Apr 15, 2016 THOSE LITTLE FISH BOWLS AREN'T GOOD FOR THEM. Retreating to these little pockets of moisture is a desperate move in bad conditions, but because of it, and the fish’s solitary nature and ability. The Siamese fighting fish: Well-known generally but little-known scientifically. Article (PDF Available). The Siamese fighting fish, of which Betta splendens is representative, is gaining. After the common goldfish, betta fish, commonly referred to as Siamese fighting fish, are one of the most popular fish breeds purchased by budding freshwater fish hobbyists. Commonly sold in pet shops alongside small 'betta bowls,' these beautiful fish actually require more space than one might expect.
It is often claimed that Siamese fighting fish (Betta splendens) originate from and prefer to live in small puddles of water, and that they will become stressed in a tank larger than a few litres and may even die. This is incorrect.
The natural habitat of Siamese fighting fish is in large, heavily vegetated marshes, rice paddies and slow moving streams of South Asia (in Thailand and Cambodia) which although they are shallow, are deeper and provide a much more varied environment than the majority of fish tanks.
A behaviour that encourages this misconception is the way in which these fish breathe air at the surface. Siamese fighting fish possess a specialised labyrinth organ which allows them to take in surface air, and this supplements oxygen in the water. They cannot survive on surface air alone (they also need oxygen in the water) but it is a necessary form of oxygenation – without surface air oxygen they can drown and die. Surface air breathing assists Siamese fighting fish in surviving in their natural habitats where the water tends to be low in dissolved oxygen due to slow currents and high vegetation densities. It also acts as a survival mechanism if fish become trapped in puddles due to evaporation in the dry season.
The ability to supplement oxygen with surface air is a survival strategy that helps Siamese fighting fish tolerate living in puddles while they attempt to escape to larger areas by using their excellent jumping abilities. Thus, while it is possible for Siamese fighting fish to survive a short while in a small tank, this is not an appropriate environment for permanent housing.
Keeping any fish in a small volume of water is a serious welfare problem for a number of reasons. Firstly, the water will rapidly become toxic as the available oxygen is quickly consumed and ammonia accumulates from the fish’s waste. In addition, small tanks cannot hold the correct temperature required for tropical fish, and do not provide sufficient space for exercise or behavioural stimulation, both of which are fundamental in providing a healthy, stress-free environment.
All fish, including Siamese fighting fish, require ample space to swim freely and exercise. As Siamese fighting fish originate from densely vegetated areas, the tank should include several plants (real or artificial) and/or other forms of cover in which to explore, rest and hide if they feel threatened.
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Melissa Nichols wears a yellow bracelet that is dear to her heart when she floats and fishes on Little Sugar Creek.
'Free the fighter,' her wrist message says.
Float Little Sugar Creek
A two-mile float begins at the Missouri 90 bridge at Jane, Mo., and ends at Griffin Ford low-water bridge on a county road near Jane.
Havenhurst mill dam and campground is five miles downstream from Griffin Ford on Missouri Route K. Little Sugar meets Big Sugar Creek one mile downstream from the dam.
Go to nwadg.com to see a video of the fishing trip.
Every smallmouth bass she brings to her kayak goes back in the stream. Largemouth bass, too, were freed to fight again when Nichols floated the creek during summer's last days.
Little Sugar gets its trickle start in Benton County. The stream's clear water meanders near Bentonville, forms tiny Lake Bella Vista, then angles its way into Missouri. Little Sugar meets Big Sugar Creek at Pineville, Mo., to form the Elk River.
Nichols knows every crooked turn on her beloved waterway. She's fished and played on Little Sugar and Big Sugar creeks since she was a little girl. The two streams aren't far from Nichols' cabin near Jane, Mo.
'My dad would bring me to the creek every weekend,' she said. 'We'd fish and swim and just do outdoor stuff. That's how I grew up. I hunt mushrooms on this creek. I've seen deer come out of the woods and swim across. I've had deer walk up to me while I've been laying in the creek.'
A 2.5-mile stretch of Little Sugar is one of her favorite floats. Nichols launched her kayak at the Missouri 90 bridge Sept. 15, a sunny Friday, and took out at a friend's property one-half mile downstream from Griffin Ford low-water bridge.
Nichols knows almost everyone who lives on Little Sugar or Big Sugar creeks. Her family has deep roots in the rocky McDonald County hills and valleys that hold its lovely creeks.
Fishing with live bait was the way of the Ozark anglers long ago. Some anglers prefer to feed 'em, not fool 'em today.
'We used to use hellgrammies, crawdads, catalpa worms, plain worms,' Nichols said. Nowadays she fools 'em with lures. Jigs and an array of soft plastic lures decorate her small tackle box.
Little Sugar enjoys less traffic than Big Sugar. Outfitters rent boats mainly on Big Sugar and the Elk River. Come fall, these streams and Little Sugar Creek become deserted. Nichols saw one other paddler on this trip.
'People think there's not as much water in Little Sugar, but there is. And there are just as many deep holes,' she testified. Nichols operates Sugar Creek Kayak shuttle service on Little Sugar, Big Sugar and Elk River for paddlers with their own boats.
Nichols wrangled several smallmouth and largemouth bass from Little Sugar. She freed the fighters, all right, but she's also on a mission to keep the stream as free-flowing as it can be. Nichols is active in the Friends of Little Sugar Creek. The group wants to see the Lake Bella Vista dam on the creek removed so the stream flows free.
Before her float trip, Nichols and Greg Van Horn of Bentonville walked the Lake Bella Vista trail that crosses the dam. Van Horn founded Friends of Little Sugar Creek.
The dam remains damaged from recent flooding. Water flows through the spillway so Little Sugar Creek is only partially impeded. Lake Bella Vista today is only half full. Recreational use of the lake is almost nil. Boating and fishing were popular when the dam and lake were built in 1915.
Some want the dam rebuilt and the lake restored.
Now that more of Little Sugar flows through the damaged dam, the water quality downstream has improved, Nichols said. Algae was thicker when the dam was intact, she said.
Little algae was seen while Nichols drifted and fished. She's proud to campaign for a free-flowing Little Sugar Creek and freeing the fighters that fin in its clear water.
Little Fighter Fish For Sale
'Sometimes the fish win and sometimes you win,' she said. 'I feel like a winner every time I come out here.'
Fighter Fish Types
Flip Putthoff can be reached at fputthoff@nwadg.com or on Twitter @NWAFlip
Little Fighter Fish Tank
Sports on 10/03/2017