Top 5 Frequently Asked Questions On Keeping And Breeding Betta Fish Top By Hans Chee

Whether you are a novice keeping these beautiful betta fish as pet or an expert in breeding betta fishes for commercial reasons, there will be certain questions that keep surfacing for the hobbyist or breeder in general. Following are the top five most frequently asked questions on betta fish, also known as betta splendens or fighting fish in most regions.

Why do my betta fish look so different after I bought it back home?
For most new betta owners, they will be surprise that the gorgeous betta which flare beautifully and actively at the pet store becomes dull and is now floating listlessly at the bottom of the tank. She don't feed on the betta food recommended by the pet shop and worst still, she is losing color. What a far cry from that big, beautiful fish you picked out in the pet store!

My betta is sick and I have tried everything and still have no idea what I am doing wrong?
Water quality issues are the usual suspects and many helpful soul will give general advice such as changing water and correcting the pH without knowing that it may be doing more harm to your betta! There are surprising tips on water changing and water chemistry. (i.e. Why some hobbyist have beautiful betta although they perform less frequent water changes compared to you!) Betta fishes are know to be very prone to diseases like dropsy (bloated stomach), fungus, white spots and internal parasites. Clamped fins, spilt tails and popped-eyes are just some of the symptoms to watch out. You need to be fully equipped with information on how to deal with these problems and engage in preventive measures if you're serious in having happy betta as pets.

What are the best food for my betta?
Betta has a life span of 3 to 5 years in the wild but a average "pet" betta would be lucky if it can survive half a year. Why such great discrepancies? Most people keep their betta in a small container and offer it a single type of food (e.g. pellets or flakes) due to convenience. Water and food are the two main factors in contributing to the longevity of a betta's life - it's like the air we human breath and the nutrition we get from our daily food intake. It's therefore crucial to understand what kind of food to feed your betta at different life stages and health conditions.

How to spawn betta successfully?
Think of spawning these beauties? Well, it's actually much easier to spawn betta compare to rearing the fry to adulthood! While some will have more luck getting a pair that will mate easily and produce bubble nest and eggs, majority of them will not see their fry to grow up healthily, even if the eggs do hatch eventually! Preparation of the "hatchery" is the key, there after it's critical to get the fry the right kind of food during the growth stage.

Betta genetics and how to select the correct features that is a must, in a mating pair?
This topic may get into a little bit of chemistry and biological lessons. If you are serious in reproducing certain traits in your betta (e.g. halfmoon or double tail) or perhaps even enhance it to produce special strains, then there are certain genetic and betta reproduction information that you need to know before breeding the pair. The best advices are gathered from a collective experiences from breeders, since there are just so much variations.
With the advance of the internet, the best resources to find answers to these questions are online! What's more, it'll be most useful to participate in a betta related forum to get specific questions answered since every situation is unique. One such place where you can get am age-old collection of frequently asked questions and answers, along with a chance to particle in an interactive forum is http://www.bubblenest.com

Hans Chee and his friends started the Bubblenest Betta Fish website back in the days when betta fish sells for hundreds of dollars each and they went to the extend of ordering these prized creatures from distant overseas. The website was started initially as a repository of all information about keeping and breeding betta fishes, later it spawn into an interactive forum and what is known today as "The Place For Betta Splendens Lovers". Visit http://www.bubblenest.com and share your passion with the others!