Content

• Steps
• Part 1 of 2: Choosing and Caring for a Fighting Fish
• Part 2 of 2: Strengthening the Relationship with the Cockerel
• Warnings

Siamese fighting fish, also called cockerels, are quite popular as pets due to their bright colors and luxurious fins. Despite the fact that these fish usually prefer to live alone, they are still social creatures and can get bored and even sick if not properly stimulated. For this reason, the cockerel should become not only a decoration for your aquarium, but also a kind of companion for you. With proper care and regular communication, you can develop healthy friendships with your fighting fish.

Steps

Part 1 of 2: Choosing and Caring for a Fighting Fish

1. 1 Choose a healthy fighting fish. With proper care, males usually live for about 2-4 years, but sometimes they can live up to 10 years of age. Choose a healthy fish, provide it with proper care, and you will surely develop a friendly relationship with the cockerel.
   • Most pet stores sell males more often than females because they are more colorful and have longer fins. Whether you decide to buy a male or a female, opt for a bright (not pale) healthy fish with intact fins.
   • You may feel that you need to choose an active, horny fish over a calmer fish, but the behavior of fish in the pet store does not necessarily reflect their true nature. A calmer fish could simply get tired of the fact that people knock on the aquarium glass all day, referring to it.
   • This and other additional information about cockerels is discussed in detail in the article "How to take care of a rooster fish".
2. 2 Provide your fish with a suitable aquarium. You may have seen somewhere (for example, in some office or at someone's home) how cockerels are kept in vases or even drinking glasses. Due to the fact that fish prefer to live alone, many people mistakenly believe that males do not need a lot of space to live and they themselves do not want it.
   • You may have heard some say that cockerels love crowding, because their natural habitat is small puddles left in the depressions of bull-trodden tracks in Southeast Asia. Despite the fact that cockerels are occasionally found in such modest bodies of water, this is more a test of their ability to survive in the dry season than an indicator of their personal lifestyle preferences.
   • In fact, bettas love to have room to swim, so you should choose an aquarium with a volume of at least 12 liters, and even better up to 40 liters. It may seem like a lot for a small fish, but with this approach, the likelihood of ensuring a healthy and happy life for the cockerel becomes higher.
   • The temperature in the aquarium should be between 24.5-26.5 ° C (warming up if necessary). You should also install a filter in the aquarium that does not circulate too much water (bettas prefer to live in stagnant water). Keep the aquarium clean and change the water regularly.
   • For more information on preparing and maintaining your aquarium, see How to Care for Your Cockfish.
3. 3 Be prepared to keep your fish alone. Although some bettas may not mind sharing a tank with other neighbors, many of them, especially males, can become restless, irritable and even aggressive in the presence of other fish encroaching on the cockerel's personal space.
   • Despite the title of "fighting fish", male cockerels are more interested in asserting their own dominance than in harming each other. Nevertheless, injuries and other troubles occur quite often when two or more male cockerels or just a cockerel and other fish are placed in the same aquarium. For this reason, it is better to start with the assumption that the male cockerel will live alone in your aquarium.
   • A pair of female cockerels will probably not get along with each other either, but a larger group of females (up to ten) may find mutual understanding. In this case, you will have a female fish community in your aquarium. Considering the above fact, allow the female to live either alone or in a group of the same females.
4. 4 Feed your fish properly. Males usually do best with a fairly specific diet consisting of three components: special pelleted feed for cockerels, bloodworms and brine shrimp (the latter two types of food can be fed frozen and dried).
   • Two feedings a day, consisting of 3-4 feed pellets (if necessary, crushed, if you still have a small fish) or 6-7 bloodworm larvae or brine shrimp should be enough. Males are prone to unhealthy overeating if given the chance. Because of this, they may develop constipation (it can be judged by bloating), while the condition of the fish can be alleviated by feeding it the pulp of one thawed green pea, cut into pieces.
5. 5 Learn more about your new pet. Cockerels are called Siamese fighting fish due to the fact that they come from Southeast Asia, and the males of these fish are known to be aggressive towards each other.
   • Males are quite adaptive in terms of survival. They inhabit the rice fields of Southeast Asia and are easily adaptable to flood and drought seasons.
   • In addition, cockerels are a fairly rare example of labyrinth fish, that is, they are able to breathe not only oxygen dissolved in water, but also ordinary air. Provided that the fish itself remains wet, it can survive for a short time in air without water, in addition, it can survive somewhat longer in small brackish puddles (which form in drought).

Part 2 of 2: Strengthening the Relationship with the Cockerel

1. 1 Keep your aquarium in an active area. Males love to live alone, but they easily get bored and prefer to be where you can watch something happening around, while remaining within their habitat.
   • Set up an aquarium in a busy place in your home where people are often, such as in a living room or near a kitchen. Males love to move around, even if they do not directly communicate with them.
   • Move the aquarium periodically within the room to allow the cockerel to change species behind the glass. New items will attract the attention of the fish and arouse a fresh interest in what is happening around.
2. 2 Give the fish a nickname and talk to it. It will be difficult to establish friendly relations with any nameless creature, so choose a nickname for your cock that matches his character. As in the case of lists of baby names, you can find possible nicknames for pets on the Internet if you are having difficulty choosing a name for a cockerel yourself.
   • Males are sensitive to the vibration of water caused by the sound of a human voice, which some believe allows the fish to learn to recognize the owner's voice and its own name. See if you can get the fish to react consistently to the nickname if you say it every time you approach the aquarium.
   • At the very least, talking to your rooster will provide him with the opportunity for the companionship he craves and will help you establish a friendly relationship with him. After all, who doesn't need a friend who is always ready to listen to the owner?
3. 3 Provide visual stimulation to the cock. Moving the aquarium, as indicated above, is only one option to change the view behind the aquarium glass. But even if you just regularly approach and observe the fish, it will have the opportunity to concentrate on the new object and even begin to recognize it.
   • Male cockerels are known for displaying their luxurious fins when they see themselves in the mirror (this is their reaction to meeting other males). There is controversy over whether frequent mirror exposure is good (stimulating) or bad (stressful) for your fish, so you might want to use the mirror sparingly or avoid using it altogether, just in case. Also keep in mind that some male cockerels are fearful and fearful of their own reflection.
   • In addition to occasional use of the mirror (if desired), you can also draw patterns on the aquarium with dry erase markers, or stick notes of various shapes on it, or simply place interesting new objects next to the aquarium. Watch your cock as he explores and reacts to this phenomenon.
4. 4 Play with the cockerel. While the urge to knock on the aquarium is a completely normal reaction for a person who sees a fish, some experts advise avoiding this, as it can shock a fish caught by surprise. Instead, it is better to run your finger over the glass and follow the response of the cock.
   • The cockerel is likely to get close to the finger and even begin to follow its movements on the glass. You may be able to get the fish to make turns and loops by following your finger.
   • Males love to rise to the surface of the water, so floating toys and other objects can be a good addition to playing time with a fish. A floating table tennis ball can be very interesting for a fish, just do not forget to wash it first.
   • For more ideas for playing with a fighting fish, see How to Play with a Rooster Fish.
5. 5 Train your fighting fish. As with most animals, including humans, the promise of a treat can be a powerful incentive, even for training a cock. If you are patient and take the time to practice with your cock, your new friend can learn a number of fun tricks.
   • The cock can be taught to eat from his hands by pinching the food pellets with his very fingertips, immersing them in water and waiting for the fish to pick them up. The cockerel may even learn to jump out of the water to snatch food out of your hands.
   • Poop bait can also cause the rooster to swim (and sometimes even jump) into a ring (for example, you can make this from a craft brush). With practice, you can even train your cock to push a tennis ball into the net.
   • How to Play with a Cockerel Fish is also a good source for ideas and training methods.
6. 6 Become a friend of the cockerel. The best way to strengthen your relationship with your cock is to start treating him like any other true friend. Come to him when one of you (or both) is fun, sad, when you are stressed or flying in the clouds with happiness, when you are healthy or sick. Establishing a relationship with any animal takes effort, patience, openness, and a caring approach.

Warnings

• Be sure to always wash and rinse your hands thoroughly before touching anything in the cockerel tank.
• Prepare a first-aid kit for your fish so that you are ready in case your betta develops any common illnesses.
• Before you add any aquarium neighbors to your rooster, do your research and make sure the tank is large enough for the rooster to have neighbors.
• Do not shake the cockerel aquarium, otherwise it will stress him out.
• If you forget to prepare the water for the aquarium using a special conditioner, the cockerel can get sick and die.
• Do not place more than one male in the tank. Collect additional information on co-location of females. Do not keep females and males together.