The Betta or Siamese Fighting Fish is one of the most popular aquarium fish in history. True to their common name, male bettas will fight viciously with one another in an aquarium where no escape is possible. One male, however, in a community tank or with female bettas generally does very well. Females will also fight among themselves, though not as aggressively as males.

Over 100 years ago, aquarists in the Orient began breeding bettas to emphasize color and finnage. The results of those efforts are readily seen in the beautiful array of colors and long flowing fins of today's Bettas, Betta splendens. Females share the bright colors, but do not have the long finnage of males. These highly domesticated varieties bear little resemblance to their wild counterparts.

Wild bettas make their home in the warm, humid swamps and rice patties of Thailand and Malaysia. They have adapted anatomically and physiologically to be able to use atmospheric oxygen to survive in these poorly oxygenated waters. As a result, domesticated bettas are better able to survive in less space, another reason they are a popular choice for smaller community tanks. However, although bettas do not use as much oxygen from the water in an aquarium, they do contribute equal amounts of waste as their tank mates. The hobbyist should always practice sound aquarium management and avoid overcrowding. The striking colors exhibited by bettas can be maintained by providing good nutritio ...