|
|
|
 |
Bettas have an organ to help them breathe, this is called the labyrinth organ. It allows them to take in air from the surface of the water and like other fish they can also use their gills. The organ developed as a natural adaptation to their environment, as the environment they live in often ran short of air.
Due to Bettas having the labyrinth organ they can, if you wish, be housed in smaller containers compared to a similar sized fish that does not possess the organ.
People keep bettas individually in anything from a 1 pint jar up to a 12 gallon tank and every size in between, others still keep them in larger general community tanks.
The choice is yours which size you prefer for your fish, you have to keep in mind that fish waste and waste food is toxic to them and unlike in nature where this is broken down by bacteria there is no such bacteria in a jar, should you decide to use a jar.(see water section)
Bettas can jump so a lid is needed really. If your using lights then cover glass or a condensation tray is a must and may well save your bettas life if he/she jumps near the light.
If you use artificial plants then you should opt for the silk type as the hard plastic ones can tear your bettas fins.
Live plants, the males like some hornwort it can be used floating and the males carry it on their backs
(dorsal/head area), by swimming underneath it to move it when rearranging the tank to suit themselves.
Vallisneria, I have the large Vallis in the community tank, where the females were, and they liked
swimming between it and hiding between it .It propogates very easily by making offshoots
these then root and grow into another plant, you can cut the stem between it and the mother plant and then plant
it elsewhere to suit your needs.At the rear of the betta tank Hygrophilia are good as they are tall and
the betta likes to explore near the surface and rest there too and this will give him nice cover so he feels
secure there.
Thai Strict at the rear, nearer Java Fern, front Crypts
As you can see from my photo this type of planting gives plenty of cover near the surface for bettas,
yet will also give mid and lower level cover for tank mates.This 3ft tank began with 3 Thai Stricta and 1
Cryptocoryne wendtii, as these grew they were then propogated to increase the plant numbers.
|
 |
|
|
|
