One of the most recognizable features about the betta fish is its tail. Male bettas have a variety of splendid tails to complement their bright colors. Females tend to have shorter, less vibrant tails. The different tail shapes when combined with certain colors are sought after by betta enthusiasts or collectors.
Here's a rundown of different tail shapes to keep in mind when picking out your betta.
Short Tails: The short tail bettas look much closer to wild bettas. These tails are shorter and more utilitarian. A wild betta can't afford to have the long, flowing tails as it impairs their swimming ability. Short tailed bettas also don't tend to be as vibrantly colored, as they're closer to wild specimens.
Veil Tails: The veil tail bettas are just one step from the short tails. These bettas have tails of the same shape as the short tails, just longer. This makes them droop at the ends. When the betta is calm they simply hang down. When the betta flares its fins the tails do come up, but still don't fan out. These are very common in pet stores and are likely to be your option if that's where you get your betta.
Fan Tails: A fan-tailed betta is one whose tail is solid at the bottom then flares out symmetrically to create a rounded-edged fan.
Delta Tails: The delta tail is another step past the fan-shaped tails. Instead of a rounded fan this looks more like a triangle with sharp edges running down to a rounded tail.
Super Delta Tails: The super delta tail is a delta tail with a very broad width angle. Anything above about 130 degrees from the base can be considered a super delta tail. For show purposes an angle of 170 degrees is desirable.
Half-moon Tails: This is currently the ideal for the betta show quality world. These tails have a full 180-degree spread to them, making the tail look like a half-moon. Half-moon tails are beautiful but also very fragile. The betta is likely to tear them often, which makes showing them a tricky adventure at times.
Double Tails: The double tailed bettas are bettas with two tail lobes instead of one.
Crowntails: There's a variation of a betta called a combtail, which means that the spines of the fins extend out past the edge of the tail membrane resulting in a "comb-like" appearance. The crowntails have been bred for this trait to the point where the tail is sharp and looks like a crown.
As you can see there are a bunch of different tail shapes in the betta world and more are being bred all of the time! It makes them a fun and exciting fish to follow and collect.
Unfortunately, our modern life doesn't always make keeping a traditional pet easy. Dogs and cats are great but there's a lot that goes with them. They need to be exercised, cleaned up after daily, take up a fair amount of space, and eat a lot of food. A great lower-maintenance pet choice is a reptile or fish.
The problem with reptiles is that they just aren't much fun. For the most part they lie around and don't really interact with you at all. They also usually require expensive heating components and can smell bad if not taken care of frequently.
Fish combine the low maintenance of reptiles but can add so much more to your life. They're bright, colorful, and are moving around all of the time. A beautiful fish can be like a permanent flower in your home.
Even with the ease of fish many require big, complicated tank set-ups. That's one of the great things about the Betta, or Siamese Fighting Fish. In addition to being beautiful, bettas are fairly hardy fish that don't need a large space or water flow.
Some great features about the betta are:
-They come in a variety of vibrant colors and fin shapes. They are a beautiful fish sure to captivate your attention.
-They survive well in captivity. With proper care a betta will be just fine. Some fish are very difficult to keep healthy, but not the betta.
-Bettas don't need nearly as much space as other fish. Since they're comfortable in stagnant water, a small tank with a bit of airflow will be fine for them. I do recommend a small tank over the tiny bowl they come in so you don't have to change their water daily, but the tank can still be a lot smaller than what other fish need.
-They're amazingly friendly and animated. Bettas will soon learn to recognize their handler and "dance" around when they see you. They're happy to follow your finger around and play games for you.
When you look at the small cost of the fish, food, and set-up along with the bright colors, ease of care, and great interaction they make the perfect first pet for children. Kids love the pretty, animated betta fish and can learn responsibility while caring for them.
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