My bettah Betta

A little more than a month ago, I picked up 4 female Betta (Siamese Fighting Fish) with the thought that I would add them to my community tank. I have not yet added them to my community tank, but I may, at some point. For now, I'm keeping them together in my 5 gallon tank. You can see a photo of three of the Bettas in the April 24, 2009 post.

Betta is pronounced "Bet ta" and not "Bay ta." They come from warm Asian countries, like India, Cambodia and Thailand. They can live in puddles for extended periods, which is one reason that so many people keep their male Betta in a tiny tank, vase or bowl. Betta's can jump easily out of tanks since they are accustomed to "puddle jumping." In some countries, the male fish are used as a form of gambling because they will fight to the death with other male Bettas. They are bred to do this. In the wild, the Betta is not quite that aggressive unless he is protecting his eggs. They prefer still aged water. I had to jury-rig the outflow of my filter so that the water no longer rushes out, but gets diffused through a thick course filter/sponge. I change the water by 50% once a week since they do appreciate fresh water.

When I first put the four together, I had been told that there would be a hierarchy established by the females. I have Indy, which is a dark blue purple indigo round tail; Corazon, a deep red, almost cardinal red round tail; Pinky, a white/pinkish body with bright red fins crown tail; and spunky little Iris, a purplish iridescent round tail. This is the order of their hierarchy.

You see, when I first got them, they were each in little individual cups/bowls with lids, where they could hardly swim. :^( I placed Iris in the tank with the other Bettas and noticed right away that Iris had swimming issues. She swam through the water in a vertical fashion, like a porpoise doing a water dance for an audience. Iris was chased by the three other Bettas and she would almost drag herself over the rocks, lean on plants, hide in the folds of the plants and under the little bridge. She was simply pathetic.

I learned that Iris had a swim bladder condition brought on by poor diet and constipation. I immediately took Iris out and placed her in shallow water in my little quarantine tank. I cooked some peas, pinched them out of their round coating shell and mashed a half pea for each of the Bettas. After a few days, I noticed that Iris was swimming better and with less effort. I picked up some Bio-Gold Betta pellets which they love! I soak the pellets for a few minutes before feeding them to the fish. They now recognize the red spoon that I use to place the pellets into the tank. I try to space out the pellets so that each fish can get a few each feeding. They chase the red spoon all around the tank!

Eventually, I put Iris back in with the other fish after a week of isolation, and although she is still picked on, she has the strength and vitality to hold her own. Her tail is a bit ragged and chewed from being chased, but she is nobody's push over when it comes time to eat! She lunges for her fair share of food.

I still feed them mashed peas twice a month just before it's time to change their water. I also feed them a treat of blood worms (freeze dried) once a week. Since they are carnivores, I try to make certain that they get enough protein in their diet. They are a little like goldfish in that they will eat and eat and eat themselves sick. So I ration the number of pellets each fish gets per day. Their coloring is good and they seem quite content all together in their five-gallon tank.