Patriot, the author's Betta

Have you ever been in a pet store practically anywhere in the world and seen these beautiful, but pathetic looking fish, in tiny drinking cups made of   clear plastic, with barely enough room to turn around in? They are Betta Fish, otherwise known as Siamese Fighting Fish.

These beautiful little fish come in every colour you can think of, they have wonderful plume-like fins that float rather like silk around them when they swim. The beautiful ones are the males (so often so in the animal world!) the females are much plainer to look at.

They are countless debates as to how much space these fish require. They originate from the rice paddies and shallow ponds of Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam and China. Because their natural habitat is shallow water, they are used to living in warm waters. Often they are kept in small bowls in air conditioned rooms and the water is far too cold for them, making them very listless. They should be kept in water of at least 75 degrees. Betta do well under conditions where less oxygen is available, but that does not mean that they require less, it just means that they come up to the surface to get air.

Two male Betta Fish cannot be kept together. They will fight to the death. They can be kept with other fish; however, great care must be taken to choose appropriate tank mates. They should not be put in with other aggressive fish, or fish that have a fin nipping habit.

There are special tanks with a clear barrier separating the tank into two so that it looks as if you have two Bettas in one tank but do not, I don’t really like those because I feel it could be provoking them and perhaps even teasing them a little bit! The practice of selling Betta Fish in a vase with a Peace Lilly is not an acceptable option, a flower vase is not a suitable habitat for a Betta Fish. If you know someone who has a Betta Fish in a vase, please, share this information, because I am sure that they do not know that this is a bad place to keep their fish.

We have had three Betta Fish over the years. The first one was called Hubert (yes, you guessed who he was named after!) the second one, Oscar (no, he was not named after anyone in Bahamian politics) and finally we presently have Patriot (named after the football team). Each Betta has had his own personality. I know it probably sounds silly saying a fish has a personality but these little fish can be very endearing and a lot of fun to watch swim around. They, on occasion, sit on the bottom of their tank, and love to have a spot where they can hide from the rest of the world.

Betta Fish are generally pretty good eaters provided that they are in a habitat that they feel comfortable. We feed ours every evening, one small pellet at a time, so that the tank does not get dirty with uneaten food. Patriot will eat seven or eight pellets before he has had sufficient. We feed him until he has had enough. We buy the store Betta fish food; Patriot especially likes the one that enhances his colours. Every evening when we approach his tank with the small package of food in our hand (one packet last a long time!) Patriot swims up to the surface in anticipation. In their natural habitat they live on small (and I mean small) insects and insect larvae.

  They will grow to be about three inches in length and live for about 2 – 3 years, though I have heard of reports of pets living longer. Of course when you get your Betta fish at the pet store there is no way to know how old he already is. I don’t believe that the store really knows either; perhaps some breeders do include that information when they ship a supply out, but so far I have never been to a store where they can give me an age for the fish that they are selling.

We have decided that a tank that holds about a gallon and a half is a good size for Patriot. We use, exclusively, bottled water, as the quantity is not too great. He has an artificial plant and a place to hide and plenty of fresh clean water. We change his water weekly. We are EXTREMELY careful to never use any soap products on anything that will come in contact with Patriot or his tank. We have a, special, small net to scoop him out of the water and put into a small holding bowl while we clean out his tank. That net is NEVER used for any other function, and is kept in a clean place away from contact with other things. A special caution is to be careful NOT to use air freshener around your Betta Fish’s bowl, the air freshener is sprayed into the air but falls down and (you got it!) into your little fish’s bowl. The chemicals in these aerosols could eventually kill your fish! Beware!

Should your fish stop eating or begin to behave in an unusual manner, in other words, in a way unlike the way he usually does, the VERY first thing to do is to change ALL the water, immediately. We have found that a medication especially for Bettas called  “Betta Fix” is extremely effective and can readily be bought in pet stores in New Providence. Bettas get a very nasty disease called “fin rot” and it is exactly what the name implies, gradually the fins rot away. It is a very unpleasant disease and not a happy one for the fish. The best way to avoid this is to keep the tank scrupulously clean and observe your fish carefully, the moment you notice something wrong change the water and use Betta fix following the directions carefully .Personally, I always put a small amount of Betta Fix in the tank water every time I change the water as a precaution. I strongly advise keeping a bottle on hand at all times as it could save your Betta’s life.

Owning a Betta fish is fun, they are very beautiful, and   restful to watch, but don’t kid yourself, that they do not require care and attention. Like all pets Betta Fish need to be properly kept, cleaned, fed and loved. People think that just because they sit pathetically in those hateful little cups when they are on sale that they can bring them home and the Betta Fish will care for themselves, not so, but with the proper attention they will provide you with many pleasant experiences.

About the author: Kim Aranha grew up in the Berry Islands with her first dog, a beloved potcake named “Friendly” (who was anything but!).  First educated at home, and then in boarding school in Switzerland, Kim moved to Rome, Italy in 1974 to pursue a career in the dramatic arts and ended up working as an interpreter.  She moved back to The Bahamas in 1980, and now lives in Nassau with her husband Paul, and their two teenaged sons.  Kim has 3 dogs (soon to be 4), 5 fish (1 Beta, 4 Goldfish), 10 turtles (6 babies, 4 adolescents), 1 Asian box turtle and 4 Budgerigars. Her idea of relaxing is being home to take care of all her pets. Kim is a member of the board of the Bahamas Humane Society. Kim can be contacted at kimbva@coralwave.com