Betta stigmosa
The Betta stigmosa or Stigmosa cockerel lives in natural conditions in bodies of water located in the eastern state of Trenganu, Malaysia. The fish are found in small forested channels with clear water. The substrate in these areas consists of stones and gravel, fallen leaves, twigs and snags. The fish are poorly colored and therefore not widely distributed among aquarists, although they are undemanding and can be kept even novice aquarists.
The basic coloration of the Betta stigmosa is gray. The males are larger than the females, they have a larger head with iridescent scales and elongated fins. The size of the fish is 4-5 cm.
Betta stigmosa are calm, peaceful fish. Skirmishes occasionally occur between the males, which never end in injury.
The Stigmos betta can be kept in a species or community tank together with smaller, peace-loving fish. Pairs or groups are possible, in which case the fish will exhibit more interesting behaviour.
The tank may have no substrate, which facilitates its maintenance, although if you want to bring the living conditions of fish to close to natural, at the bottom to place a leaf litter made of beech or oak leaves, which decompose will develop colonies of microbes, which are good additional food for fry. Snags, stones, ceramic pots, plastic tubes and tree branches can also be placed at the bottom.
Plants can be planted in the aquarium, but only plants that will develop normally in low light conditions, e.g. Microsorum pteropus 'Trident'.
Water parameters: temperature 22-28° C, hardness dH 1-5°, acidity pH 5.0-7.0. Filtration should not be too strong. The aquarium should be covered with a lid or cover glass. Fish breathe atmospheric air, and they need access to warm, moist air, which will then be generated above the water surface, so they do not catch their respiratory organ.
In nature, the menu of Betta stigmosa consists mainly of small invertebrates and insects. Under aquarium conditions they are fed mainly with a variety of dry foodstuffs. To enhance the colour and improve the general condition of the fish are fed live and frozen daphnia, artemia and bloodworms. Small insects such as crickets and drosophila flies also make a good addition to the fish diet. The fish should not be overfed, as they do not know what to eat and often suffer from obesity.
Reproduction
For breeding Betta stigmosa need a spawning tank where a couple or a group of fish are placed.
Spawning aquarium must be covered tightly, because for the normal development of the labyrinthine respiratory organ of fry need access to warm moist air.
During spawning, the male swims up to the female and wraps his body around her. At this time, she hatches a few eggs, which the male immediately fertilizes and collects in his mouth.
The male incubates the eggs in his mouth for 9-16 days. during this time, he must not be disturbed or he may swallow the eggs or spit them out during stress.
The fully mature fry, capable of leading an independent life, leave the male's mouth. At this time, the producers should preferably be removed, so they do not eat their young.
The fry are fed with Artemia 2-3 times per day. To prevent intestinal diseases among the fry, a daily change of 1/10th of the aquarium water with fresh water is essential.
The life span of Betta stigmosa under aquarium conditions is about 3 years.
