Betta female mixed 4cm

£8.00

Betta splendens

15 in stock
  Buy NOW
We offer:
We offer payment cardsWe offer PayPal
Aquarium Level Middle - Top
Water Type Freshwater
Scientific Name Betta splendens
Temperament Aggressive; males best kept alone females can be kept in large community aquariums
Max Size 6.5cm (2.6")
Temperature 24-30°C
pH 6.0-7.5
The brilliantly coloured varieties of the Siamese  Fish seen in many shops today have been developed over the years by selective captive breeding. Indeed the natural wild colouration for this species is rather more subtle, with relatively short finnage. Many strains, such as the Longtail, Shortail, Crowntail, Half Moon and Double Tail, and various colour types including red, blue, green, white, golden, black, marble, and many others, have been developed and are now available to the hobbyist. Recently, new forms have been created through hybridisation with closely related species and these are often closer to wild forms in size and morphology. Historically, this seems to have occured before during their domestication. Fighting strains of this species are occasionally seen and differ significantly from their ornamental cousins in terms of body shape and fin proportions, having been bred to exaggerate very different features as well as temperament.
 
Siamese Fighting Fish, although capable of breathing atmospheric air via their labyrinth organ, should always be housed in filtered aquaria. Small vases and bowls are not suitable for long term care. These fish deserve proper stable water conditions and temperatures, as does any fish in our care, and this can only be achieved in a closed system by use of a heater/thermostat, a filter and regular partial water changes.
 
 Females of the species often display slightly more muted colours, a white ovipositor spot and generally possess much shorter finnage. They themselves can also be surprisingly aggressive, and will often be observed threatening one another to establish a dominance heirarchy or defend resources. More than one female can be kept together, although the group must consist of at least 5 individuals. Smaller groups of females will result in the Alpha fish (the one at the top of the pecking order) picking on the subordinate females. In larger groups, any aggression will be spread amongst the group, rather than just one or two fish bearing the brunt. 
 
Although the rise of the internet has led to an increase in solitary keeping, it's possible to maintain this species in single male, multiple female groups when adequate measures are taken to allow for the natural social dynamics. This will invariably fail if the aquarium is too small, or insufficiently planted to allow fish of both sexes to avoid constant contact with one another. For more experienced keepers, housing this species socially allows the opportunity to observe behaviours and patterns that the fishes use to communicate mood and status - such as stripe/bar patterns and posture. Key to this approach is an understanding that cover is more important than tank size and all members of the group must have abundant opportunity to vanish from sight of one another. The advantage to this type of keeping, is that spawning occurs naturally with minimal harassment of either sex due to lowered levels of aggression. The same principles can be used to ensure harmony in an aquarium housing a group of female fishes in the absence of a male. Although these fish will adapt to a wide range of conditions, they will be seen at their best in soft, slightly acidic water. The filter should provide a gentle water circulation in order to mimic the natural conditions that this species favours: rice paddies, floodplains and other slow-moving waters. As mentioned above, Siamese Fighting Fish have the ability to take in warm air from above the waters surface, so a small gap must be left between the surface of the water and the cover slides in order for the fish to accomplish this.
 
Tankmates should be relatively small (although not too tiny or they may be mistaken for a snack), peaceful and not prone to nipping fins, although a significant difference exists in long and short finned forms in this regard. If tempted to add a single male to a community aquarium, a long finned fish will be far more likely to struggle with currents from filtration or nipping from companions such as tetras. Rules for compatibility are of limited use with these fish, as males can vary drastically in temperament. Bear in mind that those unused to sharing an aquarium will often exhibit initially heightened levels of territorial aggression due to a lack of socialisation. When settled in their environment, males will show confidence and character that makes owning only one specimen less of a hardship.
The vernacular name used in the trade shows the history of this species in the hobby - Thailand has not been known as Siam for over seventy years! A trend to refer to this fish by its American common name of Betta is a welcome use of the binomial name but can lead to confusion with the rest of a very diverse genus.

Terms and Conditions

Please read the following before you place an order.

Shipping Policy

We ship our fish with DX, the only courier in the United Kingdom who are licensed to ship fish and other livestock by the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs.

We can guarantee next-day delivery for £32 between Monday and Thursday for orders placed before 1pm and for boxes up to 25kg.

We are able to ship on Friday for a Saturday arrival, but this service will cost £45.

Please note that we will not send a fish that day if overnight temperatures are due to be lower than 6 degrees Celsius.

Some of the fish we stock can be sexed and are sold in a pair of 1 male and 1 female. Please bear in mind, however, that we attempt to match them correctly to the best of our anatomic knowledge but there can be some mistakes, as it is not always guaranteed that the fish will be oppositely sexed.

All our fish are packed in double thickness bags for their safety and security.

The bags are then packed into a polystyrene box with a 40h heat pack and a cardboard outer.

After a shipping date is agreed upon, it is the responsibility of the buyer to be at home when the package arrives.

Once the fish arrive it is your responsibility to acclimatise and then quarantine them using the dripping method. All fish leave our care in good health.

International Shipping

On account of stringent regulations and certificates surrounding the shipping of live fish reintroduced following the United Kingdom’s (UK) exit from the European Union (EU) in 2016, Aquarium-Fish Ltd are no longer able to ship to the EU.

However, we are able to ship anywhere else in the world. Please get in touch if you reside outside the UK and are interested in making a purchase to discuss shipping costs and times.

 

 

Dead on Arrival (DOA)

Policy In the unfortunate but unlikely event of your livestock arriving dead we offer a fairly standard common-sense DOA policy, standard for the tropical fishkeeping hobby.

In the event that a fish is DOA, you should contact us within 2 hours of arrival. Failure to meet this timeline will void the warranty with no exceptions.

When contacting us following a DOA, please ensure you send us a video and 3 photos of the fish in the unopened sealed bag it was originally packaged in.

Please take the time to ensure that you send us clear photos. Following a DOA, we will apply the credit of the fish (Excluding shipping) towards a future purchase.

If you pay the shipping again then we can discuss sending you a replacement, or hold the total credit for a future purchase.

If you need further clarification on any of above or have any questions about out range of tropical fish for sale, please contact us via the booking form.

 

 

 Got a question about our tropical fish for sale? 

 

 

 

Get in contact on [number/email], or fill out our contact form, and we'll get back to you. 


See our privacy policy.
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

 

0
Shopping Basket
X