Bettas. I'm sure you've seen them before. Maybe at your local Wal-Mart, in those itty-bitty plastic cups? Or at a pet store, in “betta barracks”, within the larger community tanks.
They're pretty cool fish, don't you think? Pretty, low-maintenance, low-cost, right? Yes, and no. While bettas are a wonderful fish to keep as pets and breed, people are often mislead into thinking that the care of them is much easier than it truly is, even though it is very easy!
So, I'm here to explain to you some of the basics of betta care, for your happiness and that of your bettas.
First of all, let me tell you a little about bettas and their natural habitat.
The most common pet betta is Betta Splendens, or Siamese Fighting fish. Although there are many types of bettas (which, by the way, is pronounced the way it's spelt, not like the Greek word beta, so it's Bet-tuh, not bay-tuh), for the purpose of this article, when I say betta, I mean Betta Splendens.
Bettas are native to Thailand, and a few other places in Asia.
They live in shallow, slow moving, and muddy waters. These waters are often low in oxygen, so the bettas will breathe directly from the surface of water (not many fish can do that!).
Bettas in the wild are not the elegant and showy fish you are accustomed to seeing, however. They are mostly short-finned, and a dark muddy green color. The extravagant tails and colors you see now are the results of selective breeding.
Bettas have been bred for years as fighting fish in Cambodia, Thailand, as well as other countries. These fighting fish are bred for speed, aggression, and short fins, unlike their pet counterparts.
They were first imported and kept as pets in Europe around the 1880s, and bred soon afterwards. The result was the beautiful and colorful fish we now keep as pets.
Bettas live about two or three years on average, but some live as long as seven years, and one was reported to have been ten before he died!
So, a betta seems like a good idea right? They are! Just be sure you read the rest of this page before you go out and buy one! They're great pets, but, as I said before, many people are mislead as to the care of these wonderful fish, and you don't want an unhappy, unhealthy, or even a dead betta, do you?
Tanks:
The first thing you need to get for your betta is an appropriate house.
Sometimes bettas will come in tiny decorative bowls, jars, or other containers, but usually these aren't very suitable for a betta. Even though bettas can live in very small places, and in very poor conditions, it doesn't mean that they should be.
I would suggest getting a small all-in-one aquarium kit. You can easily get them at a Wal-mart, or pet store. They come in just about anywhere from 1 to 10 gallons, and usually include a heater, as well as a filter and pump. All you need to add is gravel, and perhaps plant or two.
I think the 1 gallon is appropriate for a betta, and he surely won't mind a 2.5 or 5 gallon either (or even larger for that matter).
While you can use smaller bowls for bettas, I don't recommend it, since they will require frequent water changing.
No matter what type of tank you have, but especially if it is a smaller one, it needs a lid, as your betta can and will jump out! They also seem to try and do this when you are not around so you might not know until it's too late! If your betta does jump out and he looks dead, try putting him back in the water, as bettas can survive for a long time out of their tank, and may appear to be dead, but will "come back to life" with a little water. This doesn't work every time, unfortunately. Bettas will dry out if left to long out of water.
So do your betta a favor and get a lid!
Tank temperature is important. Bettas need a temperature of anywhere from about 75-85, though they can survive slight differences. If your tank doesn't have a heater, be sure to keep your betta in a very warm spot so that his water doesn't get too cold, especially in winter! You don't want a betta-cicle, now, do you?
On the same note, don't let him get to hot either! Betta-stew isn't very pleasant either.
Also, you can't use a heater on a very tiny bowl, unless the heater specifically states it's for that size of tank. Otherwise you could easily cook your betta.
