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Natural Environment
Bettas are naturally found in
several places in Southeast Asia. They are found in shallow pools
of water, slow moving rivers, and the many rice patties of the region.
These areas are naturally very low in oxygen with little to no flowing
movement of the water.
Basic Anatomy of Bettas
Bettas
are Labyrinth Fish, this means they have an internal organ called the Labyrinth
or auxiliary breathing organ. This allows for the fish to obtain
oxygen by breathing in air, this is in addition to the small amount of
oxygen their gills are capable of providing. The Labyrinth organ
stores air that is gulped by the Betta from outside the water, and diffuses
the oxygen into the structure. Other then this one main difference,
Bettas have the same anatomy as most other fish.
Water Conditions
Bettas
can live in a variety of water conditions from good to bad, again this
is because they naturally come from waters that are shallow and stagnant.
They can be kept in tanks as small as a cup, or in the largest of aquariums.
If they are kept in a small Betta Hex then their water should be changed
once every one to two weeks, and more often if there is over feeding and
a lot of decaying matter. Always be sure to have a container with
dechlorinated water at room temperature ready a day in advance before any
water changes, this so there isn't a drastic change in water quality when
switching out the Betta and water.
Betta Nutrition
Bettas
eat a variety of live foods in nature. There is also a large variety
of processed foods for them as well. More discussion of the different
kinds of Betta food, as well as, general tropical fish food are in the
feeding your bettas section. Bettas
require a good nourishing diet if they are going to ward off illness and
maintain a healthy lifestyle. Bettas should be given one main food
as their staple food and all
others as treats, this is because Bettas can become very finicky eaters
if their main staple food isn't very consistent.
Betta Health
Along
with a good diet and water changes it is crucial that you select a healthy
specimen free of diseases or genetic defects. To see if your fish
maybe sick look in the fish diseases and
genetic disorders section.
Betta Maintenance
As long
as you feed and do water changes when necessary, Bettas require very little
additional care. It is generally fun to watch your Betta for several
minutes a day, and while your doing this you can easily check to see if
your fish is healthy or if the container or water is at all out of the
ordinary.