It’s been a while since I discussed the fishes I acquired last March at the Southwest Area Killifish Event. I still have two more species to discuss. Today, it’s about my crowntail bettas.
Bettas are fairly popular as a fish that can be kept in a smaller than average container, but they are also famous for being solitary animals. That’s is especially true for the males. After all, they aren’t called Siamese Fighting Fish just because it’s a cool name.
I acquired a pair of crowntail bettas from a fish local breeder. I went after a pair because I had in mind to try breeding them myself. They have to be kept separated until they are ready to breed because the male will not tolerate the female in his territory if they aren’t about to breed, especially if that territory is fairly small.
The best conditions for keeping a betta is a small filtered and heated tank, but it is possible to keep them healthy in bowls. You’ll note that the betta in the photo is in a two gallon goldfish bowl. (Why keeping goldfish in a bowl is a bad idea would require a dedicated post.) You’ll get a lot of dissenting opinion from experienced fishkeepers on that point, but I discussed it at length here.
Bettas are bubble nest builders. The fish I acquired are still a little young to be breeding, so I am not even trying at this point. Also, if they do breed, I’ll end up with about a hundred cups scattered around the house to keep the fry separated from each other. Breeding bettas is not a task to be undertaken lightly.
