Kung Fu Fighting

[Kryten]

Corny title I know, but a few questions about Siamese Fighting Fish from a newbie if I may

1. Are the females tails and fins as beautiful as the males
2. Are the males (which are the only ones my local shop stocks) easy to keep on their own.
3. Will a breeding pair be okay in a 19 gallon tank (UK gallons BTW) along with Neon and Bloodfin Tetras and Albino Corys i.e.will they not show too much aggression

Maybe non-related but how do checkered barbs get on in a community tank if kept in a shoal of 4 or 5 and how big (in centimetres) do they get roughly. I love these little guys, but am not sure if I should introduce them to my tank (will they nip the siamese tails?

 

[Mollymomma]

LOL the topic made me think hmm gotta see what's in there hehe
1. Females finage is shorter than the males.
2. Males have to be in a tank by themselves...you can put them in with certain fish like neons & tetra's I believe..
3.males and females , even if you plan to breed them will not live peacefully together they will kill each other..

Not sure about the barbs though..

Hope this helps some
Welcome

 

[LiquidLife]

Females fins are shorter but they are just as beautiful as males--some of us prefer female bettas just because they can be kept communally and you get to see some interesting social dynamics among the females. I actually think female cambos are prettier than their flashier male counterparts because they can have a very clean body (beige flesh-tone).

As far as keeping males with any other fish, it depends on the male. Some males have a very mellow temperament and will cohabitate with other fish (including female bettas--and in rare cases, other male bettas). Other males will attack anything that moves. And in still other cases the male gets attacked (and sometimes killed) by the other fish in the tank. As with any fish, introduce a new fish slowly and keep an eye on them so you can come to the rescue if anyone gets too aggressive.

Not sure what the US equivalent to your 19 gal would be--just do not over-stock your tank because then you will have trouble just from overcrowding and fish freaking out from the stress. If you've got a reliable aquarium shop you can drop in on, talk to the folks there to see what they suggest (how many fish max).

And make sure there are a lot of plants and hiding places--makes a big difference to how safe a fish feels.

 

[wherryj]

Here's a link about the checkered barb: http/www.####.co.uk/Cyprinids.htm


Checkered Barb (Barbus oligolepis): Nice looking fish, a sort of orange/brown colour. Males tend to be larger, and the colours can be more intense. Would do best in a school.




Size Origin Ease of keep Food Temp Type
50 mm Indonesia Easy All foods 24 C Friendly

(for barbs, a "school" generally means 4 to 6).

Use caution if you put this in with tiger barbs. These fish are much more aggressive, and will probably bully the checkered barb. I can't be entirely sure, since I have a tiger that harasses EVERYTHING except my neon rosey barbs. The neon roseys are also very peaceful.

Definitely don't put barbs in with the betta (I don't know if it was a thought or not).
Even though the betta is aggressive enough to stand up to the barb, the barbs will severely nip the fins of the betta.
Also be careful about deciding upon sex merely based upon fin length. I've read that many "females" are actually short-finned "rogue" males. I'm not sure how true this is.

My betta seems to be not much of a fighter, so he gets his own tank. He doesn't posture when he sees himself reflected in the aquarium "glass" (actually acrylic). He's also somewhat unusual because he seems very interactive. He can recognize individuals (he tries much harder to get food from me, and has almost given up on my wife since she's not as easy). He dances to get attention, and seems to relish the attention that he gets. Reminds me of a Dempsey that I had once...