Betta splendens
From The Aquarium Wiki
(Redirected from Japanese Fighting Fish)
| Siamese Fighting Fish | |
| |
| Black Copper Half Moon Male | |
| Species | Betta splendens |
| Difficulty | Very Easy |
| Min. Tank Size | 18.927 liters 18,927.059 mL 5 US Gallons (18.9L) |
| Size | 7.62 cm
2-3 " (5.1-7.6cm) |
| pH | 6.0 - 7.8 |
| Temp. | 297.039 K 23.889 °C 534.67 °R 300.928 K |
| Water Hardness |
4-10 |
| Stocking Ratio | 1:0 M:F |
| Availability | Very Common |
| Diet | |
| Life Span |
2-7 years |
Contents |
[edit] Alternative names
- Betta, Beta, Siamese Fighting Fish, Chinese Fighting Fish, Japanese Fighting Fish
[edit] Color Based Naming
- Royal Blue, Steel Blue, Turquoise, Green, Cellophane, White Opaque, Yellow, Pineapple, Orange, Red, Copper, Black, Cambodian, Chocolate.
[edit] Pattern Based Naming
- Piebald, Butterfly, Marble, Multi
[edit] Fin Shape Naming
- Spadetail, Veiltail (VT), Doubletail (DT), Roundtail, Delta (D), Super Delta (SD), Halfmoon (HM), Over-Halfmoon (OHM), Sun/Combtail Halfmoon, Rosetail, Plakat or Plakad, Crowntail (CT), Combtail [1]
- For more details on tail and pattern types read Betta splendens - variations.
[edit] Habitat
- Wild Betta Splendens are green/brown with red fins in a plakat (short-tailed) shape. These wild types are found in wide rice paddies in Thailand, Vietnam and Malaysia. Although shallow (between 3-6" (7.6-15.2cm) depending on season) these are very wide bodies of water, meaning the theory that Bettas live in puddles is completely untrue.
[edit] Sexing
- Male Bettas are generally more colourful and have much larger fins than females. Females have short fins, and when viewed in aquarium shops or in a stressed condition they appear to lack colour. But once in a suitable tank and have settled in their colours will come through also.
- Females also have an ovipositor visible, a small white dot just behind their ventral fins. A female's ventral fins will also be shorter than a male's, and her anal fin will be rounded and more rectangular rather than finishing to a point, as a male's does. Both male and female fish will flare their gills and extend their fins, however the gills on a female will be smaller, whereas a male's gills when flared will go right around the head like a ruff.
[edit] Breeding
- Breeding Bettas should not be taken lightly and should be planned carefully before a pair is prepared for breeding. It can take 2-3 weeks for a pair to be conditioned (with excellent water quality and plenty of live food) before they can be put together. Once the spawn has become free-swimming, almost 6 months to a year before they are ready to go to new homes, and each of these fish will need daily care and water changes to ensure optimum health.
- See our illustrated article, Breeding Betta splendens, for more details on how to breed these popular fish.
[edit] Tank compatibility
- Bettas are relatively peaceful fish. Their aggressive behaviour shows when mixed with other Bettas or anything with long, colourful fins that the Betta may confuse for another Betta. Males should not be kept with other males or females. Females develop a hierarchy so should be kept alone or in groups of 4 or more in a minimum of 10 US Gallons (37.9L). Males should only be kept with females during the brief breeding period. Bettas should not be kept with aggressive tank mates such as Gouramis or Cichlids or with fish that can nip their long fins such as Danios, Tetras or Barbs.
[edit] Diet
- Carnivore. In the wild, diet is insects and insect larvae. May be fed Brine shrimp, Daphnia, Tilapia, bloodworm, fish flake and specially formulated Betta pellets.
[edit] Feeding regime
- See also: General feeding regime for common fish
- Feed once or twice a day in small quantities. They appreciated a mixed diet and can prove fussy, they love live food, but care must be taken that they do not become so fussy to the point they will only accept live food. Bettas are also prone to constipation, so feeding them cooked de-shelled pea once a week followed by a day of no food at all helps to keep them regular. They can go up to a week without food providing they have been well fed before hand.
[edit] Environment Specifics
- While its true that Bettas can live in a small and unheated bowl, they will live longer and thrive in larger surroundings. Like other tropical fish, Bettas will thrive best in heated tanks, with live plants and plenty of room to swim. At least 5 US Gallons (18.9L) is preferred. They are tropical fish and will therefore prefer to live in the higher temperature range of around 72-82°F (22.2-27.8°C) .
- The males do not do well in strong currents, especially the long-finned varieties as they are not strong swimmers. For this reason, and because the frequent water changes necessary without a filter are too stressful for them, a small filter is recommended.
- Bettas are labyrinth breathers and therefore must have access to the surface at all times.
- Some Bettas will jump. Some jumpers won't stop even if you put a cover over their tank. There needs to be a minimal amount of air space (1/2") between the water and tank hood to prevent injury.
- For centuries far East Betta breeders have kept this fish with Indian Almond Leaves (Terminalia catappa), the tannins released by this leaf acts like bogwood, and give the fish essential chemicals, promotes beneficial fungi and bacteria. etc.. These leaves are on sale on eBay and good Betta dealers.
[edit] Behaviour
- Bettas are curious creatures. They enjoy exploring every nook and cranny of their tanks. They appreciate live plants and caves to swim around and through. You may notice they will sit on, lean on, or "claim" an object. They are quite peaceful and will get along with most other fish which are not fin nippers or that look like them. Bettas will flare out the sides of their faces to warn other fish not to mess with them or if they see an object that they mistake for another Betta.
[edit] Special notes
- Interestingly, the veiltail Betta is now hardly ever shown at fish shows, as it is considered by many Betta breeders as 'common' and not worth displaying any more.
- Several aquarists debate on whether the Betta should be kept in tanks or bowls, since their natural environment consists of "small, shallow areas of water". However their natural environment, while being shallow, is often acres wide.
- Bettas, like Gouramis are a labyrinth fish, in that they have a special organ that allows them to breath air, so they can survive in low oxygenated water. If they are not allowed access to the air then they drown.
- As they age, a Betta's colouration often changes, those with the marble gene constantly change. There is also a redloss gene that means a Betta born with a lot of red in the fins will lose all red as as it matures. The redloss gene is desirable in Betta shows.
- A female will usually outlive a male by a few months.
- Longfinned Bettas, especially halfmoons and veiltails, can sometimes find themselves getting hampered down by their own tails, or through boredom, can turn to tailbiting. Sometimes fish will do these because of a change in environment, as a result of fin rot, or you simply have a nervous fish with a vengeance against it's own tail! There is no real known cure for this, and you may just have to live with a Betta with tatty fins, keep their water clean though to prevent infection.
- If the fry do regular exercise, some aquarists say they'll live much longer. Put a mirror in front of the tank or inside the tank, as soon as it sees its own reflection, it will become active and try to fight the reflection. Do this for half an hour (may be twice a week) then take it out.
- Heavily finned variations such as the halfmoons may occasionally "blow" their tail or develop a split in their tail from flaring. This will heal eventually but must be watched for fungus or bacterial infections initially.
[edit] Pictures
 Copper Halfmoon Betta Male |
 Royal Blue Doubletail Male |
 Young female with stripes |
 Female Betta in breeding condition |
For more images of Bettas click here.
[edit] Videos
Platinum Copper Mask Betta with Tail Damage, proving you don't need a mirror to get them to move:
Female Betta
