All information is taken from Labyrinth Fish: The Bubble Nest Builders
Written by Horst Link
Published by Tetra in 1991
(Okay, just in case some of you don't know, there are MANY species of betta. The veil tails and fancy bettas you usually see don't ever exist in the wild because they've been bred to look the way they do by natives in Thailand, Borneo, Maylasia, etc..but to keep this from getting insanely detailed, I am going to focus only on the wild form of Betta splendens, the original form of the Siamese fighting fish, as it is most pertinent.)
Link says:
"In my opinion, the natural distribution range is very much smaller than had been supposed until now and is, in fact, restricted to central, western, and northern Thailand...Betta splendens lives in paddy fields and associated ditches, in marshes and flooded grass pits and in the klongs (canals) of the residential parts of towns and villages. At different times of the year, they may be very numerous."
"These fish are seen to best advantage in a smaller tank 70cm long by 40cm wide and about 30cm high containing plenty of plants in parts...(he goes on to list what kinds of filtration, lighting, heat...species of plants...the kind of gravel. He's very particular - but notice that he believes they should have all of these things to be healthy)
you'll need to know this word for the next paragraph:
ten·a·ble
/ˈtɛn
ə
bəl/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[ten-uh-buh
l] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation
–adjective 1.capable of being held, maintained, or defended, as against attack or dispute: a tenable theory.
The view that fighting fish often live in mudholes and therefore can be kept in such conditions is not really tenable. The fish will exhibit their full finery in a well-established, balanced aquarium and it is only under such conditions that their keeper will be able to appreciate their beauty at its best."
---
Here is a klong:
a paddy field:
These aren't mud puddles, obviously.
Just because they have labyrinth organs doesn't mean they can live in a cesspool. It just means they can live in warm, shallow, slow moving water with a low oxygen content.
In conclusion, let's treat bettas like all other fish, and give them enough room, flow, filtration, plants, heat and food to thrive.
Written by Horst Link
Published by Tetra in 1991
(Okay, just in case some of you don't know, there are MANY species of betta. The veil tails and fancy bettas you usually see don't ever exist in the wild because they've been bred to look the way they do by natives in Thailand, Borneo, Maylasia, etc..but to keep this from getting insanely detailed, I am going to focus only on the wild form of Betta splendens, the original form of the Siamese fighting fish, as it is most pertinent.)
Link says:
"In my opinion, the natural distribution range is very much smaller than had been supposed until now and is, in fact, restricted to central, western, and northern Thailand...Betta splendens lives in paddy fields and associated ditches, in marshes and flooded grass pits and in the klongs (canals) of the residential parts of towns and villages. At different times of the year, they may be very numerous."
"These fish are seen to best advantage in a smaller tank 70cm long by 40cm wide and about 30cm high containing plenty of plants in parts...(he goes on to list what kinds of filtration, lighting, heat...species of plants...the kind of gravel. He's very particular - but notice that he believes they should have all of these things to be healthy)
you'll need to know this word for the next paragraph:
ten·a·ble
/ˈtɛn
–adjective 1.capable of being held, maintained, or defended, as against attack or dispute: a tenable theory.
The view that fighting fish often live in mudholes and therefore can be kept in such conditions is not really tenable. The fish will exhibit their full finery in a well-established, balanced aquarium and it is only under such conditions that their keeper will be able to appreciate their beauty at its best."
---
Here is a klong:
a paddy field:
These aren't mud puddles, obviously.
Just because they have labyrinth organs doesn't mean they can live in a cesspool. It just means they can live in warm, shallow, slow moving water with a low oxygen content.
In conclusion, let's treat bettas like all other fish, and give them enough room, flow, filtration, plants, heat and food to thrive.
