Aquarium enthusiasts love betta fish, also referred to as Siamese fighting fish. They are a beautiful addition to any tank because of their striking colors and graceful fins. Both novice and experienced fishkeepers are drawn to these fish due to their captivating appearance and vibrant personalities.
Betta fish, which originated in Southeast Asia, are available in a variety of colors and fin types.
- Minimum aquarium volume for betta fish
- Requirements for the care and conditions of keeping betta fish
- Photos of some selective forms of cockerels
- Reproduction and breeding of aquarium cockerel fish
- Video on the topic
- FIRST AQUARIUM with Betta fish SETTLEMENT HOW TO CARE
- Connecting aquariums by air. How to make a water bridge for fish between aquariums.
- Aquarium fish betta. Maintenance, care!
- BELL FISH – this video tears the soul to shreds! PART 1.
- Fighting fish – "Betta" (Betta Splendens) Care, maintenance and reproduction
Minimum aquarium volume for betta fish
The question of how big an aquarium should be for these fighting fish is another matter. Unfortunately, these stunning fish are sold in nearly every pet store in 250ml glasses! The salespeople claim that these fish are "unique," that they don’t require oxygen or filtration, and that they even feel fantastic in a glass!
Pet store employees don’t care about what happens to the fish after they sell you the product or the tears of a child who saw a cockerel floating belly up. Their job is to sell the product! If only you knew how many cockers owners of pet stores lose track of before they even get to be purchased! You would have genuine sympathy for these defenseless fish.
Gorgeous picture of a cockerel fish
Yes, of course, cockerels are hardy fish, in their natural habitat they live in muddy, silted, oxygen-free rice fields. But this does not mean that they can be kept in a small glass of water. Firstly, because the conditions of keeping any animal should be as close as possible to the natural habitat. Monkeys should jump on trees, birds should fly, and fish should swim! When a betta fish just hangs in a glass with its fins hanging down, it is a truly sad sight. Secondly, in a glass, vase and other small vessels there is no biobalance. In a rice field, for example, various biochemical processes occur that cleanse the water of various poisons (ammonia, nitrites and nitrates), in a glass of water these processes are absent, poisons accumulate, the fish"s immunity weakens and it dies. Biological balance in artificial conditions can only be achieved in aquariums with filtration, aeration, stable temperature conditions and other attributes of a "normal aquarium".
Picture of a Betta fish
Therefore, a betta aquarium should have a minimum volume of 5 to 10 liters. Such an aquarium can have a mini-filter installed, be beautifully and organically arranged, have aquarium plants added, have the biobalance adjusted, and be much easier to maintain than a weekly wash of the "flowerpot," which stresses out the fish.
Picture of a Betta fish
A large variety of nano-aquariums for betta fish can be found in the current aquarium market. There are balls and aquarium cubes. Tetra Cascade Globe, for instance, is intriguing because it has a waterfall filter, which is how the aquarium’s filtration and aeration are accomplished.
Such an aquarium, when properly and elegantly furnished, will become a wonderful home for a betta. To keep the temperature constant, all that is required to be bought is a cheap mini-heater, such as this one. Even so, if the room with the aquarium is consistently warm throughout the winter, there’s no need for it.
Bettas are frequently brought to kids’ aquariums. We advise looking over this information if this describes your circumstances.
Personally, we think that children should only start playing with aquariums at a young age. For kids, these aquarium installations serve as a play structure. It is crucial that the parents learn the fundamentals of maintaining an aquarium and set it up properly at first. The secret to the child’s happiness and success will be this.
Requirements for the care and conditions of keeping betta fish
From the foregoing, we can infer that you can only keep one male betta fish in a small aquarium. Starting at 50 liters if the aquarium is large. You could try adding a second male or building clear plexiglass partitions for the aquarium and drilling holes in them beforehand to allow for water circulation.
White betta fish
In addition, we advocate for creating a natural environment in the aquarium. The aquarium can and should be decorated with stones, driftwood, as well as live aquarium plants. The lighting should not be too bright. The aquarium itself should not be filled with water to the brim, you need to leave 7-10 cm. and it is advisable to cover the aquarium with a lid. All labyrinth fish and bettas in particular breathe atmospheric air, swallowing it from the surface of the water. If there is no air space or access to the surface of the water, the fish will suffocate. The lid is needed so that the air swallowed by the cockerels from the surface of the water is not too cold.
Picture of a Betta fish
Artificial plants can be added to an aquarium containing cocks, but if possible, purchase live aquarium plants. In addition to adding to the aquarium’s natural appearance, live plants help maintain biological balance and can be used by males to spawn and build foam nests. We can suggest the following unassuming plants for cocks: cryptocorynes, hornwort, vallisneria, and other basic plants.
Picture of a Betta fish
It is crucial to avoid upsetting the biological balance in an aquarium containing a cock, specifically by avoiding the accumulation of nitrogen compounds such as ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate. Drop tests are something that every responsible aquarist should always have on hand, if only for phosphate and nitrate. Thankfully, they are now reasonably priced, and there are no issues with their acquisition or variety. You can get cheap Vladox tests in offline stores in your city.
Picture of a Betta fish
In small aquariums, it can be more challenging to keep an eye on nitrogenous ones, so we advise you to be extremely cautious and to perform water changes accurately and quickly. Moreover, in the event that water treatment products are required. Prodibo Aqua "Betta and Bett"Activ, a bacterial product and conditioner for water treatment, is one example. Read this article to find out what Prodibio’s benefits are.
The medications, gear, and other helpful items for aquarists listed above are available from the reputable FF online retailer Aqua Logo Shop. Suggested!
Cockerel feeding and diet: They enjoy eating both dry and live food, such as bloodworms and brine shrimp, and they are not fussy eaters. Bettas will consume any brand of dry food; however, the best food for them is specifically designed by top aquarium brands. Tetra, for instance, is eating Betta series food.
It should be mentioned that when purchasing any dry food, you should be mindful of the manufacture and expiration dates, avoid purchasing food in large quantities, and store it in a closed environment to prevent the growth of harmful flora.
The betta fish’s past
The fish was first mentioned in writing at the beginning of the 1800s, when people in Siam began to take notice of these little, fierce, and lively fish. Subsequently, Siamese started breeding wild Betta individuals with each other to create a new species of fish they called "biting fish." The King of Siam gave Dr. Theodore Cantor two copies of these "biters" in 1840. Cantor named them Macropodus pugnax in 1849. Sixty years later, British ichthyologist Charles Tate Regan dubbed them "Betta Fish," pointing out that Macropodus pugnax is an existing species in the wild.
The betta fish is reported to have made its debut in Germany in 1896, Paris in 1892, and the United States in 1910 with Frank Locke of San Francisco, California. He created a new fish by breeding these fish, which he named Betta Cambodia. This fish is one of the original Betta Splendens color variations. It is unknown with certainty how Bettas first appeared in Russia. There are multiple iterations.
Picture of a Betta fish
The first is connected to aquarist V.M. Desnitsky, who is said to have brought exotic fish and plants from Singapore in 1896, though it’s unclear if betta fish were among them. According to the second version, several labyrinth fish were bred at about the same time in Russia by aquarist V.S. Melnikov. In his honor, incidentally, a contest for the best fighting fish was instituted. According to the most recent version, fighting fish originated in Russia and Europe and were brought there by the Frenchman G. Seysel.
Types of bettas and their breeding variations
Picture of a Betta fish
Let me start by pointing out that one of the varieties of Betta fish is the cockerel fish, or Betta splendens. It is imperative to differentiate Betta species from Betta splendens selection forms. Selection forms of the cockerel are mistakenly mistakenly considered species on the Internet.
Therefore, the following species are included in the Betta family: Betta picta (Betta picta), Betta taeniata Regan, Betta smaragdina Ladiges, Betta unimaculata (Betta unimaculata), Betta black, also referred to as the dwarf cockerel (Betta imbeIIis Ladiges), and Betta splendes.
The following species of betta have been described thus far (species, year of description, location of discovery):
Betta akarensis Regan 1910 — Brunei and Sharavak
Betta Seregius Ashepkaf 2007 – Russia
Betta albimarginata Kottelat& Ng 1994 — Kalimantan
Betta anabatoides Bleeker 1851 — Kalimantan
Betta antoni Tan& Ng 2006 — lower basin of the r. Kapus, Kalimantan Barat
Betta apollon Schindler& Schmidt 2006 – hill streams west of Narathiwat, Thailand
Betta aurigans Tan& Lim 2004 — Natuna Archipelago, South China Sea
Betta balunga Herre 1940 — Kalimantan
Betta bellica Sauvage 1884 — slender fighting fish — Indonesia and Malaysia
Betta breviobesus Tan& Kottelat 1998 — Kalimantan
Betta brownorum Witte& Schmidt 1992 — Indonesia and Malaysia
Betta burdigala Kottelat& Ng 1994 — Banka, Indonesia
Betta channoides Kottelat& Ng 1994 — Indonesia
Betta chini Ng 1993 — Sabah, Kalimantan
Betta chloropharynx Kottelat& Ng 1994 — Indonesia
Betta coccina Vierke 1979 — Malaysia and Indonesia
Betta compuncta Tan& Ng 2006 — upper part of the r. Mahakam basin, Kalimantan Timur
Betta cracens Tan& Ng 2005 — Sumatra, Indonesia
Betta dimidiata Roberts 1989 — Indonesia
Betta edithae Vierke 1984 — Indonesia
Betta enisae Kottelat 1995 — Indonesia
Betta falx Tan& Kottelat 1998 — Indonesia
Betta ferox Schindler& Schmidt 2006 — Bori pet, Thailand
Betta foerschi Vierke 1979 — Kalimantan
Betta fusca Regan 1910 — Indonesia and Malaysia
Betta gladiator Tan& Ng 2005 — Sabah, Kalimantan
Betta hipposideros Ng& Kottelat 1994 — Malaysia
Betta ibanorum Tan& Ng 2004 — southern Sarawak
Betta ideii Tan& Ng 2006 — southern Kalimantan Selatan, adjacent to and on Pulau Laut
Betta imbellis Ladiges 1975 — Malaysia and Indonesia; native to North Sumatra
Betta krataios Tan& Ng 2006 — Lower Kapuas basin, Kalimantan Barat
Betta kuehnei Schindler& Schmidt 2008 — Malay Peninsula
Betta lehi Tan& Ng 2005 — Kalimantan
Betta livida Ng& Kottelat 1992 — Malaysia
Betta macrostoma Regan 1910 — Kalimantan
Betta mandor Tan& Ng 2006 — Lower Kapuas Basin, Kalimantan Barat
Betta midas Tan 2009 — Kalimantan
Betta miniopinna Tan& Tan 1994 — Indonesia
Betta obscura Tan& Ng 2005 — Kalimantan Tengah
Betta ocellata de Beaufort 1933 — northeast Kalimantan
Betta pallida Schindler& Schmidt 2004 — Thailand
Betta pallifina Tan& Ng 2005 — Kalimantan Tengah
Betta pardalotos Tan 2009 — Musi drainage, South Sumatra Province, Indonesia
Betta patoti Weber& de Beaufort 1922 — Indonesia
Betta persephone Schaller 1986 — Malaysia
Betta picta (Valenciennes 1846) — Javanese fighting fish — Indonesia
Betta pinguis Tan& Kottelat 1998 — Kalimantan
Betta pi Tan 1998 — Narathiwat Province, Thailand
Betta prima Kottelat 1994 — Thailand, Cambodia and Laos
Betta pugnax (Cantor 1849) – Penang mouth-bearing fighting fish – Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia
Betta pulchra Tan& Tan 1996 — southwest Johor, Malaysia
Betta raja Tan& Ng 2005 — Sumatra
Betta renata Tan 1998 — Indonesia
Betta rubra Perugia 1893 — Indonesia
Betta rutilans Witte& Kottelat 1991 — Kalimantan
Betta schalleri Kottelat& Ng 1994 — Indonesia
Betta simorum Tan& Ng 1996 — Indonesia
Betta simplex Kottelat 1994 — area around Krabi, Thailand
Betta smaragdina Ladiges 1972 — Thailand
Betta spilotogena Ng& Kottelat 1994 — Indonesia Betta splendens Regan 1910 — fighting fish, Siamese fighting fish — Thailand
Betta stigmosa Tan& Ng 2005 — Malaysia
Betta stiktos Tan& Ng 2005 — drainage r. Mekong, Cambodia
Betta strohi Schaller& Kottelat 1989 — Kalimantan
Betta taeniata Regan 1910 — Bornean fighting fish — Kalimantan
Betta tomi Ng& Kottelat 1994 — Malaysia and Singapore
Betta tussyae Schaller 1985 — Malaysia
Betta uberis Tan& Ng 2006 — Arut basin, Kalimantan Tengah and Sukadan area, Kalimantan Barat
Betta unimaculata (Popta 1905) — Kalimantan
Betta waseri Krummenacher 1986 — Malaysia
However, the following are included in Betta splendes’ selection forms:
By fin shape and size:
– Veil cockerel, also known as veil-tailed fighting fish.
– Fish that fight with their tails
– Massive or regal combat fish
Fish with half-moon tails that fight
Fish with round tails that fight
Fish with half-moon tails that fight
– Fish that fight with their tails
– Fighting fish with flagella
– A poster featuring a fighting fish
– Fish with crown-tails that fight
– A poster featuring a fighting fish
– Fighting fish with brush-tails
– Fighting fish with two tails
As well as others By color: one, two, and multicolored.
Photos of some selective forms of cockerels
Cockerel fish types
Siamese fighting fish, commonly referred to as betta fish, are prized for their distinct personalities and vivid colors. These resilient freshwater fish are perfect for novice and expert aquarium keepers alike, but they need special attention to flourish. Maintaining their health and happiness requires an understanding of their needs, including those related to food, water quality, and social interactions.
Reproduction and breeding of aquarium cockerel fish
Breeding these fish is simple; no special setup or, say, hormone injections, is required. In fact, spawning can happen on its own in the right circumstances.
Choosing a good pair of producers is far more difficult than actually carrying out the spawning. Furthermore, choosing producers is a crucial consideration when it comes to the selective breeding of cockels.
Broad details regarding the spawning and breeding of cockerels.
Picture of Becker fish
In three to four months, beckerfish reach sexual maturity. This is the time when you can begin breeding them.
Fish exhibit obvious sexual differences: males are larger than females, have larger fins, and are typically brighter than females. A large abdomen and a white "grain" or "star" in front of the anal fin, which indicates the ovipositor, are additional characteristics of a female that is ready to spawn.
Picture of a male and female betta fish
A spawning aquarium with a capacity of no more than 10 liters and a water level of 10 to 15 cm is ideal. A spawning aquarium should have no dirt and only a few small bushes of plants with feathery leaves, like hornwort, and a shelter for the female, like a snag. Additionally, you must use floating plants like water lilies, duckweed, and pistia. The male uses these plants to construct the so-called "foam nest."
Picture of a Betta fish
The spawning aquarium’s temperature should be between 26 and 30 degrees Celsius. Different sources provide differing information about the temperature range at which Betta spawns. Based on the analysis, I believe that 28 degrees is the average.
Use settled, soft water in an aquarium for spawning. The presence of soft water encourages spawning. Aquarium chemicals, including peat-containing preparations, can be used to soften the water. Tossing an almond leaf into the spawning aquarium is also advised (see Phytotherapy for fish and aquariums).
I keep the producers apart for a few weeks prior to spawning and feed them an abundance of live food. The male is then put in the spawning aquarium first, where it takes some time for it to get acclimated to it. He adds the female to him as soon as he starts to construct a foam nest. The round abdomen of the female indicates the presence of eggs.
Picture of a Betta fish
Spawning needs to be encouraged if it doesn’t start or if the male ignores the female. This can be done by softening the water, adding fresh water, or raising the temperature by two to three degrees. If spawning still doesn’t start after these adjustments, you can try adding another female (if available) to the male.
However, the aforementioned issues with cockerel breeding typically don’t come up because by the evening, the male has finally constructed a nest, and the eggs are developing inside of it within a day.
Picture of a Betta fish
Crucial! Fish in spawning aquariums cannot be stimulated with live food. To prevent contamination and unwanted fungi and bacteria, the producers are not fed at all while they are in the spawning tank.
The act of spawning is fascinating in and of itself. The male approaches the female from the water, gives her a hug, and extracts two to five eggs. As soon as the eggs start to sink, the male swiftly gathers them in his mouth and lays them in a foam nest. This "hugging and squeezing" motion is repeated multiple times.
When the female is sitting in a shelter and the male is circling over the foam nest, it is obvious that spawning has finished. When this time arrives, the female is eliminated because, in the male’s opinion, she starts to endanger the young, giving him the ability to kill her. The female who has been separated is fed a lot. The father then tends to the clutch and children! Right now, the most important thing is to avoid getting in his way. The larvae will appear one day, and the next, their yolk sac will dissolve and they will start to swim.
Picture of a Betta fish
The contented father can be divided and the fry can be given live dust, infusoria, or, as some of our site’s forum users do, melted brine shrimp water. TetraMin Baby is one brand of dry fish "baby food" that you could try.
These foods are either taken on the tip of a finger and rubbed in water to feed the young fish, or they are diluted in a bowl and the resulting suspension is poured into the spawning tank. There should always be food in the aquarium. To prevent contamination and fish mortality, the water is changed daily by 80% when feeding dry food (infusoria) and not changed when feeding live food. You can add ampullaria coils or snails to the aquarium to keep it clean.
After three to four days, the young cocks are progressively moved to larger feeds, such as Artemia nauplii, etc. You can attempt to feed "adult food" in about two weeks.
These and a variety of other fish are always available at the physical supermarkets Aqua Logo and the internet retailer Aqua-Shop. Live goods delivery is offered in Moscow and the surrounding areas.
Aspect
Both novice and expert aquarists will find betta fish to be fascinating pets due to their vivid colors and distinct personalities. Their captivating appearance and lively demeanor bring life to any aquarium. But in order for them to flourish, they need particular attention, such as the right tank conditions and food. Maintaining their happiness and health requires that you comprehend their needs.
Due to their reputation for being territorial, it’s crucial to keep these fish alone or in carefully selected tank companions. They will live a long life if you give them regular care and a well-maintained environment.
Video on the topic
FIRST AQUARIUM with Betta fish SETTLEMENT HOW TO CARE
Connecting aquariums by air. How to make a water bridge for fish between aquariums.
Aquarium fish betta. Maintenance, care!
BELL FISH – this video tears the soul to shreds! PART 1.
Fighting fish – "Betta" (Betta Splendens) Care, maintenance and reproduction
