Bettas (prounounced BET-AH, not BAIT-AH) originally come from Thailand where they live in slow-moving rivers and rice fields. They are air-breathers - that is, they primarily come to the surface for air.
It's easy to tell the difference! Girls do not have long fins. Usually. There are exceptions. But generally the girls are very plain in contrast to the boys. By the way, the pretty little girl shown is a VERY attractive female who any breeder would be happy to own.
The following three books are pretty good. These links go to Amazon.com where you can get information on the contents. Each of these books has reviews on the page, too.
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Complete Introduction to Bettas Probably the best of the three for a beginner. It covers the basics. |
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Siamese Fighting Fish This one goes into too many (for me, anyway) pictures of bettas fighting. It says 'don't fight them', but is there really a need for so many pictures? Otherwise it is a good book. |
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Siamese Fighting Fish A good basic text. |