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Siamese Fighting Fish or Betta Fighting Fish

The scientific name for the Siamese Fighting Fish is Betta Splendens, one of the most popular species of freshwater aquarium fishes, sometimes just known as Betta or Betta Fighting Fish. Also sometimes called Chinese Fighting Fish or Japanese Fighting fish and even Mexican Fighting Fish (by some Americans who don't know where Thailand is)?

Facts about the Betta fighting fish - The Siamese or Betta (pronounced - bet ah, not bait ah) originates, as one might expect in Thailand, previously known as Siam where it is found in the wild still today. The Betta - Siamese Fighting Fish is also found in the wild in Cambodia. Adult Siamese Betta Fighting Fish of either sex can attain a length of around 7cm (about 3 inches) and usually live between 2 and 3 years, specimens have been known to live up to 10 years but this is rare.

Generally male fighting fish should not be kept in the same tank as they are highly territorial and have been known to fight to the death if kept together, so better safe than sorry! It is easy to tell the adult sexes apart, as only the male Thai fighting fish has elongated fins; the female fighting fish is a fairly plain creature.

Care of Siamese fighting fish - Bettas like their water warm, between 24 and 30 degrees Celsius (75 to 85 F), just like home in Thailand were they live in slow-moving rivers and rice paddy fields. They have evolved as air-breathers - that is, they primarily come to the surface to take oxygen out of the air so are classed as an aquarium 'top dweller' - In fact if the Betta Siamese fighting fish can't get to the surface to take in oxygen it will drown!

The minimum recommended aquarium size for individual fighting fish tanks is about 15 litres or 3 imperial gallons with gentle circulation but aeration is not necessary so long as there is plenty of open surface area.

Breeding Siamese fighting fish like some floating plants to attach their bubble nest to. They are egg layers but have a very fast incubation period of around 24 hours, during which time the male breeding fighting fish will stand guard over the 'nest'.

Betta fish are born carnivores and their mouths have rows of minute pointed teeth, but despite these teeth, males routinely carry eggs in their mouths without causing the eggs any damage. Siamese fighting fish care to eat live foods, Daphne and tubiflex are ideal and will take frozen foods although when there is nothing else they will eat flakes or sticks, but they aren't that keen. Bettas are not very big eaters and it is very easy to overfeed them. Since fish have to eat and as a consequence produce waste, then water changes or filtering is a must, this includes Bettas.

Two male Siamese fighting fish can be kept in the same tank but to stop these fighting fish fighting a solid coloured or opaque plate can be placed between the two but make sure there are no gaps.

Called Pla-Kad or Pla-Kat in its native Thailand and although Bettas are known for their brilliant colours and relatively large, flowing fins, the natural colouration of Betta splendens is in fact a dull green and brown, plus the fins of wild specimens are relatively short.

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