Care
The brilliantly coloured varieties of the Siamese Fighting Fish seen in many shops today have been developed over the years by selective captive breeding. Indeed the natural wild colouration for this species is rather more subtle, with relatively short finnage. Many strains, such as the Longtail, Shortail, Crowntail, Half Moon and Double Tail, and various colour types including red, blue, green, white, golden, black, marble, and many others, have been developed and are now available to the hobbyist. Recently, new forms have been created through hybridisation with closely related species and these are often closer to wild forms in size and morphology. Historically, this seems to have occured before during their domestication. Fighting strains of this species are occasionally seen and differ significantly from their ornamental cousins in terms of body shape and fin proportions, having been bred to exaggerate very different features as well as temperament.
Siamese Fighting Fish, although capable of breathing atmospheric air via their labyrinth organ, should always be housed in filtered aquaria. Small vases and bowls are not suitable for long term care. These fish deserve proper stable water conditions and temperatures, as does any fish in our care, and this can only be achieved in a closed system by use of a heater/thermostat, a filter and regular partial water changes.
Male Siamese Fighters should never be housed with other males, as fighting will break out immediately. As these attacks can be very violent and stressful to the fish, the loser will invariably end up becoming weakened and if not separated from the other, it is likely to be pursued until it is killed. It is wise, therefore, to take your time to find yourself the male of your choice and keep him as a lone specimen. Females of the species often display slightly more muted colours, a white ovipositor spot and generally possess much shorter finnage. They themselves can also be surprisingly aggressive, and will often be observed threatening one another to establish a dominance heirarchy or defend resources. More than one female can be kept together, although the group must consist of at least 5 individuals. Smaller groups of females will result in the Alpha fish (the one at the top of the pecking order) picking on the subordinate females. In larger groups, any aggression will be spread amongst the group, rather than just one or two fish bearing the brunt.
Although the rise of the internet has led to an increase in solitary keeping, it's possible to maintain this species in single male, multiple female groups when adequate measures are taken to allow for the natural social dynamics. This will invariably fail if the aquarium is too small, or insufficiently planted to allow fish of both sexes to avoid constant contact with one another. For more experienced keepers, housing this species socially allows the opportunity to observe behaviours and patterns that the fishes use to communicate mood and status - such as stripe/bar patterns and posture. Key to this approach is an understanding that cover is more important than tank size and all members of the group must have abundant opportunity to vanish from sight of one another. The advantage to this type of keeping, is that spawning occurs naturally with minimal harassment of either sex due to lowered levels of aggression. The same principles can be used to ensure harmony in an aquarium housing a group of female fishes in the absence of a male. Although these fish will adapt to a wide range of conditions, they will be seen at their best in soft, slightly acidic water. The filter should provide a gentle water circulation in order to mimic the natural conditions that this species favours: rice paddies, floodplains and other slow-moving waters. As mentioned above, Siamese Fighting Fish have the ability to take in warm air from above the waters surface, so a small gap must be left between the surface of the water and the cover slides in order for the fish to accomplish this.
Tankmates should be relatively small (although not too tiny or they may be mistaken for a snack), peaceful and not prone to nipping fins, although a significant difference exists in long and short finned forms in this regard. If tempted to add a single male to a community aquarium, a long finned fish will be far more likely to struggle with currents from filtration or nipping from companions such as tetras. Rules for compatibility are of limited use with these fish, as males can vary drastically in temperament. Bear in mind that those unused to sharing an aquarium will often exhibit initially heightened levels of territorial aggression due to a lack of socialisation. When settled in their environment, males will show confidence and character that makes owning only one specimen less of a hardship.
The vernacular name used in the trade shows the history of this species in the hobby - Thailand has not been known as Siam for over seventy years! A trend to refer to this fish by its American common name of Betta is a welcome use of the binomial name but can lead to confusion with the rest of a very diverse genus.
Feeding
Small frozen foods such as mosquito larvae, brineshrimp, daphnia etc. Will also take flake and Betta formulas from the surface of the water.
Breeding
For controlled breeding, a separate aquarium is essential. At the higher end of their temperature range, males will usually come into breeding condition and construct a nest of bubbles amongst plants or under a floating leaf. They often respond well to artificial structures such as the base of a polystyrene cup. Shallow water is often used for spawning and in these conditions it's wise to keep the base of the tank bare to allow the male to retrieve the eggs. Ensure some cover is provided for the female should she need it and present her to the male in a jar or bag to gauge her response to his displays. Conditioned on a quality diet, ripe females will display vertical bars to signal their readiness to spawn. Horizontal stripes are a sign of submission and indicate that the female is unreceptive and should be returned to her normal tank. Add the female to the breeding tank if she's showing interest and the male will guide her to the nest. Following a little posturing the pair will embrace and eggs will be seen falling towards the bottom of the tank, which the male will gather after extricating himself from the female. She takes a little longer to recover and may help him collect the eggs, although this varies from one fish to another. After positioning the eggs in the bubblenest, the male returns and the sequence is repeated. Once the female has laid her eggs, she'll attempt to leave the nest area and should be removed and fed generously to ensure a quick recovery from the demands of egg laying. The male will tend the eggs and maintain the nest, keeping the brood in contact with the water's surface as befits a fish that spawns in water that may be low in oxygen. The eggs should begin to hatch in 24-36 hours and the male will catch any that show signs of falling from the nest, replacing them in the bubbles. The fry are usually free-swimming 3-5 days later, at which time they may be offered tiny foods such as infusoria. They then disperse from the nest and their father's protection. He will remain with the nest and will continue courting females and tending any eggs simultaneously if allowed. Under normal circumstances he should be removed once the young are free swimming and the spawning tank then becomes a rearing tank. It is of extreme importance to maintain a warm layer of air between the surface of the water and the coverslides at all times whilst the fry are developing their labyrinth organ, critical during the first few weeks of their life. Introduced to foods such as newly hatched artemia and microworms the young fish grow quickly and daily water changes are advised to keep them developing optimally.
