Now You Have Your New Aquariums or Bowls – What Should You Put In It?
Goldfish are often chosen as the first fish for a hobbyist to keep in their new aquariums, bowls or tanks but is the goldfish the only possible starter fish? The size of the bowl or tank aquarium will of course limit your choice but another fish to consider is the Siamese fighting fish that is more commonly known as Betta fish.
It has been suggested that due to their ancestors, who lived in poor oxygen environments, that Bettas do not require filters or aerators in the aquarium. However, I would tend to disagree and add a filter, provided it did not produce too much of a current for the fish to swim against. Natural or artificial plants are a good idea for the aquarium or bowl, this is because the Betta need to reach the water's surface for oxygen and the plants give them some support to do this.
The fish have been bred from their more natural dull colouring into some highly coloured and striking varieties that are incredible to watch. One fish will live happily alone, but do keep the temperature of the water fairly constant at around 78 - 80 degrees. Because of this, avoid placing your aquariums or bowls in direct sunlight. Unlike a lot of other fish, Betta can exist in smaller bowls, such as the Betta Garden Floral Bowl which is reasonably priced around $20. If you have more than one fish, go for a much larger tank and your Betta can live for up to 10 years and grow to around 8 centimetres depending on the particular variety.
You should feed your Bettas on Betta pellets but don't forget to supplement their diet with brine shrimps or bloodworms, finely chopped carrots, corn, broccoli or soybeans to keep them healthy.
Betta are naturally aggressive, even the females, and care needs to be taken when breeding. It is actually the males who look after the eggs and although the females may try and eat the eggs, the males are likely to try and eat the fry after they have spawned!
Betta do not make natural tank mates because of their aggressive nature. In a small tank or bowl, it's probably advisable not to put Bettas together, the best options as tank mates are platies (moons), loaches or Corydoras (catfish).
In summary, Betta are an ideal and interesting fish to observe for a smaller tank as long as you are aware of the aggressiveness of these fish. You must not overcrowd the tank and should seek advice from whoever you buy your Betta from, but do be careful who you partner your Betta with because of the aggressiveness of these fish!
