Above: This picture shows a beautiful young male premium quality Show Butterfly Halfmoon Male Betta, swimming in one of our aquariums, when one of us took this picture.

Comments: This is a Premium Pet Fish, and we never see Premium Bettas like these in any of the live fish stores or the online stores that we visit.

Premium Pet Fish are more energetic, hardier, and have brighter colors with a beautiful metallic sheen. Click here to learn more about Premium Pet Fish.

Origin: Their ancestors originally lived in central Thailand, which is a country in Southeast Asia, but now Betta Fish are now found living in fish bowls and aquariums throughout most of the world.

Maximum Size: In aquariums Male Betta Fish can grow to be about 3" long, including their tails.

Behaviors: Betta Fish are not active swimmers and are rarely aggressive to other species of fish, but males are very aggressive to each other, flaring their fins and fighting, often to the death of one.

You will often see Male Betta Fish swimming up to the surface of the water, where they take in some air.

Later you'll see them release a bubble or two, and then return to get more air.

They must always have access to the air at the water's surface.

Compatibility: Most Male Betta Fish live best alone in a large fish bowl. But they can be kept in aquariums with minimal water flow.

Recommended tank mates include other small fish that usually do not nip fins such as Harlequin Rasboras, White Clouds, Danios, Gouramis, small Rainbowfish species, Guppies, Platys, and Corydoras Catfish.

Click here to read more about compatible groups of pet fish.

Temperature: Betta Fish can live pretty well from about 70 to 85 degrees F., but they're probably most comfortable at about 75 to 80 degrees F.

Click here to learn about aquarium temperature, aquarium thermometers, and aquarium heaters.

Feeding: Small Premium Pellet Food and Freeze Dried Blood Worms. Be very careful not to feed more than they will eat, or the uneaten food will quickly contaminate the water.

It's best to gently drop one pellet onto the water's surface. Be sure the Betta Fish sees the pellet, swallows it, and does not burp it up. Then you might try another pellet.

Three pellets at one feeding is about the max.

Sometimes females will eat more, but it's always better to be careful and be sure not to feed more than they can eat.

Probably best to feed them 2 or 3-pellets twice a day.

They do not need much food, because they are lazy fish that do not expend much energy.

Click here to learn more about and shop online for premium fish foods.

Water Conditions: Betta Fish seem to be tolerant of a wide range of water conditions.

Probably a pH of about 7 with moderate hardness is best.

Most water in the US has a higher pH and is harder but seems to be OK, so it's probably best NOT to adjust the pH or the hardness of the water.

Here in our facilities the water is hard and the pH is usually about 7.8. We ship them in this water.

Click here for a lot more information about aquarium water conditions.

Aquarium Size: It is probably best to house these fish in a fish bowl with about 1-gallon of water.

It's important to do a partial water change about once a week.

So it's very convenient to have a plastic fish bowl that's light and easy to handle.

Keep at most one Male Betta per bowl.

If Male Bettas live in an aquarium, it's important to have minimal water flow, or they'll be pushed around the aquarium.

Click here to shop online for a wonderful fish bowl.

Decor: Male Betta Fish, living in a fish bowl, need a thin layer of small gravel.

The gravel is sometimes called #2 aquarium gravel and is about the size of rice.

Do not use sand or bigger gravel. The layer of gravel should be about 1/4" thick and serves as the fish bowl's filter, so it's very important.

Click here for more about aquarium gravel.

It's also important to have a piece of Lava Rock.

Click here to learn more about using Lava Rocks in aquariums, fish bowls, and ponds.

Live Plants are beautiful and improve the water quality. The Java Fern is a very good plant for a fish bowl.

Click here for more about Java Fern plants.

Aquarium Filter: If you decide to keep a Betta Fish in an aquarium, it's best to use a small Bio-Wheel Filter like the Penguin 100B Filter, and be sure the Betta can get out of the water flow into calm water.

Click here to learn more about aquarium filters.

Life Span: Betta Fish can live for a few years with good water and good food.

Gender: Male Bettas are usually bigger than females, have longer fins, and more vivid colors.

Males and females are usually labeled as such and sold separately.

Breeding: A Male Betta Fish builds a bubble nest. The Female lays floating eggs that the male cares for.

Click here for more about breeding Betta Fish.

Popularity: Betta Fish are a long-long time favorite, and are probably the most popular pet fish.

Names: Bettas are often called Fighting Fish or Siamese Fighting Fish.

The scientific name of Betta Fish is usually given as Betta splendens, but this is a simplification that is not completely true.

As is the case with many aquarium fish, Betta Fish are hybrids, whose ancestors include Betta splendens, but also include Betta imbellis, and another Betta species that is probably undescribed at this time.

Do not worry about Bettas being hybrids. They are wonderful pet fish.

Variations: There are many-many variations of color, pattern, and fin shape.

Click here for a lot more information about keeping and caring for Betta Fish, including a picture gallery.

We hope you've enjoyed reading these comments.

DrT - 09/16/2015