What is a betta fish?

Question

Sorry for the ignorance, but have only just started to get serious about fish, im getting hooked and wants to know everything about fish, but there are alot of people asking about betta fish??

Oh i thought it may have been the fighting fish! Are they really that popular? I have had a couple of them (not at same time) Truely beautiful fish but mine kept dying! so I gave up! But that was a year ago when I thought all you had to do was stick some water in a tank a plop the fish in and only change the water once every 3 months! I know different now and i test my water and change it regularly and is always perfect maybe I should consider keeping one again, Whay do you think?

Answer 1

Here's a great site that will answer all of your questions about bettas, even the one's you haven't thought about yet ;)

http://www.bettysplendens.com/articles/home.imp

MM

Answer 2

Betta Splendens is a very colorful and easy to keep fish. It needs to be feed every day, and the water should be change every week depending on the size of the tank. Bettas are diffrent then other fish, they breath air from the surface of the water so they are most likely at the top of the tank. Bettas are also called Siamese Fighting Fish. (P.S do not put two Male Betta together)

Answer 3

Sure, give it a shot! Betta fish are very beautiful, and great pets to keep. They can actually even learn to recognize people, and mine will come up to the surface when I'm in the room, asking me to feed him!
They're easy to care for and pretty hardy. I feed mine every day, but they can go for up to a month without food! Still, keeping water clean, checking parameters... all will lead to better living.

As the others have mentioned, they are however fighting fish, and you shouldn't have more than one. Also, if your tank is already established, you might not be able to get a betta.
Bettas are agressive and territorial; they will chase after other fish with long tails and bright colors, so for one thing, bettas and goldfish don't match. However, plainer fish will be no problem; my betta never bothers my glass cats, or my corys. So it all depends on what fish you already have.

Good luck!

Answer 4

Colors range from red to blue to white. Females are not as highly colored, and have much shorter fins. A well conditioned breeding female will often display horizontal stripes.

Bettas are one of the most recognized, most colorful, and often most controversial fish in the freshwater hobby. Debates range on about the appropriateness of keeping them in small bowls. To fully understand their needs it is important to become familiar with their native habitat. Bettas originate in the shallow waters in Thailand (formerly called Siam, hence their name), Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, and parts of China. They proliferate rice paddies, shallow ponds, and even slow moving streams.
Although many fish keepers are aware that Bettas come from shallow waters, a key factor that is often overlooked is the water temperature. These countries are tropical, which means the water temperature is quite warm - often reaching into the 80's. Bettas thrive on heat, and will become increasingly listless when the water temperature falls below 75 degrees F. Water temperature is perhaps the biggest argument against keeping a betta in a tiny bowl (which cannot readily be heat controlled).
Even though Bettas do well in waters low in dissolved oxygen, that does not mean they require less oxygen than other fish. Bettas have a special respiratory organ that allows them to breath air directly from the surface. In fact they inherently must do so. In experiments where the labyrinth organ was removed, the fish died from suffocation even though the water was saturated with oxygen. For this reason, Bettas must have access to the water surface to breath air directly from the atmosphere.

Optimally the water for keeping healthy Bettas should be soft, warm, with a neutral to slightly acidic pH. Water movement should be kept to a minimum, which means that power filters and powerheads are not suitable. Bettas may be kept in a community tank as long as the water conditions are met, and if no aggressive or fin-nipping fish are present. However, only one male may be kept in each aquarium, unless they are separated by a barrier.
The use of plastic boxes that hang inside the aquarium are a suitable option for keeping more than one betta in a tank, or for keeping them in a tank with fish that might nip their fins. Females will generally not fight with each other, and may be kept in the same tank.

Answer 5

A betta fish is commonly known as a Siamese Fighting Fish. If you put two in the same tank, then they'll fight each other to death (more so the males).

Answer 6

Also called a Siamese Fighting fish. The males are beautiful but need to be kept apart from other males.

Answer 7

a betta fish is one that has the long stringing fins. they are beautiful and low maintenance. Don't get two males or two female they will kill each other. You need a male and female or just one. Very feisty little fish and they come in different colors pink, red, blue, just gorgeous!

Answer 8

They are truely beautiful fish. I have one ive had it about 6 months. They are great. You should consider them. They are easy and don't eat much. Just dont feed them too much becaue they will die because they do not have a fast digestive system.

Answer 9

they are colorful fish with long tails and little fins I'm getting one(two girl betta fish are the best if you don't want to devide them)

Answer 10

beta fish are blueish/black, they are japanese fighting fish, dont put two anywhere near eachother or they'll kill each other. (tank dividers wont help, they can jump over them) they are low maintenence and usually live 1-4 yrs.