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Deltas are characterized by sharp and crisp edges at the ends of the tail (sharpness is a critical factor for Deltas). If the tail is above 130° and lower than 180°, than the term to use is “Super Delta“. A betta is called a “Fantail” if the edges of the tail are rounded. Both the Super Delta and the Fantail are a subgroup of Deltas. These Bettas are much easier to breed than their more coveted brothers, the Halfmoons. Inbreeding is kept to a minimum and the chances of blowing out the tail are small. Some breeders represent their Super Deltas as Halfmoons, therefore, it is important to look for a reputable breeder.

The name ‘Betta’ refers to the Genus in which the Siamese Fighting Fish is classified by scientists. There are several different species of Bettas, though the one most often seen in the aquarium hobby is Betta splendens, the Siamese Fighting Fish.
All Bettas are tropical fish found in the warm and hot waters at lower altitudes in southeast Asia. In the wild they are often found in the slow moving waters of swamps and rice paddies where they have plentiful meaty foods, clean warm water, and plenty of hiding places. Bettas can be easy to care for, and if you provide them the conditions and care they need, they should live at least 3 years in captivity, though they can live longer!

Oftentimes Bettas refuse to eat when exposed to a new environment. Whether you bought your Betta from a breeder or at the pet store, the new fish needs time to adjust. It is normal for Bettas not to eat for up to two weeks after being brought home. Food should be introduced one pellet per day until he begins to eat. Do not be alarmed if your fish ignores the pellet or spits it right out – Bettas can be very picky eaters, especially after stressful situations. If after 5 minutes your fish does not eat the pellet, remove it from his water and try again the next day.

Remember that your Betta is a carnivore (meat eater), so provide him with a varied and high protein diet. Many Betta foods are available on the market today, and most frozen or processed tropical fish foods are also appropriate. Bettas have small appetites, so don’t overfeed them. Your fish should be able to consume all the food within two minutes of feeding. If there is food in the tank after this time has elapsed, this will contribute to poor water quality and make your Betta more susceptible to disease. You will probably only need to feed your Betta once a day, though some people feed twice a day. If you feed twice a day, remember that this will increase the waste your fish is producing and will also increase the risk of overfeeding, so it becomes more important that you are performing your weekly 10-15% water changes and all necessary filter maintenance. Providing a proper diet will increase your Betta’s life expectancy and bolster his immune system.

Yes, they do sleep. All living animals must sleep to survive. Many Fish will slow down, float or hover in one spot. But Bettas seem to lounge. Many of them will lay down in a “L-Shaped” position (head up, body to the side). Some will look like they are dead. And others will just stay at the top of the water.

Marine Fish, sleep in the day and hunt at night. Their nocturnal predators instinct takes over. But Tropical Fish, tend to be on the same sleep cycle as humans. Sleeping at night. They move around more rapidly in the daylight and slow down considerably at night.

Note: You can actually see a Betta yawn at night. They open their mouth and make the same yawning motions as you would.

Nippyfish has an amazing article on detecting stress in your betta which is incredibly insightful. Increased stress reduces a fish’s ability to ward off diseases and heal itself, so it is useful to detect stress early to remedy the situation ASAP. From the article:

Signs of Good Health – Bright coloration – Swimming actively and easily – Flaring – Building a bubble nest – Strong appetite – Greeting human at the glass – Full finnage – Good body shape (no bumps, bloating, missing scales) – Smooth, clean gills – Dark and clear eyes

Signs of Poor Health – Dull coloration or gray color – Sluggishness or Lethargy – Loss of appetite, disinterest in food – Uninterested in surroundings – Clamped finnage, torn, shredded or missing fins – Bloating, weight loss, bumps, missing scales, open wounds, red streaks – Red or swollen gills – Cloudy, protruding or sunken eyes

Read the full article here.

The Betta Fish should be placed in a jar no smaller than 1/2 gallon. Preferably 1 gallon. Anything smaller than 1/2 gallon does not give them sufficient living space. And their waste and uneaten food will deteriorate the water conditions rapidly in a small container.

Don’t let your Local Pet Store (LPS) tell you that a Betta can live in 3 ounces of water like they keep them in the LPS. The LPS often mentions a Bettas natural habitat the Rice Paddies are small. Which is totally incorrect. Rice Paddies are “huge”, with gallons and gallons of water. Bettas do not live in 3 ounces of water in the wild. See Pic of Rice Paddy. Learn more about how Rice Paddies are built (click here).

Note: Don’t be afraid to put your Betta in a 5 gallon tank. They’ll love it.

In the Halfmoon tail type, when fully flared, the caudal should be a full 180-degree half-circle. This is due to an increased amount of ray branching. If the tail is larger than 180 degrees, it is known as “Over Halfmoon”. These tails are symmetrical and very heavy.

In crowntail bettas the tail rays extend far beyond the rest of the tail. This gives it a crown-like appearance. The crowntail gene is a recessive gene. There are quite a few crowntail types including Single Ray, Double Ray, and Double Double Ray. Bettysplendens.com has a great article on what makes a good crowntail.

Veiltails are the most common betta tail type. Every fishstore in the world has this kind of betta. Veil tail is a trait… and a very dominant trait – which makes VT’s unfavorable for some breeders. Most betta breeders don’t want to incorporate veiltails in their line. Veiltails are often refered to as “mutts” because of the wide range of colors for the VT’s found in pet stores. In Veiltails the caudel fin rays are not strait and the top rays are shorter than the middle rays, causing the tail to look a little limp.

Welcome to our site, ebetta.com. This site is dedicated to giving you information on many different topics concerning betta fish. These topics include basic information, breeding, genetics, types of betta fish, and health information. I hope that through this site, you will find many helpful hints to help you raise your bettas. I also hope that you will learn new things about the betta fish we adore so much.

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