Betta Splendens: Useful Information About Betta Fish
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Summary:
1. Who am I?
The betta fish, or Siamese fish (present-day Thailand), comes from Southeast Asia. It is found in humid and marshy regions, especially in rice fields. Shallow and brackish, they form its natural habitat. This makes the betta a resistant fish, ideal for beginners in aquarium keeping without much experience.
However, certain conditions are essential for its well-being and survival. A solitary fish, it often adopts aggressive behavior, especially towards males of its species.
Famous for its courtship displays, it displays its colorful fins to seduce its suitors. This beauty has seduced collectors of exotic fish. Initially appreciated for its appearance, it quickly became a symbol of wealth. Over time, it was used for fighting, a popular entertainment for the bourgeoisie. In 2019, it was recognized as the national totem of Thailand.

2. Which breeding variety to choose?
There are several varieties of bettas that have been bred through artificial selection. Not natural, this selection has created lines that conform to human criteria. Colors and aggressiveness have been influenced by breeding. Some fish are hostile not only to males, but also to females, even after mating. This explains their reputation as non-gregarious fish.
We will look at the different varieties available commercially. Here, we focus on appearance rather than character, although aggressiveness is common to the species. Later, we will see if it can coexist with other fish.
3. Phylogeny of fighting fish
- kingdom: animal
- phylum: chordate
- class: actinopteriformes
- order: perciform
- family: osphronemidae
- genus: Betta
- species: betta splendens Regan
4. The different varieties of betta fish ( Betta Splendens )
- Plakat: This is a short-finned betta. The tail fin is rounded. Plakats are generally more active than other varieties of betta because they do not have long fins that slow down their movement. These are the ancestors of all types of betta fish. These more resilient and aggressive bettas are less prone to injury and disease.
- Veil tail: This is the most common form of betta splendens. The dorsal fin and caudal fin are long and drooping when the fish is still. When it is moving, the caudal fin takes on a round shape that is more or less pointed at the tip. This is the shape most often found in commerce.

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Crowntail: Crowntail bettas are so named because of the crown-like shape of their pointed fins.
Its bristling tail and fins give the crowntail its regal look.
The fins have larger rays than other varieties. The tips represent almost half of the fins.
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Halfmoon: The halfmoon betta is so named because of its large, fan-shaped tail fin with a 160° to 180° angle that resembles a "D" when fully flared. The dorsal, anal, and pelvic fins are also long, ideally the same length as the tail. d="FtxtWnd">
One of the most beautiful varieties of betta, this fighter has unusual coloring.

- Rosetail: A rosetail betta is a type of halfmoon betta that also sports a fan-shaped tail with excessive branching on the caudal fin, resulting in a ruffled appearance that resembles a rose. The rosetail characteristic can be found on a halfmoon betta or a plakat betta.
- Doubletail: As the name suggests, the doubletail betta has a tail fin that is divided into two separate equal lobes, each shaped like a half-moon. This distinguishes them from similar bettas, which only have a single split tail. Their bodies are more compact than other betta varieties and their dorsal fin is wider, which is why they are more often crossed with other forms.
- Combtail or Halfsun: Resulting from a cross between a veiltail betta and a crowntail betta, the combtail betta boasts a slightly less bristly tail than the crowntail. The tips of the fins are shorter than those of crowntails.
- Elephant ear: This betta is named so because of its large pectoral fins which resemble the ears of an elephant.
5. In what conditions should the fighting fish evolve?
To guide us on the living conditions necessary for the Betta in a private aquarium, we will first present the natural habitat.
As mentioned above, the betta fish is a fish that thrives in the swampy areas of Southeast Asia, a tropical environment. Preferring temperatures around 24 - 28 degrees Celsius, having no choice but to live in shallow waters subject to predation by larger fish and especially birds and not having the depth to flee, the betta fish plays the strategy of immobility and makes sure not to be spotted, so it is used to spending its day in static mode. Added to this are periods of drought considerably reducing its habitat and limiting it to small puddles of water for the dry season. However, these puddles undergo what is called eutrophication in ecology, an increase in the concentrations of organic matter in small volumes of water, inducing a lack of oxygen and a decrease in pH. As a result, the Betta fish has been able to adapt to its environment while developing strategies to remedy this, such as adapting to acidic water (some Bettas can survive in a pH of 3), added to this is aerial respiration via an organ called the labyrinth, which is located above the gill cavity and allows the Betta to breathe the oxygen contained in the air in order to compensate for the lack of oxygen dissolved in the water, hence its great resilience. This organ is specific to fish belonging to the labyrinthidae family (e.g. Betta, Colisa, Gourami, etc.).

That's it for the presentation of the biotope of the fighting fish. These elements are only partially true because of the artificial selection imposed by man, thus moving away from the standards of wild life, such as the pH. The pH in which farmed fish live generally varies between 6.5 and 7, i.e. a neutral to very slightly acidic pH, the same goes for the size of the habitat. When we know that in Thailand fighting fish are raised in 2L or even 1L glass bottles, the volume of the habitat may be minimal. But for the well-being of your companion we strongly recommend an aquarium of at least 15L for a male Betta and 25L for a female (which is already small compared to other fish).
Knowing that Bettas are resilient, this does not make them immortal creatures. Time spent in an extreme environment (low pH, poorly oxygenated water, etc.) leads to selection, i.e. a high mortality rate. However, if your companion undergoes repeated or long-term stress, you have a greater chance of seeing its life expectancy decrease...
6. What food for my fighting fish and how often?
The nutrition of Betta fish in nature is essentially made up of small aquatic organisms found in ponds (be careful about the food you give your companion, just because it is eaten does not mean it is good for its health, follow the diet it needs succinctly).
Here is a non-exhaustive list of microorganisms present in the food profile of fighting fish:
- daphnia or literally freshwater flea (small crustacean, freshwater and stagnant water shrimp)
- brine shrimp (saltwater crustacean, not present in the natural habitat, however can be an interesting source of protein)
- banana worms
- enchytrae
- grindal verses
- drosophila (fruit fly)
- mosquito larva (bloodworms)
- paramecia (essential at the fry stage)
For better health, farmed fish need to have the most diversified nutrition possible, thus increasing their life expectancy. The more limited the diet, the more the animal tends to have a weak and weakened immune system, thus opening the doors to many diseases (fungal infection, bacterial infection, etc.).
7. Some practical tips for feeding your Betta fish
First of all, measure the rations that you present to your companion, the goal being not to give too much. Yes, fighting fish eat as much as there is food available. Therefore, you should not rely on its satiety to measure its ration.
Knowing that the amount of food needed changes according to the age of the Betta, we can measure the ration according to the volume of the latter's eye. Indeed, the volume of the stomach is more or less equal to the volume of the fish's eyeball. So to give you an idea, 3 artemia worms are enough for a ration.
Don't hesitate to monitor the progress of the rations and correct the situation with each new ration. If you notice that your Betta is swallowing its ration too quickly, consider increasing the quantity.
With practice and observation you will be able to identify the necessary ration, knowing that this can be different from one individual to another, even if they are part of the same species.
Another point to know, do not hesitate to use your net to remove excess uneaten food. This is part of aquarium maintenance, thus avoiding rot and therefore potential diseases for your Betta.
As for how often you feed your fish, there is no absolute way to do it. In the wild, when diet is imposed, animals adapt. For this, we advise you to feed your Betta 5 days a week or every other day. Do not hesitate to deviate from the rule and feed it less or more (thus taking up the random pattern of wild life). Do not forget that this must remain occasional, note that a healthy Betta fish can die of hunger from 15 to 20 days. On the other hand, long-term overfeeding can cause constipation in your companion, which is not fatal but can lead to other diseases that are. Constipation is easily remedied. If you realize that it is not doing its business regularly and that it no longer wants to eat, avoid feeding it for a period of 3 days. If the problem persists, give him a half-cooked pea in hot water in small pieces (avoid canned peas because of the added sugars). The Betta is a carnivorous fish, peas have a laxative effect, and so avoid including them in his diet otherwise. We strongly advise you not to test the limits of your fish, any stress suffered will affect its longevity.
8. Please Note!
Dry food can be a source of disease in Betta fish. Knowing that once wet, the food doubles in volume. Swallowed dry, the food risks causing severe digestive and constipation problems and often even death. So to avoid harming your companion's digestive tract, do not hesitate to wet the food beforehand and then give it to the fish. However, if you do not have time to wet the food, do not hesitate to reduce the ration by half. Of course, if you feed less, your fighter will remain in excellent health.
Betta Splendens: Useful information about the fighting fish