(For English Project) What Type of Betta Do You Own?

[Anonfish4]

Hey all!
So this is a little out there. But bare with me.
For my dual credit English class, we will need to come up with some topic to create a multi genre presentation about. I (of course) chose betta fish. It sounds pretty vague, but that's what the teacher wants. Basically, free will to write various researches papers, poems, flash fiction works, photo essays, and the reason we're here: field research, as long as it relates to the main idea.

For my field research, I have a few different plans lined up:
1. Betta Intelligence: will they remember things like colour?
2. Can they be trained similarly to dogs with agility?
Then it turns to various surveys, where I have 3 planned.
I figure I'll post one tonight, one tomorrow, and one on Sunday as not to spam.
1. What type of betta is most popular?
2. What tail type is most popular?
3. What colour drives the most sales?
4. Maybe throw one more in with, What tank size is the most popular for a single betta (not including invertebrate roommates)?

So anyways, I'll start off the surveys here, with the general question of which betta is most popular. I'm counting the giant/king bettas and "standard" bettas as two different options because.. well it's easier lol. There's a good size difference between them and there's my only good reasoning.
Thank you to all who participate!
- I'm allowing unlimited answers for those who own more than one like myself!

 

[Jsmol]

I have two Elephant ear!

 

[Jim]

Maybe some of this will help. I started with bettas 68 years ago. At that time there were only the “standard” available in fish stores I frequented. The colors were also pretty uniform. The only ones available as I remember were solid blue, red, turquoise and variants of white. No flashy ones like present day. There were no black bettas or tail variations, just standard plain bodies. Another trait that has gone is the hostility of the fish. When males saw another betta in a bowl next to them they would flare and charge constantly. Today it’s …ho, hum. Males would fight to the death. A male in a tank with a female would be sudden death for the female. Females were also much more aggressive. They fought with each other if they were in the same tank but not as males would. I presently have a 16 female sorority in a 40 gallonand there are zero problems; back then it would have been impossible.
One final thing is that bettas back then were frequently referred to as “fighting fish” which has (IMO) been bred out of them for the most part.

 

[Fishfur]

.
One final thing is that bettas back then were frequently referred to as “fighting fish” which has (IMO) been bred out of them for the most part.

All the modern B.splendens in the trade come from long pedigrees of successful fighting fish and I’d have to disagree that the aggression has been bred out to any significant degree.

I’ve yet to own one that wasn’t obnoxiously aggressive and unwilling to share space & the domestic strains of the fish are significantly more aggressive than the wild fish are.

The wild fish aren’t nearly as aggressive as the domesticated ones. For any wild fish a physical fight is very risky - an attacker can easily get hurt & being hurt can be fatal - not necessarily immediately but for the fish the whole point of life is passing down their genes so surviving is critical. So wild fish rely on threat displays and only escalate to the physical if they absolutely have to.

The domestic fish have had much of that caution either bred out or maybe it’s overridden by the intensified desire to physically attack rivals, which is what fighting fish are intended to do.

These fish have been bred to exhibit the greatest possible physical aggression for around a thousand years but not for any other characteristic until rather recently.

As I understand their history breeders only started selecting for colour and finnage in the l19th century, which leaves some 800 years worth of breeding for extreme aggression in their genetics.

You absolutely do find fish that aren’t as territorial as they used to be but I don’t think they are the norm - at least not yet. But they may be becoming closer to the wild fish in terms of the expression of territoriality.

I don’t think anyone is breeding them specifically for reduced aggression but as time passes it’s bound to happen.

If reduced aggression was routinely selected for in breeding then they might become rather peaceful.

But then we wouldn’t see them making the threat displays that are part of their charm - at least for me it’s certainly part of their charm.

 

[Jim]

I am not trying to say that the aggression has been purposely burn out of them but in no way is the aggression of today near what it was 60 years ago

 

[Fishfur]

I am not trying to say that the aggression has been purposely burn out of them but in no way is the aggression of today near what it was 60 years ago

That would make sense since when breeding fish for looks alone they are no longer selecting fish for maximum aggression.

I don’t know whether it’s just my luck but all the bettas I have owned have been very territorial and entirely unwilling to share their space.

But I hear of and see plenty of them that seem to tolerate tankmates. Personally, I don’t think they should have to tolerate tankmates, but clearly some of them do - just not the ones I bring home .

 

[Jim]

I actually saw a 125 gallon with 10 males in it that was lightly planted. I watched them for about five minutes and there was no aggression. Unbelievable. !!!!!!! This was about 5 years ago.

 

[Fishfur]

That would be something to see. Maybe the aggression has been bred out more than I expect - there is no question that fish generations are very short.