Featured Fish Friday: BETTAS! Bettas (Betta splendens) AKA Siamese Fighting Fish, are a semi-aggressive tropical fish that come in a variety of colors and finnage. They are native to rice paddies and floodplains of Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam, so a tropical setup is a must. Bettas have a unique breathing system called a “labrynth organ,” which allows a Betta to breathe atmospheric oxygen (similar to the way we do!). This allows them to be housed in easy-to-care-for, table-top containers (at least 1/2 gal, or 2L or more). While Bettas can be kept in small, stagnant containers, they tend to do better in larger tanks with gentle filtration. In unfiltered tanks, the average lifespan is about a year, and in a filtered tank, lifespan can reach 3-5 years. A World of Fish has many options for both setups if you want us to help you house your Betta. If kept singly in a small, stagnant container, keep in mind that you will have to perform frequent water changes of AT LEAST 50% once a week in order to maintain healthy water quality for your Betta. If using tap water, make sure to use a dechlorinator (such as Brightwell’s Erase-CL), to neutralize chlorine, chloramines, and ammonia. Alternatively, you can use prefiltered “Spring Water,” and you can skip the chemicals. Always make sure you add water that is the same temperature or even slightly warmer than the water your Betta is already in. In these small containers, feed the Betta sparingly (2-4 Betta pellets) to keep waste minimal. Keep your Betta container in a warm place, ~76-84 F (~24-29 C). In a filtered aquarium, follow the same water preparation directions as above. Since the tank is filtered, you may feed more (4-6 pellets per day) and you could do less frequent water changes. Depending on filtration and bioload, you can perform water changes of 10%-25% weekly, or 25%-30% biweekly. In a filtered tank, you can add a heater, which would help you maintain a steady tropical temperature which your Betta will appreciate. A World of Fish frequently has a variety of Bettas in all colors and finnage in stock. Fin varieties include (but are not limited to), Half-Moon, Split-Tail, Crowntail, Dragon, and Dumbo. Stop by A World of Fish today to take a look at our selection and to get your very own Betta!
Posted on: Fri, 05 Dec 2014 05:27:19 +0000
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