Long flowing fins

[xShainax]

I love betta's but I feel saddened about how much people tampered with them. Poor Taz's anal fin is huge and I can't even imagine how it feels swimming with that extra weight

[Aus]

After watching my small HM with huge fins struggling so hard to drag them around and even biting them off to get relief from the weight, I am honestly put off owning any more long-finned bettas.

There's nothing prettier than a healthy long-finned male, but when I see fish with massive rose- and feather- tails, and dumbos who can hardly swim at all, it does make me a bit sad for the species.

I also believe breeding for prettier colour/finnage over hardiness is making them weaker on the whole. The original fighters were bred to be hardy and tough on top of the species' natural toughness, a reputation that still carries over regarding froufy-finned weaklings which are generally very far from 'hardy' and tend to drop dead if you look at them sideways.

I'd --love-- to see some of the Thai fighter-breeder's standards of fish health be applied to the long finned bettas. Hard scales, clear eyes, high aggression/energy and great health are IMO way more important than developing froufier, purpler fins on a fish that can't even swim..

[Olympia]

Even the plakat will be ruined soon. It's all that inbreeding. :/
I'll never have a HM, my delta is enough, and he has tiny fins too.
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[Catfish Billy]

I agree. Bettas weren't meant to have very long fins and even their colours aren't natural. You can tell if you see a picture of a wild-caught betta. Then again they are beautiful! :)

[Olympia]

You mean this dull little wild caught fellow?





Colour isn't as much of a problem. I don't mind inbreeding once or twice in, but after that fish really need new blood. Goes for any strain of any animal you are selectively breeding, people let the gene pools get too small.

[Aus]

eta: ^ +1

I should note, to be clear: I have absolutely -nothing- against bettas that are not inherently weak of constitution and/or unable to swim effectively.

I started keeping these fish for a reason.. I think most here will 100% understand why. They are pretty special fish.

But I do see human vanity and selfishness sending bettas the way of those unsound and clearly deformed critters that were once Persian cats and British Bulldogs..

[xShainax]

Spitfire bit his fins towards the end and passed away. I almost lost poor Romeo because of his tail biting. Taz..He is finally healing

[Purple]

I like bettas for their character and personality. If I had these little dudes with the same charm as a "pretty" fish I would be happy. They're actually pretty cool! :P

[fleetfish]

One of these days I will have wild bettas. They're so beautiful from what I've seen. What species is that, Purple?

[Purple]

No idea.

I was just looking at some wild betta species, and I stumbled upon B. raja... Wow they're beautiful!