Exploring the Unique Bonds and Joys Within the Betta Fish Community
As the golden hour approaches on a Saturday evening, Darwin Quaristino welcomes me to Diamond Koi Farm, located at 5 Chencharu Link near Mandai Avenue. He’s dressed in a plain black polo shirt adorned with the Singapore flag and an emblem featuring two orange fish facing off.
Darwin, a sales consultant in his early 30s, is one of the organizers for the FlareLah! Betta fish competition happening today. This event serves as a beauty pageant for Betta fish, commonly known as fighting fish, judged based on various criteria to crown the most exquisite one. Such competitions typically take place at least once a month, with enthusiasts learning about them through Telegram and Facebook groups.
With nearly two decades of experience in Betta fish care, Darwin’s knowledge of these fish is extensive. He began his journey into Betta fish keeping at the tender age of seven in Indonesia.
According to him, the Halfmoon Plakat—characterized by their short fins and tails shaped like a half-moon—has gained popularity among hobbyists today due to their low maintenance requirements.
“While they may be popular, they can also be more expensive to maintain than other Betta varieties. A top-quality Multicolor Betta can cost up to a thousand dollars, with the highest reported price being around S$1,200.”
In the past, Betta fish were not as visually appealing. In the 1950s, wild Bettas were dull greyish-green with short fins, easily caught in floodplains and canals. Bettas fighting to the death for gambling was a common practice then. Thankfully, such brutal contests are no longer permitted in Singapore.
Thanks to generations of selective breeding and color evolution, these fish have transformed into stunning beauty contestants, showcasing their elegant fins as they swim gracefully, competing not for strength but for the title of most exquisite.
Winning a Betta Fish Competition
Excited to meet the contestants lined up in clear plastic containers, I wander through the venue, pausing to admire contestant A8, who swims gracefully in its tank. A8 boasts fins adorned with mesmerizing hues of red, maroon, peach, lilac, and violet, shaped like a half-moon—just as its name suggests.
Curious, I follow some judges and committee members as they assess each entry, noting the criteria such as finnage, form, and color.
“What is finnage? What should I look for?” I ask Desmond Hon, a committee member and office worker in his early 30s, who considers himself a newcomer to the Betta fish community after just nine months.
With an image of a Betta fish on his phone, Desmond explains the intricacies of judging. “Finnage refers to the dorsal, ventral, caudal, pectoral, and anal fins, as well as the body shape,” he says. “Judges also evaluate whether the fish has a spoon head or a bullet head, with spoon heads receiving lower scores.”
Despite being new to the Betta fish scene, Desmond’s passion shines through as he patiently explains the nuances of the hobby. He found solace in this pastime during the pandemic, discovering new experiences when the world felt isolated.
“I never visited fish shops when I was younger, and I didn’t know how to care for fish back then,” he recalls. “Only when I took the hobby seriously did I realize there’s so much to learn—basics like water quality, filtration, lighting, and temperature management, as different types of fish require specific conditions to thrive.”
Beauty Lies in the Eye of the Betta Beholder
Eager to put theory into practice, I stroll through the aisles of tanks, trying to distinguish between a spoon head and a bullet head.
Darwin explains that spoon heads result from inbreeding. “Inbreeding is acceptable for the first few rounds to enhance traits like finnage and color, but excessive inbreeding can lead to deformities, such as crooked bodies or spoon heads.”
I inquire whether these fish struggle to move around. “No, they won’t suffer, but if their traits are undesirable, some breeders may choose to feed them to larger fish or release them into ponds,” he responds matter-of-factly.
Darwin then points to a female Betta to illustrate what ‘form’ means. “Notice how the size of the dorsal, anal, and caudal fins should be proportional to the body size. Some fish have slender bodies with oversized fins, which is not ideal.”
Recalling my earlier discussion about the Halfmoon, I ask if it’s true that the more colorful a fish is, the more desirable it becomes in competitions.
“It depends on the classes,” Darwin replies, noting that in solid color classes, such as Super Red, Black, or Yellow, the purity of the color intensity is crucial. He cites examples of Super Reds that may have specks of black or iridescence on their fins, which can diminish their overall score.
As if on cue, Desmond and several other judges arrive with four plastic containers. “All four are Super Reds,” Desmond points out. “To the untrained eye, they may look identical, but upon closer inspection, each has unique differences. A discerning eye is necessary to spot them.”
The Betta Fish Community
For 21-year-old Jordan Tan, his journey into Betta fish care began in Secondary 3. He’s here today assisting with administrative tasks, recording the final placements of contestants after judging.
When discussing his hobby, Jordan’s enthusiasm borders on obsession—a sentiment many Betta enthusiasts would readily admit. He smiles as he reveals that he has numerous tanks at home, around 80 to be exact. Like any devoted hobbyist, Jordan participates in various Betta fish competitions.
His secret to nurturing vibrant Betta fish lies in using dried ketapang leaves (Indian almond tree leaves) that contain tannins. These leaves create a natural habitat for Bettas, tint the water, and provide nutrients that promote fin health.
Jordan beams as he shares that he recently won the Grand Champion title at a competition in Macpherson last month.
“What will you do with your winnings?” I ask.
“Buy more fish,” he replies without hesitation.
Equally passionate about Betta fish is 43-year-old Farah Jamal, who used to breed hundreds of Betta fish at home but has now scaled back to a manageable 30.
“Forget designer bags; I invest in designer Bettas,” she laughs, explaining that her interest sparked while browsing Betta images and videos during the pandemic.
Farah dedicates time to cultivating live foods, such as water fleas, baby brine shrimp, tubifex worms, and fairy shrimp, to ensure her fish receive the high-protein nutrition they need.
She shows me a trophy she won at a competition in Penang earlier in June, alongside an impressive setup of her fish tanks. Like Jordan, Farah frequently enters her fish in competitions to refine her breeding techniques. These events help her identify areas for improvement, whether it’s increasing size, enhancing color, or developing stronger fins.
“I used to keep a Betta fish in a Nescafe glass bottle when I was a child,” Farah reminisces. “Back then, we didn’t have the vast variety we see today—now there are countless colors and variations.”
While Betta fish competitions may seem like solitary pursuits, Farah found love amidst the sea of transparent tanks. It’s true—she met her partner at one of the competitions.
“Having a shared interest is a huge advantage in our lives. He’s taught me a lot about Betta rearing and competitions, and at least he understands my obsession with the many tanks I have,” she chuckles.
For Jordan, his formative years were enriched by interactions with equally passionate friends he met at local fish shops. Seven years later, his circle of friends within the Betta fish community remains tight-knit.
He gestures toward Darwin, saying, “I’ve known Darwin since I started keeping Betta fish six years ago. I always help him out at events whenever I can.”
The Ethics Debate
As with other hobbies involving animals, ethical concerns arise in the Betta fish community, particularly regarding the practices surrounding Betta fish competitions and the triggering of flaring behaviors.
To induce a sense of threat, some enthusiasts use mirrors and flare sticks, prompting the fish to display their fins. Many animal activists argue that this practice causes significant stress.
“Flaring is actually a form of exercise that benefits the fish’s health,” explains Edmund Lee, 29, owner of Edmund Aquatics, an aquarium shop in Bedok. “It encourages activity, which aids their digestive system. Fish that don’t flare regularly can suffer from digestive problems.”
For Edmund, ethical business practices involve transparency. He has encountered instances where the fish received from suppliers were not as described, stating, “That cheats customers out of their money.”
I ask if he has encountered negligence from suppliers as a licensed pet shop owner.
“In recent years, all my fish have arrived in good condition, except for some occasions when they fell ill due to temperature fluctuations during transport,” he replies.
He explains that fish are typically packed in small bags when transported from their breeding grounds to their new tanks at home. Longfin Betta fish may be slightly sedated during transport to prevent injuries, as they can damage their fins when stressed.
Community Over Competition
“What do you do when your fish dies?” I inquire of Desmond.
“As they age, they can become fatigued and lethargic,” he explains. “You might find them languishing at the bottom of the tank. I usually bury them, but some people feed them to larger fish, like arowanas, or flush them down the toilet. It all depends on your attachment to the fish.”
Attachment to fish? That’s a perspective I didn’t expect to encounter at a Betta fish competition—a term more commonly associated with pets like dogs or cats.
Nevertheless, my conversations with judges and spectators reveal that the heart of this hobby lies in community rather than competition.
For newcomers like Desmond, the sense of community is vital to maintaining interest. “Everyone is eager to share knowledge, especially with newcomers who often face many challenges when starting,” he says.
Perhaps the key to sustaining any niche hobby is support. While embarking on a solitary hobby can be fulfilling, connecting with like-minded individuals who speak the same jargon provides something even more invaluable—a sense of purpose.
As humans, we need connection. Although technology enables communication, it can also lead to disconnection. Today, as the diverse group mingles and poses for a photo, it seems these Betta fish enthusiasts have grasped a fundamental truth about community.
