What’s In A Name

Siamese Fighting Fish, or betta as we’ll refer to them in this article, were first kept by aquarists in Asia approximately 150 years ago. Primarily found in Thailand and Malaysia, the betta makes his home in shallow streams, ponds, and even rice paddies. Dull brown in color, the wild version in no way resembles the betta we see in our local pet shops. With their majestic fins in jewel tones of red, blue and purple, it’s hard to miss them floating about in their tiny cups.

But, put two males, whether wild or captive bred, into the same tank, you’ll get the same result: a battle royal, ending in torn and ripped fins with one fish the victor. For years, bettas have been used as “sporting fish,” with money wagered on the outcome of these battles. Rarely do the two fish fight to the death, but it may take many weeks for the fins to re-grow and the fish to completely heal.

This is why it’s never a good idea to house a male betta with another of the same species. You also want to be careful that there are no other fish in the same tank that look like a betta. A good example is the guppy. Although much smaller than the average betta, with his long flowing fins, the guppy could be easily mistaken for a rival. Also, you’ll want to keep your betta away from those pesky zebra danios that like to take nips out of his tail. He just can’t move fast enough to get away from them.

Your Betta’s Home

Because the betta is used to living in small bodies of water, he’s very low maintenance. These fish can be kept in something as small as a one-quart mason jar but there are many inexpensive betta tanks available today. Most of them are less than half a gallon in size and fit just about anywhere. Keep one on your desk at work, on the kitchen sink, or on top of a bookshelf; as long as there are no extreme fluctuations in temperature, your betta will be happy.

Your betta also prefers little to no water movement. For this reason, filtration should be kept to a minimum. In fact, with a weekly water change you can probably forget about filtration completely. A plastic plant or two for lurking in, some gravel to secure plants, and you’re all set.

The Labyrinth Organ

As mentioned in the heading, the betta actually breathes air. He does this through the use of his labyrinth organ, which is located just behind the gills. He can also derive oxygen from the water using his gills, but they are poorly developed and cannot supply him with all the oxygen he requires. This is why you will see your betta swim to the top of his tank every few minutes and take a breath of air.

The Birds And The Bees

One of the most interesting things about bettas is how they breed. Not only does the male build a “nest”, he is in charge of caring for the offspring! Should you ever decide to try to breed your bettas, this is what you can expect.

The male begins the process by building what is known as a “bubble nest.” To do this, he will swim to the surface and take a breath of air. While the air bubble is in his mouth he covers it with mucous and then spits it back out again. The male repeats this over and over again until he has a nest floating on the surface of the tank that measures roughly four to six inches across. The betta prefers to have something to adhere his nest to. This is where the presence of either real or fake plants is beneficial.

During this period of nest building, the female is kept separate from the male. This can be accomplished in two ways. The first method would be to buy a betta tank that comes with a glass divider and segregate the two. These can be easily purchased at your local pet shop or online. Or you can simply place the female in a small jar and position her next to the breeding tank.

The Big Seduction

Once the male is aware of the female’s presence, he will swim up to the glass, flare his fins, and extend his gill covers. This courtship can last anywhere from between one to 24 hours. Eventually, the female will become agitated and try to find a way into the male’s tank. It is now time to move the female into the breeding tank. However, if the female does not want to spawn, an upturned flowerpot or other hiding place should be in the tank for her to take refuge in.

The female lets the male know she is ready to begin spawning by swimming beneath the nest. The male follows and curves his body in a “U” shape over her (known as the “spawning embrace”). Together they turn upside down and the female begins to release her eggs with the male fertilizing them. During this time the female may release anywhere between 350 and 400 eggs.

As the eggs fall towards the bottom of the tank, the male swims down and picks them up in his mouth, beginning his role as caretaker. He then returns to the bubble nest and gently places the eggs in the nest, where they adhere to the mucous coating. After the female has spawned, she may help with the moving of the eggs. If she shows no interest in assisting the male, move her back to her tank. Her job is done. It will generally take the male two to three hours before he has all the eggs placed in the nest. To make his job easier, the water in the breeding tank should be no deeper than four to five inches.

Betta Babies!

Within 36 hours, the eggs should begin to hatch. Again the male is on guard, picking up any fry that fall from the nest and returning them. Once the fry are swimming horizontally, usually three days after hatching, remove the male from the tank. You are now the caretaker.

Betta babies are TINY. How in the world will you feed something so small? The only thing that they are capable of ingesting is infusoria. Infusoria is basically a group of microorganisms typically found in infusions of decaying organic matter. Remember the last time you forgot about that bunch of celery in the fridge? All that gunk in the bottom of the bag? Infusoria. But don’t worry, there’s a simpler way to get your hands on it. Most pet stores will carry tablets that can be mixed with water to produce the necessary “baby food.” Or you can also purchase liquid fry food. Once the babies are a week old, they should be big enough to take baby brine shrimp.

To raise an entire spawning, you will need at least a 15 gallon tank. You will also need to have some method of aerating the tank (an airstone, for example) to increase the available oxygen. The labyrinth organ takes a few days to develop once the betta is born. Until that organ is fully developed they rely completely on their gills for oxygen.

Further Exploration

If this article has at all piqued your interest in the fascinating world of bettas (and I hope it has!), there are numerous books and websites specifically devoted  to the care of Siamese fighting fish. There are also national as well as regional societies, including the North American Betta Society, which seeks to promote the breeding of bettas, and the International Betta Congress, which is worldwide. Enjoy your betta!