"Taking the Mystery out of Betta Breeding" - Review A Must read for Fish Lovers!

"Taking the Mystery out of Betta Breeding" - Review A Must read for Fish Lovers! by Charles Hamel


The earliest forms of keeping fish for pets were in the form of ponds in ancient China. The Chinese believed that Carps (Goldfish and Koi Carps) were lucky and hence raised them. These fish were bred to give rise to various beautiful sub-species. The first tropical fish to be kept in an aquarium was the Paradise fish which is still kept all over the world because of it's attractiveness. Earlier fish were reared for food and kept in ponds. The main purpose of having an aquarium is to observe its beauty and serenity, and it is reported to even reduce blood pressure. Aquariums come in various sizes and at first even a small aquarium will do, providing an interesting and fulfilling hobby.

Bring the soothing sound of a flowing stream, the sight of swaying ocean plants and the bright colors of tropical fish to your home or work. With aquariums, you can experience the beauty of the ocean without having to scuba dive or visit Sea World. These contained ecosystems are more than just a decorative piece. Keeping fish as pets takes more than just feeding them and changing the water every once in a while. Sadly, many people aren't aware of that and they just buy aquarium fish because they're attractive. After a short while the fish start to get sick and die one after the other, and the newbie would lose interest in the hobby and give it up all together. Basic knowledge of fish keeping, together with the right aquarium supplies, is crucial to the livelihood and longevity of your fish. It's important to maintain the optimum living conditions for your fish and other living things you may have in your aquarium if you are to enjoy them for a long time.

Betta Splendens, or Siamese fighting fish are one of the most beautiful fresh water aquarium fish on the market. They are one of the most recognized, and most controversial also. The debate is about the appropriateness of keeping them in small bowls, as you often see them in pet stores. In my opinion the debate is laid to rest if you just do a little research into their native habitat. Betta fish come from south east Asia, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam and parts of China. They are typically found in rice paddies and shallow ponds, where there is low oxygen content. The bettas are adapted to this environment by being able to obtain oxygen from the surface of the water. Bettas also love warm water, and are most active when water temps are around 80 degrees F. So going back to the debate about small bowls, yes they can survive, although keeping fish in small containers, puts extra work on the fish hobbyist. The smaller the container the fish are kept in the more often it needs cleaning. Bettas natural habitat are shallow but large, so you must keep this in mind if you decide to have one as a pet.

The Betta fish hobby is taken to a whole new level when one decides to start breeding the fish. There are also betta fish competitions around the world for those who get really serious about this hobby. So you can take this hobby as far as you would like, whether it be keeping one at home as a pet, to breeding them and turning it into a business, or entering them in national competitions.

No matter how deep your interest runs in keeping betta fish, I have not found any resource that is good as "Taking the Mystery out of Betta Breeding". The book goes in detail from the history of Siamese Fighting Fish (Bettas) to the breeding of them. It is a one stop source on all aspects of the Betta fish hobby. Tho Le will take you buy the hand and guide you from what size tank to get, what to feed your bettas, and the best and most successful ways to breed them. The book is very interesting and if there was a Betta Breeding for Dummy's book this would be it. The knowledge that Tho Li comes forth in "Taking the Mystery out of Betta Breeding" is a breath of freah air. You won't find a lot of off topic fluff added to the book, only straight forward, very informative facts on how to be successful at raising your own betta fish.

If you have ever thought that you might like to start an aquarium with Siamese Fighting Fish(bettas), do yourself a favor and don't miss this informative guide. "Taking the Mystery out of Betta Breeding" by Tho Le gets two thumbs up.


About the Author
Charles Hamel lives near Houston, Texas with his wife and two children. His makes his living freelance writing and blogging. His hobby's include cooking and music. He is a vegetarian, environmentalist, and an entrepreneur. He has always been a non-follower, always marching to the beat of his own drum, intuitive, easy going, technology geek.