How to Care for Siamese Fighting Fish

How to Care for Siamese Fighting Fish

How to Care for Siamese Fighting Fish: The Siamese fighting fish, often known as the betta, evolved in Thailand’s warm, fresh waters, historically Siam.

Their two familiar names are derived from the male fish’s incompatibility with one another, which results in fights when housed in the same tank, and from the abbreviation of their scientific name, Betta splendens. “Betta” means “warrior,” and the “splendens” half of their name means “shining, illustrious, or glittering” in Latin, referring to the aquarium strains’ bright colours and long, flashy fins.

They are prevalent aquarium fish worldwide and are quickly identified, though non-fishkeepers wrongly refer to them as Japanese fighting fish, which is incorrect.

Natural environment

Betta splendens lives in shallow freshwater marshes in the wild, but it can also be found in artificial ponds and ditches, rice fields, and irrigation canals. Its natural waterways are frequently overtaken with aquatic vegetation, covering up to 100% of the water.

The lush foliage separates the males so they cannot see each other. A particular breathing mechanism known as the labyrinth organ allows them to breathe atmospheric air through the water’s surface when the waters they swim in are stagnant and devoid of oxygen. This provides them with an evolutionary advantage since it allows them to feed and reproduce in areas other fish families cannot.

Before you go out and buy fish,

Even though they are widely available, several key aspects to consider before purchasing a Siamese fighting fish. They are not neighbourhood fish. Male fish will attack and even fight to the death if kept in the same aquarium, so they should never be kept together. Male fighting fish may also attack other colourful, long-finned fish, such as male guppies, assuming they are competitor males.

Other fish in the aquarium may be enticed by the large fins of male Siamese Fighters, mistaking them for food.

As a result, the attacker might also become the victim, and socialising male Siamese fighting fish with other fish is tricky.

Female fighting fish have shorter fins, behave better, and socialise with other peaceful community fish.

It is also challenging to socialise males and females since males will want to mate with females, but if the females are not mature, complete with eggs, and ready to spawn, they will chase and harass them.

Putting together a Betta aquarium

On Asian fish farms, all-male Siamese fighting fish are reared in tiny jars or bottles. The jars are not filtered or aerated, and the fish are just fed and have their water changed regularly.

They do not require heating in the hot climates farmed, and water temperatures can surpass 30 degrees Celsius. Some aquarists like to keep their male fighting fish in small, unheated, and unfiltered tanks at home.

However, not everyone agrees with this technique, and the most significant thing for the fish’s wellbeing and environmental enrichment is its thickly planted tropical tank.

It can be tiny, 19 litres or more, and brightly illuminated to encourage plant development. Still, it must have gentle filtration because male fish would weary if they swim against any water stream. Heavy planting can help redirect filter flow away from a small internal filter, or a small air-powered sponge filter and air pump can be used.

Choose a compact heater that can be set to high degrees and keep a thermometer handy to monitor the temperature. 24-28°C is ideal.

Begin at the bottom with a substrate of soft, inert sand or dirt to promote plant development, and then add small pieces of wood and leaves. To colour and soften the water for Siamese fighting fish, breeders utilise Indian sea almond leaves, also known as catappa leaves. They also claim the leaves have antibacterial characteristics and are healthy to the fish’s skin.

Use luxuriant planting and surface greenery to relax and breed the fish. For the best results, use a liquid fertiliser and a CO2 injection.

Feeding

Siamese fighting fish eat water invertebrates and insect larvae in the wild. In captivity, they eat flakes, small floating granules, frozen bloodworms, daphnia, brine shrimp, and mosquito larvae. Because a single fish consumes only a tiny amount of food at a time, avoid overfeeding and eliminate uneaten food that sinks to the bottom.

Breeding

To breed, Siamese fighting fish build bubble nests, floating rafts of sticky bubbles anchored to plants at the surface. They entice the female and cuddle her under the nest, where they lay their eggs before chasing the female away and caring for the eggs.

Bubble nests adapt to the low oxygen levels in their natural waters. Still, another crucial component is the fry’s need for warm, moist air above the nest as they develop their labyrinth organs and take their first breath.

The fry is extremely little and should be given infusoria or special egg layer fry food. Males must be weeded out and separated as the kids mature.