Siamese Fighters

Siamese Fighter (Betta Splendens)

The Siamese fighter also known as the “Betta fish” is a truly spectacular fish and one of the most popular species of freshwater aquarium fish today. The Betta is a member of the Gourami family (family Osphronemidae) order of Perciformes, but was formally classified amoung the Anabantidae, and although there are up to 50 different varieties of Bettas, B.splendens (Siamese Fighter) remains the most popular. The Siamese Fighters’ natural geographic range is the Mekong river basin in South East Asia. In the wild the Siamese Fighters are generally a dull green and brown with relatively short fins, but due to their popularity and many years of selectively breeding, Siamese fighters have been transformed into a truly magnificent fish. Male Siamese Fighters are generally more popular than the females in the pet trade, and it is often the males that you will see displayed for sale in the pet stores. This is because it is only the male Siamese Fighters that have developed the long, impressive fins which have made the Siamese Fighter such a popular Betta.

Siamese Fighters usually reach a size of about 6 cm; some can reach up to 8cm although this isn’t so common. Recently through the demand of this species and through captive selective breeding, breeders have been able to produce Siamese fighters that exceed 8cm, which is a very impressive sight. In addition to taking oxygen from the water through their gills Siamese Fighters take in oxygen directly from the atmosphere. This is made possible by an organ know as the labyrinth organ which is situated in their heads.

Feeding

Siamese fighters are primarily carnivorous surface feeders. Your Siamese will thrive off your commercial tropical fish crumbles pellets that are readily available at pet stores. These pellets generally consist of fish meal, brine shrimp, mashed shrimp, blood worms and vitamins. Your Siamese fighter will also eat live or frozen blood worms, daphnia or brine shrimp. Fibre is also important in their diet and this can be provided by giving them finely chopped high protein vegetables such as green beans, carrots, broccoli or sweet corn. Variety is very important when it comes to feeding Siamese Fighters and a wide variety in their diet will optimise the health of your Siamese Fighter and give them brighter colours, longer lifespans and make them less susceptible to becoming ill.

Breeding

Siamese Fighters mate by a process called “Nuptial Embrace”. During this mating procedure the male and female will spiral around each other and in each embrace about 10-41 eggs are released and fertilized. Male Siamese Fighters are very good fathers and will carefully guard the eggs in a bubble nest which he will make himself. The bubble nest is built on the surface of the water and can vary in size and thickness. Incubation can last up to between 30 and 40 hours with the eggs hatching after 3-4 days. During this time the male will protect the nest and will make sure all the eggs are kept safe, ensuring that none of the eggs fall to the bottom. Three days after the eggs have hatched the fry become free swimming. At this stage it is important to make sure that you remove the male otherwise you face the risk of him eating the young. The Siamese Fighter fry are then fed on infusoria (a collective term for very small aquatic animals) for the first couple of days and then later on are fed brine shrimp.

Colours

In the wild Siamese Fighters only show strong colours when under threat, however, breeders have now been able to make this colouration permanent through selective breeding. Siamese Fighters come in a wide range of different colours such as blue, red, orange, turquoise, white, yellow and green. These colours can vary from time to time and can sometimes appear a bit different depending on the lighting and the angle at which you are viewing the fish. There are also different types of patterns that have been developed by breeders such as butterfly and marble and also different shades such as metallic, copper, opaque and gold.

Breeders are developing new colour and pattern varieties all the time and I am sure that as this progresses we will see some truly unique and beautiful Siamese Fighters being bred.

Tail Shapes

There are a wide variety of different tail shapes in Siamese Fighters available today.

• Double-tail (the tail fin is split into two lobes and the dorsal fin is significantly elongated)
• Veiltail (non-symmetrical tail, only two rays)
• Crowntail (highly frilled, extended spiny rays)
• Combtail (less extended version of the crown tail)
• Half-moon (large tail fin that forms 180-degree, or larger, half circle)
• Short-finned fighting style (sometimes called “plakat”)
• Fantail (a rounded delta tail)
• Delta tail (tail span is less than half-moon with sharp edges)

Tankmates

Due to the Siamese Fighter being a naturally aggressive fish caution must be taken when choosing tank mates.

Two or more males: You should always avoid housing two or more male Siamese Fighters together as they will attack each other and the loser will be attacked so badly that he will eventually die. In the wild the loser will be able to retreat out of harms way avoiding death.

A male and a female: The only time a male and female Siamese Fighter should be allowed in the same aquarium is when they are siblings, when they are breeding or if the aquarium is large enough for the female to escape when being attacked. A lot of breeders use partitions which work very well when it comes to having a female and a male in the same tank ensuring the female won’t get attacked.

Two or More Females: Generally females in a large enough aquarium can live together in groups of four or more females. Note that Siamese Fighters are not schooling fish so generally they are not found in groups. Always keep a close eye on the females as you might find there might be one that is aggressive towards the others.

Compatible fish of other species: Siamese Fighters are compatible with a few species of fish such as platies, corydoras catfish, and loaches. Female Siamese Fighters can share a tank with gouramis, danios, tetras and barbs. Shrimps also make very good tank mates and help to keep the tank clean without disturbing the Siamese Fighters.

Living Conditions

Siamese Fighters are great fish to keep for the beginners and the experienced. Although Siamese Fighters are hardy fish and easy to maintain, one must remember they still need certain requirements in order to thrive and do well in a captive environment.

A common misconception with Siamese Fighters is that they are happier being kept in small containers as opposed to larger tanks. This is because most people think that in the wild they live in small muddy puddles, and are therefore happier being in cramped conditions. This, however, is not true and Siamese Fighters seem more active, healthier and grow larger when kept in bigger tanks. A common rule for tank size when keeping Siamese Fighters is 7.6L for every Siamese Fighter.

Siamese Fighters are tropical fish and do best when kept in a tank with a heater. Ideal water temperature for these fish is 26.5′C, temperatures of 24′C will result in your Siamese Fighter being lethargic and prone to illness. Siamese Fighters can jump so it is important to make sure that the tank has a lid.  This lid, however, must not be air tight as Siamese Fighters do need to breathe. Your Siamese Fighter tank will need to have a partial water changed at least once a week to ensure your Siamese Fighters stays in good health, this will also prevent ammonia build-ups.

Siamese Fighters also enjoy plants in the tank and as well as other objects that they can rest on or hide in. They seem to really enjoy shells and love to curl up and rest in them.