The Fighting Fish

Hey guys!

Fighting fish are one of my favourite fishes to keep. For one they are extremely hardy which means that they don't die easily (an unfortunate trait common to most other fish) and for another thing, you don't really have to feed them much either so if I happen to "forget" to feed Mr. Rainbow or Mr. Sheffield for a couple of days they'll still be fine! My theory is they subsist on mosquitoes and other insects that sometimes fall into their cups.... but I digress.


Fighting Fish



Fighting fish


Anyway the above two pictures are a pair of Malaysian fighting fish as you might find them in the wild. In the wild fighting fish are native to the paddy fields of Malaysia and Thailand, and unlike the long finned iridescent variety you might commonly see in fishbowls in pet stores, they tend to be dull and brown in colour. Meanwhile, decades and decades of selective breeding have produced some of the most beautiful varities of fighting fish there are!

my own Mr. Rainbow during water changing. Don't worry he's NOT DEAD!

Fighting fish make the most interesting pets to breed as well. For most parts of the year they are terribly aggressive to other fishes of their own species and will attack and even KILL their mates but when they are in heat  suddenly it all changes! The males build delicate bubble nests on the surface of the water and for a brief period they will permit females to enter their territory to mate with them. After then though, the females are chased away because this species is big on single parents and it is the father's job to guard the babies in his bubble nest.

But you know what the best thing is? Its that they're highly responsive and alert! You know most people think that fish make dull pets but you know I just find it so adorable when I scratch my finger on the top of Mr. Sheffield's CD Container tank and he responds to it like there's no tomorrow! All in all definitely a pet I would recommend getting to teach a kid responsibility. They're so hardy I've had both of mine on my study table for more than a year now and they've lived through both bloat and fin rot without any medicine at all! One change of water and all was good. Anyway, big day tomorrow so~ ttfn TATA FOR NOW

Oh, and

GONG HEI FATT CHOYY