Reviewed: Caring For Betta Fish By Marcus Song

Review: Caring for a Betta Fish: An Insider’s Guide for Betta Lovers
By Marcus Song

Marcus Song’s “Caring for a Betta Fish: An Insider’s Guide for Betta Lovers” is filled with exclusive and little known insider information on caring for these exquisite and one of it a kind little fish. Even for someone like me, who has owned Betta fish nearly all of my life for their beauty and longevity, I learned something new at the turn of each and every page. This is a wonderful read for those who are curious to learn about these under water beauties and possibly obtain one (or three or four!) for themselves.

First, Song took me through the history of the fish, from the olden days in rice paddies to their name sake, the ancient Asian warrior Bettah clan, to their international dispense via a gift from the King of Siam. He also explained the fascinating and exciting world of fish fighting when the people of Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam would put their homes and even their children on the line “on the outcome of just one fight.”

We all know that Bettas are fantastically colored. But do you know why? They were not always so highly decorated. Song delves into color variations and just how Bettas got the immense variety of terrific tints and patterns that we see today.

While explaining the facts of how Bettas are no longer bred to fight but rather for their vivid hues, Song talks about how the species has calmed down their fighting spirit and become more tranquil, slowly but surely, generation after generation. Song took me through an incredible journey of how he himself has bonded with fish beyond anything in my wildest imagination. If cared for properly, Song claims a Betta will literally wag his tail when he sees his owner approaching and will possibly come to the surface for some extra TLC in the form of a pat on the head or a little leftover piece of chicken. In a later chapter, towards the end of the book, Song also informed me that after a bond has been formed you can actually train your Betta to do tricks such as jumping out of the water for food or swimming through hoops! I found these sections truly incredible, proving that the Betta is not just “some fish” but rather gentle companionship for those looking for an alternative type of pet.

Next, after getting some necessary background knowledge, I took a journey to the pet store in my mind with Song while he explained the do’s and don’ts of scoping out a respectable pet store, choosing the right Betta, avoiding death and illness while transporting the little guy and introducing fishy to his new home. Although the tank set up procedure is simple, if it is not done correctly, it could be a life or death situation that you do not want to put your newest family member in. Song eagerly explained many Betta lover tips such as aging water to filtration instructions and beyond.

I began to wonder what else there was and if I, as a fellow Betta owner, was feeding my fish properly. Low and behold, the next chapter answered my questions precisely. Little did I know that Betta fish were carnivores and that my little guys craved treats like a small piece of chicken left over from dinner or even a tiny but juicy piece of steak! Song also eased my vacation stress of what do with our three Bettas when we went on our annual vacation. Our little men are easier to please and care for than I had thought a mere 30 minutes before diving into Song’s book.
Song then prepared me for any health issues that my fish might have, some that might have gone unnoticed had I not taken a moment to read his book. There are many illnesses that can fall over your Betta but 99% of them can be cured if the owners observe their fish with attentive and loving eyes. Song gives me all of the information I could ever need on sicknesses, what to look for with each illness and Betta lover tips on treatment and even better yet, on prevention. It is so easy to stop these problems before they start. I learned many, many helpful tips to help my Betta fish become happier, healthier and stress free.

Lastly, Song took me into a place we have all been before: the loss and mourning period at the death of a pet. Most books do not speak of this topic but it is one that we have all experience with a beloved pet, big or small. Song made me feel comforted, that I wasn’t alone, when experiencing feelings of loss and sadness after a Betta fish’s death and where to go for help to cope with this loss if need be.

Song’s guide, “Caring for a Betta Fish: An Insider’s Guide for Betta Lovers” is truly a first in the Betta world. It is comprehensive and detailed yet easy to read and maneuver through. I found his tips thoughtful, informative and very simple to follow. Whether a member of a Betta group, a Betta breeder or just a fellow Betta lover my advice to you is to read this guide! Not only will it make you a better Betta owner, you will increase the quality of life for your Betta as well as yourself by giving yourself the gift of a truly unique and one of a kind pet for years to come.

Mr Song also offers at no extra cost, the following ebooks as bonuses, when you buy the Betta Lover Guide ebook:

Bonus #1: A Special Guide to Breeding Your Bettas. (A $19 value.)
Bonus #2: The Betta Bucks Guide. (A $39 value.)

For more information, please visit Caring for a Betta Fish: An Insider’s Guide for Betta Lovers for the ebook and Caring For Betta Fish for book.

Copyright 2007, All Rights Reserved

Hey, Betta Fish Lovers, We Are Here To Stay

We are now officially online!!!

Make sure you bookmark us, give us feedback, leave comments on our articles and reviews and don't forget to come back!

We'll be adding fresh articles and book reviews throughout the coming weeks.

Make this blog you one-stop site for news and information on Betta Fish.

Betta fish Care

Betta fishes live for approximately 2 to 5 years. The Fishes that are sold in pet stores are generally adults, so they have the fine lengthy fins, but that also shows that they are by now a year old. That shows that if your betta fish lives for more than 2-3 years after you purchase it, it's a fine, long-lived fish.

The foods for bettas have a tendency to be more of a meat diet as compared to other fishes. A number of fishes are very particular about what they will or won't consume. It's totally special with every fish, although, and depends a great deal on what they were initially lived with. Most bettas will involuntarily be stuck on and consume all types of live food, brine shrimp, tubiflex worms, black worms, mosquito larvae, daphina, etc. But the majority of the people don't like or aren't capable of keeping the live food around always, so dry foods are developed for the fish. You can get pellets and special flakes for bettas from your nearby pet shop. However be aware that if your fish hasn't eaten them earlier it might take some time for him to develop a taste to them or even to begin eating them. One more kind of dried food is the freeze-dried foods like bloodworms, brine shrimp, worms, etc. You can also train your betta fish to eat normal flake food that you feed the rest of your aquarium fishes and exchange that with the live foods.

A betta fish’s home must be like their natural habitat to make your fish a happy fish and live. The rice paddy region is exceptionally hot and humid, with ordinary waters in the 80-85 deg F range, and very moist air. In the U.S., the atmosphere doesn't usually come close to matching that atmosphere, and the fish have been bred for years and years to cope up with various weather conditions, so that they can also stay alive in room temperature water, but they will be much more contented and healthier in warmer water.

A most suitable temperature for a betta fish is 78-80 degrees Fahrenheit. Not much hotter than that, as the outside temperature doesn't match. And they are also fine generally down to 72 degrees. But if the room temperature gets much lower than that, the betta fish will most likely not be able to eat, will get ill or have many other troubles.

If the outside temperature is hotter than 80 degrees, don't be troubled about trying to keep the betta cool. They will be contented in the higher temperatures, but you must keep an eye as hotter temperatures will also make the water stinking faster and sicknesses that had been hole up might unexpectedly have an effect on the fish.

Betta fishes are fish that initially came from very hot regions of Asia. They get raised in still water where rice and other plants grew. To become accustomed to this inactive water with low-oxygen content, they developed a particular organ called a "labyrinth organ" that performs action something like a mammal's lung. In this case the fish goes to the upper surface of the water, takes in a lungful of air, and then the organ lets them to process the oxygen from the air, instead of an ordinary fish that obtains the oxygen from the water through its gills. And only because of this unusual capability of bettas, they can be placed in small jars and enclosures and can live in it. They don't have the need of the movement of the water and the quantity of water like other fish.

Though, that doesn't signify that they're happy fish when placed in the small jars. They are usually very happy fish in bigger containers, and a small bowl or jar must only be a provisional tank for a betta fish.

Mainly one gallon of water is an excellent size to place a Betta fish with water changes in two weeks. If you don’t keep your fish in that much water then you might face two types of problems i.e. the water will become polluted very and the fish can't swim in it. If you don't possess an aquarium, you can use a plastic or glass 1 gal goldfish bowl as the initial container for a betta fish.

While changing the water, it is a great idea to acquire some water conditioner to get rid of the chlorine and some "stress coat" formula to help out to keep the fish healthy. Be alert to match both the temperatures, as in that way the betta fish doesn't get disturbed.

If you like this article, then you might be interested in getting the "Caring for a Betta Fish: An Insider’s Guide for Betta Lovers By Marcus Song" ebook.
It has some important facts and information on how to keep your Betta correctly fed and what food to avoid, keeping your treasured pet safe, healthy and Happy.

We have reviewed it and the review can be found
here.


Copyright 2007, All Rights Reserved

Betta Fish Friends

Betta fish can also be placed with other fish. This truth is often unnoticed due to the fighting nature of the Beta. It is suggested that the other fish be smaller in size then the beta fish.

The tank friends for the betta fish may include:

Platies- The southern platy fish is a type of freshwater fish. It grows to a maximum size of 6.0 cm (2.4 in). Sexual dimorphism is small, the male's caudal fin being more pointed. Wild varieties are dull in coloration, deficient of the typical dark lateral line common to many Xiphophorus species. Breeders have developed a large number of color varieties which are ordinary aquarium fish for hobbyists. Platys are trouble-free to maintain and compatible to a community aquarium. This fish is generally sold in pet shops

Swordtails – It is native to an area of North and Central America extending from Veracruz, Mexico, to northwestern Honduras. The male green swordtail grows to an average size of 14cm (5.5in) and the female to 16 cm (6.3 in). Sexual dimorphism is reasonable, with the female being larger than the male but missing the “sword”. The wild variety is olive green in color, with a red or brown side stripe and speckles on the dorsal and, occasionally, caudal fins. Confined breeding has created many color varieties, including black, red, and numerous patterns thereof, for the aquarium hobby.

Cory cats - Cory Cats are some of the most nonviolent and interesting scavengers for a freshwater aquarium, and will flourish in a wide variety of water conditions. These catfish are very active hunters who remain comparatively small. As a result of this, they are ideal for keeping the substrate uncontaminated in a smaller freshwater community aquarium. They have a preference to be in schools of 6 or more but many people place one or two Cory cats in their smaller tanks.

Neon tetras - The neon tetra is until now one of the most excellent community fish there is on the market. Placed in a school of 6 or more, these little guys are a tremendous scene swimming around the aquarium and chasing each other back and forth. Neons are very passive and quite small, so shouldn't be placed with very large fish which might find it a delicious meal. When placed with other fish, think about the violent behavior and size of possible tank-mates. Neons cannot be placed with killer type fish or anything that is large sufficiently to eat them, including the naive looking Angelfish.

Cardinal tetras - The Cardinal Tetra is one of the most preferred fish to have in a tank, primarily for the reason of its splendid coloration. On the other hand, maintaining these little fish have the need of a definite knowledge that many possessors do not have. These fish are tremendously hard to breed in detention, almost all of the fish available in shops have been taken from the Amazon basin, and sadly thousands of them die every year in unsuitable tanks. It is rather ordinary, for example, to see a little kid walk into a shop with a few coins and buy one or two cardinals to add to his goldfish bowl.

White cloud mountain minnow - The White Cloud Mountain minnow is an extremely resilient species of freshwater fish often placed in aquaria. This species grows to an average size of 4 cm (roughly 1.5 in), and is silver-green in color with a vivid red caudal fin. A number of varieties are known, one with vivid light edges to the dorsal and anal fins and one with red edges to those fins. Also, there is a long-finned variety. Sexual dimorphism is small, the male usually possessing more radiant coloration and having a a little slimmer body.

Zebra danios - Among the most resilient and lively of aquarium fish, the Zebra danio is easily known by its typical horizontal stripes. Their small size, no more than two and half inches, and passive temperament, make them compatible to a community aquarium. Albino, veil tailed, and long finned ranges are obtainable, as well as a well-liked leopard variety. All varieties flourish in schools.

Cherry barbs - The Cherry Barb is a gorgeous, nonviolent fish. It makes a brilliant community fish and is best if placed in groups of 6 or more. The females are easy to differentiate, once they grew older. They are much lighter in color, generally just with some yellow and a light orange/black straight band. The female is also very plumper than the male. All in all, the cherry barb is an outstanding community fish and makes a beautiful addition to any tank.

If you like this article, then you might be interested in getting the "Caring for a Betta Fish: An Insider’s Guide for Betta Lovers By Marcus Song" ebook.
It has some important facts and information on how to keep your Betta correctly fed and what food to avoid, keeping your treasured pet safe, healthy and Happy.

We have reviewed it and the review can be found
here.


Copyright 2007, All Rights Reserved

Why Betta Fish Fight Each Other

Betta fish is also famous by the name of Siam Fighting Fish. Siam is the conventional name for Thailand. There are many variety of betta fish, the most widespread is Betta Splendens. Betta is local to Thailand and is found in several other parts of Asia as well, namely Vietnam, Cambodia and Malaysia.

Betta is a labyrinth for the reason that it breathes oxygen from the air. Bettas are found in slow moving waters in paddy fields or small rivers. It is violent and defensive by temperament.

In several regions of Asia many people still employ them to fight for bets and it is one of the much loved past time. Through discriminating breeding and genetics development, now days we are seeing more diversities in finnage and colors of bettas. Halfmoon and plakat betta fishes are progressively becoming more preferred aquarium fish pets.

Betta fish fights to look after their area, to make sure that they have sufficient food, and also for the reason that they want to be “king of the hill” when the time for reproducing comes for them. These are hereditary qualities, and you can’t train your Betta fish to fight.

In case if you place two male Betta fishes together in the tank, they will flare up at each other – (this means they inflate, flaring out their fins and gill covers, to make themselves look superior and more intimidating.) Time and again one fish will make a clean breast defeat and swim away, leaving the other male winning.

When people started keeping and fighting Betta fish, violent behavior was bred into them, but over the last few years, this quality has started to be bred out of them.

For the majority of the time male Betta fishes will only bother other males. On the other hand it’s not completely unheard of for a male Betta fish to bother a new female or one that he feels endangered by, so it’s always an excellent idea to keep an eye on your Betta fish when you initially place another fish into the tank, or if you’re placing your Betta in with other fish.

At times a more violent Betta fish will pinch or bite the other fish. Therefore if you see this incident, take away the violent one right away to keep away from injuries.

Actually there is only one way to prevent your betta fish from fighting– don’t keep two male Betta fishes in the same tank. If you have just one tank and two male Betta fishes, you have two alternatives – one is to make use of a “fish condo” and the other one is to use a separator or single mesh divider.

Fish Condos: These are apparent plastic containers with air holes that allow the tank water flow all the way through them. Depending on the dimension of your tank, you can also fit in two, three or four space fish condos. Each Betta fish have possession of his own space, and you can put up visual blockades for example plants or java moss so that one betta fish can’t see the other.

You can also place a single mesh divider in one part of your tank that will maintain your male Betta fish alienated from each other.

As per Mr. Walt Maurus books Bettas: A Complete Introduction (Guide to Owning A...) and All About Bettas, this diversity of betta was developed by a prisoner of the Indiana State Prison named Orville Gulley. He was trying to create a black butterfly betta in his prison cell in peanut butter jars and he was selling his extra fishes to Walt. Marble Betta fishes appeared in the middle of these extras and have been kept going by various other breeders. There are marbled bettas of approximately every color mixture possible now.

It seems that Dr. Pronger uncovered some fertilized betta eggs to x-ray radiation and as a result a number of them fry turned black in color. And the baby fishes produced from these eggs are known as melano betta fish. These melano bettas are excellent looking fish, but the female melanos don't produce sufficient eggs. It appears that the metamorphosis that produced the black pigment also changed the temperament of the egg membranes so that they are no longer water proof and no one of them ever hatch. That's the problem with rays…you can't just focus it on one genetic material.

If you like this article, then you might be interested in getting the "Caring for a Betta Fish: An Insider’s Guide for Betta Lovers By Marcus Song" ebook.
It has some important facts and information on how to keep your Betta correctly fed and what food to avoid, keeping your treasured pet safe, healthy and Happy.

We have reviewed it and the review can be found
here.


Copyright 2007, All Rights Reserved

Symptoms of Betta Fish Diseases

When you have possession of a Betta fish, there is nothing worse than understanding that your little companion has contracted a Betta Fish disease. There are various unusual types of diseases a Betta Fish can get, and you are the only one that your Betta fish can depend on to help them get healthier when they are sick.

When you have a sick Betta fish, the basic thing you will have to recognize are the warning signs of the Betta fish disease. A few symptoms comprises of compressed fins, and a lack of desire for food. Clamped fins can be recognized by your ill Betta fish not flaring and holding his fins as close to his or her body as achievable. Clamped fins are mainly a technique by which Betta fish give you an idea that they are sad and ill.

If your ailing Betta fish is rubbing up against plants and other substances in the tank, it is somewhat possible that he or she has contracted a parasite. Parasites can be no matter which from Ich, or white spot ailment, to worms that hang off of your Betta fish's body. Parasites can be taken care of with medication such as Jungles Parasite Guard, Nox Ich, or Malachite Green. Be assured that you know accurately what parasite is disturbing your fish before you dose the tank with the chemicals.

One more symptom of Betta fish sickness is white or peculiar colored poop. This is the symptom of an internal bacteria or parasite. Regrettably, in most of the cases, if your fish has an inner trouble, it can be incurable. There are medications within definite kind of foods considered to battle these types of troubles, and if caught early sufficiently, it can be resolved.

A third symptom of disease is white, cotton like stuff budding on your ailing Betta fish. This symptom of Betta fish disease is for fungal contamination. Fungus, as well as fin rot, tends to be cured with the similar type of medications. Fin rot and mouth rot can be observed by black, red or white edges to the fins of your Betta fish, and a perceptible shrinking of fin size. Fin rot, if not cured, can turn into complex fin rot, and take the life of your Betta fish.

If you want Betta fish assistance, there are several special forums online that you can make use of. If you are having an urgent situation, though, it is best that you get in touch with your neighboring fish store, where they can assist you recognize and start treating your fish with the correct medicines.

It is to be expected that our betta fish will fall ill either due to water quality or handling. Proper awareness of the temperament of the warning signs and essential treatment process is significant if one were to get pleasure from this hobby. We can take dogs or cats to vets if our pets fall ill. For fish we simply have to be our personal vets … I have never heard of Fish Vets, have you?

The best disease avoidance is a cautious preservation plan. Keep the water hygienic, supply sufficient and suitable diet. Routine inspection is the best preventative measure. Losses of color and or desire for food, sluggishness, tiredness, or unusual behavior are among the first symptoms. Additional signs comprises of swelling, fin rotting and fungus that are noticeable.

Fin rot is generally due to bad water condition resulting from gathering of uneaten foodstuff or other waste material. Aquarium salt will generally help out.

Swim bladder problem is very ordinary to Betta fishes. This makes them having complexity rising to the surface for air. After a great effort to reach the top and air is breathed in, the fish falls back to the base, unable to sustain its optimism. Swim bladder can be due to too much feeding or wounds at some point in fights or shipping.

Betta fishes are extraordinarily prone to velvet. Warning signs comprises of tiny yellow specs covering the body, fins, or gills.

If you like this article, then you might be interested in getting the "Caring for a Betta Fish: An Insider’s Guide for Betta Lovers By Marcus Song" ebook.
It has some important facts and information on how to keep your Betta correctly fed and what food to avoid, keeping your treasured pet safe, healthy and Happy.

We have reviewed it and the review can be found
here.


Copyright 2007, All Rights Reserved

Treatment of Betta Fish Diseases

The main reason of the diseases of betta fish is internal pressure. The pressure can be a result of several different things. The most widespread disease is infection.

Betta Fish Care and Treatment: “Maracyn 2” by Mardel is suggested. Maracyn-2 is a all-purpose antibiotic tablet which is utilized for popeye, fin and tail rot, gill ailment, dropsy, septicemia, secondary and inner infections. It is essential that the treatment be absorbed within the betta fish to cure the infection. Regular water changes twice a week, in addition to higher temperatures may also aid the betta fight off the infection himself.

Fungal infection
Fungal infections generally happen because of bad water conditions. They become visible as white fluffy growths on the betta fish's mouth, eyes, and fins and are highly infectious.

Betta Fish Care and Treatment: Increase the temperature of the betta fish tank. Fungal infections are time and again an outcome of cooler water temperatures. Medicines including Malachite green or Methylene blue are also useful. Malachite green is a totally harmless and helpful cure in fresh and salt water on a wide variety of protozoan, crustacean, and other invertebrate parasites of fishes. Adding ordinary table salt (sodium chloride) to the water, one teaspoon per gallon can lend a hand in minimizing the healing time.

Ichthyophthirius multifilius (Ich)
Ich is a protozoan parasite found on the majority of the freshwater fish. It emerges as small white dots or stains on the betta fish’s fins and body, which may seem to be like white grains of sugar. Eruptions mostly happen when the water temperature drops less than 80 degrees F.

Betta Fish Care and Treatment: Raise the water temperature to the mid to higher 80s degree F. Salt baths are very helpful against Ich. Adding common table salt (sodium chloride) to the water can lend a hand in reducing disease. Add one teaspoon per gallon as a pre-emptive measure. Medicines containing Malachite green or Methylene blue, continued at a time gap of 2 days are also helpful.


Velvet/Oodinium
It is an algae parasite found on several freshwater fish. This ailment emerges as a yellow "velvety" covering on the betta fish's body. It may also become visible as golden or rust colored. It is habitually found in fish which are anxious due to chilling, shipping, water changes or bad water quality. Symptoms comprises of fast breathing and lethargy.

Betta Fish Care and Treatment: Raised temperature and medicines like acriflavine, Methylene Blue or Jungle's “velvet guard” should help cure this parasite. Bowls or tanks should be drained and unsoiled. Dyes must not be used as they have mercury.

Fin Rot
Fin Rot is a bacterial disease and often happens to weaker betta fishes.

Betta Fish Care and Treatment: application of antibiotics, anti-microbials, and measures containing these is the perfect cure of this disease. One such anthology is Mardel Maracyn 2. Maracyn-2 is an all-purpose antibiotic tablet used for popeye, fin and tail rot, gill ailment, dropsy, septicemia, secondary and inner infections. Changing the water, increasing the temperature and adding a small amount of salt will often attain excellent results.


Dropsy
It is caused by an inner, bacterial contagion. It mostly shows itself as stuffed sides and overhanging scales on the betta fish. Again, the most possible reason is bad water conditions.

Betta Fish Care and Treatment: The application of Mardel's Tetracycline is suggested. Tetracycline is an all purpose antibiotic for ailing fin and tail rot, popeye, gill ailment and dropsy. It is mainly useful against gram-negative pathogenic organisms.

Black Spot
It demonstrates small, black scraps on the body of the betta fish. It is time and again found in fish that are harassed due to shipping.

Betta Fish Care and Treatment: Adding common table salt (sodium chloride) to the water can lend a hand in minimizing the healing time. Adding one teaspoon per gallon is suggested.


Common Betta Fish Treatments

* Copper Sulfate is helpful as an antiseptic for equipment, tanks and bowls.
* Formalin is helpful against Ich and parasites.
* Malachite Green is generally used to cure protozoan infections.

Betta fish are flexible but do not bear thermal swings splendidly. Bettas are tropical fish and must be placed in tropical temperatures. Betta fish need habitual, twice-weekly water changes in gallon water containers, a combination of foods (not just dry pellets), and your communication to remain healthy.

Most of the ailments or illnesses with tropical freshwater fish can be credited to their surrounding atmosphere.

Nearly always a rapid water change, the adding up of a bit of salt (unionized sea salt is the most excellent, about a level teaspoon per five gallons equivalent) will resolve anything which is ailing them.

If you like this article, then you might be interested in getting the "Caring for a Betta Fish: An Insider’s Guide for Betta Lovers By Marcus Song" ebook.
It has some important facts and information on how to keep your Betta correctly fed and what food to avoid, keeping your treasured pet safe, healthy and Happy.

We have reviewed it and the review can be found
here.


Copyright 2007, All Rights Reserved

Water Chemistry of the Aquariums

Betta fish are a better bet as pets than goldfish. Most kids have this experience with goldfish after a few days: Moby is found floating at the top of the bowl, then gets a one-way tour of a toilet's plumbing system. This speedy demise occurs because goldfish don't like being kept in a bowl. However, betta fish, also called Siamese fighting fish, think bowls are great homes.

Water in bowls quickly turns foul and oxygen-deficient, and that's when goldfish begin to fail, Dave Taub explains. He owns Contemporary Aquarium Design in Coral Springs, Fla. But betta fish are different, says Taub, who has been breeding them for 14 years. They have a lung-like organ called a labyrinth that allows them to come to the surface and take a breath. (Taub has known betta fish to be kept in everything from pickle jars to candle holders.)

But betta fish aren't dubbed Siamese fighting fish for their ability to fight off polluted water - it's because they fight off each other. In the wild, they live in rice patties in the countries of the Far East, such as Vietnam, Thailand and Malaysia. They carve out small territories and defend them at all costs. You'll be an accessory to a fish murder if you add a betta fish to a bowl already containing one.

Betta fish are available at many pet stores for $3-$5. They're about the size of a typical goldfish, though their dainty fins make them appear larger. They come in a kaleidoscope of color combos, including shades of blues, greens and reds. Not great swimmers, they're content to gently fan the water with those graceful fins. Their diet includes a combination of at least two of the following: live or frozen bloodworms, frozen mosquito larvae, freeze-dried brine shrimp or commercial diet for betta fish. (These foods are available at many pet stores.)

Fancy aquariums may be a tank of dreams, but fuss-free bowl fish are the new trend.
We're not talking goldfish, but rather betta fishes, otherwise known as Siamese fighting fish.

They come in deep jewel-tone colors, have showy exotic fins and breathe air off the top of the water, according to Garrett Young of Golden Leash & Fish in Arlington. Bettas, like goldfish, can exist in bowls or tanks without air pumps. With bettas, however, familiarity breeds contempt. “You can only have one betta per bowl,” warned Kim Jetton of Fish & Pets in Arlington. “They will fight each other until one of them dies.”

Serenely segregated bettas can live a very long time, some as long as six years. Most bettas are done in by their owners forgetting to add a chemical chlorine remover whenever the bowl water is changed.

Filter Media is the element employed in a filtration method to clean the water of an aquarium. Several types of filter media are accessible, and each is considered to aid a particular type of system. Following are some of the different types of filter media:

* Synthetic Wool - A cotton-wool like floss positioned as the final layer in your filter arrangement to clean the water. Because of its excellent structure, it get choked up very quickly and so is impractical for utilization in a primary automatic filter or for organic colonization.

* Sponge - These conventional foam pads are cheap and easy to sustain. They are obtainable in changeable grades to make possible automatic or organic filtration. Sponges are also regularly utilized in external filters to detach various filter media.

* Carbon - This is an extremely permeable material. It is only effectual for a short time before have the need of replacement. Carbon should be utilized in particular circumstances such as the requirement to get rid of medication , a new aquarium set-up or water discoloration. It should be positioned as the last layer in your filter arrangement.

* Ceramics Rings - Measuring just about half an inch long, ceramic rings mostly make available automatic filtration. They act efficiently as a filter to trap large-particles waste and should be utilized in the initial stage of filtration.

* Sintered Glass - At the same time as common aquarium gravel can give successful mechanical and organic filtration, its application is limited for the reason of its comparatively low surface area in contrast to the volume it occupies. Sintered glass, a gravel-like substance, is a far more capable alternative as it has a huge surface area that permits massive bacteria colonies to develop. Sintered glass must be positioned after the crucial automatic filtration media.

If you like this article, then you might be interested in getting the "Caring for a Betta Fish: An Insider’s Guide for Betta Lovers By Marcus Song" ebook.
It has some important facts and information on how to keep your Betta correctly fed and what food to avoid, keeping your treasured pet safe, healthy and Happy.

We have reviewed it and the review can be found
here.


Copyright 2007, All Rights Reserved

Breeding Betta fishes

Betta fishes are in reality very sociable fish as long as you don't place two males together. They can be very easily kept with most other fish, and what you truly have to watch out for is the fish that bothers bettas.

Betta fishes are slow moving fish with incredibly long fins, so they can't be placed with any fast moving fish that is being known for it’s fin-nipping, like zebra danios. They get along in a very good manner with most breeds of tetras, and you can let your baby betta fish grow with baby neons.

When you place bettas in a community tank, the most significant thing to keep in mind is that they are fish that initially came from an area with slow moving water. So any kind of big filtration on the tank will shock a betta and make him conceal in a corner away from the current. You have to create a sense of balance in this case with the other fish in the tank that have need of the current and bubbles for the oxygen in the water for them to survive. Alternatively, once a betta fish gets accustomed to the current from a filter, you will every now and then see the betta playing in it for fun. Simply take care that there is an area with slow moving water or still water in the tank for the betta to move to when they are exhausted.

Normally you can’t place a male and female betta fish in the same tank if
* The two fish are not very babyish (more than a few months old generally won't work)
* They are not prepared and ready to reproduce,
* They have not grown up together from a very young age, and
* You do not have sufficient hiding places for the female.

This is a sweeping statement - your mileage may differ on this one!

Generally, even for usual breeders, getting the silly small fish to breed can be either an effortless joy or a royal pain. They're not as good as the humans on blind dates. Many a times one couple will take to each other right away and you'll have eggs spread here and there in the tank, and sometimes they can swim around the tank for weeks and in no way look at each other. Or in certain cases one will be attracted but the other won't. So don't ever get depressed about not being able to breed the fish.

As a universal rule, for a female betta fish, give her sufficient time for her to recuperate and start looking prepared again; Sorry, that won’t help out a lot, but every fish is unusual just keep an eye on your betta fish. If she had a despondent initially, it'll take her a while to recuperate. If the whole thing went well, she can be hot to trot again within a week.

Generally the second mating produce less number of eggs as compared to the first one, but it's never debilitated the female yet. If the female betta fish hasn't been fed, high-protein food regularly, then it takes normally a minimum time of 2-3 weeks after starting that food that she'll be prepared for breeding. After having been bred, if the female fish has been put on that same food again, usually within 2-3 weeks she'll be prepared again. However, it would better on your part to maintain a gap of one month in between.

Look carefully while placing the fish together. If the female is trying to attract the male aggressively and the bubblenest, and hanging her head down in the water, she's prepared. If all she does is swim away worriedly trying to run away, she's not.

Males also have to be conditioned as they use up a lot of exertion in tending the fry, but they're time and again more prepared than females. Though, keep an eye on the fish. From time to time the male is just so eager to be with a female that he's more involved in either fighting or showing off to truly doing anything about it. Or he's been around females so much that being lonely with one just isn't a delight anymore. Make use of your decision.

Normally after a fish is beaten up, it's fine to give them sufficient time to recuperate from whatever wounds they received, but torn fins aren't generally a trouble.

If you like this article, then you might be interested in getting the "Caring for a Betta Fish: An Insider’s Guide for Betta Lovers By Marcus Song" ebook.
It has some important facts and information on how to keep your Betta correctly fed and what food to avoid, keeping your treasured pet safe, healthy and Happy.

We have reviewed it and the review can be found
here.


Copyright 2007, All Rights Reserved

Betta Fish Shows

Small wild Betta fish still swim in the rice paddy channels of Southeast Asia, protecting their bubble nests from all interlopers. Though lively, the Betta fish are far removed from their familial relatives, normally called Siamese fighting fish.

Wild Betta fishes will fight to protect their area but they are street fighters in comparison to the Sweet Pea Whitakers of the pet trade i.e. the familial Betta fishes. The wild Betta fishes are not so much colorful as the familial Betta fishes nor are their fins as long and as attractive as their familial counterparts. However the genes are certainly there. When a Betta fish - untamed or tame - meet another Betta fish, they both act in response impulsively. The color of their body becomes dark noticeably, as if flushed in irritation, and their straggling fins flash open and sit up, erect like a fan prepared to fight the summer heat.

For centuries in Asia the little fish were breed in internment only for their fierceness and combating aptitude. The fish were paired off by their possessor to fight, many a times to the death, to a large extent like a cock fight.

Now a days fighting is not authorized or excused by the International Betta Congress. As an alternative Betta fish breeders breed their fish to improve their beauty, taking benefit of the physical uniqueness of violent behavior.

Over the years the betta fish has been bred for more and more attractive color differences and longer more good-looking and striking flowing fins. Betta fishes are found in different colors like yellow, blue, green, red, black and turquoise. Many a times they also are bi-colored and they come with a pale sparkling look as if they had been covered with mother of pearl. At betta shows, there are 48 various color groups in which you can select anyone to fight.

Possessors take benefit of the fish's fighting nature to boast their colors and fins at their best for betta show adjudicators. The fish are publicized independently in small glass bowls and are disallowed to view the fish in neighboring bowls by pieces of card stock. When the adjudicators come around, the card stock is raised and the bettas look each other from the glass. Their colors turn out to be vivacious and their fins get higher and spread like fighters cocking their fists. The fishes are judged by the adjudicators on clarity and limpidness of color, unusual and astonishing finnage, posture and deportment.
Here deportment is not behavior. It’s how nicely the fish swims and how attentive it is.

That's what a betta show is all about – just raising those pieces of card stocks and the rest is done by the betta fishes.

Betta fishes generally costs more than $150. Even though betta breeders would like to get back their operating cost, they know better than to think they will make a lot of money from their fish. The breeders mainly do it for the contentment of breeding the betta fishes and not for earning more profit.

Bottled water doesn’t provide the best possible environment for your betta fish. Actually most of the bottled waters available in market don’t have the essential minerals needed for the healthy environment of the fish. Also these bottled waters may contain some chemicals which could be injurious for the fish. Similarly, you should never make use of purified water or water that has been “distilled” by any procedure.

The real best water for your Betta fish is just simple tap water. You can also use spring water but you must remove the harmful chemicals present in it by following the procedure mentioned below:

1. Most of the time a very harmful chemical known as chloramines are present in water which may kill your betta fish. To remove this harmful chemical from water you have to purchase AmQuel. AmQuel is very easily obtainable at pet stores.

2. You can also get a ‘stress coat’ from your nearby local pet shop. It is also one of the best products for your betta fish.

3. Now as you’ve treated the water as per the above directions, it requires to “age” which will permit all of the chemicals and gasses to disappear, and also for the pH in the water to standardize. To let the chemicals evaporate, just put the treated water in an open container for a week.

If you like this article, then you might be interested in getting the "Caring for a Betta Fish: An Insider’s Guide for Betta Lovers By Marcus Song" ebook.
It has some important facts and information on how to keep your Betta correctly fed and what food to avoid, keeping your treasured pet safe, healthy and Happy.

We have reviewed it and the review can be found
here.


Copyright 2007, All Rights Reserved

Betta fish: An Introduction

Betta fish scientifically belongs to animalia kingdom, chordate phylum, actinopterygii class, Perciformes order, Osphronemidae family, Betta genus and B. splendens species.

The Siamese fighting fish (Betta splendens) is one of the most well-liked types of freshwater aquarium fish, inhabitant to the Mekong basin in Southeast Asia and called pla-kad in its native Thailand. It is associated with the gourami family, but was in earlier times classified among the Anabantidae. Even though there are almost 50 other kind of bettas, B. splendens is the most admired species among aquarium hobbyists, mostly in the United States, and is normally referred to with the nick name "betta."

A betta fish grows in general to a length of just about 6 cm (~ 2.3" in). Bettas are famous for their colors and the shape of their tails. The usual coloration of betta fishes are light green and brown, and the fins of wild varieties are comparatively small. On the other hand, radiantly colored and longer-finned species have been developed all the way through selective breeding.

Breeders have developed a number of unusual tail shapes for example veil tail (non-symmetrical tail, simply 2 rays), crown tail (extremely frilled, extensive rays), half-moon (big tail fin that makes the shape of a half circle), short-finned fighting style (from time to time called plakat), double-tail (the tail fin is divided into two lobes and the dorsal fin is considerably stretched out) and delta tail (tail span is comparatively smaller than half-moon).

Betta fishes have been lovingly nicknamed "The Jewel of the Orient" because of the wide variety of colors which are formed through selective breeding.

In recent times breeders have developed in females the same variety of colors in the past only bred in males. Untamed bettas only reveal strong colors when troubled. On the other hand, breeders have been talented enough to make this coloration everlasting, in a wide range of shades. Bettas that are red or dark blue are the easiest to buy, being fairly enduring and time and again breed true. Though, bettas come in other colors, like magenta, orange, yellow (uncommon), white and emerald green. Breeders have also developed various color outlines such as marble and butterfly, in addition to metallic colors like copper, gold, and opaque.

Breeders all over the world keep on developing new strains. Though, females never grow finnage as flashy as males of the same category, and are roughly always more passive in coloration.

Betta fishes are somewhat easy to breed if provided with appropriate healthy environment. Females can be recognized by a little, white 'pearl' at the rectum, very easily noticeable from underneath the fish. They lay egg clutches of just about 100-500 eggs, on the odd occasions over 600 eggs. The male protects and feeds the eggs and baby fishes. The male betta fishes construct bubble nests of a variety of dimensions and thicknesses on the top of their tanks, at times even when not in the company of female or young. Rapid temperature alteration, barometer alterations, materials in the tank, and occurrence of other males or females all have been shown to encourage bubble nest creation. On the other hand, once the young fish are swimming liberally, the responsibility of tending them falls upon the human possessor. For that reason, it is sensible to do research and arrange for baby food, baby-ready (cycled) tanks, etc. earlier to authentic breeding.

In general betta fishes live to be 3-5 years old, but a few live to be almost 8 years old. Usually, males bought from a pet store are 9-12 months old; at this age the finnage of the betta fishes becomes fullest and most striking. Because of their smaller looking finnage, females obtainable in pet stores are most of the times only 3-6 months old. Male betta fishes existing in laboratories with big individual tanks and exercise on a daily basis have lived 10 years or much more.

Similar to anabantids and all associates of the genus Betta, betta fishes have a labyrinth limb in their heads that permits them to take oxygen straightforwardly from the environment besides the oxygen taken from water with the help of their gills.

If you like this article, then you might be interested in getting the "Caring for a Betta Fish: An Insider’s Guide for Betta Lovers By Marcus Song" ebook.
It has some important facts and information on how to keep your Betta correctly fed and what food to avoid, keeping your treasured pet safe, healthy and Happy.

We have reviewed it and the review can be found
here.


Copyright 2007, All Rights Reserved

How to Choose A Betta Fish

Betta fish, also famous by the name of Siamese fighting fish are a great first pet for children’s, in addition to people who don't have sufficient time or money for bigger pets. Bettas are reasonably priced, resilient, and easy to care for. Betta fish are a great substitute to goldfish as they require less space. They are contented in a fishbowl or aquarium and have the need of less maintenance as they produce a lesser amount of waste and don't infect the water as much. There are very few materials needed for acquiring a new betta fish: an aquarium or bowl, water conditioner, a net, and a few gravels. The fish will also be more contented with a small number of accessories, such as a plant and a place to hide.

Betta fish are a fun fresh pet as they come in a range of unusual colors and types. While selecting a betta fish, look for one that shows energy and has its fins unharmed. A healthy betta fish will show awareness during feeding times, and they should be fed on a habitual schedule so that they become used to expecting food. Betta fish can be fed on a mixture of foods, from dried arranged foods to frozen brine shrimp. Some betta fish have even got trained to rise out of their water during feeding times. They should only be given to eat once a day, and be alert not to overfeed. Fish will keep on acting hungry until they overeat, which can kill them, and extra food can also pollute the water.

Betta fish are disreputably resilient, and many have lived through ordeals that would kill most fish. This is not a justification to keep the fish in a tremendous environment, as they are displayed in most pet stores. Some of the containers sold specially for betta fishes are better than others. While it may be enjoyable to place two betta fish in a small container divided by a divider as the fish will regularly want to fight, the fish will in fact be happier in its own spacious container. With sufficient space, betta fish will swim around energetically, flaring their gills and showing off their fin display in order to be a focus for mates.

While betta fish are time and again placed in very small containers in a pet store, they will be happier with more room to roam. On the other hand, they might feel frightened by very large aquariums. Betta fish do not take pleasure in company and will not bear other fish trespassing within their territory. While most tropical fish can only have the need of a filter and heater, betta fish can get familiarized to incredibly small environments and do not require any more than a small bowl to live in.

The majority of the betta fish sold at a pet store are the more radiantly colored males. An unhealthy fish will not swim around a lot and will not show awareness in food. The state of its fins may also get worse. Do not purchase a fish that appears to be less healthy, even if all of the fish in the store that day appear lethargic and unwell. Consult a pet store expert if your fish starts showing these symptoms--many fish ailments can be easily cured. Symptoms of a healthy betta fish are the similar signals that a male will give off when he is prepared to mate. A healthy male will make bubble nests and move rocks to make certain that his territory is the ideal place to attract mates. After mating, the seemingly violent male will for a time quietly clean the eggs and place them in his bubble nest, while the female has no part in caring raising young. On the other hand, the young baby fishes must be removed soon after hatching before the male becomes territorial and tries to eat them.

Even though it is a betta's normal propensity to fight, they should never be put together for amusement, and two male betta fishes should never be permissible to live together in an aquarium. Unlike in the wild, there is no space for the losing fish to go and high, and so, generally putting two bettas in a tank will end result in the death of one or both fish. Even mating the fish is a very dangerous endeavor, and hobbyists watch their valued specimens very watchfully during the entire process. Betta fish are some of the most satisfying pets to maintain for very little work.

If you like this article, then you might be interested in getting the "Caring for a Betta Fish: An Insider’s Guide for Betta Lovers By Marcus Song" ebook.
It has some important facts and information on how to keep your Betta correctly fed and what food to avoid, keeping your treasured pet safe, healthy and Happy.

We have reviewed it and the review can be found
here.


Copyright 2007, All Rights Reserved