About betta splendens

Bettas (pronounced bet-tahs) originated in Thailand. They are tropical fish and require a water temperature of around 28 C to thrive.

Their native habitats are large still bodies of water, like rice paddies. As there is not a lot of dissolved oxygen in these waterways, bettas have a “labyrinth organ” which allows them to breathe atmospheric air, rather than being solely reliant on dissolved oxygen like most other fish.

Bettas are insectivores and are incredibly territorial – hence their common name “Siamese fighting fish”. Please note that fighting bettas in Australia is illegal.

Keeping bettas healthy and happy

First and foremost, under no circumstances should 2 male bettas be placed in the same body of water. Not even a 6’ tank with lots of plants. Fighting, serious injury and probable death will result.

As mentioned above, bettas’ native habitats are large bodies of still water. The common assertion that bettas live in buffalo footprints in the wild and so only require small bodies of water to survive is completely inaccurate. A betta may occasionally be seen in a buffalo footprint, if it was unfortunate enough to get sucked into one when a buffalo passed, but their lifecycle and breeding behaviour demonstrate that this is not how they live or how they must (or should) be kept.

How large a vessel you choose to keep your betta in really comes down to a question of how labour intensive you wish you aquarium maintenance to be. Basically, the larger the tank, the less maintenance is involved. Like all fish, bettas’ excrement contains ammonia. Ammonia is toxic, and it burns fish. If ammonia in any detectable level is allowed to build up in a betta’s aquarium, it will cause burns and gill damage. Secondary infections are likely to follow. PLEASE ensure that ammonia does not build up in your betta’s tank.

A betta can live happily in any container he has enough room to swim in, provided that the water is changed before ammonia builds up to detectable levels. What is critical to the betta’s wellbeing, and which many people overlook, is that bettas are tropical fish. Cold and⁄or fluctuating temperatures compromise bettas’ immunity, and can in fact kill them. Bettas are generally fine in jars in the warm and humid aquarium where you purchase them, but not in the average lounge room which is both cooler and hotter, depending on the weather. We recommend that a betta’s water be heated to prevent these fluctuations and give him the best chance of staying healthy. This then dictates that the tank must be large enough to safely accommodate the smallest available submersible heater – ie, 10-20 litres.

If you opt not to use a heater, and⁄or use a smaller container to house your betta, please make sure his water is changed regularly. Most people recommend changing 100% of the water in any unfiltered tank of less than 5 litres twice a week.

A filter is not essential, but it will substantially reduce the need for water changes once the filter is established, so it is a good option if you are averse to aquarium maintenance. A simple air-driven filter will suffice, as many power filters provide a suction too strong for bettas and they end up stuck to the inlet.

Bettas may be kept with other peaceful tropical fish who like a similar water chemistry, but avoid keeping them with nippy fish like barbs.

Water chemistry and bettas

The area around the betta’s native waterways is surrounded by overhanging trees known as ketapang trees. The leaves of these trees fall into the water and release tannins, which soften and acidify the water and make it slimy. This seems to provide a protective barrier to bettas.

Many imported bettas develop chronic finrot shortly after arrival in Australia. This is believed to be caused by exposure to water with a vastly different chemistry to bettas’ native water. Betta owners often make the mistake of doing large and frequent water changes after simply dechlorinating their tap water. This is actually detrimental to the betta, due to the chemical load added to the water by Australian water authorities. These chemicals seem to irritate bettas’ fin membranes which allows infections to occur.

It is therefore highly recommended that you add black water extract (or ideally ketapang extract or leaves), to your betta’s water to protect him. It is also recommended that tap water be aged for at least 24 hours after dechlorination (eg in a bucket or tub) before it is added to the betta’s tank. This practice has seen a significant reduction in the occurrence of finrot in Australian bettas.

Bettas like to have live plants to rest on and hide in. However, sickly live plants are not good for water quality. Unless you can keep aquatic plants healthy, you are better off opting for silk plants. Plastic plants are thought to tear bettas’ fins and are best avoided.

Female bettas

Female bettas are available in such lovely colours now that they look like living jewels. Like male bettas, females can be highly aggressive to their own species, but they are usually not aggressive to the same extent that males are. Provided that you are prepared for the establishment of a pecking order, and the risk of some fin damage, it is possible to keep multiple female bettas in a community tank. However, female bettas have been known to fight until either (or both) is badly injured or killed. Female bettas in a group should therefore be closely supervised. Any victim of unreasonable aggression should be removed and treated for her injuries.

How bettas breed

Knowing how aggressive bettas are, you may wonder how it is ever possible for them to breed! However, when bettas actually do go about spawning, it is like watching beautiful dance.

Bettas are bubblenesters. This means that the male builds a nest of bubbles on the surface of the water using his saliva, often under a floating ketapang leaf. Courtship can be brutal, with both the male and female sustaining injuries. Eventually, if the male and female are compatible, they embrace under the leaf. The male wraps his body around the female and releases milt as she releases eggs. After the eggs fall from the embracing pair, the bettas collect them and place them in the bubblenest, where the male tends them for 3 days until they have hatched and are free-swimming betta fry.

More information on bettas

If you are interested in breeding bettas, betta genetics, or just discussing bettas and their needs generally, pop over to the forums. Ausaqua Forums are the home of Australia¹s most active betta breeding community, with importers, breeders, hobbbyists and judges all regularly taking part in discussions on these beautiful fish.

Still have more questions about caring for your Betta? Need more information? Swim on over to the forum!