Betta fish is famous for its decorative fins, bright colors, and fighting abilities. Captive bettas were bred in the 14th century when Thai royalty used to make bettas fight for their entertainment. Keep reading for amazing betta fish facts.
However, betta fighting is banned in most countries now. It is said that betta fish is easy to keep as a pet. However, betta fish needs proper care and maintenance to thrive happily. Betta fish needs a particular temperature to survive. It cannot stay with other fighter fish because they will start fighting each other. You can keep betta fish with peaceful fish to create a healthy environment.
Discover the Colorful World of Betta Fish: From Their Origins and Biology to Their Behavior and Care
What is the biological name of betta fish?
Betta fish is the most common type in pet stores and aquariums. It is also called Siamese fighting fish. The biological name of betta fish is Betta splendens which combines two languages. Malay word is used for enduring fish, while the Latin word is used for shining.
What do betta fish eat?
People often ask about the diet of betta fish to avoid over-eating. Bettas can be picky eaters as well and mostly like to eat from the surface of the tank. It would help if you fed them protein-rich food as they are carnivores. It is said that bettas can survive on a plant-based diet. However, larvae and insects are preferred by bettas. Overfeeding your Betta can lead to many health issues.
There are three types of food for bettas, including pellets, flakes, and dried. Many bettas like to eat freeze-dried food such as bloodworms. It is best to use it as a snack as they are fond of it.
Bettas do not appreciate flakes. Bettas need mainly made flakes to fulfill their nutritional value. Betta fish also love to have pellets as a meal. It would help to use pellets specially made for bettas to make them healthier.
You can also check Best Food For Betta Fish.
Do betta fish live lonely or with other fish?
Betta fish is an elegant and beautiful fish to keep as a pet. However, this fish is aggressive and territorial. People usually ask if they should keep bettas alone or with other fish. So, it is always better to keep the fish alone. It may look lonely, swimming around the tank, but bettas live happily alone in the tank.
Male bettas prefer to live alone because they will mostly fight on sight. So, you should never keep two bettas together in a tank. You can keep male bettas with female bettas in a larger tank.
However, you should always keep a check to make sure male bettas are not fighting with female bettas. If you want to keep other fish with bettas, you should not keep fish with bright colors and long fins. It will make bettas insecure, and they will attempt to fight. Hence, it is recommended to keep bettas alone for their longer life.
You Can Also Check Betta Tank Mates.
Betta fish behavior
People usually ask about the expected behavior of bettas. The behavior of bettas depends on many factors. Betta will move around the tank to inspect new additions. If you observe Betta, it will swim to the surface to show a happy mood. It will react to your presence by becoming active and flaring its fins. Betta will search for food to stay satisfied. Betta shows happy behavior when it is healthy.
Sometimes betta fish show signs of stress and boredom. When stressed, Betta starts acting more aggressively. If you feel aggression in bettas, you should check if the environment is healthy or not.
Bettas like hiding in the tank’s hiding spots to stay stress-free. If they don’t find any hiding place, they will hide in the corner of the tank. Bettas may feel depressed if they don’t get a place to hide. They also hide if they feel insecure or sick.
Betta fish diseases
Betta fish can be caught with many diseases if kept in an unhealthy environment. Here are some common health conditions bettas can suffer from:
- Fin rot
Fin rot is a bacterial infection of the fins. Initially, Betta’s mouth or fin will look damaged. It will then spread all over the fish.
- Constipation
If you over-feed your Betta, it may get constipated. Fish will show a lack of appetite and swollen abdomen.
- Ich
Ich is a parasite infection in bettas that affects the fish’s fins and scales. Bettas will get this disease with even a little carelessness. It can lead to death if untreated.
- Velvet
Velvet is also a parasite infection. It is the most common disease that can kill the fish before you realize the problem.
- Swim bladder disease
It affects the fish’s ability to swim normally. You will see your Betta swimming unbalanced or upside down. This infection can be caused by poor water quality.
Betta fish care
Betta fish is easy to keep fish, but you should maintain a healthy environment for your Betta to make it healthy and happy. It would help if you considered these aspects to take care of your Betta:
- Aquarium
Betta needs a spacious aquarium to swim freely. The aquarium should be away from direct sunlight. The aquarium should have a solid base to keep a larger tank.
- Water temperature and Filtration
It would help to keep the water temperature around 77 to 82 degrees. Add a filter to the tank that keeps the water clean.
- Heater
A heater is also essential to keep the tank temperature accurate. A heater with 5 watts per gallon will be suitable for bettas. You can place two heaters for larger tanks.
- Light
You should keep the tank away from direct sunlight to avoid the growth of algae. Artificial tank lights help keep the bettas healthy.
- Decor
The decoration is always a great idea in the betta tank. You can add hiding spaces, decorative plants, or ornaments to make the fish happy.
Conclusion
Hence, betta fish is a great fish to keep as a pet. Betta has bright colors and flowing fins that attract everyone. It only needs a little care, but you have to maintain your aquarium according to its requirements to keep them healthy and alive. If you create a healthy environment for your bettas, they will live happily and peacefully.
Do not keep bettas with other fighter fish to avoid any fighting in your tank. You can add peaceful fish with dull color as it will not arouse Betta to fight. Bettas love to hide when stressed or afraid. So, it is essential to add hiding places in the tank. Take care of the bettas to increase their lifespan. Bettas will surely make your aquarium look colorful and bright.
Leave a Reply