Everything you need to know about fighting fish.

You’ve probably seen fighting fish, or ‘Betta’ fish (Betta splendens) in tiny, individual tanks in aquarium stores and pet shops around the world. We've come a long way in recent years in realising what is and isn't okay in terms of the treatment of pet animals and it is time we take a firmer stance on fish welfare too.

It is convincingly established that fish can feel pain, fear, they can learn (which indicates a long memory – contrary to original theories on fish cognition) and that they can comprehend and respond to their environments [1-2]. There is a large amount of evidence that fish are sentient and that they react to the world around them. This considered, it might be time we empathise at least a little bit with pet fish and some of the reasons why it is so so wrong to keep Betta Fish in tiny tanks. One of the key signs of stress in fish is a 'clamping' of their fins - which is clear to see in Fighting Fish seeing as they have such long and beautiful fins, once you know what to look for you'll notice these fish looking unhappy in almost every display tank they're housed in across the country. I am constantly astounded by the lack of knowledge around appropriate conditions for these beautiful fish. The myths continually perpetuated about them and how frequently people state that they somehow "prefer" a stark and tiny environment is incredibly saddening and it is time to set the record straight.

*An exciting side note on learning - Betta Fish are very clever, they have cute little personality quirks and are very curious little animals. They can learn tricks! Check some out on youtube! If you want to teach your Betta fish some tricks, you can find trick sets for sale online *

In my opinion and in a lot of other ethicists opinions, one of the essential components of establishing welfare of animals is that these animals are free to express their natural behaviour, for example – sheep naturally herd together and so sheep need to be housed with at least one other sheep to allow for this behaviour and to reduce any stress that occurs from diminished capacity to herd induces. Another example is in the case of rats and mice, their natural behaviours include hiding and nesting, and so in order for housing of domestic rats and mice to be considered ethical their enclosure must include access to nesting materials (like shredded paper) and hiding places (caves or toilet rolls) that they can feel safe in.

So what is ‘Natural’ for a Betta fish? You guessed it, not hanging around in a small amount of clear water being peered at by large uninformed human faces. Betta fish in the wild occur in large expanses of heavily vegetated slow-moving streams; they can also be found in the rice paddies in Thailand [3].

The ‘puddle’ myth is an example of humans exaggerating something for their own benefit and to justify unethical behaviour. In the dry season the natural habitat does evaporate quite a bit and Betta fish can end up in smaller puddles than usual – but their behaviour when this containment occurs includes jumping between puddles and trying to find a bigger area of water where they can express more of their natural behaviour which includes hiding, hunting, nest building, mating and fighting [4]. That said, these small(er) puddles still contain a large amount of vegetation which provides enrichment, oxegenation, and hiding places for Betta fish. Obviously, not every single natural behaviour an animal expresses is necessary to provide to them and there are considerations to be made about each one; mostly considering their positive or negative effect on the animal’s experience and health. for example, most animals do not experience any stress if they cannot mate in their lifetime and indeed many animals find it an unpleasant experience (mainly females), therefore it isn’t a required condition when we consider domestically kept animals (and I would strongly advise against backyard breeding of any type of animal as laypeople are usually ill-equipped to provide animals with what they need for a safe pregnancy, birth and adequate socialisation and rearing for newborns). But things like food, etc. are obviously required.

For Betta fish, absolutely essential experiences include the ability to hide among vegetation, this means a tank with REAL plants preferably, and provide them with a cave as well (they also like to play, they'll have fun swimming in and out of the cave and around the leaves of the plants - way more entertaining to watch than an unhappy fish in a tiny box!). This is my fish (Chun Li) hanging out among foliage in my tank (she's a female Betta that's why her fins aren't as magnificent).

Caves like this one are inexpensive and make a great focal point in your aquarium tank:

I've actually got Chun Li a skull to swim in and out of, here's a picture of her playing with it:

Betta fish also like to rest on leaves. As most animals do, fish sleep and they need a safe space in which to do that - imagine keeping a puppy in a concrete cage with no mat; understandably that animal's health would deteriorate pretty quickly, partly due to distress and partly due to lack of sleep. If an animal doesn't feel safe it cannot rest properly (think about how you might sleep poorly the night before a big exam). If possible, provide your fish with a broad leaf plant or buy a plastic leaf hammock to affix to the side of the tank. They are inexpensive and provide necessary enrichment for your fish.

You can buy one like this from ebay, easy peasy.

Speaking of tanks, Betta fish have an extensive territory in the wild, up to 1 square metre of Heavily vegetated, oxygenated water - it is essential if you own any fish that you also provide an appropriate filter and pump for your tank, else the fish may suffer from poor oxygenation and drown (yes fish can drown) or suffer from ammonia poisoning and burn to death (ouch!). This doesn't mean that you need to provide a surface area of 1 metre in your tank, but it does mean that they need a lot more water than 1 litre! Ideally, house your Betta in at least a 30 litre tank.

A filter like this one is cheap and helps keep your tank clean and oxygenated:

Another absolutely essential part of their environmnent is a stable water temperature! Betta fish are naturally from the tropics after all, and every tropical fish needs a heather to keep their bodies healthy. All aquarium shops sell heaters for various tank sizes. Set it to 26 or 27 degrees Celsius, plug it in and submerge according to the heating unit's specific instructions. Easy as pie! Fighting Fish lifespan is often cited at approximately 3 years, but this is actually only due to poor conditions, a happy healthy fish can live for about 6 and even up to ten years!

A heater like this one is cheap and keeps your tank's temperature nice and stable (NOTE: DO NOT PUT A HEATER LIKE THIS IN A 1L TANK - you should not have your fish in such a small tank anyway, but if you put a heater in a tiny tank the water will get too hot and your fish might be seriously injured)

**Side note- try and avoid tanks with round walls, rounded corners are okay as long as the majority of the glass is flat; there's some evidence that the strange way the light reacts with curved class (like fish bowls) makes fish a little loopy. It's not known whether this affects all fish equally, but better safe than sorry - you don't want your pretty little fish getting a headache.**

If you've got a fighting fish in a small tank and have suddenly realised you need an upgrade, never fear! You can buy complete tank setups online (including pump, filter, and light) all at once and get them posted to you, here's one example.

Male fighting fish are extremely territorial and can't be kept with fish that have similar body shapes as themselves, but they can successfully be kept with other friendly community fish if you are that way inclined. To avoid all risk of aggressiveness, with almost all of the prettiness, choose a female - she can be kept with friendly community fish - I have mine with some Mollies and Danios; be careful not to pick fish which nip fins. Male fighting fish can be kept successfully with sucking fish and some other small fish, just be careful on introduction as it's generally a case by case basis as to whether they will attack new housemates. It is healthy for a male to 'Flare' on occassion, which is the warning to other fish before they attack, to initiate flaring in your Betta, hold up a mirror to the side of the tank (or float one) - he will think it is another fish and show off his size and beauty to get the other male to back off! (DO NOT leave the mirror next to the tank for elongated periods of time as having another male near their territory makes Betta fish very stressed, they like the satisfaction of having chased of the other male so let him flare once or twice and then take the mirror away - don't do this too regularly either).

If you're not a fan of ebay - all fish supplies, like pumps, ornaments, filters, lights, food, can also be purchased from your local pet shop.

While we're here, let's talk about four more things necessary when you're keeping fish. The first is to make sure you're feeding them the right food. You can find Betta-specific or Tropical-fish specific food for sale online or at your nearest aquarium shop. The second is to make sure you're monitoring your tank's pH, nitrite, nitrate, and ammonia levels with a kit like this one.If you've got those things right you've probably already taken care of the third factor which is to make sure the water in your tank is cleansed of potentially harmful substances like chlorine with an aquarium water conditioner. And last but not least, make sure you diagnose your fish with any illnesses or diseases that come up, then treat them - most things can be treated with a standard water treatment, but you can always query at an aquarium shop to make sure that your fish stay 'fighting fit'.

Above all, try and extend kindness to as much of the world as possible - this includes fish!!! Spread awareness! Challenge fish shops and aquariums, report them to the RSPCA, together we can bust these myths and get fish better conditions. No creature deserves to be tortured due to ignorance. It's up to all of us to challenge perceptions and work towards a healthier, happier world.