Betta Fish - Information about the most beautiful and easy to raise ornamental fish

Betta fish (Betta splendens) also known as Siamese fighting fish, is one of the most popular, colorful, easy-to-care-for ornamental fish.

Betta fish (Betta splendens), also known as Siamese fighting fish, fighting fish or Siamese fighting fish, is a freshwater ornamental fish originating from Southeast Asia. This fish breed has many colors and is also one of the most popular fish in the ornamental fish world because it is not only cheap, beautiful in appearance but also extremely easy to care for.

In today's article, let's go deeper with nice fish to learn detailed information about Betta fish including origin, classification, habits and care!

Basic information about Betta fish :

Where do Betta fish come from?

Betta fish is also known as Siamese fighting fish.

Betta fish originate mainly from Southeast Asian countries such as Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia... In Thailand alone, Siamese fighting fish have been around for over 150 years for the purpose of raising them for fighting due to their aggressive and resilient nature. In the wild, they often live in shallow water environments such as rice fields, ponds, and small lakes.

In 1890 Betta fish were first introduced to Europe.

In 1910 - 1920, this fish was brought to America and quickly became one of the most popular ornamental fish in the world thanks to its beautiful appearance, diverse colors, low price and ease of care.

Betta fish classification

From the simple brown-gray wild Betta species, after the crossbreeding process, many types of Betta fish with different colors have been created. Currently, the classification of Siamese fighting fish by tail type is the most popular and recognizable, specifically as follows:

Veiltail Betta Fish

Super beautiful blue and white long-tailed Betta fish image.

This is the most common tail type of Betta fish, the name Veiltail (VT) also means "veil tail", they are characterized by a long tail that hangs down slightly, often leaning to one side and when swimming in water, it looks like soft silk ribbons.

Popular colors include:

• Red
• Blue
• Pearl white
• Jet black with blue light
• Marbled color.

Short-tailed Betta Fish - Plakat

Short tail Betta fish image.

The short-finned Betta is the closest to the wild Betta in appearance and behavior. In Thai, "Plakat" means "fighting fish". They have short, compact, fan-shaped or round tails, a stocky body, and an extremely aggressive temperament, making them very suitable for fighting fish.

Betta Plankat Fish Colors:

• Koi Platka Variegated colors like Koi fish, with metallic fins.
• Copper PK
• Dragon PK metallic color.
• Orange - black - white clown fish - Nem PK.

Halfmoon Betta Fish

A Halfmoon Betta fish with a super beautiful tail and fins.

Halfmoon Betta is a line of Betta fish with the most beautiful appearance, always a symbol of beauty contests in this fish species. They have a 180 degree flared tail like a crescent, dorsal fin & anal fin spread symmetrically with the tail forming a circle when the tail is flared.

Variations in Betta Halfmoon:

• Halfmoon Fancy : Color gradient, marble, galaxy.
• Halfmoon Dragon : Thick, metallic scales like dragon scales.
• Halfmoon Koi : Colorful like Koi fish.
• Rosetail : Round, layered tail like a rose.
• Feathertail : A slightly ruffled, soft tail like a bird's feather.

Betta Over Halfmoon Fish

Betta over Halfmoon

This is a high-end variant of the Halfmoon Betta line, with a tail that can spread out more than 180 degrees, even up to 200 - 220 degrees, almost a complete circle when the fins are spread out. This fish is highly appreciated for its appearance and is often referred to as the "Princess" of Betta fish.

Popular colors:

• Fancy Over Halfmoon : Multi-colored, multi-colored.
• Dragon Over Halfmoon : Thick, metallic scales like dragon scales.
• Koi Over Halfmoon : Koi fish pattern.
• Galaxy Over Halfmoon : Metallic scales that sparkle like a galaxy.
• Black Orchid Over Halfmoon : Black tone with purple blue shimmer.

Crowntail Betta Fish

A beautiful crowntail Betta fish.

Crowntail Betta, also known as Crown Betta, was bred and developed in Indonesia around 1997 with the characteristic of a pointed tail and fins like the thorns of a crown.

Varieties of Betta Crowntail:

• Single Ray Crowntail : Each tail ray has only 1 branch.
• Double Ray Crowntail : Each tail ray splits in two.
• King Crowntail : Extremely long, sharp tail and fins.

Betta fish physical characteristics

Male and female Betta fish.

Let's learn about the appearance and how to distinguish male and female Betta fish!

General appearance of Betta fish

There are many types of Betta fish, but they still have some common physical characteristics as follows:

• Size : Average length from 4 - 7 cm (depending on gender, depending on line).
• Body : Slim, oval.
• Head : Round or slightly pointed, in proportion to the body.
• Mouth : Small, slightly slanted upwards.
• Eyes : Round, usually rimmed the same color as the body.
• Scales : Most scales are small and even, except for some Dragon lines that have scales that look like "dragon scales".
• Dorsal fin : Can be long, short or round, pointed.
• Anal fin : Located under the belly, behind the anus, usually long and wide.
• Pelvic fins : Located near the gills, under the body, long, thin like whiskers.
• Caudal fin : The most prominent part with many tail types such as long, round, fringed, curly,...
• Color : The most diverse and unique in the aquarium world with monochrome, variegated, galaxy, marble (irregular variegated) color patterns,....

Distinguishing between male and female Betta fish

Male and female Betta fish have different appearances and sizes, specifically as follows:

Betta fish behavior

Betta fish love to fluff their fins and gills.

Siamese fighting fish - Betta fish not only have beautiful appearance but they also have extremely interesting habits that make aquarium players love. Let's learn more about the unique habits of this fish in the content below.

Aggressive (especially in males)

Betta is a very aggressive fish, especially the male, it is always ready to fight with its opponent if the tank does not have a partition, and even when looking at itself in the mirror, it can flare its gills and become bloodthirsty.

Female Betta fish are more docile but they will also fight if the tank does not have enough space and is threatened by other fish.

Flare

A special habit of Betta fish is that when they meet an opponent or look in the mirror, they always puff up their gills, raise their fins and bend their bodies to both warn and show their strength to their opponents. In addition, while looking for a mate, male fish often flare to attract female fish.

Breathe air

Betta fish are considered the easiest fish to raise in the aquarium world because they can breathe air through their Labyrinth. Therefore, this fish can live in shallow water, low in oxygen, without the need for oxygen aeration.

Compression (wrapping) mating & bubble nest reproduction

This is a very unique mating behavior in Betta fish, specifically this process takes place as follows:

• First, the male fish will wrap around the female fish's body in a U shape, squeezing her belly to stimulate the eggs to fall out.
• The male fish then releases sperm, which mixes with the water and fertilizes the eggs after the female fish lays them.
• Finally, the male fish picks up each egg and puts it into the bubble nest created on the water surface to incubate and protect the eggs until the fry hatch.

Betta Fish Care Guide for Beginners

A super beautiful Betta fish tank.

If you are a new fish keeper who is new to raising Betta fish, don't worry too much because this fish is quite easy to raise. If you want to successfully have a beautiful Siamese fish, follow the instructions below!

Choosing a healthy Betta fish

To successfully raise a Betta fish, the first step is to choose healthy fish. Please note the following:

• Choose fish with evenly spread, unbroken fins.
• Fish swim flexibly, not sluggishly.
• Fish react quickly.
• Bright colors.

Preparing a Betta Fish Tank

Betta is a very aggressive fish, they only like to live alone, so when designing a fish tank, you need to ensure the following:

• Tank type: Mini tank from 1 - 3 liters if you want to raise simply, large tank with compartments if you want to raise many males and females.
• Filtration system: If you simply raise them, you don't need a filtration system. But if you want to keep them for a long time, you should have a mini filtration system to maintain water quality.
• Decoration: Put duckweed on the water surface, decorate with aquatic plants, fake plants or caves for fish to hide.

Optimal water parameters for Betta fish

Although Betta fish are easy to raise and adaptable, if you want them to stay healthy and live long, the water in the tank needs to meet the following requirements:

• Temperature : 26 - 28 degrees Celsius.
• pH : 6.5 - 7.5
• Change water regularly : Small tanks under 5L should be changed every 2-3 days. Large tanks should be changed every week, each time changing 30-50% of the water in the tank.

What do Betta fish eat?

Betta fish are omnivores, so they can eat a wide variety of foods, including:

• Special pellets for Betta.
• Bloodworms, daphnia, and if you want the fish to have beautiful colors, feed them artemia.
• Frozen fresh bran.

Note : Feed the fish once every 2 days, just enough each time to avoid excess food polluting the water in the tank.

Common diseases in Betta fish and how to treat them

Although Betta fish are easy to raise, they can also suffer from some health problems due to water sources and parasites. Here are some common diseases in this fish species. Please learn how to prevent and treat them promptly to help your fish stay healthy.

How much does a Betta fish cost?

Currently, the price of Siamese fish - Betta fluctuates at many different price levels depending on the breed, color, tail type, fins, rarity,... Below is the Betta fish price list that we have compiled, please refer to it to be able to choose the fish line that suits your finances.

Questions and answers about Betta fish

Where to buy cheap Betta fish?

Currently, there are many shops selling cheap Betta fish on social networking sites, reputable Betta fish exchange groups on Facebook,...

Price of Betta Nemo fish?

Betta Nemo is a beautiful and rare Betta breed, so the price is quite high, usually ranging from 500,000 - 1.5 million VND for one fish.

What fish can be kept with betta fish?

Although Betta fish are aggressive and recommended to be kept alone, if you want to keep them with other types of fish, you can refer to catfish, guppies, cherry crucian carp, etc.

Beautiful Betta fish pictures

Finally, let's take a look at the beautiful Betta fish images with colorful colors and excellent shapes to fully explore the beauty of this ornamental fish!

Betta fry with super beautiful color gradient.

Mysterious black samurai Betta fish.

Betta dumbo lavender fish.

Rare red dragon Betta fish.

Red fancy betta fish

Full gold betta fish.

Galaxy betta fish

Through the above article, nicefish.net has shared with you details about Betta fish . This is a very popular ornamental fish, cheap price but also has many colorful colors and unique habits. If you want to start joining the ornamental fish hobby, Betta fish will be a perfect choice.

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