Mary Allen
While the Siamese fighting fish is aptly named, with males fighting each other until one emerges victorious, it is a very peaceful animal in the right company. He is popular mainly because of his beautiful appearance and the magnificent coloring of the male specimens. The Betta splendens – that is its scientific name – belongs to the suborder of the labyrinth fish, these are fish that can also breathe normal air with the help of the so-called labyrinth organ.
Solitary in the Community Tank – the Siamese Fighting Fish
The Siamese fighting fish is a true loner. Under no circumstances should you keep two males of his species in one tank!
Otherwise, they would fight until the weaker animal dies – unfortunately, this fish is therefore also misused for show fights. Male bettas should be kept alone or at most with a few invertebrates or small catfish. He has to keep checking other fish of all kinds for potential dangers to his territory and is therefore stressed. If you keep them individually, they often lie on their side in the plants and rest – this behavior is never observed in society.
A Feel-Good Environment for the Siamese Fighting Fish
Since the Betta splendens originally come from standing or very slowly flowing water, it doesn’t like currents in the aquarium either. A tank with a water volume of at least 54 liters is ideal for keeping individual Siamese fighting fish, and for keeping pairs it should be at least 100 liters. In any case, you should make sure that the water is nice and warm. The water level does not have to be more than 30 cm, as the labyrinth comes to the water surface to breathe. In addition, the Siamese fighting fish needs lush vegetation under the surface. In the case of fighting fish, the females tend to hunt the males. Once a male has found a quiet territory in the aquarium, he will start building a foam nest on the water surface. Here the female lays her eggs, which are then guarded by the male.
The Siamese Fighting Fish Loves Meaty Delicacies
If you keep your Siamese fighting fish in such an environment and regularly feed it worms, freshwater shrimp, or insect larvae in the form of live and frozen food and granules, it will definitely feel at home in your aquarium. Most breeding specimens reach an age of two to three years. In exceptional cases, the beautiful fighting fish in the aquarium can even live to be four years old.