With the stunning colors and variety of beautiful fins, it’s no wonder that so many people are fascinated by betta fish. Besides the array of vibrant colors, these tiny charmers also have unique and remarkable characters.
Did you know that betta fish got its name from an ancient clan of warriors called Bettah? These little fighters are known to be aggressive but are they?
Here are five facts everyone gets wrong about betta fish.
Bettas don’t need a heater
You might have seen betta fish in small bowls at room temperature because they can survive. But the fact is, betta fish are tropical fish, so they need water that is slightly warmer than room temperature. Otherwise, they become lethargic and stressed.
Due to the cold water temperature, they swim too fast and use up their energy, making them suddenly inactive again. The best temperature is between 26 and 27 degrees Celsius. Once you use a water heater, you will see them swim calmy and living much healthier and longer.
Wild bettas live in puddles
Bettas are resilient, and they can survive out of the water for some time by breathing oxygen from the air. However, if their scales become dry, they die slowly. When wild bettas live in puddles, they won’t live long unless you put them in freshwater.
Wild bettas live in puddles because the water evaporates during the dry seasons, making them more visible. But as the weather gets drier, the bettas die off. If they are lucky, they will manage to hop from puddle to puddle and find a bigger water body to survive.
Similarly, bettas do not thrive well in congested jars and fishbowl. One beta requires at least 2.5 gallons of water to thrive. Take a look at some top picks for betta tanks on Aquarium Fish City
Bettas don’t need a filter.
Again, this is one of the many things that people get wrong about betta fish. Just because a betta is surviving in a cloudy fish tank or a puddle doesn’t mean it will thrive. Bettas, like many other tropical fish, are prone to bacterial and parasite infections. Using a water filter keeps its surrounding clean and also adds a low flow in the water.
Besides keeping the water clean, aquarium filters also balance the salinity and bacterial content in the water, preventing skin rashes.
Using a water filter for a betta fish tank also eliminates the frequent requirement to change the water. The calming effect of a low filter wave also calms the betta fish and makes them more adaptive and responsive to their surroundings.
Only happy bettas build a nest
You might have noticed white foam floating on the orders of your betta tank. Some people think it’s dirt or bacterial accumulation, and they even throw it away. What some people don’t know is that betta fish build bubble nest!
Beta fish keepers familiar with the bubble nest often assume that betta fish build the bubble nest when they are happy. But it is not so! Betta fish will create a bubble nest when they are ready to mate.
Irrespective of health or happiness, if the betta fish is ready to mate, it will build a nest on the corner. It is the male that builds this bubble nest to court the female betta. Once created, the male betta will hover close to the nest and wait for the female betta to approach.
So whether a betta is happy or not, if it is ready to mate, it will build the bubble nest.
Bettas like to live alone
While bettas are known to be fighter fish and will be violent towards other bettas, they do not really like being alone. After years of studying betta behavior, they prefer living alone, but they can thrive with other species.
Whether it is a male or female, bettas fight each other and get territorial but as intelligent creatures, living with other aquatic creatures is not a problem. They often show signs of needing a company by building a nest whether a mate is nearby or not.
Female bettas can live together as long as there is enough space. So even though they require constant monitoring, it is not true that bettas like to live alone.