Characteristics of Fighting Fish

Fighting fish, also known as Betta Splendens or Siamese fighting fish, are attractive and interesting fish which are fun to keep as pets. Bettas have specific social and behavioral characteristics you need to know prior to bringing your first fish into your home. If cared for properly, Bettas will not be regularly aggressive nor fight. If not cared for properly, you can contribute to the aggressive personality of Bettas causing them to fight, harm and even kill one another.

  1. Physical Appearance

    • Male Bettas have elongated fins meant to both be attractive to females and threatening to other males. Males can be found in a wide variety of colors from deep blue, white, black, yellow, red, and orange. Female Bettas are not as colorful as males and have shorter fins. Both males and females average about 3 inches in size.

    Social Behavior

    • Bettas, especially males, are territorial, which is why they have a reputation as fighting fish. Male Bettas should never be placed in a tank together unless they are separated by a divider. If placed together males will fight, sometimes to the death. Males and females can share a tank, though if your male shows signs of aggression toward the females you might want to separate him from the group. Females can share a tank, though they will establish a pecking order through mild aggressive behavior toward one another. However, this aggression typically does not result in physical harm to any fish. Keep 4 to 6 females in a tank so that no one fish is too picked on as the pecking order is established.

    Flaring &Fighting

    • When male Bettas feel their territory is being threatened they often engage in a behavior called flaring. The purpose of flaring is to appear larger and more aggressive than the threat or other male. The male will turn its gill covers outward and slap its tail against the other male fish. The male fish might also nip at one another. Flaring often occurs when a male is trying to protect breeding territory from other males. Often the weaker male will retreat before any real physical damage is done.

    Diet

    • Bettas prefer live food such as smaller fish. You can also feed them frozen glassworms, brine shrimp or beef hearts. When necessary you can feed Bettas fish food flakes, but a regular diet of flakes is not ideal for maintaining healthy fish. Feed your fish only what they will eat in a few minutes, and remove any uneaten food to help keep your tank clean.

    Habitat

    • Keep your fish tank no cooler than 75 degrees for Betta fish. These fish are native to the tropical warm waters of south Asia. If their tank water becomes too cool the fish might become lethargic, eat less and generally appear unhappy. While Bettas can be kept in a fish bowl it is difficult to regulate the bowl's temperature. A three gallon tank or larger, where the water temperature can be monitored, is best.