Siamese Fighting Fish (Betta Splendens)

The renowned Siamese fighting fish, Betta Splenden, have always been prevalent in the fishkeeping hobby due to their ease of care, stunning colours, and flowing fins.

Because of their aggressive behaviour towards other males of the same species, these fish are derived their name, the "Siamese Fighting Fish". Male betta fish will fight with other males.

This fish is not recommended for the community aquarium, and you should not house two or more males in the same tank, no matter the size.

If you have more than one male in the same tank, they will fight until only one of them remains. Then, after erecting their fins and playing out their gill covers, they show off their fighting postures to the other fish. This is a natural response to defend their territory and to protect their eggs from rival males.

Female and male bettas should not be kept together, except for breeding, which should always be done with caution.

Bettas are commonly kept in small aquariums, vases, and bowls. It is cruel to use these to keep your fish; just like other fish species, they need at least several gallons of water with a filter and heater.

Breeders have developed several different colours, fin types and pattern variations of this fish and continue to do so worldwide. The colours available to the aquarist include yellow, blue, orange, red, green, turquoise, pastel, black, multi-coloured and white. These colours are due to different layers of pigmentation in their skin. Any combination of these layers can be present, leading to various colours.

Breeders have also developed different colour patterns such as butterfly, multicolour, solid, bi-colour and marble, and metallic shades through hybridisation such as gold, copper or platinum. You will also see several varieties of different fin shapes.

Photos

Natural Habitat

Feeding

In the home aquarium, the Siamese Fighting Fish will readily accept most good quality dried foods such as granules, flakes and sinking pellets. These modern food products have been developed to provide all adequate nutrition to maintain your fish's health and dietary requirements.

Providing additional foodstuffs such as live, frozen, and freeze-dried meals such as bloodworm, daphnia, and tubifex once or twice a week will provide additional benefits to your fish's health and well-being but is not a must for this fish.

It should be noted that bloodworms should only be given as an occasional treat and should not be used as the staple diet as they are difficult for fish to digest and can potentially cause blockages.

This fish is an omnivore in the wild, meaning it will consume some vegetable matter. Although most modern fish foods take this into account and include them in their products, you can still supplement your fish's diet with blanched vegetables such as spinach, broccoli, and zucchini. Ensure you do not overfeed your fish and remove any leftovers the following day.