Betta Fish History

Some interesting facts about the history of betta fish:

Betta Fish are said to have gotten their name from an ancient clan of Asian warriors called the “Bettah” because of a popular sport that involved the fighting of two of these warrior fish. The sport was so popular 150 years ago that it was regulated and taxed by the King of Siam. Unlike other animal fighting, betta fish fights were not to the death but until one of the betta fish stopped fighting.

According to historical accounts, Dr. Theodore Cantor received a pair of breeding Bettas from the King of Siam in 1840 and was one of the first documented studies of breeding betta fish. Several pairs of Betta fish where sent to Germany in 1896 for breeding and then in 1910, Mr. Frank Locke of San Francisco California imported several Bettas to the U.S.A. One of the fish that Mr. Locke received had unusual red fins and thinking he had discovered a new species, and named it “Betta Cambodia.” In reality, he had one of the first of the Betta splendens that had developed natural new colors and characteristics through breeding. Since than, breeders have been able to develop Bettas with all of the vibrant colors and varied fin shapes that we find today.

Betta Fish Terms

Here are some common fish and aqurium terms (for betta fish or other fish too!).

CRI; Color Rendering Index
A rating used for light bulbs on a scale up to 100, where 100 is equal to sunlight.

Detritus
The organic waste matter that collects on the bottom of your fish tanks.

Fry
A fully formed baby fish.

Pectoral fins
Paired fins, one on each side of the body located behind the gill covers.

Betta Fish Diet

In the wild Betta fish subsist almost exclusively on insects and insect larvae, they even have an upturned mouth that is well suited to snatching any unsuspecting insect that might fall into the water. Internally a bettas digestive system is geared for meat, and for this reason, live foods are the ideal diet for the betta, however they will adapt to eating flake foods and frozen and freeze dried foods. Brine shrimp, Daphnia, tubifex, glassworms and plankton are all excellent options that may be found frozen or freeze dried. If flake food is fed, it should be supplemented with frozen and freeze-dried foods, and when possible live foods.

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Choosing Plants for Your Betta Fish Tank

Betta fish use plants as a defensive strategy in their natural environments. This allows them to avoid contact with predators and other male Bettas Nervous or threatened-feeling Bettas will squeeze through close together plants to escape danger. Because of this, it is important to include some kind of plant in your Betta's tank, to reduce stress and allow it to feel that it can hide. While some people prefer artificial plants in their aquariums, live plants help to take care of harmful chemical byproducts in the tank, such as ammonia, nitrite and nitrates. They also perform the important function of gas exchange, keeping the water more oxygenated than an environment without plants or with artificial plants. Soft and leafy plants are preferred, to prevent damage to the Betta's scales should it squeeze between leaves or branches.

Plants do require light, however. An aquarium with live plants should have either access to sunlight or a light built into the hood. Some plants which are recommended for use with Betta fish are the floating Water Sprite, Hornwort, and Elodea. Tiger Lotus is considered good for use in tanks with breeding Bettas since it puts out a lily-pad-like leaf that sits on the surface of the water. Male Bettas use this leaf to shelter their bubble nests. Be sure to keep an eye on your Betta tank’s plants, since dead and rotting vegetation can be bad for the water quality. Java Moss and Java Ferns can thrive in uncycled bowls without any filtration. They also require low to medium light, and are thus suitable for aquariums or enclosures that cannot be put close to a window.

Live plants for your Betta tank can be found locally from some aquarium stores or ordered from the Internet. All plants should be bright green and very healthy looking. They should also be quarantined before placing them in with the fish, to make sure that they do not carry diseases or parasites that could harm your Betta Be sure to acquire plants from a reputable source. It is wise to do some research into your supplier before purchasing live plants for your Betta tank. Bettas tend to interact more with live plants than with artificial plants. Many types of artificial plants are also rough and could damage fins and scales. Unlike fake plants, real ones will also sway attractively in the water as the fish swims through them. When the time comes to clean the tank, some plants can be gently removed and rinsed if this is desired. This is particularly easy when using free floating plants like the Java fern.

For more information on beta fish plants, try visiting http://www.bettafishcenter.com, a popular website that provides tips, advice and resources on caring for betta splendens.

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