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air. The phylum for this family is labyrinthicus.

All the bubblers and aeration in the world will not help this fish to breathe. They don't need to be aerated. They need the real estate at the surface of the tank to be happy. They are territorial. Bettas will stake off sections of surface area and defend that spot. When another betta needs to encroach upon their surface area, a fight will usually take place. Many times a less dominant betta will wait for an opportune time to sneak up and get a breath of air.

What the male bettas are usually guarding is the bubble nest they are building. Bettas and all antibantids like gouramis are bubble nest builders. Males work on bubble nest building whether females are present or not.

Bettas are one of the most beautiful and colorful of all aquarium fishes. With their flowing lacey fins the gracefully cruise the waters and show off their finnage when they are aroused or angered.

If you want to breed bettas in captivity, you do not want any bubblers going in your tank at all. You want the water as still as possible, even to the point of being stagnant. Bettas thrive in less than sanitary conditions. Decaying plants also add to the survival of your young betta fry. These plants as they decay will have microscopic organisms called infusoria which baby fish feed on. You can bring on infusoria by taking some aquatic plants and putting them in a jar of water in the cupboard, depriving them of light. As the plants decay they will make infusoria. You can reintroduce these decayed or decaying plants back into the aquarium with the water too. It is Gerber baby betta food.

It is a good idea to give adequate room for the female to retreat and plenty of hiding places when attempting to breed bettas. Males are generally larger than females and much more colorful, there will usually be a lot of chasing and hiding until the female gets egg bound and the actual mating dance ritual takes place.

The fish will engage in a battle royal, many times resulting in the untimely death of the intended bride fish. But if she is big enough and hearty enough to survive, you can achieve success. The male will actually wrap himself around the female fish and squeeze the eggs from her body as he inseminates the water. Then he will quickly swim around gathering as many eggs as he can in his mouth, and depositing them into the bubble nest. The babies when they hatch must be at the surface, or they won't be able to breathe. Until they can swim, they

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