Pets & Furry Friends
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Hi and welcome to Shannon's Betta page! I am a local betta breeder located in Greenbrier Tennessee. I have been breeding bettas since August 9, 2002, and have successfully raised 12 spawns (or around 1000 baby bettas).
Whether you already have a betta, or are thinking of owning one, here are a few "rules to live by" when chosing your new betta. Rule #1: Try to find bettas that are in clean water. If you see one in cloudy or molded water, do not purchase him. This is a good sign that he will have problems caused by ammonia poisoning. Rule #2: Do not purchase a betta that has what looks like gold dust sprinkled over his head and body. This is a sign of velvet, a disease common in unhealthy bettas. Rule #3: Try to find bettas that have straight rather than spiral curled tails and fins. The spiral curling of the fins indicate old age. The lifespan of a betta is 2 years, sometimes longer. If using for breeding, buy them between 4 months and 12 months. Males tend to be sterile after 15 months. Rule #4: Look for his flare! Healthy males tend to flare at other males. They puff out the area right under the gills. All their finnage is standing up in a show of beauty. Chose a betta that is fiesty. Lethargic bettas tend to be unhealthy. Now that you have your new betta, there are a few things that can really make him happy. He needs to have room to move around. A quart container may be a fine place for that 3 - 4 month old betta, but by the time he is 6 months old, he needs a larger place. There are many different types of betta homes. Bettas can live in some community type tanks and also in tanks of their own. 1 gallon tanks with UGF's (undergravel filters) are good, as are 2 1/2 gallon divided tanks (for keeping 2 males). In a temperature controlled environment, they can also live well in large vases, brandy sniffers, and bowls. Bettas breath air at the surface using their labrynth organ. They don't have to have filters or pumps, but they do need their water changed regularly when not using a filter. For a 1/2 to 1 gallon non filtered container, the water should be changed every 5 to 7 days. For a smaller betta in a 1 quart container, his water should be changed every 2 to 3 days. Filtered tanks can go up to 2 weeks, and then only need a 30% water change. To keep your water clear make sure to remove any uneaten food after each meal. mboshers@bellsouth.net 
 This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.5 License. |
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