INTRODUCTION: Breeders have brought an exciting new look to a betta tank near you. A so called dragon betta fish is an all original color/scale type. Pretty nifty, huh?
Now it's a lot easier to see what it is than explain what it is. So if you take a closer look at the half moon plakat male in this video you can't help but notice what really thick scales it appears to have.
If you miss or can't quite see what I'm talking about, pause the video when the fish's side is full to the camera and you'll easily see the effect on the scales that truly makes this a dragon. You'll notice both their thick, distinctive appearance as well as the metallic like glint. Almost resembles armor, no? Should also bring to mind dragons of lore. And may be the closest you get to the real thing. Who knew?
Dragon Betta Defined: You'll know one when you see one. To be one the body of the fish typically has to flash remarkable metallic iridescence. One that almost could be described as having a silvery look to it. Which when combined with darker finnage produces a contrasting yet dazzling display that almost glows. Each scale seems to be almost highlighted to stand out. Even better, anymore you can find them in a vast and growing array of colors.
I personally feel the most stunning are of the thicker Plakat body types. But here again the look is spreading to other body types too. If you're curious as to the origins of the color type, this article may be the one to read.
CONCLUSION: So have you been overcome by "dragon fever"? Some find that when in the presence of dragons, like this one,
INTRODUCTION: Okay so the time to start to wonder what you're going to feed your betta fry is not when you see their tiny tails hanging with the bubbles in the nest. The time to line up what you're going to feed your fry is before you even start conditioning their parents. Anything less is irresponsible. Because without the proper diet 85-90% of your spawn could be gone in three weeks or less from starvation. And how fair is that?
And don't think you've got things covered with some kind of fine dry food. Won't work. That's right ain't a gonna happen. At least not in the fry's lifetime, short at that may be. And it's really sad to think you're measuring their miserable bettafish lifespan in a few short weeks and finding it's over before you even know what you've got.
Still it happens. That's because for many, fry feeding's a huge hurdle to overcome if they're going to successfully breed betta fish. (Not that I'd advise doing so but it seems many have their hearts set on trying so why fight it?) Otherwise you're just another wannbe who is doomed to failure after failure no matter how well things go in the breeding tank. Left to wonder why did they die this time, instead of getting to the exciting point of seeing some amazing colors and fins develop right before your very eyes.
Okay so that's the problem. The solution? You need to think live and you need to think micro-sized. Because those you are trying to feed are surprisingly teeny tiny in size. With teeny tiny mouths to match. But they possess a supersized appetite that needs to be satisfied and on a regular basis.
Naturally you can feed a number of things to those eyes and tails that are potentially an attitude in waiting. Just has to be downsized to their level.
And you have to be able to grow it yourself. Because you're unlikely to find the fry grub you need at any of the big box pet stores. Or your local pet store for that matter.
Admittedly some into betta breeding favor feeding infusoria. And yes these microorganisms meet the small enough test. That's for sure. But they can fail the water quality test in a big way by adding to spiking ammonia levels. And ammonia is super deadly to fragile fry. Can wipe them out faster than you can spell ICH. (Although let me hasten to add it's not ICH they got.) It's a toxic brew that's trying to pass for good water that poisons them indiscriminately seemingly without cause. Leaving the betta keeper to wonder what happened to all the fry?
For much the same reason I'm not big on egg yolk even though some are. Unless you are extremely careful, and I mean to say extremely, the cloud of protein your egg yolk produces can rot and this too can easily pollute the water badly. Leaving your fry to cry foul. As in foul, nasty, deadly water.
Okay so if those two don't make the cut what does? Initially you're better off with microworms and note that their name gives you a hint as to their size. And then a few weeks later adding baby brine shrimp (BBS) to the list. Sure it's hard to get your head around how something so small, or BBS, can be too big for your newborn bettas. But they are.
FACT: Microworms are bigger than banana worms but smaller than either Grindal or white worms. Just like in the Three Bears, they are sized just right for newly free swimming fry.
Okay so the nematodes also known as microworms are it. (Which if you notice are about as small as the performer formerly known as Prince! Kidding!) As this video shows all you basically need is a starter culture and a growing media and your fry feeding problems are pretty much over. Which is why this is the lazy way to feed your fish, more or less.
Here's how this approach to culturing microworms works.
Cook up some oatmeal and let it cool to room temp. This would be your growing media and a bit too soupy is probably better than being too dry. How much you ladle into each of your plastic containers isn't vitally important to success. Keeping in mind the worms, as they are, live on the surface not in the depths. So too thick and you're just wasting perfectly good oatmeal. On top of the oatmeal sprinkle a dusting of cream of wheat. To this you add a bit of starter from an existing microworm culture. (And do pay attention to the bit about using a clean spoon, or in this case chopsticks, so you don't cross contaminate your cultures.) To finish things off, this recipes calls for a sprinkling of brewer's yeast. Less is more with the yeast. Seal your new worm colonies with a lid that has a few air holes poked into it. And you're good. If things go right you'll soon have worms crawling up the sides of your containers ready to be harvested and fed. As the video shows collect them on your finger, drop them into water, suck them up with an eyedropper and add them to the tank housing your hungry fry. And you probably want to have a number of containers of these guys going at the same time so you have enough for a nonstop harvest.
CONCLUSION: Here's the deal. You do not want to wait until you have hungry fry depending on you for food before starting this process. Because you need starter culture to pull it off. Without that you're sunk. Sure you may find someone at your local aquarium club or whatever who has a culture available. Or you can pick some up off eBay for less than five bucks. And once you've got that you can produce these miniature worms FOREVER. But if you have to track starter culture down your spawn may well be dead before you are in a position to feed them properly. This is why the responsible thing to do is plan ahead. And have your wriggling microworm cultures going strong before you have fry that need to be fed.
INTRODUCTION: Did you know that the lovely veiltailed bettas being sold in pet stores are more likely to be males rather than females? Really? What gives? And no it's not some sexist conspiracy on the part of the retailers, but more a bowing to the law of supply and demand. Because survey says more people prefer keeping flashy male bettas than their less colorful female counterparts.
Why is that? Good question. And no, it has nothing to do with their respective prospective life span which can run to two, three years or longer with luck. Nor does it have a lot to do with demeanor although some males can be real characters. Rather it's all about marketing, and males just rate better in that department on a scale of 1-10. Guess you could say Technicolor wins out over dishwater gray.
So I also guess you chalk this retail tendency up to the fact the male of the species are much more colorful than the females are. The males also have longer flowing fins than females too. Even so you likely won't see many like this guy:
Just an incredible specimen.
Yet that's not to say that breeders haven't been busy doing what they can for the fairer sex. Because breeding these bubblenesters has evolved over the years and believe it or not breeders have now started to develop better selection techniques so they can produce some females that also come in different, more exciting colors too. They are no longer all greyed up.
Just don't get your hopes up. As despite those advances they'll still never compete with their drop dead gorgeous brothers. They still don't come anywhere close to the gaudy colors and impressive fins of these fishy male hunks. That are more or less living pinwheels of colors coming in almost any hue you could want.
CONCLUSION: So that's the appeal of male betta fish - a kaleidoscope of color. Without a doubt it's truly a colorful world inside a tank with one of these guys, don't you think? More so than with almost any other tropical fish you can name. So that's why when it comes to voting with your dollars, the guys have it all over the gals.
INTRODUCTION: It's a common question. Asked in various ways in various places online. Like Yahoo Answers, betta or tropical fish forums, as well as in comments on blog posts. But it comes down to pretty much the same thing: When it comes to betta fish life span, what can I expect? How long will my pet live?
And it's also a thoroughly reasonable question knowing that tropical fish will have a shorter life in many cases than other pets. Certainly there are exceptions but generally speaking fish are simply not going to be all that long lived. So it's helpful to have an idea of what you're dealing with, no?
But as questions go I feel this one, or at least when asked this way, misses the point. Rather than asking about expected lifespan directly, it might be better to ask what affects life span and how can you prolong it. See the difference? Because while an expiration date is more of less baked into their DNA, typically given as three to five years, there are many things the betta keeper does that can affect how long their finny friend will be around. Because far too many of these guys don't live anywhere near that long. In fact some measure their personal longevity in months or weeks even. Such a premature death is too bad especially when it is easily avoidable.
WATER QUALITY
The first thing that can affect life span is water quality. And don't just skim past this as it's a biggy. Because long betta life often comes down to two words: water quality. If you are diligent about doing water changes so that their water doesn't become toxic you are taking a good first step to maximizing life span. Because even if the water looks good, it's clear, doesn't smell, etc, ammonia and other unseen contaminates could be building up to dangerous levels if you aren't replacing water on a regular basis. And these pollutants can kill.
WATER TEST KIT
This is also why knowing your way around a water test kit would be next on the list to things to do. Most male bettas with a long life ahead of them have their water tested, and tested often. And not with those notoriously unreliable test strips either, but using a full-blown water test kit. Where you draw a tiny vile's worth of tank water, add a precise number of drops of reactant and then compare the resulting color to a chart to see what's what. Sure the better ones can cost a tad more than your flimsy run-of-the-mill strips. But since you get a better read on water conditions they are well worth it, even mandatory, if you ask me. At least if you're serious about maximizing beta life span.
TANK SIZE
While on the topic of water, the amount of water your fish is kept in goes a long way to determining how long your betta with maintain its youthful zest for life, let alone being alive. And you don't need to consult a crystal ball to come to that conclusion.
Those fighting fish kept in a tiny bowl with frigid water temps are not likely to be found wearing funny hats at too many New Year's celebrations. Cold water aside, noxious substances that lead directly to death without passing GO, can skyrocket out of control in no time. Before you know it your veiltail will be floating belly up and you are left to wonder why. While the why should be obvious, it's too late at that point to do much about it. This is why you shouldn't bother even asking the how long question if you aren't willing to address the how much. As in how much water. And housing your fish in at least a five gallon tank that can be properly heated and filtered is the minimum in my book. Doing so may not be an absolute guarantee of longevity, but it's certainly another step in the right direction.
WATER TEMPS
Along the same lines if you can't be bothered to heat the water tropically you might was well work out a beta fish flush routine in the bathroom because you'll be using it often. I'm not saying you need to get a top of the line titanium alloy submersible heater to keep your flaming red crowntail comfy, but you do need to rely on something more than room temp to do the job. Like a nice Tetra heater perhaps. That way you won't find your beta wrapped in java fern yearning to be warm at least.
For those looking for more help, here's a short video the covers the basics of choosing a fish tank heater.
Video takeaways: It's good to remember that you get what you pay for with aquarium heaters. Aside from that this is a good quick overview of lower priced heaters and what advantages a step up to submersibles might offer. That and a couple of other useful tips you won't want to miss.
MENU CHOICES
Finally do you feed flakes or pellets? Not as funny as boxer or briefs perhaps, but flakes are a nearly surefire way to have your fish looking for help in the morning at some point. They can swell up in their bellies and create bloat faster than you can spell C-O-N-S-T-A-P-A-T-I-O-N. Which is why anymore those looking to have their fish a long time rely on pellets. With occasional frozen treats like blood worms and brine shrimp to create a bit of added excitement on the menu. Because the wrong food choice is simply a bad choice. And yet another misstep easily avoided by those looking to tap the maximum life span they can for their betta fish.
INTRODUCTION: Few things are as important to the well-being of your betta than the food you feed. Problem is too many evaluate a brand based on price. And I can understand you've got a budget even when it comes to what you feed your that tiny bettafish of yours. But like most things you get what you pay for. Not to mention that if you're feeding them a stead diet of el-cheap-o-pellets the one who pays in the end is your pet.
Also most will advise you feed a varied diet. Which is a good thing too. I'm not suggesting varying the menu in a way that your betta would think they're dining at a five star restaurant every day, but it can't hurt to offer a bit of variety. Pellets day in and day out might get old just like a steady diet of shredded wheat might for you. And you might conclude that anyway given the gusto with which they attack treats like frozen brine shrimp or bloodworms.
Still you want your betta to get used to eating pellets as their staple diet. The best offer a well-rounded food source that meets their everyday nutritional needs.
So save the prey food for special occasions, I say. Although it can be nonstop fun watching your guy track down unsuspecting mosquito larvae and inhaling them with great joy. And satisfaction. I mean you can just tell he's proud of himself for a job well done. Besides experiences like this from time to time gets their blood moving and unleashes inbred instincts by letting them do what they do naturally. Hunt.
Okay but getting back to pellets, you'll know you're getting a quality product by reading what's inside. And the label would be a good indicator of what's inside.
Basically you want to see things listed that are meat based. Well, in this case a product that goes heavy on some kind of marine protein. You'll know you're on the right track if you see things like krill and herring meals or other fish meals heading the ingredient list. You're off track if you see things like that suggest a vegetable base like wheat or corn. Remember these guys are hunters not farmers.
Another clue of quality is the protein percentage. It's a shortcut yet not a foolproof way to evaluate the quality of betta food. Still a number hovering around 40% for protein content is likely going to be good enough.
For this reason many swear by the offerings from New Life Spectrum and Omega One. Feeling they are some of the best brands of betta food you can buy.
Going the quality route also means that on those days when you can't lavish time and attention on your finny friend, you can offer up a few pellets confident your fish isn't going to suffer because of it. In other words drop a couple two three pellets in the tank, wish your betta a good day and rush out the door. Free from any guilt that you should have done more.
You can always make up for it later on treat days. Giving your little guy some frozen blood worm, brine shrimp, or glass worms - if you can find them. Just be careful to remove any uneaten leftovers so it's not left to fester, decompose and ultimately foul their water. And don't go crazy. Otherwise you may be seeking help to cure a raging case of bettafish constipation.
CONCLUSION: Just like man doesn't live on bread alone, bettas feel likewise about pellets. But if pellets are the mainstay, don't scrimp. The best will cost less than a medium pizza. That you'll enjoy for a few minutes. While top notch betta food will benefit your lil buddy for their lifetime.
INTRODUCTION: Let me ask you. Are you housing that fabulous black halfmoon betta of yours in a home that they consider to be a Super Bowl at least? Or is it more the equivalent of a tiny snow globe? With them being the one found in the falling snow? (And by "snow" I mean fish poop.)
Now if you're of a mind that bettas can thrive in a small bowled environment, you might want to think again. Oh they can survive alright. Much like you could survive in a refrigerator box under a bridge - for a while. But sooner or later the elements would get you. Just like sooner or later bad water would get any finny inhabitant of a tiny bowl.
So if you want a pet that is very active, that darts all about, that is constantly on patrol, that is happy and eats well, then set your sights on a bigger tank. Please!
Most will tell you five gallons is good. And it is. But I'm here to tell you 10 gallons is better if you have the space for it. Ideal even. Reason being the water quality will be more stable. The temperature will be more stable. And it will be less work for you to keep it that way. Better for you, better for him. What's not to like?
While anything less than five gallons will cramp his style. Not to mention that unfiltered bowls invite quicker fish waste build up which can lead to the poisoning of your fish. Literally. And who wants that?
So. Your ideal set up might come down to the tank, a submersible heater, a gentle sponge filter, some real or silk plants - skip the plastic ones they can be hard on the fins, smooth stones instead of rough gravel for much the same reason, and a cover of some sorts. Yes, these guys are notorious jumpers unfortunately.
Bottom line, if you bother to heat and filter their space, they'll be happier and more active. Plus in this kind of set up the water quality will tend to be good and stable. It will also tend to be good and warm and you can keep it that way safely. Plus the extra space will make for a grateful, happier, more active fish.
And don't forget that bettas are labyrinth types. So being air breathing they like to gulp some surface air from time to time. That means you don't want to fill the tank to the top. Leave a couple two three inches of breathing or head room - literally.
Result? A happier more active fish.
Granted bettas and fish in general have limited reasoning powers. Quite often their brain runs through a simple progression when they encounter something for the first time which often comes down to three light bulb moments:
1) Is this food? - if so let's eat
2) Does it look at me as food? if so get me outta here
3) Is this a possible mate? if so then it's show time!
Happiness doesn't really enter into the equation. But you can still tell a happy betta from an unhappy one. Just head to any big box pet store and see those poor souls stuck in tiny bowls if you need to see what an unhappy one looks like.
CONCLUSION: These guys can be great companions. So why not give your black halfmoon male a really great home? One that all but insures a great life rather than just getting by.
