Betta splendens fish, also known as the great fish, is an extremely decorative fish, very popular in our homes. Unfortunately, few owners know what their actual needs are. In this article, we will touch upon aspects of the stereotype of a fish that is not very mobile and lives in a sphere.
MYTH: Betta fish can even live in a glass of water or a vase because it does not move much. Sphere aquarium is a dream home for it.
FACT: Nonsense! In a large, abundantly overgrown aquarium, Betta is quite an active fish. It does not move in a small tank, because every little movement of it causes vibrations of the water, which propagate in waves to the walls of the vessel, from which they reflect. In a vase or a sphere, the reflection occurs very quickly, disorienting the fish. In addition, such small tanks do not have heating, and at lower temperatures than optimal for fighters of 24-30 ° C, the fish move less.
The natural habitat of the Betta fish are forest pools and wet meadows, now replaced by drainage ditches and rice fields, to which the fighters have also adapted. These tanks, although relatively small, always have more water than a bucket or at least connect to other tanks of similar size, which together gives a large volume. Moreover, they are densely overgrown with vegetation.
For one Betta, an aquarium with a minimum capacity of 20 liters is enough, but if we want to keep it with other fish, the tank must be relatively larger. For a harem (1 male + 2 females), the minimum volume is 54 liters of a well-planted aquarium.
MYTH: Betta are loners, they are aggressive towards other fish
Somewhat true. This mainly applies to two males, who cannot be kept in one aquarium, as one of them may lose his life in fights. When it comes to compatibility with other species, beware of pairing fighters with fish with long and colorful fins, especially guppies, which are smaller than Betta’s and can easily become his breakfast.
However, there are species that can be successfully kept in one aquarium with fighters, provided that it is sufficiently large. Such fish include rasbora heteromorpha, Dwarf Chain Loach (Sidthimunki Botia). With these fish, it can be found in the wild. It can also be combined with other peaceful fish that will not stress Betta by fast swimming, but at the same time will be fast enough to escape from it if necessary.
Myth: A girl for a Betta
Let’s buy a girlfriend for our Betta. Not one, but two or three at once. This arrangement (1 male plus 2-3 females) is called harem. Male Betta have a fair amount of mating and reproduction. If they have only one female in the aquarium, they can tire her out constantly, especially if there are not enough plants to hide and rest. If there are more “girls”, the “boy” won’t be able to chase everyone at once. The aquarium, however, must be sufficiently large. After spawning, the male defend the nest. He can be so aggressive with that that he may even go so far as to kill the female that comes too close. The more dense vegetation in the aquarium, the better.
MYTH: Betta is a fish that does not need a filter, heater or lighting
False. The Siamese fighting fish (Betta splendens) is one of the labyrinthine fish which, living in oxygen-poor waters, have developed an additional respiratory organ called the labyrinth, which allows them to breathe atmospheric air. We can therefore omit aerating the water, but a filter, heater and cover with lighting are necessary. The filter cleans the water chemically and physically, the heater allows you to maintain the temperature at the optimal level for Betta, which ranges from 26-30 ° C. The cover, on the other hand, prevents too large temperature differences between the water and the air in the room. This fish should not be exposed to cold water because it may die quickly.
MYTH: Females are more aggressive than males
It depends on the temperament of a given individual and the environment, i.e. the decor of the aquarium. If there is a lot of space, as well as hiding places, the aggression will be less, or at least the attacked individuals will be able to escape and hide.
MYTH: Fighting fish cannot be kept with dwarf prawns
Truth. Siamese fighting fish is a predatory fish that will hunt shrimps, especially brightly colored shrimps. It may also happen that they will not interest it much. If we have a lot of vegetation and hiding places in the aquarium, and the shrimps are to be an addition, we may be tempted to test a few animals and observe the Betta’s behavior. If we decide to do such an experiment, I do not recommend investing in expensive varieties of shrimp, because it may turn out that in our so far lazy fish the hunter’s spirit will awaken.
MYTH: Betta feels good at room temperature
Myth. They only tolerate temporary temperature drops. However, then the risk of developing a cold labyrinth increases. Moreover, fish are cold-blooded animals, so their temperature depends on the ambient temperature. If they are cold, their activity decreases and they move less.
MYTH: We clean the aquarium with Betta once a week or less often, washing everything
Not. Small tanks get dirty quickly and require more frequent cleaning, but there are beneficial water-purifying bacteria in the ground, which are easy to destroy by washing everything into the glass under running water. It is much healthier for the fish to install a filter, change part of the water every week and extract coarse dirt with a hose or a desilter.
MYTH: Artificial plants are enough for a Betta
False. The siamese fighting fish does not need oxygen-rich water, so it seems like artificial plants are sufficient, especially as they can be pulled out properly without touching the ground and cleaned. Only the plastic plants look unnatural. In addition, they are hard, so the fish can cut themselves on them. Live plants are a better solution, which additionally purify the water of the fish’s metabolism.
MYTH: Chemicals are enough to purify the water in the sphere
No. Chemicals disrupt the natural balance between plants, fish, beneficial microbes and the water in which everything dissolves. The best methods are the natural ones. Nature will take care of itself if we let it.
Plants and bacteria inhabiting the filter beds contribute to water purification. We change about 30% of the water volume once a week. We clean the filter as rarely as possible, only when necessary, in water poured from the aquarium.
We only use chemicals as a last resort. And it doesn’t matter whether it is algae remedies or medications. It is best to find out the cause of the problem and try to eliminate it as naturally as possible.
MYTH: Betta has a short life
True. On average, 2-3 years, but in good conditions it can live longer. In bad (or in the sphere) much, much less. This is due to constant stress which leads to a decrease in immunity, which in turn leads to greater susceptibility to disease and, consequently, death.
MYTH: Siamese fighting fish are easy to spawn
Yes. But rearing the young is a completely different story. For this you need more knowledge, attention and care. It is not difficult to do so while following a few rules, which we will write about in another article.