Why Betta Fish Make Great Pets

Siamese fighting fish: Betta fish make great pets

Here are some reasons why betta fish make great pets.

The betta fish is a tropical fish that can breathe, both in the water and above the water and thus, it does not require extra oxygen in an aquarium, like other kinds of tropical fish, in order to survive.

The betta fish is a beautiful fish, particularly the males that have long, sweeping fins and different shapes of tails. They tend to come in a wide range of colors and most of the colors are brilliant. The female betta fish have more subdued colors.

The betta fish is easy to care for, as it does not require a lot of attention. It prefers to live like a recluse, so having only one fish in an aquarium is not a problem. It can have all of its owner’s attention and his or her time is not consumed in caring for it. It needs to be fed only once a day. Betta fish food is relatively inexpensive and can be purchased at a pet store.

The betta fish is a contented fish, even though it has the reputation of being a fighting fish. It does not fight with its owner. The male is placed with a female for breeding purposes only. Males will fight with each other until one retreats, but if you only have one fish, the only thing that the betta fish can fight with, is its own reflection. That is fun to watch! Interestingly, the females tend to get along better than the males, but they too have a pecking order.

The betta fish lives in water at room temperature, without any apparent difficulty. Unless the room temperature is below 25 degrees centigrade, the aquarium does not need to be heated. If the water is too cold, the behavior of the fish will appear sluggish.

The betta fish is interesting to watch, as it swims around and perches itself on rocks or in plants. It swims in and out of holes in ornaments in the water. The male betta fish blows bubbles that float to the top of the water for eggs that are released by the female. When first looking at the bubbles of air, one wonders what the betta fish is doing. He seems to enjoy making the bubbles, even when there is no female present.

Betta fish are relatively inexpensive to buy and can be purchased at many stores and pet shops in America, although they are originally fish from eastern Asia.

Betta fish are small enough to place into a rose bowl, until one obtains a proper sized aquarium or other container. Just place a few rocks or marbles on the bottom of the container, for the fish to relax on. The betta fish will do just that.

The water in the aquarium for the betta fish, only needs to be changed every seven to ten days. Changing it is easy because only part of it needs to be changed, at a time. As long as the water is at room temperature, the betta fish does not seem to have a problem, when it is changed. If anything, changing the water causes the betta fish to become perkier, because there is a higher level of oxygen in fresh water. Cloudy water indicates the need for a change of water.

Betta fish thrive in an aquarium where there are plants and enjoy brushing up against them. It is like having one's back scratched. The plants are beneficial, because they release oxygen into the water for the betta fish.

Betta fish appear to change color when the lighting changes or if they are viewed from a different angle, so they are interesting and pretty to watch, at different times of the day.

Betta fish can be placed in a small amount of water, but they should have about a gallon of water per fish. Cleaning the aquarium is simple. It is just a matter of carefully placing the betta fish into another container and washing the aquarium with water and detergent. Make certain that it is well rinsed. Refill the aquarium with clean water and gently place the betta fish back into the aquarium. It will seem to be delighted!

There is a certain mystery in watching betta fish do their own thing. They tend to fascinate their owners.