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Betta Simplex, Care and Breeding By: Sebastian Letsch Submitted: 2/26/2005 Betta simplex - male Betta simplex - female Betta simplex - 1 month old Betta simplex simple fighting fish / Krabi-fighting fish first description: Kottelat,1994 This beautiful fighting fish type is, unfortunately, maintained much too rarely in our aquariums. Betta simplex was found in Thailand in the proximity of Krabi. There they inhabit a source pot waters with tuerkis resplendent clear water. Betta simplex can reach lengths of 5 cm, and are mouthbrooders who are currently endangered and are therefore listed on the red list of the IUCN. Betta simplex live in alkaline and very hard water, and is therefore relatively tolerant of hard and basic tap water. Since this betta lives all year round in harder water around 8-12 KH, it is not only tolerant against hard and cool water, but needs it to be healthy and reproduce readily. The animals are altogether docile in temperament, and therefore are well suited as an aquarium fish. You can differentiate the males very easy from the females. The female Betta simplex are rather simply brown colored with small black and white points in tail and backfin. Only the anal fin is colored at the ends, easily bluish. The males are more intensely colored in comparison. The body is rather red-brown and on the gill is intensely green-blue. The anal and tail fin pull through two intensely radiant blue and black 'ribbons'. The fin points shine remarkably white. Also the head, as typical for mouthbrooder fighting fishes, is more powerful with the male than with the female. For the care of 2 pairs, an aquarium of 60 cm length will suffice perfectly. The males do not form territories like the more aggressive types such as Betta splendens. The aquarium should be well-planted, offer sufficient protection, and have a water temperature from 22 to 24°C. To high water temperatures shorten the life span of the animals substantially. Also some current should be present. Floating plants at the water surface absorb light and offer young fish adequate hiding places. Pay attention to use a completely closed aquarium cover since this kind of betta can jump very well. The breeding of Betta simplex is quite uncomplicated, since the male animal takes over the majority of the work. If the water quality, the aquarium organization, and the nutrition are correct, the fish pair themselves quite fast. After the mating the male takes the eggs in his mouth and/or gets them from the female. The male places the eggs in a safe hiding place after carrying them in his mouth for the first day. The territory is defended during this time by the female. However this takes place only by means of chasing or pushing the other fish; I never observed any biting or wounding. After 3 days the larvae slip and must be caught by their father, which can sometimes overwhelm and irritate younger males and cause them to eat their brood or spit them out early. If a male spits its brood out, then it dismisses the young fish with a size of approx. 4 mm of length after 14 days. With the dismissal date the young fish are on their own and no longer tended by the parent fish. Altogether, Betta simplex is a very interesting fighting fish type which shows very many different behaviors, and possesses a gentle temperament without being shy. Sebastian Letsch, Dresden/Germany

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