Siamese cockerel: description, features of maintenance and care, photo

2024 Author: Priscilla Miln | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 00:21

Siamese cockerel is one of the most unpretentious and colorful aquarium fish. Thanks to its endurance, it is suitable even for beginners. There are many varieties that have a special shape of the fins and a variety of colors. Consider the appearance, content and compatibility of the Siamese cockerel. Let's talk about his possible diseases and reproduction.

General information

Siamese cockerel (Betta splendens) is also called a fighting fish. This name probably indicates a difficult relationship between two males who ended up in the same territory. They will fight fiercely until one of them dies. That is why it is undesirable to populate two males in one container.

This species belongs to the labyrinth fish, the macropod family. A labyrinth is a specialized organ that allows fish to breathe atmospheric air. Siamese betta fish also have gills, but access to oxygen is vital for them. To absorb it, they swim to the surface of the water and take a breath, and then againdive.

The first information about these fish appeared in 1800 in Siam. Then people noted how aggressive the males of these fish are towards each other. Later, they began to hold shows where two males were set against each other. Previously, the fish were not so bright and could not boast of beautiful long tails. The variety of shapes and colors has been achieved as a result of selection, which has been carried out since the fish took part in battles.

In 1840, several fish were donated to the explorer Theodor Kantor, who was also engaged in breeding and contributed to the improvement of the species characteristics of these fish. Through it, the fish first came to Europe. In 1910, Siamese bettas came to America. New varieties of fish have also been bred there.

On the bottom photo is a Siamese cockerel fish.

Appearance

In nature, fish are colored red-green. As a result of selection, many different colors of Siamese bettas were bred, which differ in the shape of the fins and even in size. These fish have a fairly pronounced sexual dimorphism - males are brighter than females, their fins are much larger and more magnificent. However, in recent years, varieties have been bred in which females can boast no less beauty than males. In females, there is a small white spot on the abdomen near the anal fin. It appears at the age of three months.

The Siamese fighting cockerel can reach a length: females - up to 4 cm, males - up to 5 cm. It has an oval body flattened from the sides. As a result of selection, a subspecies was bred,which can reach a length of 9 cm. These fish boast a huge variety of colors, because among them you can find all the colors of the rainbow. There are also transparent fish, the color of which is called "cellophane". The most striking males of the Siamese cockerel become during the spawning period or during skirmishes with other males. The rest of the time they have a nondescript color with a hint of their color. Dark stripes may run along and across the body. The tail, dorsal and ventral fins are rounded. When the male is excited, his gill collars protrude. Small needles are clearly distinguished on the lower fin. Scales cycloid.

There are bettas with very shiny scales. They were obtained from naturalists. Later, a color with a slight sheen was bred. It's called metallica. One of the most popular and rare colors is the dragon. Photos of the Siamese cockerel of this color are amazing. The fish have a copper color, while they are very shiny. As they age, the luster of their scales only increases.

Classification by shape of tails

The shape of the caudal fins is distinguished:

1. Crescent. The tail is in the shape of a semicircle. It is symmetrical and large. Able to open 90 degrees relative to the line of the body.
2. Superdelta. Has a rounded shape. The outer tail rays can open more than 130 degrees, but not more than 180 degrees.
3. Rosetail. It looks like a crescent, also has a rounded shape, but the edges of the tail are not even, but have small folds. When the tail is fully extended, the contours of the finresemble a wavy line.
4. Crown-tailed fin. The tail has a rounded shape. Its contours are reminiscent of fringes or peaks of a crown.
5. Veil fin. Very long. When moving, the fish develops like a woven veil.
6. Delta. The extreme beams can open up to 90 degrees relative to each other.
7. Tassel. Rounded fin that is pointed at the end.
8. Round. Small rounded fin.
9. Short tail. The rounded tail is not very large compared to other varieties. The rays of the tail stand out strongly and look like a fan.
10. Flag.

Classification by color

There are a huge number of different colors of these fish. They are classified like this:

• solid color;
• bicolor;
• multicolor: when there are 3 or more colors in the color.

Due to the presence of the marbled gene in a large number of bettas, fish can drastically change their color throughout their lives. That is, by buying a blue cockerel, after a while you can become the owner of a white fish. In addition, healing damage to the scales and fins may not be the same color as the entire body of the betta. That is why monophonic individuals are now very much appreciated. The most common color among Siamese bettas is multicolor. Bicolor fish are also considered very rare, as they are very difficult to breed.

Area

The fish can be found in the waters of Thailand, Southeast Asia, Vietnam, the islands of Indonesia andMalay archipelago. It is distributed in warm and shallow fresh water bodies, in slow-flowing rivers. Often this fish can be found in polluted muddy reservoirs, canals, ponds and puddles, which is why it has a labyrinth. In waters where there is a lot of carbon dioxide and little oxygen, fish have found a way to live off atmospheric air.

Maintaining a Siamese cockerel in an aquarium

The recommended size of the aquarium for one cockerel is 10 liters. You can keep the fish in a smaller container, but then you will have to change the water more often and do the cleaning. Fish love to jump, so it is advisable to cover the aquarium of the Siamese cockerel with a lid. But do not forget that these are labyrinth fish, which means that there must be a distance between the lid and the water for atmospheric air, which is vital for fish. It is worth planting algae in the aquarium in which the fish can hide. Aquatic algae are useful during spawning. For the soil, you can use fine gravel of a dark color. Sharp decorations can damage the long fins of the fish, so you should pay special attention to their selection.

Siamese bettas are fish that are quite sensitive to water temperature, so the aquarium should be equipped with a heater. When the water temperature drops to 23 degrees, they begin to hurt. And if it drops to 20 degrees, then they can die altogether. The optimum water temperature is 24-26 degrees. Locally bred Siamese bettas are less sensitive to low temperatures, but it is better not toexperiment.

Because they are labyrinth fish, they do not need water aeration. There is also no need for a filter, because it is very difficult for buff-tailed fish to fight the current. To maintain cleanliness, you need to constantly change the water, clean the walls and the ground. The smaller the aquarium, the more often cleaning should take place.

Feeding

Siamese bettas are fish that are quite unpretentious in terms of nutrition. Some difficulties may arise with wild fighting fish, which may refuse to eat artificial and frozen foods. They can be offered live food: bloodworm, tubifex, daphnia. For other varieties, you can buy ready-made dry complete mixtures. Since the fish is very popular among aquarists, mixes designed specifically for Siamese bettas can be purchased at pet stores. They can be offered frozen food: daphnia, bloodworm, coretra. Periodically, fish should be given seafood chopped into small pieces - shrimp, mussels, squid. Siamese bettas can eat small shrimp and snails and are harmless to aquarium plants.

It is worth avoiding overfeeding the fish, otherwise the aquarium will become dirty very quickly. Fish need to be fed every day. The amount of food should depend on the age and number of inhabitants of the aquarium.

Reproduction

First you need to choose the right pair. There are some genes that are dominant - these are the marble and red color, as well as the color of the cambodia. If you bring two black fish together, they will not be able to have offspring. With colorsyou can experiment, but to get more accurate results, it is advisable to familiarize yourself with the genetics of Siamese bettas. You should be more careful about mating fish with different fin shapes. If you cross a long-tailed and short-tailed cockerel, the result will be something in between. Such crosses are not very attractive and are not particularly valued among aquarists. Aggressive individuals should not be allowed to breed, because their behavioral traits can be inherited by offspring.

Puberty in Siamese males occurs at 3-4 months. You can breed them from 6 months. The spawning tank should have a volume of about 20 liters. It should have floating plants and shelters for the female. The optimum water temperature is 27-30 degrees. For breeding, you need to choose a female Siamese cockerel with a belly swollen from caviar. Before breeding, producers are fattened with live food for several days. In the spawning area, the male builds a nest with the help of air and saliva, and then begins to show off in front of the female. If the female is not ready to mate, she takes to flight and tries to hide from the male. Otherwise, she folds her fins and allows him to approach her. The male hugs the female and squeezes the eggs out of her, at this moment fertilizing her. The female can carry 100-250 eggs at a time. After the male begins to transfer the eggs to the foamy nest and place them in air bubbles, and the female hides. She should be put away immediately. If this is not done, the male may harm her while protecting the nest. Within a day, larvae hatch from the eggs. The male will take care of thema few days. When the larvae learn to swim well, the male should be transplanted. He can begin to be annoyed by the fry spreading in different directions, which no longer need care, and he can turn from a caring father into an aggressor.

If the spawning area is small, the fry may need aeration. It is worth turning it off when the fry begin to rise to the surface of the water to breathe air. This will mean that they have formed a labyrinth apparatus. This usually happens when the fish reaches 1 cm in length. It is worth planting fish in separate containers at the first manifestations of aggression. There is evidence that sometimes males are not aggressive towards each other if they live in a large aquarium and from the very birth they grew up together. However, it is better not to risk it, because the situation can change at any moment and the cockerels will start fighting each other to the death.

Possible diseases

Most of the diseases of Siamese bettas are associated with improper conditions of their maintenance. Since they have magnificent large fins, their damage occurs very often. A fungus can easily appear at the site of the wound. For its treatment, it is necessary to use special drugs. Often the destruction of the fins is associated with a disease called fin rot. Antibacterial drugs are used to treat it. Ichthyophthyriasis occurs in these fish - infection with parasitic ciliates, which manifests itself in the formation of a small white rash on the fins. One of the most dangerous diseases is mycobacteriosis.fighting fish. This is a bacterial infection. It takes a long time from infection to the onset of its symptoms. If the fish has a strong immune system, the disease may not manifest itself at all.

Compatibility

Although Siamese bettas are famous for their explosive nature, they are quite harmless to other types of fish. They can only be dangerous to each other, as they are territorial fish. You should not keep two males in the same aquarium, otherwise they will fight and one of them will die. In an aquarium, you can keep a group consisting of a male and several females. Siamese bettas can also be dangerous to females. It is believed that in a group of females, the attention of the male is scattered and he is less aggressive. However, often these fish are able to kill the female in a fit of aggression.

Siamese bettas with their luxurious bright fins are able to attract a lot of attention of their neighbors in the aquarium and become a victim of attack themselves. Therefore, it is worth settling them with peace-loving fish: cardinals, danios, barbs, neons, rasboras, small viviparous fish. It is better not to settle fighting fish with veiled guppies, because they can take them for males of their own species and attack. But guppies of small sizes with not very lush tails may well get along with cockerels. It is worth planting a cockerel during the spawning period, because, protecting the nest, he is able to attack not only fish of another species, but also the female.

Thus, the Siamese cockerel fish is very popular among aquarists due to the variety of colors and fin shapes. She is extremelyunpretentious and suitable for keeping beginners. These fish do not need large aquariums, they do not need aeration. They are most sensitive to low temperatures. Fighting fish are quite easy to breed, besides, they are interesting in terms of breeding work. In order for Siamese bettas to live he althy and please the owner with their beauty for a long time, it is very important to create optimal conditions for them.