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fish, from A to Z. The profiled fish will be chosen randomly by Badman,
and will come from the complete genre of tropical fish. New profiles
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Betta Splendens
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Overview:
One of the staples of the hobby, through selective breeding the betta
has become one of the most colorful and sought after aquarium fish.
Seen in small bowls this is far from the ideal living conditions for
them. Just because they can live in confined spaces does not mean that
they will thrive in them.
Quick stats:
Listed tank sizes are the minimum
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Size: |
Up to 3" (8cm) |
Tank: |
Any, 5 gallon or larger is best |
Strata: |
All |
PH: |
6.0 to 8.0 |
Hardness: |
Soft to hard. dH range: 2.0 - 25.0 |
Temperature: |
73°F to 86°F (23-30°C) |
Classification
Order: |
Perciformes |
Suborder: |
Anababtoidei |
Family: |
Osphronemidae |
Genera: |
Betta |
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Common name
Betta or Siamese Fighting Fish.
Image gallery:
Additional
species photographs
Discuss:
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Forum
Distribution
India, particularly the Malay Peninsula, Singapore, Thailand and also
Vietnam.
Biotope
Marshy areas, including rice fields also canals in Thailand.
General Body Form
Long bodied when compared with most other members of the sub order.
Anal fin is very long and inserted. Ventral fins are saber shaped. Caudal
fin is large and almost circular in shape. The Dorsal fin starts behind
the middle of the body. By selective breeding the common Veiltail Bettas
we see today bear little resemblance to the wild specimens. They can
reach a length of two and one quarter inches (6 cm )

Beautiful Females
Coloration
The long finned, highly colorful strains of the betta we know today
vary greatly from the original wild forms. Today we have Flesh-colored,
bright Blue Emerald Green, Red, Red-Violet and even Jet Black. These
colors can be found alone or more commonly a mixture of two or more
of them. The original form has much less variation. The colors are only
intense when the fish is fighting or breeding and tend to be washed
out at all other times. When this happens the Betta is a non spectacular
Reddish-Brown with two transverse bars visible on the body. Females,
even today are mostly Yellow-Brown, with short fins.
Maintenance
Bettas are not at all difficult to keep. They will be very happy in
any well lit tank with a dark substrate. The addition of some floating
plants will complete the setup. Bettas have an extra organ that allows
them to obtain oxygen right from the air and so can be kept in very
small quarters if needed. Being tropical in nature they should be kept
in water with a temperature range of 73 to 80 degrees f. They have no
special requirements regarding water composition and aeration and filtration
is not necessary. Bettas like most fish relish live food but have no
problems accepting the flake staple foods. Bettas tolerate all other
fish well and can be put in a community tank set up. Be sure there are
no fin nipping fish like Tiger barbs or your beautiful fish will be
stripped of all its fins. The most important thing to remember is that
male Bettas will not tolerate the presence of another male and will
fight to the death to protect his territory. To this day some Species
of Betta are placed together for the sole purpose of fighting, thus
the other common name "Siamese Fighting Fish".
Breeding
Bettas are probably the best known members of the "bubble nest" builders.
The nest consists of air bubbles enclosed in saliva and are very strong.
The nest is always built by the male and is located at the water surface
among floating plants. The eggs when laid sink to the bottom and are
gently picked up by the male and spat into the nest. He will keep the
nest in constant repair and will try to guard it from all intruders.
The female should be removed after spawning as the male may kill her
after the eggs are laid. The eggs hatch in one to two days and are very
small. The fry can eat only the smallest of food. Growth is rapid. Care
must be taken in the first few weeks to maintain temperature as the
development of the Labyrinth is sensitive to change.
This is only a basic outline of the betta fish, for more detailed
information please visit the sites forum or one of the specialized
sites.
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