Almost everyone has seen the beautiful male Betta on the pet store shelves. Some would maintain that the male Betta is perhaps the best looking of all freshwater fish. While some might argue otherwise, it is a fact that the male Betta is one of the most beautiful freshwater fish commonly available to the beginning hobbyist today.

The Betta is a very popular and readily available freshwater fish. Perhaps the most recognized is the male with his splendid colors. Two males should never be kept in a tank together. Two male Bettas that are housed together will fight, often to their death. This explains why they are also referred to as Siamese Fighting Fish. In Thailand, they have been used specifically for this purpose, with fights lasting as long as six hours. They must also be kept with fish of the same size, as they are known to eat smaller fish. The Betta is primarily a top swimming fish, though they are seen moving through the tank. A unique ability belonging to Bettas is their ability to breathe air from the surface. This is done via their labyrinth, which acts similarly to the lungs in mammals. For this reason, aeration via filtration is not necessary. It is also important to make sure your Betta has room at the top of his aquarium to breathe. At the same time, it should be noted that Bettas are jumpers so the tops of their tanks must be covered. The best type of covering would be a screen, as glass or plastic will prevent needed oxygen from entering the tank. Most people have seen Bettas displayed in tiny bowls at their local pet store. Most of the research indicates, that while a Betta might survive in these small containers, they will do much better if given more space. These tiny containers become easily dirtied and require frequent water changes. Changing the water will stress a fish; hence keeping them in a larger, filtered tank is preferred. The natural habitat of the Betta is Thailand. To recreate their natural habitat, it is recommended that their aquariums be moderately decorated with rocks, driftwood and live plants. It is said, that the Betta will thrive in shallow, sandy-bottomed areas that are well lit with natural light. Their natural temperature range is between 22 and 28 degrees Celsius. The captive environment should also have warm water. If temperatures become too low, the Betta's metabolism will slow. They will grow at a decreased rate and become more susceptible to disease. If temperatures become really low, they will eventually die from chronic stress. Fluctuation temperatures are also not healthy and lead to stress. Stable warm temperatures consistent with his natural habit will help your Betta to thrive. The Betta is a hearty fish, but his natural habitat needs to be taken into consideration when planning to make a suitable home for him in captivity. The Betta does best on a carnivorous diet. They seem to love brine shrimp and also do well with a variety of other foods such as, beef heart, brine shrimp eggs, crayfish eggs, tubifex worms, mosquitoes, daphnia, and bloodworms. It should be noted that while the Betta is classified as a relatively aggressive fish they are generally not aggressive other species of fish, but they are highly aggressive to their own kind and should be kept singly. This is especially true for the males. They may, however, be kept in some community tanks as long as there are no other Bettas in the tank. It has been reported that Bettas may be unsuitable for keeping with any other long finned variety of fish. This is because they will often as take chunks out of their tails and fins and possibly kill the other fish if you don't monitor them enough. Additionally if they are housed with other gouramis, they should be larger than the Betta, as Bettas are known to bully similarly sized gouramis. While the average Betta in captivity lives around 2 years, many Bettas have been known to live significantly larger. Lifespan is greatly affected by care. Those Bettas that live in large, filtered tanks will significantly outlive those that live in tiny, stagnant cups.

The Betta is a strikingly beautiful fish, particularly the male. The male is known for his bright colors, though these are the result of captive breeding and do not occur in the wild. Some of the common color morphs are; red, royal blue, black, blue, green, yellow and many pastel varieties. They are also seen in bi-color and marbled varieties. The male has long flowing fins while those of the female are short and rounded. It should be noted that some males might also be short finned. These are the wild type fins. Bettas of this sort are known as plakat thai. Male plakat bettas lack the egg tube present on the females and this is one way to distinguish them. Mature Bettas will average from three to three and a half inches in length

Bettas are known jumpers and their tanks must be covered. They do not breathe air from the water, but rather they take it in from the air. They must not be covered with anything that will prevent oxygen from reaching the surface environment. A suitable covering would be a screen.

Never place two males in the same tank. They will fight, often leading in severe injury and/or death.

Bettas should be fed twice a day. There are many rumors which state they do not need to eat. This is false. Make sure not to overfeed as this can foul the water making your fish ill or it can even cause death.

Like many freshwater fish, Bettas tend to do well if a little non-iodized salt is added to the tank. The addition of salt tends to be effective in helping to keep fish healthy.

It has been reported that the male and female may nip at each other when they are breeding. This may result in ripped and torn fins. Bettas are bubblenest breeders. The male creates the bubblenest. After it is created, the male will entice the female to the nest and if successful, the male will squeeze the eggs out of her and then place them in the nest. After a few days, newly hatched fry (up to 150) will emerge from the nest. As is true with other fish, it is important to research breeding techniques before attempting breeding.

It should be noted that males need to be watched during the spawning period. If they are overly aggressive to the female, breeding attempts should be halted.