Family: Osphronemidae
Distribution: Betta splendens, or Siamese Fighting Fish, is a well-known species distributed throughout Indonesia, Cambodia, Thailand, parts of China, and Vietnam, particularly in the Mekong basin. It is typically found in floodplains, rice paddies and medium to large rivers.
PH: 6.0 – 8.0
Temperature: 24°C – 30°C (77 – 86F)
Hardness: 5 – 19 dH
Description: Betta splendens grow up to 7 cm in length and have a beautiful, distinctive colouration that separates them from the pack. Males’ colours range from red to white to blue; females are not as brightly coloured and have shorter fins.
Diet: In nature, this species feeds on insects and insect larvae, due to its upturned mouth that makes feeding on floating insects possible. In an aquarium environment, you will have no problem feeding it most foods, but live foods are best. You might offer it some shrimp, plankton, beef heart and tubifex. You could even provide it with frozen brine and typical flake foods.
Breeding: The male Betta Splendens will lure the female under his nest of bubbles before squeezing the eggs from her. He will gather the white eggs and hide them in his bubble nest. At this point you should remove the female. It takes 1 – 2 days before the eggs will hatch; you should feed the male during this time as he may be tempted, if hungry, to eat the babies. It is important you move the male from the tank as soon as the babies start swimming. There are three good food options for baby Betta Splendens: freshly hatched brine shrimp, microworms, and infusoria.
Comments: This species doesn’t need a big aquarium – but you should house them in no less than a 2.5 gallon tank. Make sure you have a substrate – gravel will do – and hamster tubs, flower pots and silk plants are all excellent decorative options. Make sure the temperature doesn’t drop below 22°C as this can be hazardous to this species’ health. It is a good idea to continually change your water to avoid contamination; this species does require quality water conditions.
Article/Books:
Recommended Compatible Species: For obvious reasons, the Siamese Fighting Fish should not be housed in a one-species tank. Putting two males of this species together will normally result in a vicious fight.
On the other hand they will live happily with most Tetra species (particularly the Neon Tetra and Black Tetra). They are also great tank mates with Discus, Apistogramma‘s like Apistogramma Cacatouides and Apistogramma Borelli, Corydoras Catfish (particularly Corydoras Sterbai and Corydoras aeneus) Angelfish, Clown loach, the common Guppy and Platy and most Gourami (such as the Blue Gourami and Dwarf Gourami like the Honey Gourami) Also can live happily with most Danio (particularly the Zebra Danio and Pearl Danio) and also many Killifish make great tank mates.
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