Bettas

Disclaimer: I got these levels by finding multiple sources and rounding the the numbers

6.5-7.5

3-5dgh / 50-80ppm

3-5dkh / 50-80ppm

78-82F / 25-27C

Short fin 10g / 38L

Long fin 5g / 19L

The reason you want more space for short fins (plakets) is because they could move more freely without a massive tail, making them more active.

Keep in mind that the fish may have been born and raised in different parameters, so it’s possible these may not be the best fit

Betta spendens

siamese fighting fish betta

Osphronemidae

2-3in / 5-7.5cm

King bettas:

4-5in / 10-12.5cm

2-4 years

Usually, this heavily depends on breeding

Insectivores/carnivores

Finicky

(Kinda slow, sometimes picky)

top-mid-bottom

Usually aggressive and territorial

Solitary:

Only 1

high

Very low

Low-Moderate-high

Active during the Day

Beginner-intermediate

-pygmy corys

-small rasboras

-shrimp

Notes:

It heavily depends on the bettas personality whether you could keep them with other fish. Some people attempt sororities, which is when you keep a bunch of females together, but this is not recommended, it just causes unnecessary stress.

Labyrinth fish have an organ called the “labyrinth organ” that allows them to breathe air from the surface if there’s not enough oxygen in the water.

Eukarya - Domain of life whose cells have nuclei

Animalia - animals

Chordata - has Notochord, Dorsal nerve cord, Pharyngeal slits and Post-anal tail at some point

Actinopteryfii -ray-finned bony fishes

Anabaniformes - labyrinth fish

Osphronemidae - gourami

The male betta will use his mucus to build what’s called a bubble nest at the waters surface. After they done mating the female will lay her eggs on the ground. The male will pick up the eggs and put them in the nest, and continue to guard them until they are born.

Time to hatch:

24-48 hours

Depending on the temperature. Warmer water to speed up the process and colder can slow it down.

After the fry hatch, they usually remain in the nest for another 2 to 3 days.

Offspring count:

50-100 fry

The amount of fry that survive heavily depends on environmental factors. The female will usually lay 30 to 300 eggs.

Map of Asia

They were originally discovered in Thailand in the early 1800s, at the time called Siam (which is why they’re called Siamese fighting fish). They were prized for their aggression. The people of Siam would collect them and pin them against each other similarly to cockfighting. It became such a sport to fight them they had to established licensing, taxation, and regulation, and the king of Siam himself joined the hobby.

In 1840 the king of Siam, Rama lll gifed a pair of “pla kat”

(meaning “fighting fish” in the Thai language. Today we use that word for a short fin betta) to Dr Theodore Cantor. He studied them and named them Macropodus pugnax in 1849. In 1909 they were renamed to “Betta Spendens” by C. Tate Regen, a British zoologist, due to the name being already taken by Penang betta, a species of gourami.

Bettas were then spread to Germany from Paul Matte of Moscow in 1896. Then were introduced to Australia in 1904 by released pet bettas in the Adelaide River. Next U.S in 1910 by a man named Frank Locke. And France in 1974 by Pierre Carbonnier. Since then we’ve been breeding for colors, and long tails for our pleasure. Unfortunately this has led to inbreeding and difficulties moving due to long tails.

Wild betta

Mekong Basin