Betta Fish

The Siamese fighting fish, also sometimes colloquially known as the Betta, is a species in the Gourami family which is popular as an aquarium fish.

Betta Fish are very territorial and it is unwise to house two males together. Even the females may become territorial towards each other if not housed in a large enough tank.

These species are native to the Mekong basin of Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam and Thailand. The fish can be found in vast standing waters of canals, rice paddies and floodplains.

The recommended minimum tank size for one Betta is 5 gallons, although the bigger the better! A massive misconception with Betta Fish care is that these fish are happy in tiny cramped tanks as they live in small mud puddles in the wild. This is actually incorrect, although Betta's do live in rice paddies, swamps, wetlands, and shallow ponds in South East Asia, these bodies of water, though shallow, are quite expansive; rice paddies typically span many acres. Male bettas form sizeable territories during breeding season, sometimes as large as a square meter, and are only found in "puddles" during the dry season - a time of year where many bettas will die due to crowding, poor water quality, and inadequate food supply. Therefore it is a huge misconception that they will happily live in tiny 1 gallon tanks, anything over 5 gallons is much more suitable and nearer to their natural environment.

Diet

There are a variety of good diets for Betta Fish.

My preference is 3 flakes of the Aquarian Tropical Flake Food, also adding 3 Bloodworms into the diet 1-2 times per week to add protein and variety.

Tank Size

A Betta Fish can happily live alone but must be in a tank size of at least 5 gallons. If you have a Betta living in a community tank with neon tetras or other fish, then you would need something much larger to ensure that there are no territorial issues. Bigger is always better!!

Tank Decor

Betta Fish are very adventurous and love to explore! Live plants are always highly recommended as they provide a natural environment for your fish. If you are using fake plants, always ensure that they are made of a soft plastic or silk to avoid your Betta's fins being torn on anything too sharp. Lots of ornaments with hiding spaces work great with Bettas, you will notice them swimming in and out of the decor.

Putting together a fish tank is always fun, by having several items you can easily alternate the tank decorations every few weeks or months to keep your fish from becoming bored.