Bettas are arguably the most popular single species of fish in the aquarium hobby today!  This is true for many reasons including their vibrant colours, easy maintenance, their fun and unique personalities, and they do not require many expensive pieces of equipment.  Choosing the specific type of male betta you want to buy can be complex because of all the options for colours, patterns, varieties, and tail types.  This guide will help you buy a unique male Siamese fighting fish that you will easily fall in love with.

 

 

Because of thall the options available, the easiest way to narrow down the type of betta you want is by deciding the colour of your new fish.  If you are limited to buying your fish from a local fish store, you will – unfortunately – be limited to reds, blues, greens, whites, and combinations of these colours (officially claled milties and bicolours).  You can simply choose your favourite colour and go from there.  If you have decided to make the leap to buying a betta online, your options for colours are much wider.  Some of the most interesting colours are mustard gas (blue body, yellow fins, and blue rim to the fins), pastels, cambodians (peachy body with coloured fins – usually red), blacks, coppers, and a wide favorite: dragons with thick metallic scaling.

 

 

The next step is to choose the type of tail you want your betta to have.  If you are buying from a fish store, your options are likely limited to veiltails, halfmoons, crowntails, and delta tails.  If you are buying online, you can likely choose from other styles of betta tails including plakats (short fins), spadetails, rosetails, and a number of more rare fin types.

Some other characteristics are available when choosing a healthy male betta.  Marble bettas have patches over their bodies and fins.  These patches are different colours and can really make for some strikingly beautiful bettas.  Butterfly colourations have a pigmented inner half of the fins and a white or clear outer half of all the fins.  Giant bettas grow up to twice the size of normal sized Siamese fighting fish.  These three options are just a few of the more specialized types of bettas available (unfortunately, usually just online).

 

 

Now that you have chosen the ideal colour, fin type, and any special features of your future betta your task is easy.  Start visiting the pet stores and online specialty sites and keep looking until you find the siamese fighting fish with the features that most closely resemble your “perfect fish”.  Look out for a Betta Breeders Canada article on how to ensure you the fish you buy is in top health!