Fighter Fish: Image by colorblindPICASO via Flickr
One of the difficult tasks for a fighter fish keeper is to jar the betta fish fries. Though these fries grow periodically they look like small adults. The fins of males grow and, they behave aggressively towards each other flaring and fighting. As the fighter fish fries keep growing you have to jar them separately especially the males. Otherwise, you will see many fries with torn fins or worse, dead.
Normally, most of the fighter fish keepers find jarring process very tiring. But jarring can be done easily if you follow some basic guidelines. Below are the jarring guidelines which can be very helpful to the fighter fish keepers. They are:
1. Since you know that fighter fish are aggressive in nature, you should begin to jar them when the betta fries begin to show aggressiveness on each other. If you do not act quickly, then many of the fries may sustain severe fin damage. However, the fins which have slight tear will get fixed as the fries grow.
2. Always jar the fighter fish which are either attacking or getting attacked. Hence, you will have to clean less number of jars and lots of time will be saved.
3. This is very important and can save you from the huge mess later. Keep enough clean jars ready when you decide to breed the bettas. These jars must be properly hygienized. Normally, ½ gallon jars are used to house the fries. But if the number of fries is huge, then ¼ gallon jar can also be used to get space to keep more jars.
4. For the first time, it is recommended to use the breeding tank water to fill the jars in order to save the betta fries from the stress and shock. Always make sure to use clean aged tap water to fill the jars every week during the full water change. Acclimatize the jarred betta fries to the new water before you change the jar water.
5. This may sound weird but it is true that a fighter fish fry may fall into depression if it is suddenly isolated from its siblings. Hence you must keep the jarred betta fries next to each other so they can see each other.
6. Finally, some betta fries may not eat for a few days when they are put into jars. In that case, it is recommended to feed those fries with tasty food like blood worms. This will help the fries to return to its normal life.
This is how the jarring of fighter fish fries must be done. As a result, you will find the fighter fish jarring process simple and easy.
Tags: betta fish, betta fish breeding, fighter fish, fighter fish breeding, fighter fish care | 
Comments Off
Comments Off 
Male Fighter Fish: Image via Wikipedia
Female Fighter Fish: Image by Newbirth35 via Flickr
One of the difficult things which a fighter fish keeper faces is in determining its gender. It is more difficult in case of young fighter fish. Even the betta fish experts fail to determine the gender of fighter fish. Hence, if you fail in determining the gender of your fighter fish, do not be embarrassed. Below, there are some basic guidelines which can help you to determine the gender of a betta fish. They are as follows;
1. First, observe the fins. Normally, male bettas have fins which are 2 – 4 times the length of the female bettas’ fins. But you must keep in mind that only adult male bettas have long fins. Hence, it may not be useful to apply this rule on young bettas. When you observe the anal fin of a young fighter fish, if it looks longer than it did before, and pointy at the end, then the betta could be a male.
2. Another notable difference between a male and a female betta is the body shape. If compared to female fighter fish bodies, male bettas have less wide and more elongated bodies. Since, the difference is very slight, you will need a lot of practice.
3. Female fighter fish have egg spots. You can locate the spot under the female’s belly, between her ventrals and her anal fin. It is a tiny white speck, like a grain of salt, from which the eggs will come out during breeding. In some cases, you may see the egg spot in young male bettas. But in adult male bettas, you will not find this.
4. This may sound funny but it is true that male fighter fish have beard like feature. Actually it is a membrane located under the gill covers. When a male betta flares, the covers open up and the membrane will be displayed. Even when gills are closed, you can see the membrane sticking out a bit. Though female bettas have the membrane, it cannot be seen when the gills are closed.
5. Male fighter fish begins to make bubble nests when they reach adulthood but female bettas do not have this characteristic. However, you must be careful since some male bettas may not show interest in breeding even after reaching adulthood.
6. Male fighter fish flare at each other usually. Females, on the other hand, rarely do such thing. Hence, here also you will need a bit practice.
One thing you must always keep in mind that determining the gender of a fighter fish is not an easy task. It will need a lot of practice and patience. Above of all, you must not get discouraged when you fail to determine the gender of a fighter fish.
Tags: betta fish, determining betta fish gender, fighter fish, fighter fish breeding, fighter fish care, fighter fish gender |
Comments Off
Comments Off