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.