Betta Fish Care - Facts And Information By Simon Rohde

Betta Fish are some of the most beautiful fish on the planet and they will catch the eye of your guests. They are known for their lovely colors and fins, with a wide range of colors available. Bettas have specific requirements that are simple to meet so the Betta fish or Siamese Fighting fish is perfect for the first time tropical fish owner. Bettas are one of the most popular types of fish found in homes across the world.

Facts About Betta Fish

Betta fish are native to the Mekong basin in Southeast Asia. That means they are tropical, so they prefer warmer waters. As said before, Bettas are relatively easy to care for and their low maintenance is particularly appealing to people who would like to have fish but don't have a lot of time to care for them. Bettas can be coupled with algae eaters, guppies, or corydorus catfish safely. Betta fish have been found to live for up to three years in the right conditions, but few in home aquariums will live anywhere near this long. Bettas grow to an overall length of about 6 cm.

Betta Fish Males and Females

Most often the aggression and fights occur between two male Bettas, however a new female introduced into a tank can threaten the existing male's dominate role and cause him to attack, so care must be taken when introducing Bettas. Female betta fish are not quite that aggressive towards each other, though it is recommended that there be many hiding places inside a tank if several female betta fish are to be kept together. Females will get along better with each other than the males do but they do need room to escape a more aggressive female. They are not as highly colored, and have much shorter fins. Female bettas can also be housed with danios, tetras, barbs, and gouramis.

An Important Betta Fish Care Tip

One word of caution and an important tip in betta fish care is to never use a fish net to catch a Siamese Fighting fish when doing water changes because their fins are very delicate and can easily get caught in the fiber of the net and be ripped, causing damage and stressing the betta.

Betta Fish Care: What Temperature Is Right?
Being Tropical Fish, Bettas need to be kept at a temperature of 78 degrees F (25 degrees C) at a MINIMUM on a consistent basis. 80 degrees is optimal, as this is their breeding temperature and they are more active, alert and happy with this temperature water. If the temperature is too low, your Betta Splenden's growth will be stunted, become prone to disease, or even die from chronic stress. Most diseases are primarily prevented by keeping the tank temperature at steady and proper levels. Make sure any water you add to the bowl is the same temperature as the water in the bowl. A digital meat thermometer is a great improvised tool for checking water temperature.

Conclusion

Betta fish are great for kids and college students who want an "easy to care for" fish in a smaller aquarium. But keep in mind: You need to feed, clean, and care for your Betta just like you would any other pet. If you take the time and effort to give your fish the Beta fish care that he or she deserves, you can make certain that your fish enjoys a long and happy life.

Simon Rohde provides information and articles on a wide variety of topics, inlcuding Betta Fish. You can checkout Simon's website at http://yourinfosite.info/