Betta fish are originally from the Asia region, where they exist in the shallow water of marshes, ponds, or slow-moving waters. Male bettas have dedicated fathers who build bubble nests for their young with their mouths and strongly protect their newborns from predators. Just like us, betta fish are diurnal. That means they’re active during the day and sleep at night, needing darkness to get a good night’s rest.
While some bettas are caught in the wild, the vast majority of those sold in the U.S. come from breeding farms in Thailand and other countries in Southeast Asia, where it’s a common habit to keep them in small bottles. When it’s time to pack them for transport to the U.S., fish are carelessly dumped into baskets covered with nets and dipped up into small plastic cups.
These sensitive fish suffer hugely in the pet business, where they’re constrained to poor care from the time they’re born on breeding farms to when they’re transported to pet stores and sold.
Plant roots aren’t sufficient food for betta fish. Bettas are carnivorous animals who, in nature, eat mostly insects and insect larvae. A diet consisting only of plant roots may keep them alive for a while, but since it lacks the proper nutrients for this variety, the fish ultimately become sick and die.
Don’t overfeed fish. Too much uneaten food and waste material in aquarium tanks can oppress them, causing ammonia and nitrite levels to become toxic. If you already have a betta or other partner fish, remember that you should provide only as much food as they can consume in about three minutes.
Do Betta Fish Get Lonely?
Betta fish can encounter frustration and depression. While most of them can be comfortable in a tank alone, their environment still needs plenty of advancements, such as caves, plants, and room to explore. They also feel stress—especially when their fins are pulled at by other non-compatible fish placed in the same tank.
Can Betta Fish Live With Other Fish?
With enough space and hiding areas, female bettas may be able to continue in a peaceful group. While males will fight with other males and male gouramis (a similar-looking species), they may be able to live singly in a “community” aquarium including certain other adaptable species of fish, such as Cory catfish, kuhli loaches, or guppies. They can also cohabitate with nonfish species, including snails, ghost shrimp, and frogs.
If aggression becomes an issue in any community tank, you should keep and maintain a separate, working quarantine aquarium in which individuals can be placed to avoid the struggle with other fish.
Betta fish can recognize their human keepers. They usually swim excitedly when they see their supervisor approaching. They are very interested and will investigate new things put into their tank, which can help keep them mentally excited.
