September 26, 2010
Tropical Fish Breeding | Caring For Betta Fish

The Betta fish is a very popular fish to breed among fish enthusiasts because it has beautiful stunning colors and also the fact that it is relatively easy to care for. The Betta fish originally come from South East Asia, where it is also known as the Siamese Fighting Fish, because it is very aggressive and highly protective of their territories, these fish pitted against each other in a fight to the death. In their natural environment, Betta fish live in small muddy puddles, which makes these fish one of the toughest fish.

The first thing that you will need to think about is the fish tank that you plan to keep your Betta in. Everyone knows that Betta fish are so easy to keep that you could breed them in a very small container. But if you plan on keeping them healthy and vibrant, prepare a nice sized tank for your fish, a half gallon tank would be fine for an individual male. Betta fish are very territorial so do not ever keep two males in the same tank regardless of how large or they will fight each other to the death.

It is alright to use water from a tap for the Betta fish but it is always best to leave the tap water for 24 hours before placing your fish into it in order to remove any excess chlorine. Try not to use bottled water and avoid distilled water altogether. Try to maintain the water pH as close to neutral as possible.

Temperature is one of the most important considerations as Betta fish come from a tropical climate. The ideal temperature for Betta fish is between 72 to 82 degrees Fahrenheit. If the temperature is too cold, then the fish will become sluggish and too hot will make the fish hyperactive.

Plants provide your Betta with an ideal cover which it will appreciate and will reduce the amount of stress it feels. Buy the kind that has lots of leaves to provide it with good cover. For the gravel, you have a choice of either natural gravel or even the artificial colorful kind, both are alright for Betta fish.

If your tank is less than five gallons, then you will not need a fish tank filter. Just do a weekly water change of around half the tank water and always get rid of the excess food. Use a vacuum to siphon the gravel but you do not have to rinse it as it will have colonies of beneficial bacteria which aid in performing biological filtration. Since the natural environment of a Betta fish is a muddy pond, you do not need to provide aeration as it will get its air from the surface of the water.

Adult Betta fish should be fed once a day. You can choose to feed your fish with Betta fish food which you can purchase from the pet shop but it would be best if you could also include live or at least freeze dried food. The Betta’s natural food is mosquito larvae so try to see if you could get your hands on some freeze dried bloodworms.

For more information on tropical fish breeding and caring for fish including Betta fish and more, visit Fish Tank Filters at http://fish-tank-filters.org