Understanding Betta Behavior

sick betta fish

Betta behavior is amazing and often spectacular to view. They are often found to be aggressive towards other bettas, thus their name betta splendens, or splendid warrior.

What people often don't know about bettas is that they are only aggressive towards other bettas but not towards other fish. That's why bettas are considered to be a good candidate for community tanks.

Despite their spectacular displays of aggression, bettas are very gentle and are commonly targeted by other aggressive fish like tiger barbs. Aggressive betta behavior can be linked to the betta's mating habits. Males do often compete for the females just like any other animals. Though certain strains of bettas are more aggressive than others, even the calmer strains still exhibit this behavior but much less often than the more aggressive strain.

Whenever one male betta spots another they begin to exhibit the well known betta behavior. They start extending their fins and opening up their gills, trying to look as big as they possibly can and appear to pose a threat in terms of their strength and ability to fight.

This behavior is called displaying or flaring. If the size difference is huge, then you can expect the smaller fish to back down. But when the bettas are just about evenly matched, they will start attacking each other, so never put two bettas together, especially in tiny fish bowls where there is nowhere to run or hide.

There are inquisitive people who discovered that bettas can't actually distinguish between an actual betta and a reflection. Using a mirror is an often entertaining way of watching a betta fight without actually injuring it, and the display could last hours or days. Even two bettas that are placed in jars would still flair at each other just as long as they can see each other. They get bored eventually though and stop their futile displays of aggression. Replacing a betta with another one would surely start another flaring match since they don't know each other and they need to establish a new pecking order.

The issue of pecking order can even be seen in a community tank. When you combine bettas in a single tank, they start showing their usual betta behavior and start fighting and biting at each other. After a while, the biggest and strongest betta emerges and becomes the ALPHA fish in the tank. As long as that fish is in the tank, there would only be minor skirmishes that would occur inside your tank. But as soon as the ALPHA fish is removed, chaos again ensues as they try to establish the pecking order.

Aggressive betta behavior can also appear in baby bettas as soon as they begin to show some fin. Flaring then starts and soon enough they would then be biting at each other's fins. That's why breeders start to place male bettas inside jars until all that's left in the tank are female bettas.

- Mischa Hill

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Common Betta Diseases

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Proper betta care is important to keep a betta free from sicknesses. How do you know if a betta is sick? You can look for signs revealed on its body as well as its behaviour. For example, you can check whether the betta has abnormal color spots on its body. Also, if the betta display poor appetite or shows no sign of interest in its surrounding, then most probably the betta is sick. If the betta is suffering from a disease, it is important that it received prompt treatment. Some common betta diseases are described below.

A common betta disease is the ich (short for ichthyophthirius), a protozoan disease. A betta suffering from this disease will have white spots reflected on its body. These spots are actually formed by parasites embedded in the betta's skin. This betta disease needs to be treated promptly. If left untreated, the betta will die. The treatment for ich is to raise the water temperature to 90 deg F (32 deg C) and add a little salt to the water. The water need to be change at least once a day to remove parasite existing in the water. If the parasites are not cleared, they may attack the fish again. There are some medications available at stores to treat the infection but care must be taken to use the correct dosage. Especially for small betta bowls, an overdose of mediation should be prevented.

Another common betta disease is the Velvet. It is also a protozoan disease which will cause small yellow spots to appear on the betta's body. The betta will have a "sandy" appearance. In order to see more clearly the spots, you can use a torch light to shine on the betta. Velvet is more commonly found in young bettas than old ones. For this disease, you can place some salt in the water. There are medications sold by stores to treat the infection caused by this disease. Regular changing of water is also recommended to remove the parasites in the water.

When a betta's fin is damaged, fin rot may occur. This is because the damaged tissue causes infection. One of the ways of treating fin rot is to place the betta in clean water. If the fin rot is serious and providing clean water does not help the condition, then you can purchase some medications to remove the fin rot infection. As soon as the damaged is stopped, the betta could regenerate its fins. Even if the gills are affected by the fin rot, the betta can still take in oxygen from the air and stay alive.

The above are some common betta diseases. Prompt treatments are important to prevent the diseases from developing into more serious conditions which may result in death. Bettas must be kept in clean water, hence regular changing of water is required. Proper betta care must be given for betta to maintain good health and have long life. ! Please visit Betta Fish website for more information.

Rose Mary enjoys travel and write on various interest topics. Discover the essentials on keeping Betta Fish alive and well at Betta Fish Care at => http://www.fibcool.com/betta-fish/ Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Rose_Mary

Betta Fish Care - Free Guide

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Betta fish are considered to be some of the heartiest fish you can purchase, but is this really true? Yes and no. It is true that Betta fish are pretty stout, but this is a somewhat misguided rumor. They got their reputation due to the fact that they can live in some of the dirtiest and cloudiest water out there. The reason for this is because they have the ability to get oxygen direct from the air due to an organ in their bodies. In fact, Betta fish are much like any other exotic fish you need to take care of them diligently.

I put together this short guide in order to help Betta fish owners care for their Bettas. If you head this advice, you should have a happy, healthy Betta fish living in your home.

Betta Fish Care-Free Guide-Steps

1. The fist thing you want to do once you have selected your fish is to get them a new home. Ditch the jar from the store that is completely ridiculous! Would you want to live in a closet your whole life? Ok, so you want to look for something at a bare minimum of the 1 gallon range. This allows your new family member some swimming room. Now I have seen some pretty creative homes such as a large vases etc. You can get ideas by searching the internet for Betta fish tanks. Plenty of pictures are available.
2. Next you want to stock the home with a few items to give it that homey feel for your Betta. Think in terms of tank accessories that are going to be fin friendly. Why? As you have probably learned, Bettas tend to have long, beautiful fins that can easily touch things, get caught and tear. So, what you want to look for are things such as smooth pebbles, rocks for the bottom. Soft plant or two depending on tank size. Maybe one small item that sits on the floor of the tank that won't catch the Betta's fins. You may also want to color coordinate the tank and its accessories with the room your Betta will be in.
3. Filling and replacing the water is essential to good Betta Fish care. If you are using the recommended minimum size of 1 gal you can replace about one third to one half of the water once a week without any severe issues. If you do this, then about once a month it is good to completely clean out the tank. The reason for this is the build up of your fish's fecal matter on the bottom of the tank. You want to get rid of all that build up for obvious health reasons.
4. Important: If your tank is smaller than 1 gallon, then you will be cleaning out more frequently...keep that in mind!
5. Feeding is essential to good Betta fish care as well. There are two schools of thought here. One is to just feed your new family member regular fish food from a container. This is perfectly fine. The other is to feed your fish live food such as brine shrimp and bloodworms. These can be picked up at your local pet store. The second option obviously presents a more realistic way for your fish to feed, but either is fine. It is more a matter of personal choice and budget. One other option is to mix up both methods. This keeps a little variety in your Betta's life which is always good.
6. Very Important: Do not purchase two Bettas and place them in the same tank. This is the ultimate no-no. They WILL fight and it won't be pretty. The only time you would ever have two Bettas together is for mating purposes and even then it is for a short time in a very controlled environment. If you are going to purchase two or more Bettas for your children, be sure to explain how important this is. Bettas are very territorial. In the real world, if a Betta accidently crosses into another's territory, they can usually just swim away, but a tank turns into an arena for more than one fish.
7. Another word on Betta tank management. Placement is important. Be sure to place you tank or bowl in a location that allows for frequent viewing by you and your guests. Betta fish have been known to put on a show every once in a while when people are near the tank. You may see them swimming and jumping around quickly, or just staring back at you which is always fun. They might follow you around as well (in their tank of course).
8. This leads to another Betta fish care tip: cover your tank. These guys have been known to jump out of the tank, bowl if they can. There are two ways to prevent this. Do not fill the tank or bowl all the way to the top if you don't have it covered. Or, cover the top.
9. Cleanliness is important to Betta fish care so be sure to stay on top of this. When you notice left over food in your tank after about 30 to 45 mins of feeding. Go ahead and pull it out with a net. This helps to eliminate bacteria/fungal growth.
10. It is better to feed your Betta several times throughout the day in small amounts. They aren't big on the one big meal a day concept.

Betta fish care is a pretty simple task when you know the ins and outs. This free guide is very basic but should get you started.

You can find more Betta Fish Care Secrets here Eric is a Betta fish enthusiast with several articles, blogs and websites regarding Betta fish care secrets. For the most up to date information check them out. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Eric_Paton

Betta Fish Guide - Tips in Taking Care of Betta Fish

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Betta fish or the Siamese fighting fish is an attractive and colorful addition to your fish bowl and a great pet to take care of. The Betta is indeed a great fish to take care of and is relatively easy to take care of. However, it is important to learn the specific tips in caring for them, as they also need specific caring techniques.

In taking care of fishes, it is important to know and understand the behavior of the species as this will also tell you some hints on how to take care of them the proper way. Here are some of the important tips and a simple Betta fish guide that you might find useful in taking care of your Bettas.

For instance, male Betta should be kept in a separate jar and you have to make sure you only have one Betta in one jar. The male Betta is aggressive especially towards other male Bettas and you should not put 2 or more male Bettas together, as they can fight to death.

- Feed your Betta once a day. Blood worms or frozen dried brine shrimp are just two of the best foods you can give your Bettas. Keep in mind to clean the fish bowl from rotten food and those foods that have not been eaten, so only give what your Betta fish can take. One important thing you have to consider in feeding your Betta is to be aware that the Bettas will continue to eat as long as there is food in the tank and may even overfeed themselves to death. Thus, make sure that you only feed them with just the right amount of food. To determine how much is enough, you can find a Betta fish guide where you can find a quick reference on everything that you need to know about Bettas.

- Make sure that the fish bowl is cleaned once a week especially if it has no filtration. You can also use a pH meter to test the acidity of the fish bowl water. Bettas thrive well in waters with a pH of 7, although it can still thrive in pH of 6.5 to 7.5.

- Never put the fish bowl in direct sunlight or in the vents of a cold room. Make sure that you maintain the fish bowl temperature between 70 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit. You may also watch the Betta fish's behavior and determine if the temperature is right for them. At higher temperatures the Bettas can become hyperactive and sluggish if he is in too cold waters.

- Add live plants to your fish bowl. This will serve as their hiding places and a great addition as well to your fish bowl. Avoid plastic plants as these can hurt and tear the Betta's fins. Also avoid rough rocks that may also tear the fins of the fish.

With a good Betta fish guide at hand, you will find the Betta fish easy to take care of. Just keep in mind the very important considerations and you will definitely enjoy the Betta fish on your tank.

Carolyn Anderson loves to take care of pets. If you are a fish lover, check out Betta Fish Secrets. Also check out Betta Breeding, if you are interested in breeding Betta fishes. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Carolyn_Anderson

How to Take Care of a Betta Fish - Tips For Beginners

sick betta fish

Saving a Betta fish from a cramped plastic cup at the pet store is a noble move, but only as long as you can provide a better environment for it. This isn't difficult, it's just a matter of getting a hold of the right information. Too many rumors and misconceptions float around in regards to "what's right" and people get caught up in what they've heard and end up killing their pets. Below I've compiled a few starter tips for you and pointed you towards several professional resources that helped saved my fish's life time and time again.

Temperature: Temperature is a subjective topic in the Betta care world, various "caring for betta fish" websites will give you different answers. Any temperature between 76 and 84 degrees Fahrenheit is suitable for every day life from a Betta's point of view, the main thing is to be consistent. Once your heater settles and can keep your tank water at one temperature in the acceptable range, try your best to keep it there, rapid temperature fluctuations can be harmful or even deadly to a Betta fish.

Tank Size and Feeding: These are both somewhat short answer items so I've combined them into one section. A Betta's tank size should be 5 to 10 gallons, larger is OK, smaller is not. Betta's do not live in little tiny ponds as rumored on various Betta forums on the internet. They live in vast expanses of wetlands (BIG puddles) and as such should not be confined to a little 1 gallon bowl. This misconception gets spread because so many Betta owners have no idea what a rice paddie really is, and just consider their Betta's natural habitat to be a shallow, muddy puddle. This is easily disproved by the fact that the Bettas living in large tanks with clean water are nearly always those that live longer.

As far as food goes, I highly recommend pellets for two reasons. They are well balanced and contains everything your fish needs in it's diet, and also that they are roughly the same size as one another. What does this mean? It means that you will be able to more easily ration your Betta's food. Two pellets twice per day (two in the morning and two at night) is plenty!

Live foods are great for snacks, but as far as an every day meal these foods (such as brine worms and blood worms) tends to be very high in protein and fats, but no other nutrients.

Most deadly Betta mistakes occur without the owner even knowing what's going on. To give your pet the best life possible put some effort into learning how to take care of betta a fish and collecting information. When my fish was inexplicably taking a turn for the worse I found my salvation in Betta Care Made Easy, a professional care guide downloadable online. You owe it to your pet to spend time learning. I've reviewed the two resources that I found most helpful in caring for my Betta on my blogsite at http://www.how-to-take-care-of-a-betta-fish.info Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=T_L_Gallamore

How to Take Care of Betta Fish - 5 Must-Have Tips

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When it comes to Betta care, there's a lot of stuff. And buy stuff, I of course mean information. The problem with this is that when so much content is put out without first being checked by a legitimate authority, rumors get started, and misinformation can spread like wildfire. Below are five time and research proven tips to successfully learn how to take care of Betta fish, enjoy!

#1) Tank Size: You may have heard around the Internet that it's okay to house Betta fish in 1 gallon tanks or containers because they are used to living in the rice paddies of Eastern Asian. The problem with this thinking is that Rice paddies aren't really small at all, in fact most of them extend for many miles and are over 1 to 2 feet deep. Just like most any other pet you own Betta fish love to be active. My fish currently lives in the 10 gallon tank and loves it. When picking out a permanent home for your finned friend, try and purchase the largest tank that is feasible for the space you have to work with.

#2) Food Type: while several varieties of Betta fish food are offered you should know that only a couple are truly suitable for everyday consumption. Live foods are great and your Betta fish will love them as treats, they do not provide the full nutrients your fish needs to maintain a healthy diet. The two foods I recommend are pellets or flakes. Personally, I prefer pellets because they are relatively uniform in size and therefore easy to measure out.

#3) Food Amount: In learning how to take care of Betta fish, you will find that one of the most common mistakes is overfeeding. A Betta fish's stomach is about as big as its eyeball, meaning it really can't hold a whole lot. Overfeeding is dangerous and is the number one killer of pet Betta fish. If you choose to feed pellets, give just two in the morning and two at night. Remember, or ish can go a long time without eating and if you can't remember if your fish has gotten a meal it's better off skip it, he'll be fine.

#4) Water Source: When it comes to the water source in your tank, the best way of guaranteeing a safe environment is by using tap water. Simply buy de-chlorination drops and use the instructions on the bottle to ensure no harmful minerals remain to hurt your fish.

#5)Water Temperature: This is the one place that I'm going to tell you being exact really doesn't matter. You'll want to have a small heater to maintain a temperature somewhere between 78 and 84°F. Anywhere in this range is perfectly suitable and will make for one happy fish.

There's a whole lot to know about being a good Betta owner. This doesn't mean, however, that having a happy, healthy pet is difficult. In learning how to take care of Betta fish I came across several resources and care guides that proved invaluable to me in my journey, each of which I have reviewed at the website below. Everything you need to know about Betta care, health, breeding, and even my own story can be found at http://www.how-to-take-care-of-a-betta-fish.info Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=T_L_Gallamore

I Want to Buy Betta Fish! Where Do I Start?

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Before you buy betta fish, you should get their tank set up. Some aquarists new to the hobby buy betta fish from a pet store and leave them in the tiny betta fish bowls they are housed in. While your betta can survive in a small amount of water with little to no water circulation, they certainly will not thrive there. You probably chose bettas because of their amazing colors and fin plumage. If you want your fish to thrive and be the happiest, healthiest betta he can be, you will need to upgrade to a larger betta house when you buy betta supplies.

I buy betta tanks no smaller than five gallons, and prefer ten gallon tanks, because they make breeding, and adding betta tankmates and betta plants much easier. With a larger tank, you will also be providing your fish with many more chances to show off their individual personality.

Betta fish prefer shallow depths, so when choosing a tank for your betta, buy something lower and wider instead of deep. Not only will this make your water changes and maintenance easier, but it will also give your betta an environment most like his natural habitat.

Your betta has to eat. So, when you buy betta fish food, make sure that the food size is appropriate for your fish. I prefer flakes at first if the betta is small, and then pellets at later stages of his growth. There are a lot of options out there, but I prefer a standard betta flake food product. You can also use freeze-dried brine.

You of course will need to buy betta supplies like a net, lid for the betta tank, heater and filter. Buy a sponge filter, because good bacteria will grow in the filter collection area, and will provide the nitrates your fish needs to fight off diseases. When purchasing a heater, three to five watts per gallon will be sufficient. Hood selection and accessories like nets are not as important. Get what works for you.

Buy your betta an aquarium test kit, and cyle his tank before you add him. There are many good betta care guides that walk you through the water cycling process. This is the most important step in your fish's young life! Follow the directions, and add fish. Be forewarned, cycling aquarium water takes two to eight weeks, so you will have to be prepared to wait. But, when cycled properly, your betta tank will have pristine water quality, and your fish can live up to five years.

"Want to know all about Cycling Aquarium Water and total betta set-up and care? I have enjoyed raising healthy, happy bettas for over 20 years. Head to http://www.BettaFacts.infoand subscribe to my blog for a FREE Betta mini-course ($9.95 value) for a limited time!" Elizabeth Christopher Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Elizabeth_Christopher