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According to the sales girl, this betta fish tank is the best seller at a huge retailer. I took this photo on my cellphone to show you what not to buy! Can the betta survive in this tank, yes....will the betta fish be happy and healthy, no. If you care about your betta fish a one gallon tank should be the minimum.
The beautifully cared for Betta fish in this photo was an entry in Aquarama 2007

I saw this betta fish tank that doubles as a iPod speaker, it is so small that the betta fish does not look like he can turn around! Not to mention the speaker is right below the water, I can not belive they sell this thing. This is a tank for people who do not care at all about their betta fish!
I was surprised to see a story about betta fish on the “Advances in Physiology Education” website. It seems male betta fish are “an attractive model for the study of aggressive behavior” and the study finds that in the male Betta splendens given Prozac, that the small dose of Prozac was “sufficient to reduce the expression of specific aggressive behaviors”. Here is the webpage----> http://advan.physiology.org/cgi/content/abstract/31/4/358
A photo of a beautiful betta fish


Common fish terms (betta fish and otherwise!)

CRI; Color Rendering Index
A rating used for light bulbs on a scale up to 100, where 100 is equal to sunlight.

Detritus
The organic waste matter that collects on the bottom of your fish tanks.

Fry
A fully formed baby fish.

Pectoral fins
Paired fins, one on each side of the body located behind the gill covers.
Most people first start breeding betta fish to see the breeding process themselves and see if they can do it. There are some people who breed betta fish solely to sell them but most got addicted after successfully breed their first batch of betta fry and sell their betta fish to support their habit! You see, a bettas color depends on its parents, so it becomes very addicting trying to match a male betta and a female betta with just the right coloring to complement each other.

If you are looking for an all in one betta fish breeding and care guide that will show you how to have stunning aquariums full of Betta fish that will successful breed, check out "Taking the Mystery Out of Betta Breeding" written by Tho Le. Tho Le has been passionate about Betta fish for over 10 years and has uncovered hundreds of tips, techniques and secrets about Betta fish care and breading that no one else seems to know.
In the wild Betta fish subsist almost exclusively on insects and insect larvae, they even have an upturned mouth that is well suited to snatching any unsuspecting insect that might fall into the water. Internally a bettas digestive system is geared for meat, and for this reason, live foods are the ideal diet for the betta, however they will adapt to eating flake foods and frozen and freeze dried foods. Brine shrimp, Daphnia, tubifex, glassworms and plankton are all excellent options that may be found frozen or freeze dried. If flake food is fed, it should be supplemented with frozen and freeze-dried foods, and when possible live foods.
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Betta Fish Secrets

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Just by going to the site you can discover the most common reason betta fish become sick with disease and how 90% of the time it comes down to the same thing that can be avoided very easily.

Just make sure you take a look at this site today as he's giving away a free betta fish info gift worth $197 that has taken him months to produce!

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Betta Fish Secrets
Betta fish make fun and beautiful pets, but more than likely your betta fish is going to get sick at some point in time. It is important that you are prepared to treat your betta when he is sick and this includes being aware of various diseases that affect betta fish, their symptoms, and how you can treat them. Once you know the basics of betta fish diseases you will be better prepared to recognize and treat your betta to prevent the disease becoming too serious or even fatal. The following are five of the most common diseases that affect betta fish.

Tail or Fin Rot

Tail rot and fin rot are common betta diseases that are caused by water that becomes too dirty. You can actually prevent this disease from ever affecting your fish if you are careful to always keep their water clean. As a general rule this is an easy condition to treat and it does not seem to be contagious either. If you treat your fish as soon as possible you will be able to stop the progression of the disease and their tails and fins will grow back.

Some of the symptoms to look for include the betta’s tail and fins getting shorter and shorter. Their fins may also start to have a darker color and they may appear as if they are dissolving or actually falling apart. While some betta’s may not even act sick, others may stop eating, get clumped fins, and start looking pale.

Thankfully treating tail and fin rot is fairly easy and will provide results in a few weeks. For treatment you will need to do a full jar water change and use Fungus Eliminator, as well as either tetracycline or Triple Sulfa. After the initial change you will need to be sure to change the water every three days and when you do you should add more medication to the water as well. It is important that you continue the treatment until you fish improves and you seen new fin and tail growth occurring. This may take a few weeks, so continue the treatment until your fish improve.

Ick

Another very common disease in betta fish is ick. Ick is actually a type of parasite and many times it is present in frozen food that is live. Although ick is one of the most contagious betta diseases, it can be treated. You can prevent your fish from getting ick by adding Aquarisol and salt to your fish’s water.

If you start to see white dots appearing on your betta’s body, including the head and even his eyes, this is a sign that your fish has ick. More than likely your beta will also become much less active than before and may appear sick and have clumped fins as well. They may feel itchy, so you may see them darting and rubbing against rocks in their tanks.

Since ick is such a contagious disease it is best to go ahead and treat the entire tank of fish for disease. Ick is very sensitive to temperature, so you should raise the temperature in your tank to about 85 degrees F. For every gallon in your tank, add one drop of Aquarisol every single day until your fish are better. Usually it will only take a few days to get rid of this disease.

Dropsy

Dropsy is actually the most common disease among bettas and it is also the most likely to be fatal to your fish as well. While not a great deal is known about this disease many feel that it is linked to live foods, and it especially seems linked to feeding them the black worms. Many people have found that they can prevent dropsy all together by not allowing their fish to eat black worms.

The symptoms of dropsy are quite easy to recognize and they include a bloated belly and scales that appear as if they are raised. The raised scales may actually appear very similar to a pine cone.

Unfortunately there is not a known cure for this betta fish disease. It is, however, very important that you isolate the betta that appears to have dropsy as soon as possible so the other fish will not contract the disease.

Swim Bladder Disorder

Another very common disease that betta’s may get is swim bladder disorder. This actually comes as a result from feeding them too much. This disease is not contagious, and as a general rule it affects the younger bettas if they have eaten to much or have become very stressed.
If you see a betta that is having a hard time swimming, seems off balance, or prefers to just lay near the bottom, there is a good chance they are suffering from swim bladder disorder. Many times you will see them just sliding along on the bottom of the tank as well.

Many times you will find that your betta will recover by himself, but it is probably a good idea to not feed them as much for a few days. It is also helpful to eliminate brine shrimp from their diet as well, as this can actually cause part of the problem. In the future, try to be sure that you feed your fish a balanced diet to prevent this from happening again.

These are just a few of the common betta fish diseases that you my deal with in your bettas. Other diseases that bettas may have to deal with include external parasites, bacterial infection, fungal infection, depression, and velvet. Having medications on hand such as tetracyclin, Ampicillin, jungle fungus eliminator, and maracin 1 and 2. Just taking some simple preventive measures can help keep your fish from developing many of these diseases, but it important to know what to do if these diseases occur in your fish.

For more information on betta fish illness, try visiting http://www.bettafishcenter.com, a popular website that provides tips, advice and resources on caring for betta splendens.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sarah_Munn
While it can be difficult to maintain the water temperature in a tank, it's absolutely necessary that you have one. There are two reasons for this. First of all, if your Betta gets too stressed out over a period of time, his immune system will become compromised, and he'll begin to lose his ability to fight off infection and disease.

The second reason is that your Betta is used to living in water that is between 75 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit - and he will become listless and unresponsive if the water is too far above or too far below that temperature. This becomes even more important in a large tank.

It's also very important that you maintain a fairly consistent temperature in your Betta fish's tank. Your fish won't handle extreme temperature changes either. By the way, it doesn't take much of a water temperature change - just the matter of a couple of degrees Fahrenheit - for your Betta to be affected - so this is something you really need to pay attention to.

The unit of measurement for aquarium heaters is in watts. When trying to decide on which heater will be best for you, a good basic guideline is 5 watts per gallon of water. Make sure that the heater fits your tank and, if it's an internal one, can be properly inserted.

If you're not sure and you didn't buy the tank and heater together, take the tank with you to the store, and ask the manager to help you get the right one. Two Types of Heating Systems: There are two main types of heating systems - internal and external. You'll have to decide which one works best for you - and if you have any questions, ask your local pet store or your Betta breeder for recommendations based on your tank set up.

One other important thing to keep in mind is the water circulation - without proper water circulation, you're going to have "hot spots" and "cold spots" in the water, both of which can be harmful to your Betta fish.

Heaters cost anywhere from about $20 to $50, although like with anything else, you can find more expensive models. Internal Tank Heating Systems: Internal heating systems are the most common. They usually consist of a glass tube anywhere between 4 inches (10.16 cm) to 12 inches (30.48 cm) long. Some offer a built-in thermostat, while others will have an external thermostat, usually outside the tank and are usually used to control multiple heating units. External Tank Heating Systems: There are several different models of external heating systems, such as a model which fits under the tank and heats the water from below, or one that connects to the filtering system. They are widely available both online and off.


About the Author
Mike owns Betta Fish Expert which helps people learn about betta fish
Part of betta fish care is taking care of the tank in which your betta fish lives. The key to having a successful betta fish aquarium is that you need to learn how to control the atmosphere for the fish. Here are a couple tips about betta fish tank care.

Unlike most fish, a Betta breathes air by going up to the surface of the water which means it is not necessary to have any airpump, filtration, or aeration at all in their tank. Although you won't have to buy a large, expensive aquarium for this fish, you should never keep a betta fish in a small tank either. Make sure the betta fish tank or bowl that you keep your Betta in is big enough so that he can swim around and not bump or tear his fins or scales.

When it comes to betta fish care, you need to keep in mind of the temperature, hardness, and ammonia levels. As for the temperature it should be somewhere between 75-85*F. The pH levels should stay between 6.8-7.4 and the hardness can go up to 20 dGH.

Another point to remember when it comes to caring for your Betta fish is to not over-feed them. They will not eat much at one time and if you feed them to much the remaining food will fall to the bottom and muck up their bowl.
Betta is a popular tank fish and its maintenance is least painful. However, it does need care and you must be observant about its heath. A sick Betta is easy to spot since naturally the fish is very active and vibrant. If you have had the fish for a while you will be able to spot immediately when they are unwell.

Following tips can help you keep the Betta ecosystem healthy and vibrant:

1. A bowl large enough to allow ample swimming space is a prerequisite. The fish shouldn’t bump and tear its fins or scales. A large enough tank also ensures that the water has adequate oxygen level.

2. These fish do not require filtration but need the cleanest water you can provide them. Change the water every three days to keep it clean and avoid infection in your fish. The water you add to the tank should have set out for 24 hours (aged water).

3. Bettas are also called Siamese fighting fish because the male of the species will fight each other to death! Never put two males in the same tank. Females can stay together and so can one male with many females. You can also keep your Betta with algae eaters, guppies and corydorus catfish.

4. Ensure that the bottom of the bowl or tank is debris free. You can use something as simple as a turkey baster to do this cleaning. Debris sitting at the bottom will make the water cloudy and unhygienic for the fish. They will also cause the water to smell.

5. Maintain the tank pH at 7.

6. When cleaning the tank accessories, avoid using soap because traces of soap will change the water pH.

7. Betta can jump out of tanks and bowls, so keep them covered.

8. Betta is not a fussy fish and will happily eat the Betta pellets and frozen bloodworms.

However, Bettas are fond of live food such as brine shrimp, and you must serve it as a treat now and then.


Ong Hui Woo Betta Fish Owner http://www.tothefish.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ong_Hui_Woo
Betta fish, also called Siamese fighting fish are one of the most popular types of fish found in homes across the world. Their vibrant color and active lifestyle seems to draw in fish fanatics as well as those who have never had fish before. Betta’s are relatively easy to care for and their low maintenance is particularly appealing to people who would like to have fish but don’t have a lot of time to care for them.

Once you bring your Betta’s home you should begin to familiarize yourself with their movements and typical behavior patterns. When you look at your fish after you’ve had them for awhile you’ll know if something is wrong, if they are not feeling well, or if the water in their bowl is not in the best condition simply by being observant.

1. Make sure the jar or bowl that you keep your Betta in is big enough so that he can swim around and not bump or tear his fins or scales. Also be sure there is plenty of surface area so that he can get enough oxygen.

2. Your Betta will thrive in the cleanest water that you can provide for him. He does not require a filtration system, but you should change out a third of his water every three days so it stays fresh and clean and keeps your finned friend from getting bacterial or fungal infections. Aged water (water that has set out for twenty four hours) is what should be used to replace the old water.

3. Do not put your Betta fish with other Betta’s. They are called Siamese fighting fish because they are, in fact, fighting fish. They will tear at one another, often causing the death of at least one fish before they stop. Betta’s can be coupled with algae eaters, guppies, or corydorus catfish safely.

4. Use a turkey baster to clean small particles of uneaten food or debris from the bottom of the bowl or jar. Allowing this debris to sit at the bottom of the jar will cause the water to become cloudy, unsanitary, and to smell awful.

5. The PH of your tank should be at exactly 7.0. You can get a PH testing kit at your pet store along with solutions to minimize or increase the PH of your water.

6. When you clean the plants, rocks, or decorations in the bowl you should never use soap on them. It’s very hard to completely rinse all soap from these items and the soap residue can harm or even kill your Betta. Instead, use warm water and an abrasive brush to clean his things.

7. Keep your Betta tank, jar, or bowl covered! Your Beta will jump and you don’t want him to end up flopping on the tabletop! Keeping the water level at least two inches from the top of the tank should also cut down on this problem.

8. Your Betta is a meat eater and likes live foods, such as brine shrimp the best. Frozen bloodworms are also a good choice for your meat eater. Most Betta fish will happily eat the Betta pellets sold at most pet stores. For a special treat every now and again you should offer some live food! You’ll have fun watching him eat it up!

9. Do not decorate your Betta bowl with rocks or marbles that may cause your Betta to get stuck between or under them. Be sure that they are a flat smooth surface that provides no risk to the health of your fish.

10. Remember that your fish is a living, breathing responsibility. You need to feed, clean, and care for your Betta just like you would any other pet. If he’s sick take him to the vet, if he’s hungry feed him, if his home is dirty, clean it.

That’s it! These ten tips for caring for your Betta fish will have you well on your way to keeping a healthy fish. Internet Betta Groups or library books can be a great source of information should you want to learn more about your finned friend!


Adam Short is the owner of Betta Fish Center and co-wrote the above article with Amanda Fenton. Amanda has been caring for Betta fish for over 25 years. She is a contributing writer to http://www.bettafishcenter.com - site providing information and tips on betta fish care.


Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Adam_Short
Thanks you for visiting my new betta fish care blog. Please stop by soon for articles on betta fish care and tips on betta fish care.