stepnek

Has anyone else seen this thing in pet shops over here where they have for sale Siamese Fighting Fish tucked away in tiny little plastic containers no bigger than a very small glass. The local shop has loads of them with more dead than alive fish. I've seen this in more than one shop and it doesn't seem right to me. I've never seen it before arriving here.

iaink

John says for a tank that size youd need two heaters, at about $50 each,(good idea anyway in case one breaks down) and a decent external filter would set you back about $300, but would be more effective than the cheap ones.

Good luck getting the tank here in one piece!

iaink

They can live quite hapilly in the unfrozen bit at the bottom. Most ponds more than 6 feet deep will have a few feet of water at the bottom and enough Oxygen diffuses through the ice for the water to remain breathable. Its not like spring comes and all of a sudden the lakes are full of dead fish floating on the surface Your tank heater must have been pretty weedy or just not working right, or the tank was too big for it. A decent thermostatically controlled heater should keep the water fairly constant temp and the fish comfy enough.

SimonG

Apparently they can't be put in with any other fish, even themselves. Supposed to be pretty nasty. We had thought about getting a couple along with some roomier accommodation.

stepnek

I guess that's why they have their name but I think the "roomier accomodation" is the way to go!

Covenant

Yup, they've been known to kill each other. I had some female Siamese fighting fish, (about three altogether) put a male in, and the females tore him to pieces).

Alberta_Rose

Not true actually. Siamese fighters, male or female, can be part of a community tank with no problems. They are actually better community fish than eg some barbs or angelfish! But you can't keep two together in one tank, not even a mating pair!

We tried to breed some once. You put them in a divided tank so they can see eachother yet not actually have contact......then the MALE gets all excited and builds a lovely nest made of bubbles and fish-spit!

Then somehow you have to judge when they are ready, let the female in to do the business, ie lay her eggs (if she likes his nest ), and then get her out again before they kill eachother!

err..... we failed!

Morw

stepnek

To what extent did you fail? She just wouldn't lay the eggs or was it more fatal than that?

dawnwynne

LMAO...thanks for the chuckle