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your happy healthy pettm betta 2nd edition john h tullock

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your happy healthy pettm betta 2nd edition john h tullock

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this book is printed on acid-free paper copyright © 2006 by wiley publishing inc hoboken new jersey all rights reserved photos © aaron norman howell book house published by wiley publishing inc hoboken new jersey no part of this publication may be reproduced stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic mechanical photocopying recording scanning or otherwise except as permitted under sections 107 or 108 of the 1976 united states copyright act without either the prior written permission of the publisher or authorization through payment of the appropriate per-copy fee to the copyright clearance center 222 rosewood drive danvers ma 01923 978 750-8400 fax 978 646-8600 or on the web at www.copyright.com requests to the publisher for permission should be addressed to the legal department wiley publishing inc 10475 crosspoint blvd indianapolis in 46256 317 572-3447 fax 317 572-4355 or online at http www.wiley.com/go/permissions wiley the wiley logo howell book house the howell book house logo your happy healthy pet and related trade dress are trademarks or registered trademarks of john wiley sons inc and/or its affiliates in the united states and other countries and may not be used without written permission all other trademarks are the property of their respective owners wiley publishing inc is not associated with any product or vendor mentioned in this book the publisher and the author make no representations or warranties with respect to the accuracy or completeness of the contents of this work and specifically disclaim all warranties including without limitation warranties of fitness for a particular purpose no warranty may be created or extended by sales or promotional materials the advice and strategies contained herein may not be suitable for every situation this work is sold with the understanding that the publisher is not engaged in rendering legal accounting or other professional services if professional assistance is required the services of a competent professional person should be sought neither the publisher nor the author shall be liable for damages arising here from the fact that an organization or website is referred to in this work as a citation and/or a potential source of further information does not mean that the author or the publisher endorses the information the organization or website may provide or recommendations it may make further readers should be aware that internet websites listed in this work may have changed or disappeared between when this work was written and when it is read for general information on our other products and services or to obtain technical support please contact our customer care department within the u.s at 800 762-2974 outside the u.s at 317 572-3993 or fax 317 572-4002 wiley also publishes its books in a variety of electronic formats some content that appears in print may not be available in electronic books for more information about wiley products please visit our web site at www.wiley.com library of congress cataloging-in-publication data tullock john h 1951betta/john tullock 2nd ed p cm your happy healthy pet isbn-13 978-0-471-79380-9 cloth alk paper isbn-10 0-471-79380-9 alk paper 1 betta 2 aquarium fishes i title ii series sf458.b4t85 2006 639.3 77 dc22 2006003801 printed in the united states of america 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 2nd edition book design by melissa auciello-brogan cover design by michael j freeland book production by wiley publishing inc composition services

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about the author john h tullock has been keeping tropical fish since he was 8 years old his natural reef aquariums has been required reading for saltwater hobbyists since it was first published in 1997 his other aquarium books include the reef tank owner s manual successful saltwater aquariums your first marine aquarium clownfish and sea anemones corals a dictionary of aquarium terms and water chemistry for the marine aquarium in addition hundreds of his articles about aquarium-keeping have appeared in magazines since 1980 tullock holds a master s degree in biology he is the founder of the american marinelife dealers association an organization dedicated to environmentally sound aquarium keeping he was a member of the steering committee that created the marine aquarium council he serves on the board of directors of conservation fisheries a nonprofit organization that raises rare and endangered north american fishes for recovery programs and is a member of the board of advisors of reef protection international also an avid gardener and photographer tullock s most recent book is growing hardy orchids timber press about howell book house since 1961 howell book house has been america s premier publisher of pet books we re dedicated to companion animals and the people who love them and our books reflect that commitment our stable of authors training experts veterinarians breeders and other authorities is second to none and we ve won more maxwell awards from the dog writers association of america than any other publisher as we head toward the half-century mark we re more committed than ever to providing new and innovative books along with the classics our readers have grown to love this year we re launching several exciting new initiatives including redesigning the howell book house logo and revamping our biggest pet series your happy healthy pettm with bold new covers and updated content from bringing home a new puppy to competing in advanced equestrian events howell has the titles that keep animal lovers coming back again and again.

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contents part i all about bettas chapter 1 the jewel of the orient the betta family a history of betta keeping betta fighting a suitable environment 8 11 12 13 13 15 chapter 2 betta basics what is a betta body functions a betta s senses the labyrinth organ 17 17 22 23 25 chapter 3 bettas and their tankmates varieties of bettas betta color patterns tankmates for bettas 27 27 33 34 part ii setting up the aquarium chapter 4 understanding aquarium equipment things to think about tank types substrate filtration systems three types of filtration heaters lighting other equipment 38 40 40 43 46 47 48 51 52 54 chapter 5 ready for setup the stand and tank decorations aeration water quality the nitrogen cycle adding fish 56 56 58 60 61 63 65 chapter 6 plants for the betta tank purchasing plants aquascaping popular plants for the betta tank keeping plants healthy 66 66 68 68 75

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chapter 7 bringing your betta home choosing the right dealer how to pick a healthy fish how many is too many the healthy betta the trip home new tank syndrome quarantining new fish into the tank 76 76 77 78 79 81 82 83 83 part iii keeping your betta healthy and happy chapter 8 feeding your betta a betta s nutritional needs feeding schedule a varied diet algae appetite loss 84 86 86 87 88 90 91 chapter 9 healthy tank healthy fish examining your fish maintaining a healthy tank common illnesses a quick reference guide to diseases other causes of disease a hospital tank treatment tips 92 92 94 94 100 102 103 104 chapter 10 breeding your bettas mouthbrooders nest builders the breeding room selecting breeding stock setting up a breeding tank conditioning breeders introducing bettas to the breeding tank spawning rituals caring for the eggs caring for the fry 107 107 108 109 109 110 112 114 116 118 118 appendix learning more about your betta books magazines internet resources clubs and organizations 121 121 122 123 124 index 125

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° shopping list you ll need to do a bit of stocking up before you bring your fish home below is a basic list of some must-have supplies for more detailed information on selecting each item below consult chapters 4 and 5 for specific guidance on what fish food you ll need review chapter 8 tank tank stand aquarium hood filter water quality test kit air pump airstones air hose heater thermometer there are likely to be a few other items that you re dying to pick up before bringing your fish home use the following blanks to note any additional items you ll be shopping for aquarium light gravel plants algae scraper aquarium vacuum nets 5-gallon bucket siphon hose fish food

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pet sitter s guide we can be reached at cellphone we will return on date at approximate time other individual to contact in case of emergency number of fish we have care instructions in the following sections let the sitter know what to feed how much and when what tasks need to be performed daily and what weekly tasks they ll be responsible for morning evening other tasks and special instructions

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part i all about bettas

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the betta dorsal fin scales gill cover eye lateral line caudal peduncle caudal tail fin gill slit jaw pectoral fin pelvic ventral fin anal fin body length measurement

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chapter 1 the jewel of the orient i magine for a moment a cheerful and brightly colored aquarium the wispy delicate leaves of a green aquatic plant sway gently in the filter s current the translucent floating leaves of a dwarf water lily dapple the light streaming in from above as your eyes drift toward the center of the tank you notice a bright red betta with majestic flowing fins moving casually along as it patiently surveys its surroundings darting in and out among the plants a school of harlequin rasboras patrols the depths below sounds inviting doesn t it this is the enchanting realm of the betta one of the most beautiful inhabitants of the tropical aquarium if the fascinating world of tropical fish delights and amazes you then you and i share a passion that has captured the hearts of a wide variety of hobbyists for over a century withstanding the test of time the betta quickly became a favorite choice among freshwater aquarium keepers and has remained popular for many years keeping a betta will give you and your family years of never-ending enjoyment and it provides the perfect introduction to tropical fishkeeping creating an underwater world that is diverse in color and form rewards tropical fishkeepers with years of pleasure satisfaction relaxation and pride go hand in hand with success in the aquarium hobby you will experience that success when you learn how set up and maintain a healthy aquarium for your new betta come along as we explore the amazing world of the betta together 11

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12 part i all about bettas these pearl gouramis belong to the same family as the betta the betta family bettas belong to the family of labyrinth fish anabantidae a structure known as the labyrinth organ enables them to breathe atmospheric air a valuable trait in waters that are low on dissolved oxygen other members of this unique family include gouramis trichogaster colisa paradise fishes macropodus and the climbing perch anabas testudineus which can even use its air-breathing ability to move short distances across land in their homeland waters of thailand bettas live in shallow rice paddies stagnant pools polluted streams and other places where the water has a low oxygen content in these locales the water temperature can reach 90 degrees fahrenheit under the direct rays of tropical sunlight thus in nature bettas live in warm stagnant water in the aquarium bettas prefer water that is 79 to 82 degrees fahrenheit slightly warmer than the water temperature favored by other freshwater tropical fish which prefer a temperature between 76 and 78 degrees fahrenheit bettas also prefer quiet currents unlike fish that are naturally found in flowing streams and rivers successful aquarium keeping always involves providing conditions in the aquarium similar to those the fishes encounter in nature.

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chapter 1 the jewel of the orient 13 a history of betta keeping undoubtedly fishkeeping began when fish were first maintained in ponds or containers as part of the food supply but no one knows exactly when people first started keeping fish in containers purely for enjoyment the bright colors of some fish may have led people to regard them as special perhaps in the same way that colorful gems came to be valued more than drab-colored rocks thai workers refer to the betta as tip the jewel of the orient wild bettas have plain colors compared to almost anyone can keep tropical their gaudy modern descendants fish even people who live in apartbut perhaps a rare colorful fish ments or in small homes where other types of pets such as cats and turned up in fishing nets from time dogs are not practical or are to time considered perhaps a prohibited token of good luck the fish would be kept in a bowl and cared for we don t know for sure how keeping bettas started we do know the history of the scientific study of this fish the betta betta picta was first described in 1846 by french biologists valenciennes and cuvier after the first shipment arrived in the united states in 1909 c regan gave this marvelous fish the scientific name betta splendens the beautiful betta varieties found in today s tropical fish market are the descendents of asian stock selected by breeders for vivid colors and long elegant fins for more than a century americans such as warren young have also contributed much to the production and development of the long-finned and highly colorful bettas that you can buy today young developed the libby betta the prototype of the large variety of strains that are now available these brilliant new strains no longer resemble the plain-looking wild bettas from which they were originally developed commercial breeding offers the hobbyist plenty of choices among a wide range of patterns and fin styles most tropical fish dealers stock betta varieties to match almost any individual taste betta fighting thai people call the betta pla kat which means tearing or biting fish no doubt rice paddy workers saw nest-guarding males defending their territories against all comers most notably other male bettas seeking territories of their

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