailand favors Betta smaragdina, especially the provinces that are connected to the river Khong, at the Thai/Lao border. These breeders preserve the tradition of fish fighting as a joyous after- work activity. There is no reason to breed for commercial purposes, or if any very few do. The fish are caught in the wild and exchanged among close friends. The fish are freed back to the rice fields after the games are over.

Every province in the Central and Eastern parts of Thailand mainly stress development of long and short fin Betta splendens. Bangkok (officially ā€œKrung Thepā€), the capital of Thailand, is the center of all kinds of ornamental fish trades. However Betta splendens is a major part of Bangkokā€™s aquarium fish industry.

The southern part of Thailand has two species, Betta splendens and Betta imbellis. With the rainy climate in the south, it is suitable for breeding Bettas in all aspects. Like the breeders in the northeast, the southern breeders, breed Betta imbellis for seasonal enjoyment and donā€™t care much about quantity. I will discuss breeding Betta imbellis in a separate home page section.

In order to win the domestic fish fighting game, some breeders crossbreed the domestic species with cultivated Betta splendens. For example, the breeders of the northeast cross wild caught Betta smaragdina with cultivated Betta splendens, and likewise, the southern breeders crossbred wild Betta imbellis with cultivated Betta splendens.

Keeping, rearing, and fighting of the Betta smaragdina has a long history in Isan culture, and it involves a basic social dynamic that has been a part of Isan society for a very long time. The traffic throughout different Thai cultures eventually led to the interchanging of Betta bloodlines for breeding."

"the Betta splendens development was the outcome of the first Thaisā€™ aquarium fish. Itā€™s the nativesā€™ intellect; no modern genetic technology is relevant. Second, Betta splendens developed from a human social interaction process; it is the success of exchanging knowledge between the Thai peasant classes, the traditional knowledge exchange. One can claim that fish fighting was recognized over 600 years ago in the Sukothai Empire, the first capital of Thailand. The ancient breeders, or rather the farmers, learned by means of observation; they then tested their hypothesis, and then finalized the hypothesis by fighting their fish with a challenger. They formed a group known as a breeding and fish-fighting club. They were transmitting their Betta knowledge by means of close verbal communication. By telling his techniques to his most trusted friend, it ensures that he has someone to carry on his Betta keeping and rearing techniques. In order to keep his techniques sacred, he must be very disciplined ā€œdo not tell these secrets to anyone, these are the best secrets to make your fish superior to any challengerā€ (this tradition still goes on today). By using this technique of passing knowledge, it made the Thaisā€™ Betta development very unique. At the same time it also becomes a repetitive breeding practice, or in other words, there is no progress in breeding. You can see this becomes obvious when you look at the advanced development of the long fin Betta in America versus the development of the long fin in Thailand.

Today the most serious fighting fish breeders are still in the peasant class of Thai society. My duty is to make their voice echo and exhibit their wealth of information, so that their intellectual treasures and knowledge are streamlined into Thai history and now the NET.

In Thailand when speaking about the Plakat, there are two distinguishing types of Plakat Thai. One is the short fin and the other the long fin. Both types were developed from the wild caught Betta. They are captive Betta splendens Wild caught Betta that 40 years ago were available in almost all areas of flooded land and the ditches in the rice fields.

How did the long fin Betta come to be? There is no question about the short fin types. If you observe the wild Bettasā€™ colors and patterns, the difference is only in their size. No doubt the Thai breeders only made them bigger and most important, more aggressive. However, the proverb ā€œyou canā€™t always get what you wantā€ always holds true and is applicable here. Where did we lose the way between the development of the long fin and the short fin fighters? The wild Betta has a very good balance of shape and form, from the mouth to the end of the fins, the neon bright scales and fins, and the most impressive style of flaring and dancing; no other captive splendens match its form and function. OK lets make it short, the difference between the wild Betta and captive short fin Betta splendens is only in their size. But what about the long fin Betta splendens? It is like another Betta species altogether. Although scientists have declared that it is the same species as the short fin Betta. I have never seen a long fin Betta that came from a batch of short fins. I always question the breeders I knew, about the origin of the long fin Betta as much as possible. Nobody knows no matter how many breeders I question. I always get the same answer ā€œI have seen these two types of Betta as long as I can remember.ā€ The western aquarium texts cannot answer these questions. ā€œWhere the long fins come from I have no idea.ā€ (Christopher W. Coates. Tropical fishes for a Private Aquarium. 1950: p.137). The oldest breeder I have been able to interview is 80 years old, and his answer is the same. It is now Betta mythology, and I am interested in tracking down the answer.

There are five stories to tell about the development of the long fin Betta:

ONE : Pseudo-Breeding Story

This technique believes that the female Betta will absorb the color and shape of her environment and then pass those traits on to her babies. Using the pseudo-breeding technique, letā€™s suppose that you want long fin yellow Bettas in your breeding stock. This technique suggests we should paint a long fin yellow male on a piece of paper and attach it to the femaleā€™s bottle, no real male Betta is necessary. About 1-2 months later, we take this female and breed her with any color of male Betta. The outcome of the breeding is that some Bettas color and shape will be similar to the painted Betta, some will be similar to the mother, and others will be similar to the father etc. After being successful in getting the first slightly long fin yellow stock. The breeder will select a yellow long fin male to inbreed with another long fin yellow female from the same batch. By repeatedly continuing this process the long fin Betta of desired color will gradually be developed.

TWO : Intensive Breeding Story

The pseudo-breeding story uses an environmental explanation to the approach. The intensive-breeding story utilizes a sociological explanation to the approach.

There are many scripts written in the Thai language that say the first stocks of long fin Betta splendens existed over one hundred years ago. In western texts the first appearance of the long fin was in San Francisco and supports the above assumption.

"In Siam the fighting fish is bred just as are fighting cocks, and in the hundreds of years that the sport has been carried on, special breeds have been developed. None of these "domesticated" fighters reached us until 1928, when two shipments arrived in San Francisco from Bangkok. These fishes, with their tremendous veil-like fins, caused a furor in the aquarium world. One type was dark, with red fins. These "veil tails," bred together and interbred with the wild type and with other long-tailed stock received later from Siam via Germany,.." [Lucile Quarry Mann, Tropical fish, New York. 1954]

If we hold the Thai source, and the above reference as being true, this would mean that the Americas in general knew the long fin Betta at least 30 years after the fish had been successfully bred. I strongly believe that the long fin Betta was developed from the short fin Betta, which in turn was developed from the wild caught Betta.

Coming back to my original argument, if the long fin Betta was the product of human intervention or human breeding. Then the sociological explanation must be taken into consideration, more or less. Why? Because one hundred years ago we did not breed fish for commercial purposes. We bred them for fun, whether it was for gambling or just as a pet. (It really is different than todayā€™s motive for breeding; commercialism and profit now motivate most breeders). Now, to come to my point, there is no doubt that the Thai boy would keep the short fin fighter, just as his father and his uncles did. But what about the girl? what type of fish can she have? The short fin fighter was too cruel for her to keep. (Do not forget that in those days only men kept the short fin fighter, usually for fighting purposes only.) She just wanted a pet that can live with her in the hut, just like her brotherā€™s fish. This is how the long fin Betta splendens came to be. The girlā€™s father or uncle, who also happened to be a breeder, intentionally bred the long fin Betta to make his girl happy. The first long fin specimen was selected because it had distinguishing characteristics from the rest of the short fin batch. I believe that the long fin we see today was gradually developed from one family to another and one breeder to the next. I think the development of the long fin came about when the proud girl took her new long fin fish to show off to her friends. Her friends then asked their fathers and uncles, who were also fish breeders to breed the long fin types. Now I think the reader can imagine what is going on.

The habit of breeding special fish for their children is still practiced even today. In every breeding area, most of the breeders will make a special batch for their children. Some will breed for special colors and others will breed the hybrids (captive short fins crossbred with the wild types) for their children to take and fight with their friendsā€™ fish. The purpose of breeding the hybrids is to fight them with the wild caught Betta. Wild caught Bettas do not have the stamina for prolonged fights, whereas the hybrid types more than certainly do.

I think that in the very beginning, they only had the long fin types in local shows, may be somewhere around or outside Bangkok province. The formation of aquarium clubs created the commercial need for the long fin type. The price in those days varied, and I quote: ā€œTwo or three years ago, really good specimens of aquarium raised Betta splendens were quite expensive, as much as thirty dollars being paid for one pair.ā€ [Christopher W. Coates. Tropical Fishes for a Private Aquarium. 1950: p.138]

Today, the Thai girls still favor the long fin type for show, while her brothers still like to have the short fin for fighting.

THREE : Originated from China

The third story uses a linguistic approach to explaining where the long fin came from. This theory implies that the ā€œNAMEā€ dictates the origin of the fish. This story is based solely on the NAME. In Thailand we call long fin Betta splendens ā€œPlakat Cheen.ā€ Plakat Cheen can be translated to ā€œChinese fighting-fishā€ (Plakat = ā€œFighting Fishā€ Cheen = ā€œChina, or Chineseā€). The name implies that the long fin Betta splendens comes from China, or at the very least it has some implication relevant to China or Chinese breeders. I once heard someone explain that a Chinese monk, who was also a breeder, introduced the long fin Betta to the aquaristsā€™ world.

There are three implications for the term Plakat Cheen. First, is the word Cheen, which can mean country or China. This would mean that the long fin Betta splendens originated in China and was brought to Thailand by traveling merchants or sailors. Thailand and China have had a long history of merchandise trade for hundreds of years. However, all Thai sources (both verbal and written) deny this possibility, and state that it is simply a borrowed term.

The second is Cheen meaning Chinese person. This could be a Chinese monk, a Chinese layman, or possibly a Chinese breeder. I was watching television a few months ago and to my surprise, the program said that the first person to introduce the long fin was a Chinese monk about 100 years ago. Another Thai source said that a Chinese breeder was the first to successfully breed the long fin Betta. Personally, I favor this explanation. It seems consistent with my thoughts in the past. The long fin Betta was never for fighting, only for show, with a hidden commercial motivation behind its development. Chinese breeders were very famous for discovering and developing new fish strains. The Chinese piloted the aquarium fish trade. For example: Koi, Gold Fish, guppiesā€¦etc. The fact remains that the Thai breeder did not sell his short fin fighters to strangers or for shows. He was afraid people would spoil his blood lines, either through improper keeping, rearing, or simply selling the fish to an opponent or spy (donā€™t forget that the quality of the fish was associated with the breederā€™s name, and the amount of money made). The Chinese breeders could see the value in this flaring fish and even predict that if they could develop brighter colors and longer fins the fish could then be a mass marketed product. When I was young I can remember seeing long fin Bettas being sold everywhere in the pet shops. The seller was a Chinese family and they never talked about the fishsā€™ fighting qualities. The development of the long fin Betta is a myth because in Chinese tradition they never tell the secrets of their family profession to outsiders."
- Precha Jintasaerewonge
i have liberally quoted from his website plakatthai.com as his site is one of the most informative i have yet come across.

____________

Thanks to Tempestuousfury for the following

just wanted to add that those lids should be tight-fitting. My betta got through a relatively small sliver of space when it jumped out and dried up on my bedroom floor.

Also, a FAQ is how much food a betta should get and how many times a day. I've read quite a few books on bettas, and they all state that bettas have fast metabolisms. Therefore, ti's best to feed them small amounts of food (1-2 pellets, brine shrimp, etc.) multiple times a day. I personally feed my betta 1-2 pellets 3-4 times daily. Once in a while I make my betta fast, just to make sure the food exits his system and to make sure it's healthy. My guy's been with me for quite a few months, so my method must be working.

_________________
Thanks to Where the river goes for the following
When you do bring your betta home don't be surprised if he/she doesn't eat for a few days. This is normal. Once they settle in they will start eating.

As far as decorations go. In general, avoid plastic plants as they tend to tear bettas fins. Go with silk plants or better yet live plants if possible. Any rocks/caves, etc should be on the smooth side. I've found that both my bettas prefer taller plants. Also, if possible get them some sort of floating plant...they'll quickly make a bubblenest around it

Be aware that bettas generally prefer slow/no current in their tank. I've found that my bettas prefer mini whisper filters. Yes, they have a filter preference I was having problems with both of the whispers and I was trying to give them a little more room in the tank so I replaced them with a small corner filter and both of them stopped building bubblenests. After a few months, I was not happy with the corner filters as they were not doing as good a job keeping the tank clean as the whisper filters and it was apparent to me my bettas were not happy as their nests would fall apart even though the water movement was quite slow. I switched filters again and put in the mini whispers, next day both of them had a nice big bubblenest that stayed together. I may give up a bit of room in the tank, but the bettas don't seem to mind.

Avoid tank backgrounds for your betta. They increase the reflections/shadows the betta which he interprets as a rival and will flare A LOT at this background. They never seem comfortable in their enviroment either. One of my bettas was like that until I removed the background.

I would strongly advise no tank mates in anything smaller than a 5 gallon. In a 5 gallon something like an african dwarf frog would be fine. If you want ghost shrimp as a companion for your betta, be aware that your betta will more than likely make a meal out of the ghost shrimp
<<<

... hope that helps.
 
As a link with additional info I would reccomend www.bettatalk.com .
 
wuvmybetta said:
Second...LIDS..keep your bettas covered, they DO jump. The lid also serves the purpose of keeping the surface air ,above the water, nice and humid. This is a necessity, if your betta is constantly gasping at cool air it can lead to pneumonia.

mmkay...bring on the info,guys
__________
yeah they DO jump lol and also i see you like southpark, mmkay lol :lol:
 
Very true, I've lost two bettas in the past due to forgetting to place the lid back on.. Though I've made it my vital for every tank to have a secure lid with good air passages.
 
It should be added that despite their name 'Fighting Fish', they are unable to hold their own against fin-nippers and other aggressive fish.

P.T.
 
This seems like a very good article, thanks for taking the time to write it. :) However, I have to say I completely disagree about the recommended tank sizes.

Tank Size

Bettas can live healthy and well in anything from a 1 gallon up. A 1 gallon is the absolute minimum, preferable size is a 2.5 to a 5. Bettas are not the best community fish but it can be done. It's recommended to avoid bettas in a community if the tank is below 10 gallons. Be sure and research tankmates to avoid too much conflict.
In my experience, anything under 5 gallons is out of the question. The betta becomes too apathetic and phlegmatic in such a small volume of water. I've only kept bettas in a 3 gal (my fry/hospital/quarantine tank for small fish) temporarily, but they have always become inactive in there, then visibly perked up once they've been moved into a bigger tank. Heh, for a comparison, try living in a closet all your life and see how exciting that is. ;)

A 5-10 gallon will do, but I've found that the best size is 10-20 gal. In this size tank, the betta is much more active and seems curious about its environment. Even though the males have long fins and thus aren't very good swimmers, they do enjoy "stretching their fins" occasionally. In a tank this size it's important to have plenty of plants, including ones that reach, and float on, the surface. The betta enjoys dense vegetation. In this size tank it is also possible to keep calm, peaceful tankmates with the betta, if you wish.

I've kept bettas in bigger tanks than 20 gal too, but in those one needs to be careful about waterflow. The filters for bigger tanks usually give too strong a current for a betta and the water outlet must be directed so that at least part of the tank has no current. Female bettas however, with their short fins, seem to even enjoy a stronger current, often keeping to the part of the tank where the current is strongest.
 
That's fine if you disagree :) I understand Finland is pretty strict on tank sizes. Here in the US a 2.5 gallon is viewed as generous for a betta, a 1 should be the absolute minimum but sadly tanks even smaller than that are available.
 
Yes, I do realise people will have different experiences. Bettas have different personalities. I also realise things are quite different over there compared to Finland.

I understand Finland is pretty strict on tank sizes. Here in the US a 2.5 gallon is viewed as generous for a betta, a 1 should be the absolute minimum but sadly tanks even smaller than that are available.
I didn't disagree because Finland is more strict on tank sizes. My reasons for disagreeing are based on personal observations on betta behaviour and wellbeing in different tank sizes. I want to make it clear that I don't disagree simply because of legal restrictions in my country.

I just wanted to inform that it's perfectly fine to keep bettas in larger tanks than 5 gal. As it is now, the text I quoted in my previous post makes it sound like more than 5 gal is a bad idea.

As endparenthesis said, everyone's experiences are different, and since mine differ so much from what is recommended in this thread, I thought I'd let people know about it. :)
 
Yeah I can see your point where is seems like that only 2.5 to 5 are recommended. But Those are better than little baby coffee cups those things live in the stores. So how does finland enforce a fish in a certain size after you get it home? do they have fish inspectors?
 
i'm suprised that no one mentioned the different kinds of tails that betta's come in! well, i guess i'll throw that in :D

vieltails are the kind that you most commonly see in stores. they have long droopy tails.

crowntail betta's (CT), have prongs at the ends of all their fins
crowntail.JPG

redcrowntail.jpg


doubletail betta's (DT) AKA twin tail, the anal fin is split into 2 equal parts
1fb568ff8b818686035d851afdc5c2e6.jpg

female
DTf1.jpg


halfmoon betta's (HM), the tail is rounded, and makes 180 degrees or more
HMm1.jpg

turquoise1.jpg


delta tail and super delta's, are very simular to halfmoon, but don't make the full 180 degrees
Be6.jpg

Betta94.jpg



then there are certain color patterns...not all too common in a store that sells nothing but vieltails, which are usually blobs of color here and there.

marble-if you know sorrell then you know what a marble is. i don't know how to describe it, so on with the pics!
Squiggles2.jpg

WTDT6.jpg


butterfly's (BF) have one color body, then a band around their body which is usually the same color, the the rest of the tail is some other color.
butterflymaj.jpg

betta.jpg


then theres the one color, and bi-color betta's...one color, the whole body is the same color (duh), and bi-color is where the body is one color, and the tail is a completely different color.

when you see people say this, they really mean this:

CT=crowntail
DT=double tail (not sure, but some people may use that for Delta tail)
BF=butterfly
HM=halfmoon
HMx=halfmoon extended, which i think means the tail goes quite a bit over 180

thats all i can think of...HTH! :)
 
Currently I have my male betta alone in my 46 gallon tank, and he seems completely happy and content, as well as being very active. Personally I would not keep a Betta in anything smaller than a 2 gallon tank, and my betta may soon be moving to my 5 gallon.
 

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