Betta Fish Behavior
Habitat and Betta Fish Behavior
As with other animal care, to breed betta also need to consider internal and external factors that affect the life of bettas. These External and internal factors are associated with habitat and behavior of the betta fish.
Habitat
Betta Fish
Habitat is a place where betta fish live and reproduce activities during his life. In suitable habitat, betta fish can grow and reproduce optimally. The suitable characteristic of waters is indicated by several parameters such as acidity (pH) of water, water temperature, and hardness.
In nature, a betta is found in tropical and live in rivers, swamps, rice fields, as well as other shallow freshwater. It is conceivable, the calm and quiet betta fish habitat is easy to be found in many wooded areas. If measured, such waters generally have several characteristics, namely pH 6.5 to 7.5, water hardness range 5-12 dH, and water temperatures 24-30 oC.
Betta fish have additional breathing apparatus called a labyrinth. With a labyrinth, betta fish can take and store more oxygen. Therefore, these fish can live in relatively calm waters and oxygen-poor ones. Understandably, the quiet waters of dissolved oxygen levels tend to have a bit because the water does not flow. The water that flows tend to be split on the surface so that oxygen can easily enter into water.
Betta fish behavior
Behaviors associated with the natural behavior shown by betta fish. During breeding, the natural behavior should not be inhibited or eliminated. However, breeders need to manage it to suit the purpose of maintenance betta fish. Inhibition of natural behavior will actually be bad for fish. This will lead to fish stress of not being able to channel their natural desires.
a. feeding behavior
In general, fish have two patterns in search of food, which is actively looking for food in the daytime (diurnal) and night (nocturnal). While the betta itself is type of diurnal, that is actively looking for food from sunrise to sunset. In nature, the betta will eat the food found at most.
Betta fish are included in the group of carnivorous fish, which eat live animals. We can see it from the shape of the pointed teeth (serrated). The types of food commonly eaten by betta fish are larvae of aquatic insects, mosquito larvae, silk worms.
b. Territory Defend behavior
Like other predators, betta fish tends to dominate the habitat in which to live. Therefore, Betta male will try to repel other males who enter its territory. If it were so, the fight was done both to show the identity of the winner and the right to rule.
The aggressiveness of Betta fish are only show at same-sex. Male Betta fish tend to be at peace with other types of fish. It is seen from the attitude of male betta fish when other types of fish close to its territory. Betta fish will drive out other fish passing through the “headquarters” with a little movement so that the “uninvited guest” will went away. However, if the “guest” is a male betta, the betta will continue to pursue his guest without mercy.
c. breeding behavior
Betta Fish Breeding
As with other animals, the breeding was done by one of the pair by attracted the attention of the opposite sex. In this case, the male Betta is the one to take action to attract attention. Betta males will pretend to show “good looks” in front of the female while expand its fins. With the beauty of his color, Betta male will approach the female and spinning arround.
Once the females are interested, the male Betta will twisted the body of the female. While the female betta let her body float in the “arms” of the male. If the breed is finished, the male Betta will release the female body. From the female body will come out eggs and falling to the bottom of maintenance media.
Furthermore, it is the task of male Betta to take care of the eggs to hatch. In this case, there are two types that occur in betta fish breeding, the bubble nest and breed mouth brooder. Between two, There is a principle difference in terms of egg hatch.
