# fighting fish



## Shonfield (Apr 17, 2008)

hi
just wondering if anyone that keeps fighting fish feeds them crickets? iv been wanting to get a ff for ages now and if i can feed then crickets that will be heaps easy cause i have them for my geckos.
thanks,
sam


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## kakariki (Apr 17, 2008)

I feed mine normal fish food & the occasional mozzie. They love wrigglers too. I think crix would be a bit big for them. You can get some special Betta pellets. They really bring out the colour of the fish.


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## chris84-07 (Apr 17, 2008)

i dont know about a cricket mine eat about three or four little pellets a day and u cant leave uneaten food in the water, i think a cricket might be too big


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## Shonfield (Apr 17, 2008)

so some advice for a fighting fish noob please:
do i have to get them special ff pellets? or will they just eat normal fish or goldfish pellets?
if they need ff pellets can i buy these from any normal pet store?
they dont need heating right?
will i need to do anything to the water before i put them in it?
as for mozzies if i kill one can i feed it to them? haha
thanks heaps,
sam


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## deadflesh (Apr 17, 2008)

Fish food is cheap and Fighting Fish don't eat much.


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## Shonfield (Apr 17, 2008)

also what do i need to put in their tank?
anything special?
thanks again,
sam


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## chris84-07 (Apr 17, 2008)

you dont need anything when it get too cold put em on the fridge change the water weekly(treat the water first) feed em betta pellets which can be bought from any pet shop. thats about it they are easy to look after


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## Vixen (Apr 17, 2008)

Its a common myth that they dont need heating. Ever wonder why fighters in petshops always look dead, sitting on the bottom of the tank? Thats why. They are actually quite an active fish when properly heated and its wonderful to watch. Best temps are around 25-27 degrees.

They also like still water, this means you shouldnt use a fast flowing filter. I dont use a filter at all in my setups, I just use large rocks that I can easily take out and wash (instead of the tiny gravel) , and clean the water once a week. I use rainwater, it sits at the PH they prefer, and then I dont need to worry about dechlorinating.

I also recommend the proper betta food pellets you can buy, it doesnt seem much in the packet they come in but considering they only eat a few a day, it lasts a very long time.

As for tank decorations, anything you prefer really, but give them something they can hide behind if theyre feeling shy


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## kakariki (Apr 18, 2008)

Yes they do need heating. I have a small pad heater for my small tank but I also have 2 girls in with my neons, glass catfish & black widows. Just ordinary fishfood from the pet shop will do but the pellets really do seem to enhance the colour. Apparently they only live for 2 years. I have the usual ornaments and weeds but my small tank [ 30cm long x 15 cm wide x 20 cm deep ] has a little urn in it. My "finless" fish is in there atm & she loves to hide in it. Have just taken a pic of the tank. She is on my desk next to the computer. The heat pad is on the far left under the gravel. I have only found 1 of these but would like to get some more. I have 3 of these little tanks which are ideal for f/f.


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## Shonfield (Apr 18, 2008)

also pics of ff would be nice
i just love how they look so much hehe


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## kakariki (Apr 18, 2008)

Little buggers won't keep still! Hahahaha This is the best I could do, sorry, they're a bit shaky. Will try again tomorrow.


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## Shonfield (Apr 18, 2008)

haha
thats alright
i just love how they look
and last question... 
i read on the internet minimum is about 10-15L tank for one
then on some ff forum i found they say they have less than 5L tanks for theres
how big should it be?
thanks,
sam


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## kakariki (Apr 18, 2008)

In the wild they live in the hoof prints of buffalo so how much would that hold? Not much, I don't reckon [ unless the buffalo were wearing wellies hahaha] I am not a fan of those tiny little jars or square cups some people use but each to their own. I'm not sure how much my small tank holds, about 7L I'd guess. I like seeing them in big tanks though cos as was said earlier they are really active & aren't still very long if given the chance. The males are funny if kept next to each other. They seem to blow their faces up & swim at each other! Get some Sam, you will love them!


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## Shonfield (Apr 18, 2008)

haha well iv decided tomorrow im going into the pet shop to check out tanks, filters, heaters etc.
and i already love them 
now im really excited to get them!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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## kakariki (Apr 18, 2008)

If you are getting a small tank, don't use a filter. They really don't seem to like the water moving. [ Mine don't anyway. The ones in the big tank keep well away from the filter and the main area where the movement is ]. One other thing......when you get some........................pics please???!!!!!!


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## bk201 (Apr 18, 2008)

i kept *Betta Splendens* for years bred them a few times to they love to hang around floating plants or anything else that floats , flake/pellets are ok if they will eat it but sometimes some bettas wont eat it if thats the case feed them live or frozen or freezedried foods.
the hard part will be picking a healty fish, dont buy a fish with badly riped fins,with holes in the fins,or unactive ones that just lie on the bottom of the tank. some people have said its fun to watch when males are put in tanks next to eachother this may be fun to watch but its stressfull for the fish and so isnt a good idea .
good luck


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## Shonfield (Apr 18, 2008)

haha of corse ill get pics for you 
does not having a filter make the tank get dirtier faster? (just a rumor iv heard a few times)
but i spose that wont be a problem if i change the water weekly


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## kakariki (Apr 18, 2008)

bk201... I found ours did get used to each other & ignored the others UNTIL a female was close by. We kept ours in a guppy breeding tank which is 2 ft long, section off long ways so there is a long part across the back but at the front it is divided into 3 sections. We had the males in the front and the females sharing at the back. After the initial through the glass scuffles they weren't particularly bothered but I certainly will keep an eye on that, cheers. Also I feed blood worms once a week or so. They love them. I don't have a problem with dirty water. Just empty some out [ about a third] and refill with rain water [ not tap water]


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## bk201 (Apr 18, 2008)

without a filter the tank will get dirtier faster due to the water being stagnant
when you change the water dont use water straight from the tap its best to let it age for a while even if you condition it with chlorine neutraliser as new water will usually cause amonia/nitrite problems
the larger the tank the more stable water conditions will be thats why its best not to keep them in tiny containers


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## Shonfield (Apr 18, 2008)

ok thanks heaps guy
and i think im down to my last 2 questions haha
1. do i need a pump? (im guessing no if i dont really need a filter)
2. will a silk or fake plant possibly rip my betta's tail? (read this somewhere and want to check)
thanks heaps guys,
sam


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## kirstys (Apr 18, 2008)

Shonfield said:


> ok thanks heaps guy
> and i think im down to my last 2 questions haha
> 1. do i need a pump? (im guessing no if i dont really need a filter)
> 2. will a silk or fake plant possibly rip my betta's tail? (read this somewhere and want to check)
> ...


 

what size tank are you going to get and for how many fish


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## Shonfield (Apr 18, 2008)

1 fish
not sure on tank size by im thinking small...
maybe up to 10L?


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## euphorion (Apr 18, 2008)

www.ausaqua.net everything you need to know, and then some! 

fighters are the best little fish, they have so much personality. you'll love them! i got completely addicted and now i breed them too! 

if you're after minimum maintenance with maximum visual effect i recommend getting a 20L setup and using a sponge filter (doesnt create a big current) which means you have less work to do each time you clean it. 

and as for food, i wouldnt try plain goldfish flakes, use the special betta pellets if you must but they have very little nutrition and i've found that my fish often refuse to eat them (suppose they must be quite bland because they have so little fish meal in them) best foods are live blood worms, mossie wrigglers and brine shrimp.

hope that helps!


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## bredli_lover (Apr 18, 2008)

I don't really know about crickets...but mine eat flies! lol - one flew in there one day and landed in the water and the fish swam up and ate it...


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## anguskennedy (Apr 18, 2008)

Personally, I think that keeping fighting fish in those glass jars/beer glasses/cups etc should be banned. Sure, they dont need a big space, but those glasses are often the width of the animal and all they can do is turn around, thats not cool! 

It is not exactly true that they live in puddles, or that they only occupy and defend a tiny portion of a pond they are living in. For starters, their primary habitat is streams and ponds, where they are active like most other fish. They then migrate (move a reasonable distance) during the breeding season to shallow, quiet and slow habitats such as rice paddy fields and shallow ponds. They then make a nest, breed then head back to where they came from. 

So they do move around in the wild, and although they can live in very small spaces (with their very interesting ability to take oxygen from air), it doesnt necessarily make it good for them.

Sorry to rain on the parade!

So IMO, go for it, fighting fish are awesome! But give them a bit of space to move, at least a small tank.


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## NinaPeas (Apr 18, 2008)

They are native to Asia and as anguskennedy said, live in rice paddies. It's a warm humid climate, so they do best with heating. You can keep them without a heater, but that would be like keeping a beardy with no heat, it would be very lethargic and unhappy.

And yes, try to keep them in something a bit bigger than a jar or something similar, and if you have lots of plants in there (like they do in the wild) you shouldn't need to clean the tank too often, as the plants will do alot of the work, especially with just one fish. Every month maybe do a 1/3 water change. If you use tap water you need to put a chemical in there to get rid of the chloramine, I think the best is rainwater, as spring/bottled water has no life in it at all. Never get rid of all the water completely, as this will ruin the ecology of the tank.

Good luck!!


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## Shonfield (Apr 18, 2008)

thanks heaps for the replies everyone
i plan on keeping in it in something that it can atleast move around in! i hate seeing them in pet shops and having about 5cm cube area to live in. they cant do anything in that!

and thanks for the ausaqua link
ive been looking on it and its got heaps of info! thanks!

anyway im going to the pet shop now to look at tanks, filters and that kind of stuff.

im not that experienced with fish keeping, iv kept a few goldfish and some tiny fish that i cant remember the name of a few years ago and a silver shark once but thats about it.
so my last question is do i need to buy a pump? or will this be part of a filter if i get one?
thats about the only thing i dont know because when i had my goldfish i was told i didnt need a filter or pump.

thanks heaps,
sam


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## imalizard (Apr 18, 2008)

If the tank is large you can use a filter but keep it on the lowest so there isnt much water movement.


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## imalizard (Apr 18, 2008)

Here are my 2 tanks


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## Shonfield (Apr 18, 2008)

thanks heaps imalizard
thats exactly the kind of setup i had in mind.
do you have a filter or pump in either of them?
thanks heaps,
sam


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## imalizard (Apr 18, 2008)

No but i clean them out every 2 weeks


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## Shonfield (Apr 18, 2008)

alright im off to the pet shop to get me a tank and that suff
thanks heaps for all the info guys and when i get them, which will probably be next week, ill post some pics 
thanks again,
sam


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## thals (Apr 18, 2008)

great setups and info guys! Always wanted some blue fighters myself, might get some soon n post some piccies too 

very much a newb to fishies myself as with sam, have only kept goldfish n those teeny small fish which i only later on found out to be canniballistic once i noticed a few missing :shock:


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## Shonfield (Apr 18, 2008)

my new setup i just bought
the vase was $12 from k-mart 
and it looks really small in the photo
but its actually a giant vase lol


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## Shannidah (Apr 18, 2008)

I have two fighting fish and keep them in relatively big tanks, they are pretty active and get very excited when they hear us coming because they think they are going to get fed. They both have ornaments in their tanks so they can hide and generally hide when its dark. I feed them just a tiny amount of betta fighting fish food morning and night. No filters but they don't like their water really cold so I have them in a sunny room that is quite warm. Also there is a fair bit of space between their tanks, as they are both males I have been told they could jump out to attack the other, not so sure if that would happen but don't want to take the chance. I think my two are the most beautiful I have ever seen, a really dark inky blue and a bright red. They are quite impressive when they get stirred up. I'll post some pics in the next few days.


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## Shonfield (Apr 18, 2008)

ok last question...
can i use a globe to heat the water?
because i have a spare bulb cover and 50w, 75w and 100w bulbs.
can i have these hanging above my tank to heat it?
if yes should i use 50w, 75w or 100w bulbs?
the tank is about 10L
thanks heaps,
sam


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## reptalica (Apr 18, 2008)

VixenBabe said:


> Its a common myth that they dont need heating. Ever wonder why fighters in petshops always look dead, sitting on the bottom of the tank? Thats why. They are actually quite an active fish when properly heated and its wonderful to watch. Best temps are around 25-27 degrees.
> 
> They also like still water, this means you shouldnt use a fast flowing filter. I dont use a filter at all in my setups, I just use large rocks that I can easily take out and wash (instead of the tiny gravel) , and clean the water once a week. I use rainwater, it sits at the PH they prefer, and then I dont need to worry about dechlorinating.
> 
> ...



Spot on....


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## puka777 (Apr 19, 2008)

aaaaaaaaaahhhhhh!!!!!!!!!! not to be rude or to stop you happiness on getting a betta but im afraid youll have to chuck away that vase NOW!betta fish can live up to more then two years around 15 if you keep them properly.

first of all get a bigger tank around 30l then you also need some gravel, a aquarium heater and most importantly a filter, a proper internal filter which comes with both mechanical and biological filtration, if you get a good one you can adjust the flow rate so it wont hurt the betta.
another improtant thing is a dechlorinator that gets rid of the harmful metals in tapwater.

now once youve got it all set it up with the dechlorinatored water and gravel and filter running and now you must not get fish for three weeks becuase youll have to do a fihsless cycle or also known as the nitrogen cycle.

to explain the nitrogen cycle its quite simple a harmful toxin known as ammonia comes from fish waste,moldy dead plants and moldy off food in a fish tank.
this toxin will kill you fish unless there is none in your water so how do you get rid of the ammonia simple you grow a good bacteria in your filter and gravel.
the good bacteria grows by feeding on an ammonia source once it has grown it well convert ammonia into nitrite another bad toxin which can kill you fish but the good bacteria will then convert this nitrite into nitrate a less toxic thing that well only kill you fish at great levels.
then you get rid of the nitrate by doing water changes.

so to do the nitrogen cycle you must find a ammonia souce like putting a pich of fish food as if you were feeding fish.this food will go off and give off the ammonia which will then make the cycle start.

if you foloow these instructions beleive me your fish will be happier and live a longer life.


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## Shonfield (Apr 19, 2008)

well i just decided i wanted some other fish aswell as the betta so i just got a really cheap 80L tank with heater, thermostat, lights, filter etc. (everything i need basically) for only $100!
so now im excited about that and had to share haha
going to pick it up around 6 tonight and i will post pics soon


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## Ned_fisch (Apr 19, 2008)

I feed my mine baby cichlid pellets, Alot easier then the normal fighter food. You get more for the cichlid pellets. The last time i saw, it was something like 5-7 bucks.


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## puka777 (Apr 19, 2008)

cool have fun creating your new tank but make sure you dont over stock and foods for fish need to be a variety so flakes,pellets,brine shrimp and blood worm is a good mix.


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## Nikki31 (Apr 19, 2008)

Don't feed your fighting fish crickets they are to big. Fighting fish only need little pellets they are tiny like a big grain of sand really... Fighting fish dont eat much at all if you were to feed them you would only need about 3 pellets a day. you could feed a couple at morning then maybe another one at night.

If the fighter doesnt take the food in like a couple of mintues he isnt hungry dont leave the food in there it can cause amonia and they can die from that.

In winter you will need a heater unless your house is warm all the time. You can also get away with adding warm water every now and then. But make sure you also put water ager into the water before you add it to the tank.

Hope this helps please let me know if it doesnt....

I work at a pet shop so i know a bit about fish


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## puka777 (Apr 19, 2008)

you dont have to worry about the ammonia if you do the nitrogen cycle and you must get a heater becuase bettas are tropical fish and need heat to be active the ones are pet shops all in the little vases are dying and not very active becuase they dont have heaters.


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## Vincent21 (Apr 19, 2008)

I used to have one, i fed it normal fish food and it was fine with it.


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## rebeccalg (Apr 19, 2008)

I found normal fish food was fine, mine ate with all the other fish in the tank and never had a problem.


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## Shonfield (Apr 19, 2008)

yeah so i got this new tank
its great and its 80L and has a filter and heater so im all good 
the guy gave me some fish food with it so im set for food for about................its whole life.

can silver shark live with betta?
i just love silver shark haha

thanks heaps everyone for your help,
sam


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## puka777 (Apr 19, 2008)

silver sharks should be a good choice the thing with betta and other fish is that you cant get anything thats coulourful or has longs fins like guppies becuase then theyll will start attacking each other.


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## Shannidah (Apr 20, 2008)

Heres some pics of my fish. I never knew fish were so hard to photograph.
:lol:


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## HoffOff (Apr 20, 2008)

i have 2 Fighter fish Female and male in a Big tank with A heater and a Filter with 6 tetras and 3 yabbies and 5 guppies


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## puka777 (Apr 20, 2008)

you shouldnt keep two bettas in the same tank the male will probaly bully the female and the guppies will fin nip the bettas.


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## kcaj_123 (Apr 21, 2008)

puka777 said:


> silver sharks should be a good choice


 
Silver sharks obtain lengths of up to 30cm...


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## HoffOff (Apr 21, 2008)

Uhh puka my Fish are Super Peacefull


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## kcaj_123 (Apr 21, 2008)

puka777 said:


> you shouldnt keep two bettas in the same tank the male will probaly bully the female


 
They are all individuals... males aren't always aggressive towards the females. And anyway it sounds like a big planted tank so the female would have plenty of places to hide. Nothing wrong there at all.


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## HoffOff (Apr 21, 2008)

Yep!


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## puka777 (Apr 21, 2008)

ok sorry ive just seen and read about people having them togethr and it turns out bad but i must be wrong


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## mcloughlin2 (Apr 21, 2008)

Males are well known for being very aggressive towards female fighters so it is usually not recommened to be done. However in a large enough tank it should be fine providing you provide adequent places to allow escape. In some instances two or more male fighters can be kept in the same tank. (I would not recommend this unless in a heavily planted 4ft tank and even then it should be avoided.)

I currently only have two male fighters in seperate tanks that sit on the hood of a 6ft tank with 5 light tubes under it. The small amounts of heat that they create combined with the warmth from the tank water provide enough heat to keep the fighter's tank at a stable temp range between 24C - 28C. They are fed tropical crisps as a staple diet which are made so the produce 30% less waste then regular foods. Brine shrimp are offered as a treat occassional.

I would not advocate feeding crickets unless they are either pinheads or very small. Even then keep it to a minimal to avoid an unbalance in nutrients.


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## mcloughlin2 (Apr 21, 2008)

puka777 said:


> ok sorry ive just seen and read about people having them togethr and it turns out bad but i must be wrong


 
No need to apologise to anyone. I've kept males and females together before. Sometimes they are fine. Sometimes however the male killed the female. So your not wrong, but your not intirely correct as it can be done. 

Silver sharks are fine with bettas, however they are one of the very few fish that are. I've witnessed bettas being realised into community tanks at fishshops, only for the tetras to kill the fighter in less then 2mins. I would recommend keeping them with say some bristlenose (Any type), some neons and perhaps some glass catfish.


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## HoffOff (Apr 21, 2008)

Male And male Kil each other


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## mcloughlin2 (Apr 21, 2008)

snakeman112 said:


> Male And male Kil each other


 
I assume this has been said due to my previous comment? I'll assume it is so i can comment. 

Males and males do kill each other. They are called fighting fish because of this. The fancy strains that we see today however have not been breed for fighting abilities. They have been breed for colour, fin lenth, breeding capabilities etc. An overly aggressive male has no place in a breeding facility as breeders do not want to risk the females being killed. So the aggressive gene cannot be passed on. You do get exceptions to this very broad idea but you also get alot of male fighters that follow this idea and don't really know they are meant to kill each other.  Hence you can _sometimes_ keep _some_ males together.


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## HoffOff (Apr 21, 2008)

Yep and wild Breeads ( non spledends) dont either


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## kcaj_123 (Apr 22, 2008)

mcloughlin2 said:


> I assume this has been said due to my previous comment? I'll assume it is so i can comment.
> 
> Males and males do kill each other. They are called fighting fish because of this. The fancy strains that we see today however have not been breed for fighting abilities. They have been breed for colour, fin lenth, breeding capabilities etc. An overly aggressive male has no place in a breeding facility as breeders do not want to risk the females being killed. So the aggressive gene cannot be passed on. You do get exceptions to this very broad idea but you also get alot of male fighters that follow this idea and don't really know they are meant to kill each other.  Hence you can _sometimes_ keep _some_ males together.


 
The selective breeding has not undone millions of years of evolution, contrary to what you seem to believe.

Put a divider between two males so they cannot see eachother for a few days and then pull the divider out... VOILA extreme flaring and aggression. Put them in the same tank and they will rip eachother to pieces.

Selective breeders try to minimise of the male, but if he's good looking they will keep on trying to breed him and so can lose 3 or so females in the process. There are tricks employed to try and reduce aggression but they will not discard the idea or plan of breeding him just because he is aggro.


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## Shonfield (Apr 22, 2008)

yeah so silver shark are going to get to big for my 80L as i discovered on another forum haha
so im thinking neons with the fighter, maybe glass catfish?
anyone got pics of their fighters with other fish? or on their own?
i love to look at pics of them haha


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## Vixen (Apr 22, 2008)

My boy courting a female. Sadly hes no longer with us, he was so cool


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## bk201 (Apr 22, 2008)

to minimise the chances of either fish dying in breeding they condition both fish this involves feeding both of them lots of live and frozen foods and then they put the female in a tank with shallow water around 28 degrees c and around 10cm deep and they put the male in a jar or vase in the same tank until the female becomes full of eggs and her patern changes and the male begins to build a buble nest then they are put together this minimises first contact aggresion and once the eggs are layed the female is removed.
selective breeding cannot change a animals nature thats why so called pet dogs have a habbit of atacking there owners.


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## bk201 (Apr 22, 2008)

Shonfield said:


> yeah so silver shark are going to get to big for my 80L as i discovered on another forum haha
> so im thinking neons with the fighter, maybe glass catfish?


`yea i had a silver shark over 30cm long til it jumped out of the tank over night a few years ago
fighter fish might snack on small neons


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## Vixen (Apr 22, 2008)

bk201 said:


> to minimise the chances of either fish dying in breeding they condition both fish this involves feeding both of them lots of live and frozen foods and then they put the female in a tank with shallow water around 28 degrees c and around 10cm deep and they put the male in a jar or vase in the same tank until the female becomes full of eggs and her patern changes and the male begins to build a buble nest then they are put together this minimises first contact aggresion and once the eggs are layed the female is removed.
> selective breeding cannot change a animals nature thats why so called pet dogs have a habbit of atacking there owners.


 
Yep, I did the same except I had the female in a seperate jar. Also dont put anything on the bottom of the tank, leave it bare. When the eggs are layed the male will take them and place them in the nest, and some fall out, so its much easier for him to find and pick them up.


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## Shonfield (Apr 22, 2008)

vixenbabe>thats a really good looking fighter! nice one.
bk201>i wouldnt buy neons that are obviously small enough for the fighter to eat. i have heard a lot of people here and on other forums say that neons are the best fish to have with a fighter.


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## kakariki (Apr 23, 2008)

I have a fighter in with Angelfish, neons, black widows,barbs, glasscatfish, dwarf gourami, mollie,silver sharks & guppies. All is ok, they have plenty of hidey holes, weed & ornaments. Sorry the pic is a bit blurry. Fish won't stay when told! LOL


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## Miss B (Apr 23, 2008)

mcloughlin2 said:


> The fancy strains that we see today however have not been breed for fighting abilities. They have been breed for colour, fin lenth, breeding capabilities etc. An overly aggressive male has no place in a breeding facility as breeders do not want to risk the females being killed. So the aggressive gene cannot be passed on. You do get exceptions to this very broad idea but you also get alot of male fighters that follow this idea and don't really know they are meant to kill each other.  Hence you can _sometimes_ keep _some_ males together.



I have kept many fancy Bettas over the years (including quite a few imported from the States) and the males have _always _been aggressive towards one another. I even had one male leap from his tank into a neighbouring tank to kill the resident male within. They will constantly 'flare' up at the male in the tank next to theirs, and attack the glass.

I'm yet to come across these placid fighting fish!


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## PeachSlices (Apr 23, 2008)

hi guys i've been keeping bettas for years
here's a picture of my male who is too lazy to build a bubble nest






Simon


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## kakariki (Apr 23, 2008)

Wow :shock: That is one gorgeous fish!!!!!! Absolutely stunning!


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## Shonfield (Apr 23, 2008)

simon> wowowowowowowowow i want it! thats a really nice fish!
kakariki> i was thinking about angel fish with them as the guy i bought the tank off on the weekend had some in with one of his fighters (along with many other fish like guppies, neons, glass catfish etc.).

are angel fish hard to look after? and do they cost a lot?

thanks,
sam


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## Shonfield (Apr 23, 2008)

another thing kakariki
i just noticed the thermometer strip thing on the side of your tank.
mine came with one of these but it doesnt change or tell me anything that i can notice.
how do they work?
thanks again,
sam


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## kakariki (Apr 23, 2008)

The small ones are $7 here and they are easy to look after. But they do get big.The one in the 2nd pic is approx 6 inches topfin-bottomfin. One thing we have found though is they can be aggressive to other fish. We have 1 [1st pic ] & he is a real terror. The other 2 BIG ones are fine! Glass Catfish [3rd pic ] are easy too. I really like them. We have 3 atm but I would like more. In certain lights they look like heads only floating in the water! Kinda creepy in a cool kind of way, hahaha. With the strip thingy, the temp is displayed as a different colour Eg mine shows up as light purple [looking at it now cos it is just to the right of my computer ] 26 degrees. Maybe you need to replace yours or press it onto the glass a bit harder?


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## Shonfield (Apr 24, 2008)

thanks kakariki
those angelfish and glass catfish look awesome!
i think i might wait a little while to get angelfish and just get some glass catfish or neons with a fighter for now
as for my thermometer i think it just need replacing.
thanks heaps for your help
ill post pics when i get everything in order,
sam


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## arbok (Apr 24, 2008)

ive always wondered why when ever i go to shops etc fighter fish are kept in tiny little square tanks... this couldnt be good for them could it?
can anyone explain?


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## PremierPythons (Apr 24, 2008)

You could argue that it's not necessarily bad for them but not that good for them at the same time. The reasoning behind them being in small tanks is that they live in small pockets (puddles more like) of water in the wild. Often in asian rice fields. People have theorized that this has given them they're signature fighting characteristic as the habitats they survive in are only small enough for one fish at a time. I've always found when I've given them more space that they tend to utilize it. I hope this helps!


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## anguskennedy (Apr 24, 2008)

anguskennedy said:


> Personally, I think that keeping fighting fish in those glass jars/beer glasses/cups etc should be banned. Sure, they dont need a big space, but those glasses are often the width of the animal and all they can do is turn around, thats not cool!
> 
> It is not exactly true that they live in puddles, or that they only occupy and defend a tiny portion of a pond they are living in. For starters, their primary habitat is streams and ponds, where they are active like most other fish. They then migrate (move a reasonable distance) during the breeding season to shallow, quiet and slow habitats such as rice paddy fields and shallow ponds. They then make a nest, breed then head back to where they came from.
> 
> ...


 
Arbok - I had a little rant before about those small tanks (above). Their justification of them (puddles) is largely a myth - they would never be in a 'puddle' (not like a puddle on the side of the footpath, more like very shallow flodded lowland areas, which have largely been replaced by rice paddy's throughout their natural ranges) the size of those small tanks, and although they do breed in 'puddles' that is only for a very small part of the year. They spend the rest of their time in rivers and streams.

For the most part they will stay alive in them, but I still dont think that makes it OK.


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## Ristof (Apr 24, 2008)

I have 4 Angels at home in a 215lt with lots of other types
There are easy to look after but can get quite big and aggressive if they isn't enough room for another fish of there size or tries to take over the territory.

I have keep many bettas in community tanks with angels, glass cats (these guys are cool and don't swim around much but like to be in the firing line of the filter)
I had problems though with red tale sharks and male bettas, they would chase each other, one day the shark would chase the betta, the next the betta would puff out his gills and chased the shark. They both died of stress.
I have also keeped female bettas in with males and they have been fine - no one killed anyone there.

Fish do require air bubbles to break the water surface and supply oxygen. to set these up you will need an airpump (about $10), some hoseing and then your choice of bubble maker. It could been a bubble wall tude that goes along the back of the take and gives you a wall of bubbles, it could be a blue rock that when turned on has bubbles come out of it or you could go with just a long stone that sits just under the gravel so you can't see it

Good luck and let me know if you need anymore info


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## Shonfield (Apr 24, 2008)

firstly thanks for such a great thread so far everyone

secondly i went to my local pet shop today and bought some live plants (purple wattle) and a big ornament of a guy sitting down reading a book.

i looked at the fish they had there and really liked the glass catfish and the tiger barb. can tiger barb live with fighters? if they can i think iv made up my mind of whats going in with a fighter hehe.

thanks heaps everyone,
sam


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## kakariki (Apr 24, 2008)

I was told Barbs can be very aggressive & to only put them with other big aggressive fish but just recently a friend sold me all her fish [& 4 tanks ]. There were 3 Barbs whom she had kept with Angels, neon,black widow and guppies with no trouble at all. I have put them in our communal tank atm & so far so good.


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## Shonfield (Apr 24, 2008)

i saw tiger barb today at the pet shop in with glass catfish, bristlenose and a fighter was in the tank next to it and they could see each other and didnt seem to try to attack each other so i think they should be ok...

anyone else tried barbs with fighters?


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## PeachSlices (Apr 26, 2008)

i think tiger barbs are fin biters
but if you really like them test it out and tell us how it goes.

where in Sydney are u located i can give u locations to buy nicer variants???:lol:

Simon


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## Shonfield (Apr 26, 2008)

im in newtown


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## redbellybite (Apr 26, 2008)

i have fighting fish i dont keep them in heated water nor a filter they are in 2 seperate bowls i change the water every few days i feed them normal fish food i have a big blue male and a violet female both do really well if the temp is quiet cold i will top up there bowl with warm water and they become very active have had them for a long time now and they seem happy i am still interested in anyone knowing how to breed them wouldnt mind giving that a go i have put her in with him while i clean out the bowls they dont fight or carry on he chases her a bit then settles down ...


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## Shonfield (Apr 26, 2008)

try fightingfish.com.au and ausaqua.net
they both have lots of info on breeding them


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## Harley (Apr 27, 2008)

I just got my Fighting fish a few hours ago !
Is there an ideal tempreture for them?
And should I feed him weekly/daily


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## kakariki (Apr 27, 2008)

The only one with a temp thingy is my communal tank. That is set at 25C & I feed once a day. My little tank has a heat pad in it & I've no idea what the temp is......probably should find out! 
Cheers for that link Shonfield. I will check that out later. Maybe it will shed some light on why my male destroyed his nest after his girlie & him put eggs together. Anyone here have any ideas?


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## puka777 (Apr 27, 2008)

well i might be wrong no wait i think i remebered reading some where the male destroys the eggs becuas if it isnt a large enough tank so theres no other place to put eggs he then destroys the first batch so they can let out the second batch, it might be a different sort of fish i read that from thoughh.


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## Vixen (Apr 28, 2008)

redbellybite said:


> i have fighting fish i dont keep them in heated water nor a filter they are in 2 seperate bowls i change the water every few days i feed them normal fish food i have a big blue male and a violet female both do really well if the temp is quiet cold i will top up there bowl with warm water and they become very active have had them for a long time now and they seem happy i am still interested in anyone knowing how to breed them wouldnt mind giving that a go i have put her in with him while i clean out the bowls they dont fight or carry on he chases her a bit then settles down ...


 
You should avoid sudden changes in temperature, not good.

Thats why its best just to have a heater.


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## redbellybite (Apr 28, 2008)

i am only talking a few degrees diff not bath warm and they seem to love it ,,,the male has a big bowl the female has a smaller one ...what i would like to know is do you put him in with her to breed and then remove him after a while and she takes care of the eggs or vice versa?..not real sure on the mating habits of fish i had guppies but they were all in a tank and bred stupidly as long as you have plenty of weed those type are happy to breed.........i feed my fish daily too i find as soon as they see me come near their bowl they surface and wait for my hand to sprinkle feed in ......


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## puka777 (Apr 28, 2008)

i think you would need a bigger tank and a filter.
filters are really important its like not giving a reptile uv lights and basking lights


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## Vincent21 (Apr 28, 2008)

puka777 said:


> i think you would need a bigger tank and a filter.
> filters are really important its like not giving a reptile uv lights and basking lights



Fighting fish don't really require a filter, most people don't really use a filter because they aren't really dirty animals, you can just clean their tank about every week. I used to have about 5 of them and cleaned there tank every week and a half because it wasn't even that dirty.


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## kakariki (Apr 28, 2008)

His tank is 1ft long x 6 in wide x 8 in deep. He doesn't have a filter, doesn't need it IMO. I change part of the water every week or so and it is kept at 24C. The communal has a filter, of course, but the fighter in there keeps well clear of it and stays out of the flow.
RBB, put her in with him. From what I've read, he looks after the eggs.


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## redbellybite (Apr 28, 2008)

thanks mate , i will give it a go ........


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## puka777 (Apr 28, 2008)

ALL fish need filters no matter what they are the toxins in the fishes waste will slowly kill it in a very painful death and you also need a heater these fish are tropicla and require right tempreatures if you not going to keep the fish right then you shouldnt have it at all!!


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## puka777 (Apr 28, 2008)

here are a few caresheets form a really good website read these caresheets and youll have a healthy fish http://www.fishkeeping.co.uk/modules/ ... esheet.php?caresheetID=82

http://www.fishkeeping.co.uk/articles ... siamese-fighting-fish.htm


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## kakariki (Apr 28, 2008)

I did have a filter in with him but he wasn't happy. It was a corner style, you know, the one with the cotton wool in it. Any way, I took it out & replaced it with the usual kind that push the water out of a hole near the top. He hated that more but when I took it out all together he is happier. How do I know he is happier? He was sitting on the bottom in the corner, now he is following flies that walk on the outside of his tank and he is swimming around and feeding. Provided you replace the water regularly it is ok. Left unchanged it will be toxic.


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## puka777 (Apr 28, 2008)

yes but you wouldnt have to change it evre yweek if you provided a larger tank with filter and filters can be adjusted to a low flow rate that does not hurt your betta.


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## Vixen (Apr 28, 2008)

puka777 said:


> yes but you wouldnt have to change it evre yweek if you provided a larger tank with filter and filters can be adjusted to a low flow rate that does not hurt your betta.


 
It would still be creating a current that bettas dont like. They like still water. 

Theres nothing hard about changing the water.


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## puka777 (Apr 28, 2008)

im just saying tis much easier to have a filter


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## kakariki (Apr 28, 2008)

Sometimes keeping animals is not easy. It is better to do what's best for them rather than what's easiest for us.


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## TetraLinz (Apr 29, 2008)

Bettas need a MINIMUM of a 5 gallon tank (that will be a tank measuring 18x10x10 inches), heater, *filter*, and plants/ornaments. *Fact*. Anything less than that in my book constittues as neglect. Fish don't excrete waste only once every day. They don't breathe once a day. Their food doesn't break down into ammonia only once a day. They're doing all of these constantly. Without a filter, ammonia is free to build up between water changes. *Fact*. ANY detectable amount of ammonia is potentially dangerous to fish. *Fact*. 

Just because your bettas aren't used to having a filter, doesn't give you an excuse to keep them without. Turn the filter flow towards the back panel of the tank to diffuse the flow.

Puka has provided you with links to DECENT advice from real, genuine fishkeepers. Take note or your fish will suffer long term.

There is not a fish out there that should be kept without a filter. To do so is negligent.


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## redbellybite (Apr 29, 2008)

AS i said i change the water every few days (3 means few) my fish are very good and healthy and if it was so cruel and unlivable how do the petshops get away with it ??? surely by now one of you would have reported the fish abuse to the local rspca mmmmmmm thanks K i will try and do what you said about breeding ..


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## kakariki (Apr 29, 2008)

Thank you for your concern TetraLinz but I can assure you my Betta fish are healthy. Even the one without filter. Funny thing about facts is they keep changing according to who thinks they are right. The nutrition world is full of false facts, old facts, new facts and just plain B/S facts so please forgive me if I make up my own mind in regards of what happens within my control. I watch my fish regularly, the Betta without the filter actually lives on my desk with the computer so you see, I would know if it was ill or suffering. Now THAT is a Fact. 
And thank you pukka. I have bookmarked those links you gave. One thing though, don't take everything you read as gospel. Find out for yourself and keep an open mind.


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## redbellybite (Apr 29, 2008)

well i just read the care sheet and it doesnt say bettas need filtration .......can be an option not a fact....my fish must be very happy with his home set up because he has made bubble nests and according to this info its a sign of a happy fish ........geez who would have thought a dimwit like me can actually have a happy healthy fish because i dont have it in a big tank with a filter set up a heater and ornaments he does have a fake plant though and colourful stones the female on the other hand has real plants and colour stones .....the heat range that it has to be kept at is the basic temp of the inside of my house anyway I LIVE IN QLD NOT THE UK!!!.............so as for SATIN and his wife GEMMA they are gonna get it on put a little Barry white on the cd player turn the lights down low and you just never knowwwwwww.......:lol:


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## puka777 (Apr 29, 2008)

if you dont have a flter then you should test the water with right water testers before you do water changes if there is even a slight ammonia or nitrite then its is recommended you get a filter.


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