Siamese cockerel is one of the most unpretentious and bright aquarium fish. Thanks to endurance, it is suitable even for beginners. There are many varieties that have a special form of fins and a variety of colors. Consider the appearance, content and compatibility of the Siamese cockerel. Let's talk about its 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 caught 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 tank.
This species belongs to the labyrinth fish, the macropod family. Labyrinth is a specialized organ that allows fish to breathe atmospheric air. Siamese males also have gills, but access to oxygen is vital. To absorb it, they swim to the surface of the water and take a breath, and then dive again.
The first information about these fish appeared in 1800 in Siam. Then people noted how males of these fish are aggressive towards each other. Later they began to conduct shows where two males were set against each other. Previously, the fish were not so bright and could not boast of beautiful long tails. A variety of shapes and colors was achieved as a result of selection, which has been going on ever since the fish took part in the battles.
In 1840, several fish were donated to the researcher Theodore Cantor, who was also involved in breeding and contributed to improving the species characteristics of these fish. Through it, the fish first came to Europe. In 1910, Siamese cockerels came to America. New species of fish were also bred there.
In the bottom photo there is a Siamese cockerel fish.
Appearance
In nature, fish are painted red-green. As a result of selection, many different colors of Siamese cockerels, which differ in the shape of the fins and even the sizes, were bred. In these fish, sexual dimorphism is quite pronounced - males are brighter than females, their fins are much larger and more magnificent. However, in recent years, species have been bred in which females can boast no less beauty than males. In females, a small white spot is found on the abdomen of the anal fin. It appears at the age of three months.
The Siamese fighting cock can reach in length: females - up to 4 cm, males - up to 5 cm. It has an oval body flat on the sides. As a result of selection, a subspecies that can reach a length of 9 cm was bred. These fish can 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 spawning or during skirmishes with other males. The rest of the time they have a nondescript color with a touch of their color. Dark stripes can pass along and across the body. The caudal, dorsal and ventral fins are rounded. When the male is excited, gill collars protrude from him. Small needles stand out clearly on the lower fin. Scales cycloid.
There are males with very shiny scales. They were obtained from naturalists. Later, a color with a slight sheen was bred. He got the name metallic. One of the most popular and rare colors is the dragon. Photos of the Siamese cockerel of this color are admired. The fish have a copper color, while they are very shiny. With age, the luster of their scales only increases.
Tail shape classification
The shape of the tail fins distinguish:
- Crescent. The tail has the shape of a semicircle. It is symmetrical and large. It can open 90 degrees relative to the line of the body.
- Super Delta. It has a rounded shape. The extreme rays of the tail can open more than 130 degrees, but not more than 180 degrees.
- Rose tail. 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 fin contours resemble a wavy line.
- Crown fin. The tail has a rounded shape. Its contours resemble fringe or crown peaks.
- Veil fin. Very long. When the fish moves, it develops like a fabric veil.
- Delta. The extreme rays can be opened 90 degrees relative to each other.
- Brush A rounded fin that is pointed towards the end.
- Rounded. Small fin rounded.
- Short tail. The rounded tail is not very large relative to other species. The rays of the tail stand out and look like a fan.
- Flag.
Color classification
There are a huge number of different colors of these fish. They are classified in a similar way:
- one color;
- bicolor;
- multicolor: when 3 or more colors are present in a color.
Due to the presence of a large number of marbles in the marble gene, fish can radically change their color throughout life. That is, having bought a blue cockerel, after a while you can become the owner of a white fish. In addition, the healing damage to the scales and fins may not be the same color as the whole body of a cockerel. That is why it is monophonic individuals that are really appreciated now. Most often among Siamese males, the color is multicolor. Bicolor fish are also considered very rare, since they are very difficult to breed.
Area
The fish can be found in the reservoirs of Thailand, Southeast Asia, Vietnam, the islands of Indonesia and the Malay archipelago. It is common in warm and shallow fresh water bodies, in rivers with a slow course. Often this fish can be found in contaminated silt 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, the fish found a way to live off the atmosphere.
Keeping a Siamese cock 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. Fishes like to jump, so it is advisable to cover the aquarium of a Siamese cock. But do not forget that these are labyrinth fish, which means that there must be a distance between the cover and water for atmospheric air, which is vital for fish. It is worth planting algae in the aquarium, in which the fish can hide. Floating algae come in handy during spawning. For the soil, you can use fine gravel of a dark color. Sharp scenery can damage the long fins of the fish, therefore, their selection should be treated with special attention.
Siamese cockerels 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 at all. The optimal temperature is 24-26 degrees. Siamese males of local breeding are less sensitive to low temperatures, but it is better not to experiment with this.
Since these are labyrinth fish, they do not need aeration of water. There is also no need for a filter, because it is very difficult for full-tailed fish to fight the course. To maintain cleanliness, you need to constantly change water, clean the walls and soil. The smaller the aquarium, the more often harvesting should occur.
Feeding
Siamese cockerels - fish, quite unpretentious in terms of nutrition. Some difficulties may arise with wild fighting fish, which may refuse to eat artificial and frozen food. They can be offered live food: bloodworms, tubule, daphnia. For other varieties, you can buy ready-made dry complete mixtures. Since the fish is very popular among aquarists, in pet stores you can buy mixtures designed specifically for Siamese cockerels. They can be offered frozen food: daphnia, bloodworms, corpetra. Periodically, the fish should be given seafood chopped in small pieces - shrimp, mussels, squid. Siamese cockerels can eat small shrimp and snails, while they are harmless to aquarium plants.
You should avoid overfeeding the fish, otherwise the aquarium will become very contaminated very quickly. Fish must be fed every day. The amount of feed should depend on the age and number of inhabitants of the aquarium.
Breeding
First you need to find the right pair. There are some genes that dominate - this is the marble and red color, as well as the color of Cambodia. If you bring two black fish, they will not be able to have offspring. You can experiment with colors, but to get more accurate results, it is advisable to familiarize yourself with the genetics of Siamese males. Care should be taken when mating fish with different shapes of fins. If you cross a long-tailed and a short-tailed cockerel, the result will be something in between. Such crossbreeds are not very attractive and are not particularly valued among aquarists. You should not let aggressive individuals into the breeding, because their behavioral traits can be inherited by offspring.
Puberty in Siamese males occurs in 3-4 months. They can be propagated from 6 months. Spawning 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 fed live food for several days. In spawning, the male builds a nest using air and saliva, and then begins to show off in front of the female. If the female is not ready for mating, she takes flight and tries to hide from the male. Otherwise, she folds her fins and allows him to come closer. The male hugs the female and squeezes the eggs out of her, at this moment fertilizing her. The female can lay 100-250 eggs at a time. After the male begins to transfer the eggs into the foamy nest and place them in air bubbles, and the female hides. It should be dropped off immediately. If this is not done, the male can harm her by protecting the nest. In a day, larvae hatch from eggs. The male will look after them for a couple of days. When the larvae learn to swim well, the male should be deposited. He can begin to annoy the fry, spreading in different directions, who no longer need care, and he can turn from a caring father into an aggressor.
If the spawning is small, fry may need aeration. Turn 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. Placing in separate containers of fish is 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 have grown together. However, it is better not to risk it, because the situation can change at any moment and the males will start to fight among themselves to death.
Possible diseases
Most diseases of Siamese cockerels are associated with improper conditions of their maintenance. Since they possess lush large fins, their damage very often occurs. A fungus can easily appear at the wound site. For its treatment, it is necessary to use special drugs. Often, the destruction of fins is associated with a disease called fin rot. To cure it, use antibacterial drugs. Ichthyophthyroidism 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 of fighting fish. This is a bacterial infection. From infection to the manifestation of its symptoms, quite a lot of time passes. If the fish has strong immunity, the disease may not manifest itself at all.
Compatibility
Although Siamese cockerels are famous for their explosive nature, they are quite harmless to other species of fish. They can be dangerous only for each other, as they are territorial fish. You should not keep two males in one aquarium, otherwise they will fight and one of them will die. In the aquarium, you can contain a group consisting of a male and several females. Siamese cockerels can be dangerous for females. It is believed that in the group of females the male’s attention is scattered and he is less aggressive. However, often these fish are able to kill the female in an attack of aggression.
Siamese cockerels with their magnificent bright fins are able to attract a lot of attention of their neighbors in the aquarium and become a victim of an attack. Therefore, it is worth lodging them with peace-loving fish: cardinals, zebrafish, barbs, neons, rassbory, small live-bearing fish. It is better not to settle fighting fish with veil guppies, because they can be mistaken for males of their kind and attack. But guppies of small sizes with not very lush tails may well get along with males. It is worth planting a cock 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 is very popular among aquarists due to the variety of colors and shapes of the fins. It is extremely unpretentious and suitable for beginners. These fish do not need large aquariums, they do not need aeration. They are most sensitive to low temperatures. Fighting fish are fairly easily bred, in addition, they are interesting in terms of breeding. In order for Siamese males to live healthy and for a long time please the owner with their beauty, it is very important to create optimal conditions for them.