# New siamese fighters/Betta splendens



## Kitah (Apr 16, 2010)

I just thought I'd share three new boys I brought home today, for anyone who may be interested  

Piccies! 

Plakat













This is what his 'true' colour looks like- his finnage is bright red, with silver streaks





Aqua/red doubletail boy-he is more of an aqua colour + red, not green!

















Royal blue doubletail





























And some of my girls didn't want to be left out  First pic is of one of my purple 'babies'


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## cwtiger (Apr 16, 2010)

Some lovely colours there. Are you going to breed them? They are very interesting to breed but be prepared for lots of little fellows.


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## Kitah (Apr 16, 2010)

I've spawned one pair, once before- the male decided to eat the bubs before I realised (before they were free swimming) so only got left 19 fry alive. All 19 survived to adulthood, though the weird thing is that all 19 were female! The three girls in the last two pics are some of the offspring from that spawn

I may/may not ever breed these guys, I dunno  The green/red doubletail would make an interesting cross with one of my green/red girls from my spawn, and one of my silver/red girls with the plakat boy. If anything, I'd go with the green/red spawn


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## cwtiger (Apr 16, 2010)

That's a shame regarding your first spawn. Yes the green/red would make for some lovely fry. Have fun with them. I am thinking about getting a male for my sons birthday in August his favourite colour is green but don't see many in that colour around me.


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## Lonewolf (Apr 16, 2010)

OMG jealous. Gorgeous Bettas you have there!  

I've been trying to find one like your aqua boy for years now


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## Kitah (Apr 16, 2010)

cwtiger- even though I didn't get many fry, and they were all females- it worked out quite well. They were far easier to manage than a full 100+ spawn would have been, particularly because I was stupid enough to spawn them 8wks before my end of semester/major exams- really dumb idea! 

Regarding the green bettas, I've never seen any down in Bris either (I'm originally from there- up here for uni) but they turn up here every now and then. You might be able to find an aqua/greenish veil or crowntail- they seem to be more common

Lonewolf- thanks  I didn't buy the plakat for his looks (Not very keen on them) but simply because of his personality- I know it sounds weird, but the reason I love Bettas is because of their personality! Pity you're not up here, theres 4 more guys very similar to this aqua boy at the store! I asked them where they get the 'higher' quality bettas from (the doubletails, halfmoons, deltas etc) and apparently they're from a guy in Bris that directly imports them... perhaps you could ask a local pet/fish store to order some in for you?



Also.. if anyone is interested- the plakat was $8.50, and the doubletail boys were $12.50 ea


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## Kenshin (Apr 16, 2010)

iv been right into fish off and on for years iv bred siamese fighters before it is interesting, cant wait to get to brisbane there is a fish importer who will get hold of "wild betta" spp there are some fantastic species availible and some are mouthbrooders! some other species are huge cant wait to have a crack at them


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## thals (Apr 16, 2010)

Nice bettas you have there! Used to keep quite a few myself and have a few pics up in my album on here. Used to keep one very similar to your aqua boy, there are some pics of him also in my album. Really beautiful fish


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## Kitah (Apr 16, 2010)

Kenshin said:


> iv been right into fish off and on for years iv bred siamese fighters before it is interesting, cant wait to get to brisbane there is a fish importer who will get hold of "wild betta" spp there are some fantastic species availible and some are mouthbrooders! some other species are huge cant wait to have a crack at them



Some of the wild species are fantastic! The mouthbrooders would be fun to breed, I rekon  They had a HEAP of _Betta albimarginata's_ up here at the end of last year_, _but they're one of my less-favourite wilds, and I can't get any more tanks at the moment (I like to give my Bettas more space than most people seem to, so my room is kinda full )

Thanks Thals- They're an awesome species


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## daniel1234 (Apr 16, 2010)

Very very nice
I kept a nice red/blue one in my tank when I was 15. Always had a soft spot for them but never really saw decent ones when I was running aquariums couple years ago. Do you buy from pet stores/aquarium shops and what size tanks do you keep them in. Never got into the lil cup size things they come in nowdays, bit like my snakes. However I guess it is economical and space saving, bit like snakes and racks.


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## Kitah (Apr 16, 2010)

I have 4 girls (will add perhaps 4 more?) in a 70L tank, the boys currently have 12L each (will be dividing another 70L tank to give them a bit more room) and some of the offspring from the spawn are still in 5.1L tubs until they find new homes  I know it doesn't sound like much, but I do try to provide them with a lot of space based on my uni budget. My fish are also heated during the cooler months- fortunately its warm in Townsville for most of the year, so I save a bit of power! 

All of the fish I've bought have come from pet/fish stores. Most have come from a local specialty aquarium store- they get a lot of gorgeous halfmoons, giants, deltas, doubletails etc in on a fairly regular basis. They also get other awesome things like freshwater stingrays, amongst others  The types of bettas I've bought from local stores include a black devil crowntail (bought in brisbane), mustard gas crowntail, black orchid super delta, halfmoon female, red/black butterfly doubletail female, yellow/chocolate crowntail, a very 'clean' yellow cambodian vieltail female.... and now plakat and male doubletails. I don't know if I just get lucky in finding different types of bettas? I know I'm certainly in luck with this local fish store- though it means I spend a bit of cash haha

I should add- I know it doesn't make a difference at all, but I absolutely refuse to buy anything from stores that keep their animals in poor conditions- whether hermit crabs, fish, puppies, kittens, or reptiles- if they mistreat the animals/don't keep them clean etc I'm not going to support them! So there's only two stores up here I buy fish from, purely because of this reason


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## Tsubakai (Apr 16, 2010)

Did they come from the store with the freshwater rays? I'll be taking some of my bristlenose offspring in there tomorrow and would definitely pickup a plakat or two if so. I prefer the shorter fin varieties so if he has more like yours I'll be very happy.


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## beckyreptilegirl (Apr 16, 2010)

oh they are beautiful,
i bred siamese fighting fish, very hard work.........never gain haha 
they are awesome colours though


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## Kitah (Apr 16, 2010)

Tsubakai, Yes it was that store- They get some fantastic and very unique fish in there. Regarding the plakats- I think they had maybe two more? A red/blue and I think the other one was similar to the guy I bought. They aren't currently on display though, so just ask- say that you were told they had some plakats bagged down below, if they don't have them on display when you go. Also... pet HQ has a giant shortfinned male as well- he's rather...huge... he'd definitely eat my Bettas! 

Thanks Becky  They can be hard work to breed, and moreso to raise the fry- but its certainly interesting, and a new experience. I'm not sure whether I'll try it again! perhaps when I finish uni. Who knows!


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## daniel1234 (Apr 16, 2010)

All this talk of Bettas rays and pleco's etc I will have to start a tank again.
I had a nice Gibbicep pleco a few years ago and a few bristle noses, freshwater rays sound like cool fish.

60 - 70 litres is a fair size. Even thirty is still a tank IMO.
That said I have never run smaller than 60ltr just because it is easier to keep bigger tanks as well as maintain large communities.

Again great fish


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## Kitah (Apr 16, 2010)

Yeah, larger tanks are so much easier to maintain, once you've got them going! I can't expand until after I've finished uni, because I tend to be all over the place- particularly next year when I'm on rotations all around Qld! Eventually....one day.... lol

When you start your tank up, you have to show piccies


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## Kitah (Apr 17, 2010)

Just curious, did you end up getting those plakats Tsubakai? If so, any pictures?


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## JrFear (Apr 17, 2010)

oh wow! they look like half moon fighters!
do u mind where u got them? i didnt think we could get them in aus!


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## geckodan (Apr 17, 2010)

Lonewolf - you won't find better Bettas in Brisbane than those at Fishchicks at Annerley (but you pay $50 + per fish for that sort of quality). Have a look at her for sale stock on youtube (just search Fishchick).


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## Lonewolf (Apr 17, 2010)

I just did that and emailed her thanks  I don't mind the prices. A quality betta is worth it.


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## grub73 (Apr 17, 2010)

they are nice fish shame they have a short life span


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## Kitah (Apr 17, 2010)

JrFear- you certainly can get them in Aus! They are quite often for sale at the same store I bought these guys from (local fish store in Townsville, QLD)- they purchase them from a guy in Brissie that gets them imported, apparently. You can get everything here; plakats, halfmoons, deltas, super deltas, doubletails. The 'fancier' and less common types cost a lot more though.

Grub, it is a pity about their lifespans  ah well, I love em while I can!


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## Kenshin (Apr 17, 2010)

geckodan said:


> Lonewolf - you won't find better Bettas in Brisbane than those at Fishchicks at Annerley (but you pay $50 + per fish for that sort of quality). Have a look at her for sale stock on youtube (just search Fishchick).



thats who i was talking about i was looking at importing wild betta's to perth from her but im glad i diddent as im going to be back in bris end of this month finally!!!! been wanting to come back since i landed in perth i will most likely start breeding fish again but i think i will be concetrating on snakes till i build my collection back up then betta's and more apisto's will be on the cards again


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## AMY22 (Apr 17, 2010)

Oooh it's nice to see other people appreciate Siamese fighting fish as much as myself. I always had this need to 'rescue' them when I was younger from those tiny tanks they were in at the store and give them something a bit bigger. I think they are underestimated because they tend to be treated as a decoration and not as an animal. Mine is in a large bowl (the only fish I'd keep in a bowl ) with a 30cm diameter, and he has rocks and a plant to hide under. Everyone always says he's really active for a SFF because he follows you as you walk past him, and if you put a piece of food on the end of your finger and hold it just above the water he'll actually jump up to grab it. I've been thinking about his age because I can only seem to find info that they really only live for about 2 or 3 years, but he'd be at least 5 now. What's the longest anyone here has known them to live for?


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## Kitah (Apr 17, 2010)

AMY22 said:


> Oooh it's nice to see other people appreciate Siamese fighting fish as much as myself. I always had this need to 'rescue' them when I was younger from those tiny tanks they were in at the store and give them something a bit bigger. I think they are underestimated because they tend to be treated as a decoration and not as an animal. Mine is in a large bowl (the only fish I'd keep in a bowl ) with a 30cm diameter, and he has rocks and a plant to hide under. Everyone always says he's really active for a SFF because he follows you as you walk past him, and if you put a piece of food on the end of your finger and hold it just above the water he'll actually jump up to grab it. I've been thinking about his age because I can only seem to find info that they really only live for about 2 or 3 years, but he'd be at least 5 now. What's the longest anyone here has known them to live for?



Amy- Thats awesome that you love them as well, there aren't enough people around that actually appreciate fighters as living animals instead of decorations! All of my fish will leap out of the water to grab food as well, all of them will follow me etc- if kept in even just 'reasonable' conditions, they'll be active and follow you around! But if they're cold, depressed, sick etc of course they won't! I never used to like fighters because the ones I always saw were lethargic and 'sad' looking- rarely moving etc. But ever since I got my first (a multicolour crowntail) I realised how interactive they are, and got addicted to them. 

Most websites etc seem to say they'll average a lifespan of 2-3yrs, but I don't know what the 'record' is.


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## SLACkra (Apr 17, 2010)

> We all love reptiles- its why we're here. But some of us love other species as well.



well said Kitah. Nice bettas, I looked into possibly having one a while back but never got around to it. I to also felt rather sad for the poor things sometimes sitting in dixie cups. That and unheated dixie cups which doesn't do them the world of good considering they're a tropical fish. What do you first feed the fry? BBS?


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## Kitah (Apr 17, 2010)

I fed the fry BBS, yeah  I DID try egg yolk when they had just started free swimming, as many websites recommend, but they would not eat it- I switched over to BBS straight away, and they ate it immediately. When they got larger I tried feeding things like frozen daphnia (grated when the fry where really little) and grated bloodworms, as some others said they do, but they weren't interested. So I just fed live BBS until about 3-4wks and started introducing crushed Hikari betta pellets. As they got bigger, I then fed whole bloodworms as well. Very regular water changes, filtration + lots of food = they grew very fast! (fed 4x daily until about 3wks old, then 3x until about 3months, and finally twice daily... 25% water change daily + a sponge filter running. They were kept at 28deg, bare bottomed tank, with some silk plants for them to hide in/around)

SLACkra, if you like them, you should really get one. I know it'll probably sound lame/stupid/whatever, but they really do have awesome little personalities! This new plakat for example is so full of himself, I can just keep watching him move around the tank, checking his territory, flaring at the girls in a tank near him, flaring at another one of my males, building his bubble nest... From the sound of it you know how to look after them _correctly_, so it'd be active, healthy and happy = great pet!


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## AMY22 (Apr 17, 2010)

Kitah said:


> Amy- Thats awesome that you love them as well, there aren't enough people around that actually appreciate fighters as living animals instead of decorations! All of my fish will leap out of the water to grab food as well, all of them will follow me etc- if kept in even just 'reasonable' conditions, they'll be active and follow you around! But if they're cold, depressed, sick etc of course they won't! I never used to like fighters because the ones I always saw were lethargic and 'sad' looking- rarely moving etc. But ever since I got my first (a multicolour crowntail) I realised how interactive they are, and got addicted to them.
> 
> Most websites etc seem to say they'll average a lifespan of 2-3yrs, but I don't know what the 'record' is.



I could have a new record!  Ha probably not... But I've had a few in the past, my last 2 got Dropsy and died after 1 1/2-2 years. I always wonder what these fish feel like sitting in a jar, it would drive me nuts, nothing to hide behind, nowhere to go. 
Once you give them a chance you can see they are a completely different fish than what you see in the shop, they do actually like to swim and hide and they have a bit of personality. The one I have now (Sir Swimsalot) is really curious and watches everything, my last fish (Fredd) loved to eat live food and would turned into this vicious hunter at the mere sight of a blackworm.


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## SLACkra (Apr 17, 2010)

Haha well I currently have no freshwater fish, unless you include the mosquito fish in the freezer into account  . I've got two marine tanks, a dodgy looking 4fter and my display nano reef. If you think betta's have personality you should try a blenny. At the moment I have a large female gold striped maroon clown, a tasmanian blenny and in the nano a blue assessor.


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## Kitah (Apr 17, 2010)

Amy, from the sound of it you're guy is doing pretty well! I've come to the conclusion that some lines are rather weak and are more prone to disease + younger deaths, probably because they're not kept in the best conditions to start with, some dodgy breeders, poor choice of parents to spawn etc. I feel sorry for the ones in cups or jars, I always want to go along and buy them all and give them good homes... but in reality, its just not possible- you just end up supporting the sellers, breeders etc and more fish end up suffering. Its why I'll only buy from certain stores, that actually seem to care a bit more, and the fish are in clean conditions. By the way, I love the name of your current boy- very nice  

SLACkra, I'm jealous! I would absolutely _love_ to have a marine tank, and will eventually get one when I finish uni I hope! No idea what I'd get, because I love too many different species, but I'd sort something out haha  They have a 6ft marine setup in the biology building at uni, and I can spend aaaages just watching the fish in there- the ones I preferred to watch the most were indeed the blenny's; such strange looking little fish, but so much fun to watch! 

Feel free to share pics guys- of fighters or marine tanks+ species


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## Tsubakai (Apr 17, 2010)

AMY22 said:


> What's the longest anyone here has known them to live for?



Six years but 2 is about average. If you keep good water quality and don't overfeed then they will definitely live longer. Some don't seem to live that long as they are ex-breeders being sold so may be 1 year old or more before they are sold in the stores



waikare said:


> my bad just sick of people posting other animals, when its a reptile forum



Just a tip - don't open the 'Other animals' section if you don't want to see post about other animals. I wouldn't think it would be too hard to avoid, its not like anyone is forcing you to come into this section.


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## Tsubakai (Apr 17, 2010)

Kitah said:


> Just curious, did you end up getting those plakats Tsubakai? If so, any pictures?



No didn't get any as I wasn't coming straight home after I went in. Might still get some as I forgot my buckets that I took my bristlenoses in so will have to go back again tomorrow.


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## Kitah (Apr 17, 2010)

Tsubakai said:


> No didn't get any as I wasn't coming straight home after I went in. Might still get some as I forgot my buckets that I took my bristlenoses in so will have to go back again tomorrow.



Would you be able to post a picture (or more) of them, if you do happen to get any? I'm starting to appreciate the plakat body and fin form- I haven't really seen many in person before, and I'm just curious what the others from the same shipment look like.


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## SLACkra (Apr 18, 2010)

Well freshwater wise I did keep and breed Corydoras sterbai for a year. Produced 25 or so babies some of which I believe are in a planted tank in Queensland some where haha. Here's a pic of two of the adults:






I'll post some marine pics later, all the ones I have atm are outdated and generally rather crappy.

Andrew


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## Kitah (Apr 18, 2010)

Nice Cory's! I really like some types (Corydoras aeneus/bronze cory is one of my favourites for some reason) but cannot stand albino's. I'm not really keen on anything thats albino, really- snakes, rats/mice, fish.... The 'natural' ones are so much better looking, in my opinion!


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