Keeping and Breeding Betta splendens
Keeping and Breeding Betta splendens
Written by Sunday, 22 February 2009 18:16
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Betta splendens is a very popular aquarium fish. A number of hobbyists usually keep single males as these are the most impressive of the two sexes. Bettas are not demanding fish in terms of space, they require little or no flow therefore they are considered easy to care for. With a small initial investment a hobbyist can have a really attractive planted tank with a great looking fish in it.
The fish commonly available are a man made variety, result of selective breeding. In the wild fish have much duller colouration and short fins. This allows them to move fast, which is essential for survival in their natural habitat. With regards to the length and shape of fins of some of the Betta splendens varieties there is much debate; some consider certain varieties to be ethically unacceptable as the length and the shape of the finnage impedes the fish from swimming and / or spawning properly. In other words, it is argued that some varieties are selectively bred to be ornaments and very little respect is paid to their welfare.
Wild bettas have been discovered in Thailand (previously known as Siam), hence their common name, Siamese fighters. The fish live in abundance in shallow streams and rice paddies in South East Asia, Vietnam, Thailand and Cambodia. They have been originally used for gambling. Locals would get two males to confront each other and bet on the winner, a deplorable habit similar to the western cock fighting and the such like. (1)
The fighting ability of the Bettas is not something extraordinary or particular to this species. Intraspecific aggression is a quite common phenomenon particularly amongst males. In the wild the fish do not fight to death. Each male holds their relatively small territory and will only attack an intruding male, very much like what happens with other species. The fish do not fight to death; the loser leaves once the winner displays. The fights are encouraged by forcing two males to confront one another in confined quarters.
Nowadays there are a number of cultivated mutations of Bettas available; the fish are distinguished by the length of their fins, the size and shape of their tail. The different strains command different prices; the purity of each strain is an important issue amongst dedicated Betta fans. Show fish can command really exorbitant prices, ranging from one and going up to a few thousand pounds. Colour combinations are also important in determining the selling price.
The known varieties of Betta splendens, depending on the shape of their tail and the finnage, are the following:
- Veil tails: This is the most common variety. The fish has a long trailing tail. In the Betta circles this fish does not quite have high standing, to say but the least.
- Crown tails: Similar to veil tails though the tail and finnage has a fringed look.
- Half moon: The tail of the fish, when flared, should resemble a half moon. The edges of the caudal fin (tail) should be 180 degrees when apart and should turn outwards, not inwards. The dorsal and the anal fin, when extended, should form one shape, so they should have the same height (length). The body should be proportionately place in exactly the middle of the caudal fin so that the finnage, when fully extended, forms a circle.
- Double tail: the tail has two distinct caudal lobes and the dorsal fin is equal in length to the anal fin (tail).
- Round tail: the tail has got rounded edges.
- Spade tail: the caudal fin starts wide at the base and ends pointed, resembling the shape of a spade.
- Delta: the edges of the caudal fin extend outwards, forming a Δ shape.
- Super delta: this is an enhanced version of the Delta tail, with the caudal fin just falling short of forming a half moon.
- Plakat: These are short finned Bettas. They come in two types, the traditional and the modern. The traditional type has finnage according to the wild type, with no more than 2 ray branching, a rounded tail and 180 degrees spread the the base of the caudal fin. Modern plakats are bred to criteria similar to the longfin show Bettas: symmetrical form, more than 4 ray branching, 180 or better span of the edges of the caudal fin with sharp edges and wide dorsal fin.
- Rosetail: 4+ rays branching, making the caudal fin look like a flower petal.
- Combtail: the reduced webbing between the rays creates a fringed look. It is reported that combtails that achieve 180 degrees spread at the base of the caudal fin are occasionally called Half suns. (1)
In addition to the above, the fish are also classified by colour and pattern. Recognised colours are the turquoise, green, yellow, pineapple, orange, red, royal blue, steel blue, cellophane, white opaque, cambodian, black, copper and chocolate. The fish can be single colour, bi-colour or multi colour. Patterns include marble, piebald and butterfly.
Though none of our fish has ever been a pure strain of any of the above, differences in the shape of the tail and the dorsal fin between them are clear; you can see them in the photos in the Gallery. There is information available about the dominant and recessive genes which determine the shape of the fins as well as the colours of the offspring depending on the pair spawned. Specialists advise not to cross some of the forms while others have to be always out crossed to avoid offspring deformities. It is also argued that some of the strains are more prone to disease than others.
We will not have this discussion here. We feel it is out of the realm of fish keeping and into designer genetics. Undoubtedly some of these selectively bred fish are simply breathtaking appearance wise though there are those who find them too showy and unreal. Whatever one's stand on this issue may be, it should not distract from the pertinent issue, which is the welfare of the animals themselves. It is true that these fish will never find themselves living in a stream or a paddy (hopefully) so in the main their colour and finnage will not be the cause of their early demise, as it would have been if they had to survive in the wild. Yet we should not forget that the fins are for the fish what limbs are for humans: they are there to serve a purpose. Creating a fish with a caudal fin twice the size of its body equals to creating a person with a normal size body and 2 inch long limbs. The fact that the fish survive surely does not mean that they do not suffer or that the practice should be accepted unquestionably.
Bettas have also been the target of a different type of cruelty. This is related to the environments they are often kept: the infamous Betta jar. It is true that the fish do not like big spaces as it can be quite tiring for them to patrol their territory constantly, which is what they do (we suspect this becomes more difficult if a small fish has to carry all that heavy and lengthy tail which in the end is more of a hindrance than help). It has been reported that Betta keepers who have placed their bettas in larger tanks often had to place them back to their smaller quarters as the fish were getting quite stressed in the new bigger environments. Having said that, Bettas do enjoy a territory and they need some space to swim around. We have found that shallow tanks with a 20-40 liters capacity are ideal for these fish. The tanks should not be more than 15-20 cm in depth to allow the fish to come easily to the surface to breed and also to pick its eggs during spawning and place them in the bubble nest.
We have found that Bettas thrive in shallow tanks with very slow flow (a small air filter is more than adequate), plants (the thicker the vegetation the better for the fish, provided there is sufficient space for them to swim amongst the plants comfortably) and some wood. Try to avoid ornaments and other tank furniture which may trap the fish; if they cannot get to the surface of the water easily and readily they will suffocate. Sand substrate is very much appreciated. The temperature should be high, around 28 degrees Celsius. Our fish get really uncomfortable if the temperature drops below 26oC. Bettas are supposed to like soft, slightly acidic water and it is often argued that they will do well in lower pH too. We always kept ours in neutral water and this has never been an issue. The tanks can be open at the top, though this is not advisable as the fish may jump out of the water, which they do occasionally if they are excited or feel threatened. It is preferable to cover the tanks with a piece of egg crate or a glass lid with breathing holes in it. There should always be some space left between the surface of the water and the lid to ensure adequate air circulation; where floating plants are used we ensure these do not bar the access of the fish to the surface of the water. Bettas breathe via their labyrinth organ. This enables them to live comfortably in poorly oxygenated waters as their oxygen intake comes from the air rather than the water. In turn this means that they do need access to the surface of the water to breath. If this is not possible the fish will drown. Finally we ensure the tanks are well lit to encourage plant growth.
It is sometimes argued that Bettas can be kept in tanks with no filtration. Though technically this is true we do not feel it is is good practice. Water stability is as important for Bettas as for any other fish. Filtration is the most appropriate way to keep the water clean. If there is something wrong either with the water parameters or with the quality the fish will become inactive and sit on the substrate. This is a serious sign which should not be overlooked.
Bettas are carnivores; we feed ours a good quality carnivore staple diet though black mosquito larvae seem to be a favourite with them. Other small frozen food (artemia, cyclops etc) is also taken though never welcomed in the same way as the mosquito larvae. The fish have their mouth turned upwards, indicating that the eat from the surface of the water. We have found that they adapt easily to eating from the bottom too.
For a small fish Bettas have an amazing personality. They will reward their keeper with lots of interaction if treated properly. This is more evident with the males as they are usually kept on their own (a single male per tank); females are the same though as they are usually kept in groups their ability to interact with their keeper is not as evident. Some fish are extremely aggressive and territorial; it is advised by breeders of ornamental fish not to breed these fish as the father's aggression is hereditary. Others are quite friendly and interactive; they clearly enjoy the attention of their keeper and they will show this by performing a series of activities, including a small dance, when attention is paid to them. One of our males, Red Sin, will immediately come to the front of the tank once we approach it, dance and get close to the surface of the water. If we move across the tank he will follow us. He will stay at the front glass for all the time we are prepared to spent with him looking straight at us while we talk to him. This is not unusual; in his book, Caring for Betta Fish, Marcus Song reports that a number of Bettas do this. Each male has apparently their own little dance which they perform when they are happy. (2)
The reaction of the fish to tank maintenance is also indicative of their personality. Some of our males hide behind a piece of wood and watch us, others come forward to sniff at the pipe used for siphoning the substrate, a few even attack the pipe - but none ignores what was going on. Once they get familiar with their environment the fish will own it; they want to know and be in control of everything that is going on in it. It is reported that some males will redecorate their tank; there is also a report of a male who would help his carer carry out the tank maintenance by going round pointing with his nose the bits of debris his carer had missed. (3)
It is argued that male Bettas need stimulation so from time to time it is good to get them to see other males so they can display. If that is not possible putting a mirror inside the tank to allow the male to see its own image and display at it is an alternative. This should be done carefully and for short periods of time or else the fish will be stressed. We have never employed any of these techniques. Instead we keep our breeding males in their own quarters, usually shared with young catfish growing up. The males share the tank happily with their peaceful tank mates while the movement of the cats provides the required stimulation without making the fish feel threatened or on edge. A couple of our males take an extreme interest in the catfish, to the extend that they interfere when these get involved in fights.
We keep our sexually mature females together. We have had, on occasions, some particularly aggressive females who needed to be kept separately as they attacked the most vulnerable in the group. These, however, were exceptions. On the main there is a hierarchy in the tank and each female knows her place. On one occasion we had to put our females in a 100 lit community tank for a short period of time. The fish stayed together, as a group, at all times, something we have never observed when they were in their own dedicated quarters.
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