10 Betta Fish Facts: Things you didn’t know

10 Betta Fish Facts: Things you didn’t know

my female betta fish

Betta fish is one of the most popular fish types that you can find out there. Most of the homeowners out there in the world tend to purchase betta fish and breed them at home. If you are one of them, you are you need to get to know about some important betta fish facts.

Where Did Betta Fish Originated?

Betta fish can also be called as Siamese fighting fish. The Siamese fighting fish are native to Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and Thailand.

The Betta Fish are actually found in rice paddies and they are plentiful back in their native habitat.

rice paddies in Thailand

They are actually green and have dull color in the wild and their fins are actually small and not colorful as you may see it on the stores and Betta Fish breeding centers.

This fighting fish became popular in the mid 1800s in Thailand. During that era the King Of Siam even had it regulated and taxed it if you own one. This became a very popular sport where the contestants are based on the flaring of gills and it is said to be given victory to the one who is the bravest!

Why Do Betta Fish Feed on Water Surface?

The Betta Fish has an upturned mouth and by nature they feed on the surface of the water. Betta fishes in the wild are located in rice paddies and there are plenty of small insects abound on the water surface. This also explains why they are carnivorous and need plenty of protein as their main diet.

When taking care of betta fish it is advisable to rotate a variety of food such as: flakes and frozen brine shrimp so that they can grow and contribute to their longevity.

Here is link on the proper feeding guide to maintain a strong Betta.

native betta fish

Can Betta Live as a school?

Bettas as not schooling fish and they need lots of privacy. They prefer to swim alone and need heavy plantation of plants to hide and stay secure. Bettas are territorial in nature.

The Betta Fish are bred to display vibrant colors such as: Red, Green, Orange And Royal Blue Colors.

The Bred Betta fish have also different tail types:

  • Veiltail
  • Crowntail
  • Double Tail
  • Spadetail
  • Halfmoon
  • Delta
  • Combtail
  • Plakat
  • Dumbo Ear
  • Feathertail
  • Rosetail
  • Half-Sun
  • Over-Halfmoon

These Betta Fish are extremely popular and second only to Gold Fish. Betta Fish is able to survive in tiny plastic containers since they have a special organ called labyrinth.

anatomy of betta fish

Likewise, people who are about to get betta fish into the home should also take a look at the betta fish facts.

How to Care for Betta Fish?

Betta Fish will be comfortable in 5 Gallons and up. Regular water changes is a must keep a healthy Betta Fish. The betta fish tank is in a confined space and constant maintenance is required to keep the ammonia levels low.

By having regular water changes normally a third of the water in the tank each time and replace it with fresh water, will keep the excessive ammonia and bacteria buildup at bay.

It is also imperative that you keep the temperature of the water to 27 degrees Celsius which is the temperature on the rice paddies on Betta Fish in the wild in Thailand or Cambodia.

If you are located in North America, it would be essential to buy an aquarium heater corresponding to your aquarium’s size.

Here is a basic proper Betta Fish keeping care guide link.

This comes to mind that it is not cool to house these Betta Fish in small containers or a fishbowl. The minimum requirements for a Betta Fish to be happy is at least 5 to 5.5 Gallons of Fish Tank

5 Gallons Betta Tank with filter

Here are some most prominent betta fish facts. They can help you to get an enjoyable experience with betta fish.

Lifespan of betta fish

Betta fish have a lifespan of around three years to five years. The environmental factors can contribute a lot towards the overall lifespan of betta fish.

As a betta fish owner, you would come across the need to provide your fish with a longer life as well. You just need to provide a healthy diet and good care.

However, it is important to keep in mind that you shouldn’t overfeed your betta fish. Some betta fish owners do this mistake.

If you overfeed your betta fish, it will be subjected to a health condition called fatty liver disease. Hence, you need to be mindful about this and provide the right kind of diet to the fish. It has also been identified that continuous exercises can strengthen the lifespan of betta fish.

There are over 70 different species of betta fish

More than 70 different types of betta fish have been found out there as well. When talking about betta fish, most of the people think only about Siamese fighting fish and betta splendens.

However, those are not the only betta fish species that you can find out there. You will be able to discover over dozen other betta fish varieties out there as well.

Betta fish are aggressive and territorial

From the recent studies, it has been identified that betta fish tend to be aggressive and territorial. If you are concerned about betta fish behavior, you should be mindful about this. Due to the same reason, betta fish are called as Siamese fighting fish as well.

Out of the betta fish, the make betta fish tend to be more territorial when compared to female beta fish.

They go ahead and attack other male betta fish that can be found in their neighborhoods. However, they don’t often attack other betta fish to death. In most of the instances, these attacks can lead other male betta fish with serious injuries. However, female betta fish are in a position to live together in harmony.

Where do Betta Fish Live in the Wild?

The wild betta fish have a dull brown color in the body. With this appearance, it is quite easy to get to know about betta fish. However, you will not be able to find this color in all the betta fish that you can purchase from the pet stores.

That’s because they follow selecting breeding techniques in order to come up with these different colors.

Apart from the dull brown color, some wild betta fish show green color in the body as well. This green color is centered on the fins. They are much understated as well.

Betta fish have different types of tail shapes

The tail shapes of betta fish are quite different from one to another as well. This is one of the key factors available to highlight the versatility displayed within betta fish. Some different tail shapes that you can find in betta fish include half-moon, double feather, delta, crown, comb, half sun, spade and rose.

Betta fish go ahead and build bubble nests

When you take a look at the habits of betta fish, you will figure out that they are building g bubble nests. In fact, the betta fish species build such bubble nests when the female species are releasing their eggs.

The male species tend to gather the bubbles in the mouth and spit them to the nest to create bubbles.

This behavior of creating bubbles is an instinctive behavior shown by the betta fish. It is also possible for the female betta fish to create a bubble nest without having a male presence as well.

Is Betta fish are intelligent? Do Betta Fish Have memory?

As a betta fish owner or a person who shows an interest towards getting betta fish, you need to understand that they are intelligent than you think.

They are in a position to go ahead and understand who their owners are. Upon understanding the owners, they tend to perform a variety of tricks. For example, you will be able to notice the betta fish following your finger around the bowl. Along with that, you will also be able to see the betta fish swimming through the hoops as well.

Do Betta Fish breathe air?

Betta fish have a special organ, which is called as the labyrinth organ. It can help them to breathe air that is found on the surface of water.

Due to the same reason, betta fish are in a position to survive in waters where there is low oxygen content. That’s because they can come near the surface of water and breathe.

Along with that, they will also be able to survive in places such as stagnant ponds and rice paddies. However, it is important for them to remain moist in all instances. Otherwise, betta fish will find it as a difficult task to ensure their survival.

It is easy to differentiate male betta fish from female betta fish

It is quite easy to differentiate the male betta fish from female betta fish, as females have bright colors in the body.

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Do betta fish bite?

Do betta fish bite?

betta fish close up

As a betta fish owner, you should have a complete understanding about their behavior. In other words, you need to check and make sure whether betta fish bite or not. Having this understanding is extremely important because it can help you to overcome a variety of negative consequences that would take place.

Do betta fish have teeth?

Yes, betta fish have teeth. When you take a closer look at the mouth of a betta fish, you will see small colored white teeth. Teeth that are in the bottom jaw are clearly visible. However, these teeth are extremely small and you will not be able to see them unless you use a magnifying glass. Or else, it is even possible for you to use the zoom feature available in your phone and take a look at betta fish teeth.

Why do betta fish have teeth?

Betta fish have teeth mainly for the consumption of food. In other words, betta fish usually tend to consume meat. Hence, it is important for them to have teeth. Betta fish will be using their teeth in order to attack the prey and kill it. While living in the wild, betta fish would be depending mainly on small insects. Teeth are providing an excellent assistance for them to ensure their survival.

larvae food for betta fish

After attacking the prey, betta fish are also using their small teeth in order to chew up their food. You will also be able to see how betta fish use their teeth to chomp on pellets after adding them into the tank.

On the other hand, it is also possible to find betta fish using their teeth in order to bite.

If you are a betta fish owner, you know that they can be aggressive.

Hence, it is important for them to have teeth in order to fight and ensure their survival. If other male betta fish can be found in the neighborhood, they tend to become fierce.

Sharp teeth will then be used in order to attack the enemies. Even after attacking the enemies, betta fish tend to rip them apart, especially the fins, scales and tails.

Will a betta bite your finger?

Yes, a betta fish can go ahead and bite your finger as well. If you are a betta fish owner, you need to be mindful about this. Then you can easily overcome it from taking place. Several reasons can lead betta fish towards biting people. Here’s a list of some of the most prominent reasons out of them.

  • – Curiosity

In most of the instances, betta fish tend to bite human beings for curiosity. When a betta fish see your hand coming into the tank, he will get curious about it. Out of that curiosity, he will go ahead and bite your hand as well.

  • – Self defense

The second main reason why betta fish tend to bite is due to self-defense. What would you do when you see a massive hand coming to you? You will tend to attack it. That’s what betta fish do as well. Therefore, it is a completely natural phenomenon.

  • By accident

In some of the instances, betta fish tend to bite humans by accident. This happens mainly when you are providing food to your betta fish. They will mistakenly assume that your hand is also a food that they can eat. As a result, they will tend to go ahead and bite your hand.

How strong is a betta fish bite?

Some of the betta fish that you can find in your tank are timid and laid back. However, all the betta fish are not like this. You will also be able to find some betta fish varieties, which are bad tempered. Such bad tempered betta fish are the ones who would usually bite you as well.

Due to bad temperament, they will often tend to bite you strongly. Therefore, you need to think twice before you put your hand into the betta fish tank.

Even though the betta fish can be painful, it doesn’t have the ability to break your skin. Therefore, you will never end up with a wound after the betta fish bite.

You need to keep in mind that betta fish aren’t romantic. Hence, you will be able to see them showing their aggressive behavior in most of the instances.

You should think twice before you put your hand into the betta fish tank and it can help you to refrain from getting bites. That’s because you never know when betta fish will go ahead and bite you or not.

Providing food to betta fish

We see how many people become victims of betta fish bites when they are providing food to betta fish.

You need to be mindful about this as well. It is better if you can get to know about the foods that should be given to betta fish and provide them with appropriate amounts.

For example, you can give live food that betta fish usually love to eat while they are in the wild. Blood worms, shrimp and white worms are some of the most popular foods among betta fish.

Or else, you can also think about providing commercially available foods, such as pellets or flakes to your betta fish as well. When betta fish are full, they don’t tend to attack people or bite them. Therefore, you will be able to keep the peace of mind while you are interacting with betta fish.

If you have small kids at home, you need to pay extra attention towards the betta fish bites.

It is important to make sure that you don’t create space for your little ones to put their hands into the tank containing betta fish.

The betta fish bites can be quite painful for the kids and you shouldn’t allow this to happen. Then you can get the best possible experience with having betta fish at your home.

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