
Matt Leighton, a longtime betta fish owner and editor of VivoFish, says bettas should be kept in tanks no deeper than 12 inches (30 centimeters). Even when housed with fish they get along with, they still need places to escape when they don't feel like socializing.īut while the tank should be spacious, it shouldn't be too deep, as bettas swim back and forth, not up and down. The origin behind this persistent myth is uncertain, but may come from the fact that bettas are often sold in small containers, and because they have some ability to breathe out of the water.īut bettas can be stressed if they're housed in close quarters, especially if they share space with fish perceived as rivals - for small tanks mean there's nowhere to hide. The opposite is true: Betta fish need a tank that's at least 5 gallons (19 liters), and 10 gallons (38 liters) is better. Perhaps the most popular myth is that bettas can live in small bowls. Due to these conditions, bettas developed a labyrinth organ that gives them the ability to obtain some oxygen from the air as well as the water.

Because these wetlands routinely shrink during the dry season, bettas hop from puddle to puddle, trying to find a reasonably deep pool where they can hang out until the rains return. Especially prevalent in Thailand, wild bettas typically live in rice paddies and other shallow, stagnant bodies of water. But the truth is that they're not as hardy and easy to care for as many believe.īetta fish - also called Siamese fighting fish - are tropical fish native to Southeast Asia. One myth is that you just buy one, stick it in a bowl, feed it every day and that's it.

Unfortunately, myths abound about these intriguing creatures. With its striking, bold colors and flashy fins, the betta fish is one of the more popular types of fish found in home aquariums. The betta fish ( Betta splendens), also known as the Siamese fighting fish, is a popular aquarium fish native to the Mekong basin of Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam, where it lives in the standing waters of canals and rice paddies.
