The earliest forms of keeping fish for pets were in the form
of ponds in ancient China. The Chinese believed that Carps
(Goldfish and Koi Carps) were lucky and hence raised them.
These fish were bred to give rise to various beautiful
sub-species. The first tropical fish to be kept in an
aquarium was the Paradise fish which is still kept all over
the world because of it's attractiveness. Earlier fish were
reared for food and kept in ponds. The main purpose of
having an aquarium is to observe its beauty and serenity,
and it is reported to even reduce blood pressure. Aquariums
come in various sizes and at first even a small aquarium
will do, providing an interesting and fulfilling hobby.
Bring the soothing sound of a flowing stream, the sight of
swaying ocean plants and the bright colors of tropical fish
to your home or work. With aquariums, you can experience the
beauty of the ocean without having to scuba dive or visit
Sea World. These contained ecosystems are more than just a
decorative piece. Keeping fish as pets takes more than just
feeding them and changing the water every once in a while.
Sadly, many people aren't aware of that and they just buy
aquarium fish because they're attractive. After a short
while the fish start to get sick and die one after the
other, and the newbie would lose interest in the hobby and
give it up all together. Basic knowledge of fish keeping,
together with the right aquarium supplies, is crucial to the
livelihood and longevity of your fish. It's important to
maintain the optimum living conditions for your fish and
other living things you may have in your aquarium if you are
to enjoy them for a long time.
Betta Splendens, or
Siamese fighting fish are one of the
most beautiful fresh water aquarium fish on the market. They
are one of the most recognized, and most controversial also.
The debate is about the appropriateness of keeping them in
small bowls, as you often see them in pet stores. In my
opinion the debate is laid to rest if you just do a little
research into their native habitat.
Betta fish come from
south east Asia, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam and
parts of China. They are typically found in rice paddies and
shallow ponds, where there is low oxygen content. The bettas
are adapted to this environment by being able to obtain
oxygen from the surface of the water. Bettas also love warm
water, and are most active when water temps are around 80
degrees F. So going back to the debate about small bowls,
yes they can survive, although keeping fish in small
containers, puts extra work on the fish hobbyist. The
smaller the container the fish are kept in the more often it
needs cleaning. Bettas natural habitat are shallow but
large, so you must keep this in mind if you decide to have
one as a pet.
The Betta fish hobby is taken to a whole new level when one
decides to start breeding the fish. There are also
betta
fish competitions around the world for those who get really
serious about this hobby. So you can take this hobby as far
as you would like, whether it be keeping one at home as a
pet, to breeding them and turning it into a business, or
entering them in national competitions.
No matter how deep your interest runs in keeping betta fish,
I have not found any resource that is good as
"Taking the
Mystery out of Betta Breeding". The book goes in detail
from the history of Siamese Fighting Fish (Bettas) to the
breeding of them. It is a one stop source on all aspects of
the Betta fish hobby. Tho Le will take you buy the hand and
guide you from what size tank to get, what to feed your
bettas, and the best and most successful ways to breed them.
The book is very interesting and if there was a Betta
Breeding for Dummy's book this would be it. The knowledge
that Tho Li comes forth in
"Taking the Mystery out of Betta Breeding" is a breath of
freah air. You won't find a lot of off topic fluff added to the book,
only straight forward, very informative facts on how to be
successful at raising your own betta fish.
If you have ever thought that you might like to start an
aquarium with Siamese Fighting Fish(bettas), do yourself a
favor and don't miss this informative guide.
"Taking the Mystery out of Betta Breeding"
by Tho Le gets two thumbs up.
