how long could a betta hold its breath?

[aquacutlure]

I have a betta named poo dragon, he made a cave for himself between driftwood and sand and every two minutes he races to the surface for air.

Is this time limit normal ?

 

[Conski]

I like its name. Its a betta fish man they get air when they need it lol dont worry about it!

 

[aquacutlure]

Ok, I just figured they could hold their breath for a little longer, he seems to be a little slow minded but has wised up to the tank depth and has so far decided to stay in the upper half of the tank.

 

[Slappy*McFish]

Bettas don't hold their breath...they do have gills and can breath under water just like other fish. They've just evolved to use their labyrinth organ to supplement the o2 intake due to their natural waters being low in dissolved o2. They naturally hang near the surface, so this behavior really is not unusual.

 

[KarlTh]

Their gills aren't adequate though; they need the labyrinth as well. An anabantoid which is denied access to the surface will eventually drown.

 

[jm1212]

bettas will race to the surface as a matter of instinct. they may be generations away from their wild counterparts, but its pretty hard to breed primordial instincts out of fish. in the wild, they are used to low-oxygen water and therefore dont take up much oxygen with their gills. that said, they wont necessarily drown from being underwater for long periods of time.

 

[Star_Rider]

Their gills aren't adequate though; they need the labyrinth as well. An anabantoid which is denied access to the surface will eventually drown.

agreed

:thm:

 

[aquacutlure]

thanks everyone i already knew they, had the labrynth organ, he has plenty of air access, but what i didn't know was that their gills were somewhat functional. he is starting to calm down a bit and getting more confidence in my tank.

 

[bitbot]

Maybe Poo Dragon rofl is a bit shy, and that's why he was hiding; but he still needs to come to the surface. Some floating plants might help him feel more comfortble.