Readers Respond: Have you kept a Betta?

Responses: 130

By Shirlie Sharpe, About.com Guide

I have placed my new male siamese fighting fish with my swordfish. He attacked all the female swords. but left the males alone. Is there any reason for this type of behavior?
—Guest lisa

My friend breeds bettas, and I have always wanted one, so he gave me a fish, some gravel, and food. My new betta is only a baby, so I feed him "first bites." I named him sepheluf and in three days, I will go to the pet store and get him a bigger tank so I can move him out of the 1.5 gallon vase he is in now.
—Guest Bensef

I read your comment about how the red fish seem to need warmer water than the blue, and I wonder if it is because in wavelength and vibratory physics red is hotter and faster and blue is cooler and slower. Also , doesn't it seem sometimes that the people who come from colder climates, like Scandinavian countries have blond hair and blue eyes and the people from warmer climes, have darker complexions and hair, not always, yet it seems that the cooler, the lighter and the darker the warmer, isn't that also yin and yang. maybe there is a scientific basis, perhaps?
—firewilson

I have only had my betta for a few days. It was a gift from one of my students. So, prior to being put in it's current bowl it lived in the fish shop. I have noticed that over the past couple of days the colour of one of it's fins has changed from blue to a browny colour. Do you think something is wrong with water or the fish?
—theresepatti

I found my Beta on the top of my stove. He had jumped out of his bowl and fell three feet before he landed on the stove top. He was still alive after being out of the water for six hours. There were fragments of his skin on the stove top where he landed. I went to pick him up to dispose of him, and he moved. I put him back in his bowl and he is still alive today. Not as pretty as he used to be, but active, even with his worn out fins. I bought a female for him to mate with, I figure his genes deserved to passed on. They are separated, the male and two females on the other side of the breeding tank. Any tips on what to do next? The aquarium store told me that the male will kill the female after he squeezes her eggs out, and that he should have a couple of females to choose form. is this true?
—Guest diegovega

My Betta which I named Joe lived to be over 6 years old. He lived in a 10 gallon tank and then a 20 gallon tank with my guppies and algae eater. He loved the bubbles and rapids. I now have a new one named Blue and he loves the bubbles and rapid water too. I love my Bettas.
—bertiegavin

I have owned fighters for about 6 months now. Have an ocean green and blue and a purple tri-color and pink. All is well with them, except the red fish. I have lost 4 now just bought the 5th and treat them all the same but the red are dying. I really think they are all very sensitive. I keep them in 15 gallon tanks with bamboo in them and they love it. The red ones can't handle it. They definitely need warmer consistent climates. The blue fish cope with cooler climates and eat every day. I found when ever their tails look curly they are on their way to coming down with a fungus disease. Treat them straight away then after about 10 days they are all good. Cheers
—Guest kylie

I have one male and introduced 3 females. One stressed one out in 24 hrs and dies. I separeated the remaining 2 females, and then one of the females started attacking the other. I reintroduced one female to the make, and they had eggs in a bubble nest. Then, I think, someone ate them. Then that female died. I now reintroduced him to the last female, and they had eggs! They are in the bubblenest and I've removed the female so the make can attend to the eggs. Any suggestions on how to make sure these eggs have a chance at making it?
—Guest Freddie

I have a male Betta named Droplet. He is a beautiful dark blue fish with one red fin. I have him in a 3 gallon tank and he is healthy as can be. I also have another one in a 3 gallon tank his name is Snowball. HE IS A BEAUTIFUL BABY BLUE COLOR WITH A LITTLE DARK BLUE SPOTS and his head is tan and loves swimming everywhere in his tank.!!!
—Guest i love yew

My betta, Little Foot, just loves to beg me for food when I come home from work. When I feed him, he'll attack his food (acting like I never feed him ever), spit it out, attack it again, spit it out, then finally will munch happily, but not before turning around to me and sticking it out of his mouth, much like we humans would on our tongues to annoy the person next to you. I have him in a 3 gallon Aquaview360 tank, but had to turn the bubbles off because the current it made was too strong and would push him down into the tank. He's a picture fanatic too, always striking a pose when I hold my phone up to capture the cuteness.
—Guest Jen

We have had some truly fascinating male Bettas over the years. We had read that the males would "guard" their babies. Well, we have had several males that would "guard" ANY babies! Our guppies would have their babies and the male Bettas would build a bubble nest, and catch the guppy babies and spit them into the nests; just as they would tend to their own off-spring. They they would repeat this time after time after time! Couldn't tell who was more frustrated: the Betta when the babies would not stay in the nest or the guppies who kept getting put back in the nest!
—LindaCharland

We first started with one red Betta named Henry. He was kept in a one gallon betta bowl. He was listless, only swimming up to eat which was not too often. We then bought a 26 gallon and put him in. The change was remarkable.He swims very much and rests himself on the plants. He is now a joy to watch and gets along with our goldfish. catfish and plecos. He is about 2 yrs old
—Guest spaniellover2@yahoo.com

I had a betta fish named finley. He was a beautiful fish. He loooooovvvveeeeddd swimming around. But in the past 2 weeks he's at the bottom just staying low at wouldn't eat a thing at one day, when my dad cleaned his tank he died. I was really sad for I'm only 10 but I got another fish for my little sister so I hope hers survives and now my dad gave me his tank and now I have 2 little shrimpies, a live plant and a dwarf gourami in a 6 gallon tank so now everyones happy :)
—Guest Adrian

I have an aqua 980 tank. I bought a male fighter a beautiful deep red one and added 3 female fighters. A week later I'm worried as my male fighter has nipped one of the females finnage quite badly. So I've moved the male out into a 30 ltr tank by himself for a while. Wll her finnage grow back, and why did he do that?
—Guest janice

Seriously I don't know whats wrong with him. Sometimes he'll be swimming in his bowl perfectly then all of a sudden i see him hying down between his plastic plant and the little rocks at the bottom of the bowl. I shake the bowl lightly and he gets up right away. Its like he likes messing with me. I think he makes his own nest. But I don't know if that's normal.
—Guest Michelle

Shirlie Sharpe
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