Siamese Fighting Fish (Betta Splendens)

Scientific Name: Betta Splendens
Other Names: Betta Family: Belontiidae
Origin: Cambodia, Thailand
Adult Size: 3 inches (7 cm)
Social: Males cannot be kept together
Lifespan: 2-3 years
Tank Level: Top dweller
Minimum Tank Size: 3 gallon
Diet: Live foods preferable, will eat flakes and frozen foods
Breeding: Egglayer – bubblenest
Care: Easy to Intermediate
pH: 6.8 – 7.4
Hardenss: up to 20 dGH
Temperature: 75-86 F (24-30 C)

Description: The brilliant coloration, and long flowing fins of the Betta
make it one of the most well known of aquarium fish. Colors range from red
to blue to white. Females are not as highly colored, and have much shorter
fins. A well conditioned breeding female will often display horizontal
stripes.
Habitat/Care: Bettas are one of the most recognized, most colorful, and
often most controversial fish in the freshwater hobby. Debates range on
about the appropriateness of keeping them in small bowls. To fully
understand their needs it is important to become familiar with their
native habitat. Bettas originate in the shallow waters in Thailand
(formerly called Siam, hence their name), Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam,
and parts of China. They proliferate rice paddies, shallow ponds, and even
slow moving streams.
Although many fish keepers are aware that Bettas come from shallow waters,
a key factor that is often overlooked is the water temperature. These
countries are tropical, which means the water temperature is quite warm –
often reaching into the 80′s. Bettas thrive on heat, and will become
increasingly listless when the water temperature falls below 75 degrees F.
Water temperature is perhaps the biggest argument against keeping a betta
in a tiny bowl (which cannot readily be heat controlled).
Even though Bettas do well in waters low in dissolved oxygen, that does
not mean they require less oxygen than other fish. Bettas have a special
respiratory organ that allows them to breath air directly from the
surface. In fact they inherently must do so. In experiments where the
labyrinth organ was removed, the fish died from suffocation even though
the water was saturated with oxygen. For this reason, Bettas must have
access to the water surface to breath air directly from the atmosphere.
Optimally the water for keeping healthy Bettas should be soft, warm, with
a neutral to slightly acidic pH. Water movement should be kept to a
minimum, which means that power filters and powerheads are not suitable.
Bettas may be kept in a community tank as long as the water conditions are
met, and if no aggressive or fin-nipping fish are present. However, only
one male may be kept in each aquarium, unless they are separated by a
barrier.
The use of plastic boxes that hang inside the aquarium are a suitable
option for keeping more than one betta in a tank, or for keeping them in a
tank with fish that might nip their fins. Females will generally not fight
with each other, and may be kept in the same tank.
NOTE: Selling a betta in a vase with a Peace Lily has become in vogue.
However, a flower vase is not a suitable environment for the betta. For
more information check the additional information links to the right.
Diet: In nature Bettas subsist almost exclusively on insects and insect
larvae. They are built with an upturned mouth that is well suited to
snatching any hapless insect that might fall into the water. Internally
their digestive system is geared for meat, having a much shorter
alimentary track than vegetarian fish. For this reason, live foods are the
ideal diet for the betta, however they will adapt to eating flake foods
and frozen and freeze dried foods.
Brine shrimp, Daphnia, plankton, tubifex, glassworms, and beef heart, are
all excellent options that may be found frozen or freeze dried. If flake
food is fed, it should be supplemented with frozen and freeze-dried foods,
and if possible live foods.
Breeding
Bettas have a fairly short lifespan, and are most successful as breeders
when they under a year old (bettas in pet shops are usually at least six
months old). They breed in bubblenests and do not require a large tank or
special equipment.
Most breeders find that a bare bottomed tank of roughly ten gallons works
well, although smaller tanks are also suitable.Ideally the fish should be
conditioned prior to breeding, by feeding them a diet of live foods. The
water should be at a pH of about 7.0, and temperature around 80 or
slightly above.
The male will blow an elaborate bubble nest when he is ready to spawn. The
female should be provided with a hiding place, as males may become
aggressive during courtship. Even with a hiding place, it is common for
the female to lose a few scales or have their fins frayed during spawning.
When they are ready to spawn, the pair will display intense coloration and
begin circling each other under the bubblenest. The male will wrap himself
around the female who has turned on her back. As she expels the eggs, they
are fertilized and begin to sink. The male will scoop up the eggs and spit
them into the nest. From this point on the male will tend the brood. It is
advisable to remove the female, as the male may become aggressive towards
her as he tends his young.
The male will continue to tend the bubblenest, spitting eggs that fall out
back into the nest. In one to two days the eggs will hatch, and the fry
will be visible hanging in the bubblenest with their tails pointing
downward. They will feed off their yolk sack for another thirty six hours,
during which time the male will continue to pick up any fry that fall out
of the nest. The male should be removed within two days after the fry
hatch, as they may eat the young once they are free swimming. The fry
should be fed a couple of feedings daily of baby brine shrimp or very fine
baby food. Tetra makes a dry mixture specifically for egglaying fish, and
many pet shops carry frozen baby brine shrimp. Take care not to overfeed,
as the uneaten food will foul the water and can quickly prove lethal to
the fry.

~ZTM

Or, of course, you tanks heater might be too hot.

Edit: Heres a link to what the bubbles mean

http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art34674.asp

EDIT:
I didn’t mean for you to interpret my answer as they don’t need air if you were thinking that. I just said they don’t need to come up to the surface to get air because they have gills that allow them to obtain oxygen from the water.