Breeding Siamese Fighting Fish (Betta Splendens) In The Aquarium

Location

This fish lives in small lakes, ponds and ditches with warm water.

Body description

This species has extra auxiliary respiratory organ known as the labyrinth organ. This organ allows them to breath using atmospheric air, so they can live water which has low level of oxygen-poor. Fish has the long, wide, and pointed anal fin and highly developed other fins (flowing fins). In nature colour of the fish is variable and it depends on its habitat. Colour of the fish is usually brown with a multi colour shine. In artificial conditions you can find a multi colour variants f this fish. Females have smaller body and fins and they are less colorful. Female has also ovipositor organ. It is between her pectoral fins and her anal fin. It looks like white, hanging piece of the skin. Sometimes male can have this ovipositor organ too but his organ is much smaller.

Temperament and behaviour

These are a predatory fish, which hunt for the food. They are very aggressive towards their own species. Males fight each other to the death for their territory. Female also can be aggressive. The best way is to keep them with peaceful, friendly, and fast swimming fish which can run from aggressive male. You should keep only one male and one female in one aquarium but if you create appropriate conditions you may keep larger group of these fish in one tank.

Aquarium decoration

This species needs very large aquarium because it is territorial. You need minimum 60 litre per single fish. The aquarium should include many plants which will create a scrubs (it will be a hiding-place for fish). Water should be clear and efficiently filtered. The air over the water table should have similar temperature to water.

Breeding

This is oviparous species. Spawn takes place in the nest which is prepared earlier. This nest creates foam with air bubbles on the water surface. Female lays up to 400 eggs which hatch afters 2 days. Male takes care for the nest (female should be immediately removed to another tank because she may be attacked by the male). You need to remove male when the fry begins to swim (after about 3 days).