To make it easier for you to find what you’re looking for, I have complied a list of some of my favorite beginner-friendly betta fish care articles.

• So You Just Got Your First Betta Fish – Need Help?
• Top 5 Must-have Betta Fish Supplies
• 4 Most Common Signs of Illness in Betta Fish
• 10 Reasons to Cycle Your Betta Tank
• Food Myths

We have hundreds of articles on our website written to help new betta keepers. We have everything from feeding, illness, tank care, water chemistry, breeding and genetics. If you have a specific question, please use the search bar at the top of the page to find what you are looking for. Otherwise, enjoy learning the basics in our Bettas 101 section.

Do to the overwhelming number of emails we are receiving we aren’t able to respond to individual help requests at this time. Please do feel free to leave comments under the articles, however, we have lots of great readers who are willing to answer your questions.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Christie

Betta Fish Face | Photo by Josusache

You may have noticed a few changes to the sidebar at Nippyfish.net. We have received a few emails from readers who have found our site useful and have offered to donate. Now you can do so securely though Paypal using your debit or credit card.

We have also signed up as an Amazon.com Affiliate. When you click through our link to Amazon and make a purchase, a small monetary portion of your purchase is given back to Nippyfish.net. Your purchase doesn’t have to be fish related, it can be anything at all from Amazon. This is a great way to support our blog without spending any more money.

Nippyfish is always free to our readers. Our articles are never paid for and are volunteer generated. With your help we will continue to produce current betta care advice and personal assistance. It’s our goal to remain the number one betta fish care blog on the web and to always be available as your online resource when you need help with your betta.

These two new ways to donate are a great way to support our blog so that we can continue to pay the annual hosting fees to keep us online. Every dollar counts and no donation is too small.

We sincerely thank all our readers who have made our site so popular.

Warm regards,

Christie

I recall the first time I ever laid eyes on Betta splendens.  Like most people, I was wandering about a local pet store and thought I’d pop through the fish section.  I had not owned fish since the deaths of my tropical fish in a grossly overstocked 10g (40L) tank I owned as a kid – how I wish I had the internet to educate me then rather than pet store staff!  Still, I always liked to look at the fish section and dream, when I noticed row upon row of little cups; clear drinking cups of the variety used in water coolers, each about half-full and each containing a single, amazingly colourful, long finned fish.  At this point I was still uneducated on the nuances of fish care, but I could be certain these fish must be suffering and wondered why, considering all the other fish were in display tanks, these creatures were housed this way.  I asked a staff member what these fish were and why they were in cups like this, barely moving.  She jauntily replied, “Oh, these are Siamese fighting fish.  They fight with any other fish and have to be kept alone. Their fins are  really heavy so they don’t swim much, and in the wild live in puddles made by buffalo footprints!  They also tend to freak out and die in larger tanks, so they’re happy like this.”

Hmmmm. I’m sure this sounds familiar to you all.

I assumed she knew what she was talking about (well, she was working in a pet store after all!), though with some doubt as there were a few dead ones.  Months later, my tiny daughter was turning two and I thought of getting her a small pet of her own with the ulterior motive of using this excuse to finally keep a fish again.  I went to another store and looked at the bettas, thinking this would be perfect if indeed they were suited to tiny bowls.  I picked up a 1/4g (1L) plastic critter keeper, thinking I was wonderful for giving these fish a bit more space, and asked the staff member about the fish.  Thankfully, this staff member did inform me these were tropical fish, and required a heater which would not suit the little plastic tank;however, he did not recommend a filter.  I acquired a secondhand 5g (20L) from a friend, put in my old heater and filter, and went back for a nice purple betta as I now had a heated tank. Despite not having cycled the tank, he survived, though quite lethargically, and when he seemed to pick up I proceeded to add several other tetras until I had about 10 fish.  He did hide and not swim very much but I put this down to his large fins.  I also think doing very large weekly water changes saved him from death by nitrogen cycling stress, though several tetras did not fare so well.  Indeed, many were constantly hiding. There were regular tetra deaths, and my betta soon got dropsy and died.  The same soon happened to the next betta, so I went online to get some advice and do some rather late research.  The results were astounding.

Not only was my fish succumbing to awful stress from overcrowding, ammonia and nitrite spikes, and very high nitrates, but the grand palace I thought I was keeping him in was the bare minimum for a thriving betta.  Indeed, nearly the whole story I’d been told was completely untrue.

So, how did this story evolve?  Why are bettas still being sold in cups only to graduate to ‘tanks’ which are barely any bigger? Why do I still hear people (and pet store staff) claim they don’t need filters, and only really need a heater if it’s a cold winter?  To answer this it is crucial to understand the native environment these fish are kept in; their biology.

Betta Origins, Myths and Facts

Fighting fish?

Bettas are said to have gained their name from the “Bettah” clan of ancient Asian warriors, chiefly as they were known to be aggressive to other males.  This made them popular for ‘fish fighting’ in Siam (now Thailand), a practice still condoned in rural areas.  However, these were not fights, but tests of bravery to see which fish would be first to retreat after flaring at each other.  The fish rarely, if at all, actually fight.  In the wild, displays are to assert their dominance, and usually occur over territory and females, and are over when a competing male retreats .  In fact, betta males will only ever usually fight to the death if they are in a confined space, and/or if one is a particularly aggressive individual.  Still, these fish are considered to have an aggressive temperament, particularly as the domestic strains had originally been selected for aggression. Males should not be kept in the same tank.  A divider is ok, providing there is a lot of space on both sides for each to swim freely without always having to see his neighbour,. A lot of cover is also required on both sides of the tank so each fish can retreat if he feels threatened.  It is ill-advised to divide anything less than 10g.

Habitat and the ‘Puddle’ Myth

Water Buffalo Hoofprint in Thailand | Photo by Orange.tag.pixx

Indeed, bettas are territorial, and contrary to common belief, territories are estimated by some to be approximately 1 square meter (or 3ft sq).  These territories are the thickly vegetated, slow moving streams, marshes, large vegetated drainage ditches (klongs) and rice paddies of Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam, specifically the Mekong and Chao Phraya River drainage basins.  These ecosystems are shallow, though deeper than many aquaria, and extensive, providing ample space for establishment of such territories as well as a wide area for hunting insect larvae and finding mates.  Naturally, all of these activities would be nearly impossible in a tiny puddle, so why is the most common betta myth, being that these fish live in ‘hoofprints’, so prevalent?

The answer to this seems to arise from the bettas remarkable adaptation to the changing seasons in these areas.  In the dry season, the shallow streams and marshes inhabited by these fish can dry considerably due to evaporation, which can leave these fish trapped in small vegetated water pockets, which is the likely source of the ‘puddle’ myth.  Though rather than continuing to live happily in this situation, bettas merely endure these predicaments and opt to escape whenever possible.  Indeed, being trapped in a puddle prevents them from finding adequate food and mates, and unless they can escape, these fish are doomed to either starvation or death from toxin buildup, and at best, an inability to find a mate and reproduce.

To survive a temporary period of entrapment, and to assists them in obtaining oxygen from larger water bodies which may be low in dissolved oxygen due to slow movement or stagnation, bettas possess a hardy nature and the labyrinth organ.  The labyrinth is a highly vascularised modified gill structure which enables these fish to supplement oxygen from the surface.  The additional myth that this feature removes the need for a filter is also erroneous here, as bettas, like all other fish require filters not only to remove waste but to increase oxygenation of the water, as the labyrinth is a supplemental oxygen source only, and bettas must obtain the bulk of their oxygen from the water in which they live.

To escape to a larger body of water,  bettas  make use of their excellent jumping abilities, where they jump from puddle to puddle until they are able to reach a larger body of water, which is usually not far away, and they can even survive out of water for a limited time providing they and the labyrinth do not dry out.  Indeed, many owners will attest to this jumping and amazing survival abilities.  This includes myself, where I have personally returned home to find one of my bettas having escaped his tank via a small hole in the lid, and laying almost dry on the floor.   Upon returning him to the tank, he went on to make a full recovery.  Many others have had similar experiences, and it is no wonder that despite being kept in the worst conditions, these fish continue to survive where most fish would perish.

Another natural assistance to bettas when trapped in natural vegetated water pockets is that the water in these is regularly refreshed either by regular tropical rains (light rains still are frequent in the dry season), or by dilution as these pockets are generally part of a larger body, and thus waste is kept to a minimum.  Additionally, waste (in form of nitrates) is also constantly being absorbed by the surrounding vegetation, also reducing toxicity to the fish.  Such refreshment is not available in tiny jars, where water will rapidly become toxic, and fish are slowly poisoned from the accumulation of their own waste and lack of dissolved oxygen.  Additionally, tropical forests are almost constantly warm and humid, and ground/vegetation/water absorption of this heat also keeps bettas warm and in a relatively stable temperature.  This is something small containers cannot provide, as tiny volumes can suffer dramatic temperature fluctuations and cannot accommodate heaters to maintain a constant tropical temperature, providing another source of stress.

Sadly, it is obvious that fish stuck in puddles are easier to find than fish swimming freely in rivers, and are therefore more commonly seen by passing humans – much the same way as whales are easier to find on the beach than in the ocean by your average beachcomber.  Likewise, because we find a whale on the beach we cannot conclude it likes to live there, and the same can be said for bettas stuck in seasonal puddles.

Thailand Rice Paddies | Photo by SaZeOd

The ‘Bettas Dislike Large Tanks’ Myth

Many have also claimed that bettas will ‘freak out’ and/or hide in larger tanks and require smaller volumes.  Another misinformed fact bent from truth.  Indeed, while bettas are able to survive in smaller areas, they do not prefer them, as they are inquisitive, active and intelligent fish who like to patrol and explore their territory.  Without  this environmental enrichment many will become lethargic and deteriorate.  However, hailing from thick vegetation, bettas also can become nervous in open water, and while they prefer a large space, they require it to be filled with plants and cover in which they can hide if they feel threatened.  A lone betta in a 20g open dealers tank housed with a hundred tetras can obviously show signs of stress and will hide, though the same fish in the same volume in a planted tank with few other fish will be actively out and swimming confidently. Given space to exercise and cover to explore, they will feel secure enough to display their true colours – in terms of both their appearance and lively persona.

Given this understanding of the bettas natural habitat, we can now see how these myths arose and are now perpetuated by the aquarium industry.  Certainly, it seems a perfect sell – a colourful exotic fish you can keep on your desk which can take up no more space than a coffee mug.  Indeed, it needs such a tiny space as this is its preferred environment!  While this angle may sell thousands of novelty containers, it is capitalizing on the basic survival mechanisms possessed by these fish and exploiting them far beyond what is humane treatment.

The only way to end this treatment of domestic bettas is through educating others, particularly pet store staff, next time you see the the bettas suffering in cups in stores.  As the customer, you have a right to politely voice your concerns and point out inappropriate care to staff.  If they espouse the common betta myths to you, you can confidently debunk them with this information, which I have gathered from experienced betta keepers and wild fish collectors, who have seen and catalogued natural habitats properly.  Feel free also to post short points on these myths on online product reviews of betta tanks, such as ‘photo frames’, desk lamps, and other novelty containers which, though cute, have no right housing any animal.  With enough education, less people will purchase these tiny containers and hopefully, one day, aquariums marketed to bettas will be filtered, heated, 3-5gal (12-20L) tanks with silk or real plants which will keep any betta safe and happy for their full lifespan.

Thanks for reading, and happy betta keeping!

Hey Nippyfish Readers – Mention Nippyfish.net at Acumen Aquatic and receive 20% off FinSafe silk plants and ceramic items. Awesome!

Wrong. Sure there are amazing fish store staff out there, but they are a rare commodity. More often, the people helping you either know very little about aquaria in general or may not know the specifics about the species you are looking for. Want to know if you can trust your fish store’s knowledge about betta fish? Look for these five indicators:

How do they pronounce betta?

IF THEY SAY: Bet•ta – The correct pronunciation is with a soft ĕ. Like you are saying, “I placed a “bet” at the poker table.” If your fish store employee refers to these fish as “bet•tas” you can bet (pun intended) that they are pretty familiar with these fish. At the very least they have been hanging around other people who know what they are talking about when it comes to bettas.

IF THEY SAY: Bay•ta – If they pronounce it with a hard ā sound, like in the Greek letter “beta” then they may or may not be familiar with these fish. I won’t say they are clueless if they say “bay•ta” because lots of people say it that way. In fact, except for the most enthusiastic betta keepers and breeders, most people mispronounce betta as though it were beta fish.

What is the smallest tank size they recommend?

IF THEY SAY: Something along the lines of “larger tanks are better”… or “more stable,”   then they are offering trustworthy advice. Other good advice may include suggesting a filtered tank or a tank larger than 2.5 gallons. They may even ask you what your plans are for the fish, like if you’ll want to add more fish in the futre.

IF THEY SAY: Bettas can be kept in tiny bowls or cups or anything under one gallon, proceed with caution. If they tell you that bettas’ prefer small spaces, run away and never look back.

Ask them if they can be housed with other fish.

IF THEY SAY: “Yes, bettas can be kept with some peaceful community fish under the right conditions,” hooray for them! Other acceptable advice may include, “male bettas should not be housed together,” “males and females should not be housed together,” or “only females can be housed together under the right conditions.”

IF THEY SAY: “No, bettas should never be housed with other fish,” then they really aren’t hurting anyone, but they aren’t offering you all your options either. If they say, “sure, males can be housed together. It’s fun to watch them fight.” Then they’re crazy and should be fired.

Ask them what other equipment you need for your betta tank.

IF THEY SAY: A heater, filter, food, net, water test strips, a thermometer, substrate, a siphon, water conditioner, etc. then they are on the right track. If nothing else, they should at least recommend a thermometer and tank heater.

IF THEY SAY: You don’t need anything but a little water conditioner and food, they aren’t preparing you for what you really need and they may not understand the basics of betta fish care.

IF THEY SAY:  An air-stone, they may not fully understand the anatomy of a betta fish. Most fish store employees should know that bettas breathe air from the surface and don’t require additional oxygenation. However, there are times when an air-stone may be helpful.

Are they willing to say, “I don’t know.”

People often feel that they have to have an answer for everything and hesitate to say, “I don’t know.” Some would rather guess or offer the wrong information in place of, “I don’t know” for fear of sounding like they are inexperienced. When I hear, “I don’t know,” I say , “thank you,” because then I know where they stand and I can usually assume what they have told me beforehand was the best advice they could offer. The aquarium hobby is so extensive and complex that there isn’t a person in the world that knows everything there is to know about aquariums and the species available. “I don’t know,” is always an acceptable answer.

There is no way to ensure the advice you get from a fish store is accurate or reliable but to help improve your chances of meeting a knowledgeable staff member start by supporting small businesses. Small Mom & Pop operations usually hire the best staff available in their area. Also, remember that the owner and managers are making a career out of the aquarium industry where as the large box stores tend to hire less experienced people looking for a temporary job. Please understand that this is a general statement (before my friends at PetCo and PetSmart email me). Helpful staff people are out there, even at the big stores, you just have to know how to spot them.

Fish Store Betta Fish Cups | Photo by Whizchickenonabun

Even mild filter current can become a nuisance for a betta fish who have large heavy fins and are notoriously slow swimmers compared to other small aquarium fish. It can be challenging for betta keepers to find a balance between enough current to keep the water clean and cycling, yet gentile enough to allow their betta fish to swim comfortably and eat their food without it being washed away. Here are a few tips for getting the filter current just right in your betta tank.

Buy a filter with adjustable flow control.

In a perfect world we would all have the time to research the best equipment for our betta tanks. Most of the time this doesn’t happen, but in the off chance you are reading this and haven’t yet purchased your filter you can do yourself a favor and buy one that allows you to adjust the rate the water flows out of the filter.

Create a flow baffle.

If you can’t buy a filter with adjustable flow you can disperse the flow of water from the filter by making yourself a baffle. A baffle could be anything that blocks or redirects the water coming out of the filter. One easy way to create a baffle is to buy an inexpensive tank divider kit. It includes a mesh screen and attachment mechanisms. Cut the mesh the long way in a 1” to 2” strip and crate a small around the flow outlet fastening the mesh to the back wall.

A baffle is created by cutting up a tank divider. | Photo by Christie Fournier

Another popular method is to use a plastic soap dish or shower caddy with suction cups. Adhere the dish just below the water outlet so the water is slowed by the dish. You should never use anything that had held soap in a fish tank as it can be toxic to fish. If you try this method buy the soap dish new. It costs only a few dollars.

Block the filter intake.

Women’s pantyhose have been used for years by betta keepers to block the flow of water through the intake, thus reducing the current. Take a brand new pair of women’s hose and cut out the toe. Wrap the filter intake in the pantyhose and secure in place with rubber bands. This method also helps to reduce damage to fragile betta fins.

Create an Oasis

Another way to reduce the filter current is to decorate your aquarium with a variety of hiding places and thick foliage. Add a log, flower pot, drift wood or other décor to create a safe place your betta can hide from the current. Adding lots of full aquarium plants (real or synthetic) will also help to reduce the effects of the current. This not only helps your filter problem, it helps your betta feel more secure and makes for a beautiful aquarium to look at too.

Planted Aquarium with Driftwood | Photo by Saebaryo

Do you have some of your own ideas that we didn’t mention here? Please share your methods for reducing filter current in our comments section.

While blown-out fins are usually blamed on excessive flaring there are other likely factors that contribute to the tearing including genetics (large fins with thin tissue) and water parameters. Bettas predisposed to bacterial fin rot may have more blow-outs due to the degradation of fin tissue. Again, poor water quality is not the sole cause of fin rot, but merely a contributing factor in some cases.

The most common type of fin-blow out is a “pin-hole”. This is a tiny puncture that occurs where the tissue is stretched the thinnest. They are very commonly seen in the dorsal and anal fins. Pin-holes are very minor tears and usually require no special treatment. They typically heal naturally within a couple of days.

Holes larger than a pin hole can be treated simply with clean water. For severe blow-outs, API’s antiseptic BettaFix has proven to be very effective in reducing the healing time. Follow the manufacturer’s dosing recommendations carefully. If you are noticing frequent blow-outs or thinning of the fin tissue and suspect that it may be the precursor to bacterial fin rot, begin by testing your water parameters and increasing your water changes. If fin rot does develop treat with an appropriate antibiotic rather than BettaFix.

Blown-out fins are common and are generally considered a cosmetic problem rather than a serious health risk. Most heal themselves in just a few days. If you are worried that your betta is flaring too much and his flaring is causing his blow-outs, check out our Tips for Hiding Your Betta’s Reflection.

Beautiful Healthy Betta Fins

Fin.ished, originally uploaded by leif.gunnar.boman.

• Live or silk plants. Keeping a variety of live or synthetic aquarium plants in your aquarium will not only make your betta feel more secure (like he has a place to hide) but it will also allow him to choose from a variety of places where he can relax. Choose plants of varying heights and textures so your betta has options.

• Floating logs. Zoo Med Laboratories has created a Floating Betta Log specifically designed for betta fish. It not only floats, it has a hole so that bettas can surface or blow a bubblenest in a calm environment. This is one of the best product ideas I have seen designed specifically for bettas as they are catering to the species’ natural instincts. I haven’t seen one in action yet but have heard good things from our readers who have them.

• Zoo Med Labs has also created a Betta Leaf Hammock. The suction cup allows you to adjust the floating synthetic leaf so it floats in just the right spot. I have also used floating feeding rings in a similar manner. The rings have a Styrofoam insert that keeps it at the surface. Bettas love to blow bubblenests in them as well as float inside the ring.

• Styrofoam cups are frequently used by betta fish breeders to create a secure place for the male to build a bubblenest. In breeding the cup is cut in half lengthwise and placed at the surface so that the convex portion protrudes from above water. If you are just looking to make a hammock for your betta, flip the cup over so that the majority of it is suspended underwater.

Offering your betta a place to rest near the surface will help to reduce stress and create a feeling of security for your fish. For sick or weakened bettas, this is particularly important so they are able to reserve some of their energy, focusing on healing rather than straining to reach the surface to breathe.

Betta Resting in Planted Aquarium | Photo by QuanTum~Theory

I will not address the organic chemistry aspect (the Nitrogen Cycle), which involves ammonia, nitrates, etc., rather the aspects of KH, GH, pH, mineral ions, & Redox.

Much of this is rather difficult to fully understand (especially Redox), however much newer research in areas outside the aquarium hobby have shown the importance to other animals and humans, so I will attempt to explain these concepts in basic terms (please forgive me if get too scientific, but this is my background)

I will cover these areas:

• (1) PH
• (2) KH
• (3) GH and its relation to mineral ions and Redox.

(1) pH;
Most aquarium keepers understand pH rather well, so I will keep this brief and make some important points to understand;

First it is important to note that the pH scale is logarithmic, meaning that it goes up or down in multiples of ten. For example a pH of 7.5 is 5 times the alkalinity of a pH of 7, while a pH of 9.0 is 100 times the alkalinity of 7.0.
The importance of knowing this is that many aquarium keepers “chase” their aquarium pH looking for the “perfect” pH number. The problem with this is most fish can adapt to a wide range of pH, especially Bettas due to the Monsoonal climates they originate from. However most fish cannot tolerate sudden changes in pH (Cory Catfish in particular) often caused by introduction to an aquarium or aquarium keepers adding so-called pH adjusters that usually result in a bouncing pH. So the bottom line is to find a reasonable pH you can manage and stick with it, such as 7.2, even if you feel your Betta should be at 6.5. Assuming you have difficulty maintaining 6.5, your Betta will be far better off at a stable 7.2 than a bouncing 6.5

It is also noteworthy that at a pH of 6.0 most all nitrification ceases, while on the other side of the equation most non-toxic ammonium converts to toxic ammonia at 8.0

(2) KH;
KH is carbonate hardness and is related to pH in that amount carbonates as well as acid buffers (such as Indian Almond Leaves), directly affect the stability of your pH as well as your actual pH number.

Here are a few buffers:
Alkaline

• Bi-Carbonates and Carbonates found in many products, such as SeaChem Alkaline and Kent Buffers
• Oolitic sands have some alkaline buffers (crushed coral has very little)

Acid

• Driftwood
• Peat
• Indian Almond Leaves (found in Nirox Bio Lif and Atison’s Spa)

The above three are very slow acid buffers

• Phosphates
• Bisulfate

The above two acid buffer work much more quickly and often need to be used more carefully.

As a warning I have found pH Down and pH Up (& similar) products to be avoided due to often resulting pH “chasing”

(3) GH and its relation to mineral ions and Redox;
This is where misunderstandings within the aquarium hobby really abound and where it is difficult to explain in more basic terms. I will start with that GH is the “General Hardness” of water which includes important minerals such as Calcium and Magnesium.

Despite some outdated information, a higher GH for example of 200 is not dangerous to fish such as Bettas (your aquarium would need to be near 500 in GH for respiration problems to occur in fish such as Bettas).
More importantly when one tests for GH, you are only getting the basic GH, not the negative and positive mineral ions (similar to how most test kits cannot tell the difference between Ammonia which is toxic and ammonium which is not toxic).

Now this is where it gets more complicated; these minerals are not only essential many physiological processes within the fish such as heart rate, control of fluids in the body and much more, these minerals when positively charged effect the Redox Balance which MUCH recent research in humans and elsewhere shows much improved health due to improved immune systems as free radicals are controlled by these positive mineral ions (called cations).

Before I explain further the relation of mineral ions (& more) to Redox, let me quote from “Aquarium Redox” a very basic description of Redox:

Redox, also known as Redox Potential, oxidation potential, & ORP (oxidation reduction potential) describes the ability for the loss of an electron by a molecule, atom or ion to the gain of an electron by another molecule, atom or ion. Without this ability to gain electrons many minerals cannot be absorbed and properly assimilated. So it is very important to keep a healthy Redox Balance via proper dissolved oxygen levels, UV Sterilization, and proper positively charged mineral levels (such as Calcium and Magnesium).

These mineral ions are “oxidized” during normal biological processes both in the aquarium as a whole and within the fish themselves, and to maintain Redox Balance, these positive mineral ions must be replaced.

Here is a quoted example of what I am referring to from “Aquarium Chemistry”

“Depletion of Positive Ions
Think of it this way; a storage battery “works” only when a positive and a negative electrode are present to maintain an electrical current. When the positive ion charged plates become exhausted, the battery is no longer any good until recharged. In a lead/acid batteries essentially lead (Pb) and lead oxide (PbO2) are changed to lead(II) sulfate (PbSO) in the discharged state, However lead is still present (as with calcium in an aquarium) in a discharged state.”

Water changes and additional supplements are generally necessary to replenish these mineral ions (cations). Using the car battery as an example again, when re-charging, a 12 volt battery will show a charge of up to 14 volts in a 12 volt battery shortly after and at the completion of a charge, this is similar to the high GH (often over 400) with the use of many methods of adding mineral electrolytes such as Wonder Shells, Aragomix, or similar.”

As well the addition of UV Sterilizers can play an important role for a balanced aquatic Redox Potential as newer studies have proven that UV Sterilization increases immunity by adding electrons and balancing the essential electromagnetism of the water. Often when a UV does not achieve what it should as per Redox (as well as Level One Sterilization), it is due to a an improper installation that has too high of a flow rate per watt, a poorly designed UV Sterilizer (of which there are many “cheap” models flooding the market), or simply with an otherwise good installation/UV, the failure to change the UV Bulb every six months.

Since I mentioned UV Sterilization for for Redox on a web site mostly aimed at Betta Keepers (where adding this device to a small tank/bowl is totally impractical), I feel that failure to mention this device would leave out a proven tool for Redox Balance that the most recent science and research shows its important role in improving. As well I personally know of many advanced & professional betta keepers that have their bettas in central filtration systems that have multiple small boxes within this systems for maintaining dozens if not 100s of Bettas on one filtration systems and for this system or even a smaller tank such as a 20 gallon aquarium, a UV Sterilizer is quite practical (one of my tanks is a 14 gallon bio cube and it has a UV Sterilizer installed).

For further much more in depth information, I strongly recommend reading these articles:

• Aquarium Chemistry; this includes more depth information about preparing water that is ideal for bettas (see the Amazon River Water Section)
• Aquarium Redox Potential; for those desiring a further understanding complex yet proven aspect of healthy water quality, this is a good read.

Freshwater Aquarium | Photo by SaltGeorge

Betta breeders are most interested in understanding and manipulating genes for either color or tail type. Understanding the various genes and traits and how they are manipulated can be complicated. One of the first things you need to understand is the difference between dominant and recessive traits and how they affect what you will get when you breed two bettas together.

A betta gets one gene from his mother and one from his father for any given trait. Let’s say we want to breed a double-tail betta. Whether a betta fish has a single tail or a double-tail depends on the genes it receives from his parents.

Genes can be dominant or recessive. The single-tail  gene is a dominant gene. The double-tail gene is a recessive gene.  Genes are often given abbreviations. When the gene is dominant it is shown in capital letters. The single-tail gene is dominant and is abbreviated as (ST). The recessive double-tail gene is abbreviated with a lowercase (dt).

If a betta receives the dominant single-tail (ST) gene from either parent or both parents it will have a single-tail.  It will only have a double-tail if it receives the recessive (dt) gene from both parents. Remember, each parent carries two genes but can only pass one down to its young. For a double-tail betta to be born, both parents must have and pass down a (dt) gene.

Let’s pretend that the mother carries  (STdt) genes (one single-tail and one double-tail). The mother will have a single-tail but will be a carrier for the double-tail trait. If the father also has (STdt) genes the same thing is true. Using a simple table you can see that 75% of the brood will have single-tails and 25% will have double-tails.

STdt to STdt

If the mother carries (STdt) genes (she has a single-tail) and the father has two double-tail genes (dtdt) (he has a double-tail) then approximately 50% of the brood will have double-tails.

STdt to dtdt

If either parent has two single-tail genes (STST) then it is not possible for the young to inherit two dt genes and no young will be produced with double-tails.

Breeding two double-tail (dtdt) to (dtdt) parents together will result in 100% double-tail bettas, however this comes at a high cost. Double-tail bettas bred from two double-tail parents are prone to bent spines and other deformities.

dtdt to dtdt

This is the basics of dominant and recessive genes. It gets a lot more complicated but already you have enough information to estimate about how many bettas with a given trait you’ll get from a brood if you know the traits the parents carry.

Double Tail Betta | Photo by Inhashi