Liz Hahn of Waimea has bred bettas for more than 10 years and sells the tropical ornamental fish, which she describes as “perfect pets.” For more information visit the Kaua‘i Bettas Facebook page or call 482-0133. First, tell our readers
Liz Hahn of Waimea has bred bettas for more than 10 years and sells the tropical ornamental fish, which she describes as “perfect pets.”
For more information visit the Kaua‘i Bettas Facebook page or call 482-0133.
First, tell our readers a little about your background. Where are you originally from? How long have you lived on Kaua‘i?
Liz Hahn: I was born in New York City, raised in Wisconsin, and moved to Kaua‘i in 1969 after graduating from high school in Phoenix, Ariz.
Have you always liked fish? What was your first pet fish?
LH: Fish have been pets for as long as I can remember. My first fish was a goldfish when I was pre-kindergarten. By the time I was 11 there were five tanks of guppies living in the kitchen, the warmest room in the house.
How does someone like yourself get into breading bettas?
Guppies are easy. You just put them together in a tank and babies appear! Bettas are challenging because their territorial instincts need to be overcome by spawning instincts. I started with a pair of pet store fish in the 2000s. Before there was “blogging,” I documented my adventures with bettas on a website and was able to meet some great folks with similar interests online. One of them was from O‘ahu and I accompanied her to the Orchid Society Show at (the Neal Blaisdell Center), where the Aquarium Society had a display. Part of that display was a beautiful group of bettas. They had an auction and I bought my first pair of “breeder fish,” donated by Bonnie McKinley, one of the leading breeders at that time.
Is the breeding process difficult?
Yes and no. I would say that I have been lucky. I love and enjoy the fish and have been around them enough to understand a little bit of their body language. Each fish is different, but in general it requires getting the fish into condition by feeding them good food (live foods like mosquito larvae and daphnia), getting them into the mood by setting up a spawning environment and trying to time the spawn with favorable weather conditions. Barometric pressure is important.
The male builds a bubble nest and a female is introduced. After some chasing and nipping, hopefully not too damaging (they may become severely injured or even die if the timing is not right), the fish will spawn and the male will place the eggs in the nest and take care of them. The female is removed. After a few days the eggs will hatch and the father will continue to care for the babies, picking them up if they fall out of the nest and keeping a water current going with his fins. When the babies become free-swimming to the point he cannot keep up with them, it is time to take him out and the breeder must take over baby care. They need live food for a good start so all of that needs to be prepped in advance. There are many things that can go wrong, including diseases, so the fish keeper must be vigilant.
When it comes to breeding bettas, what is the ultimate goal? What makes one betta “better” than another?
There are breed standards identified by the International Betta Congress. I concentrate mostly on Betta splendens, the long-finned bettas. There are many varieties including short-finned Betta plakat (the pit bull of bettas, which I have some of right now) and wild types. The “best” fish is always being redefined as goals are accomplished. When I was actively breeding and showing around 2005 to 2007, I was striving for pure color, half-moon caudals (180 degree semicircle tails), viable black fish (female blacks are often sterile) and isolating the marble gene.
Today the finnage and the marble has been achieved but the pursuit of finnage caused a great crash of pure color so that is something folks are striving to regain. I personally like the marble gene, which causes the fish to change color during their lifetimes. I have seen a fish start out solid blue, go pearl white in a few days and add blue back later.
Did you ever breed competitively? If so, how did your fish do?
I was blessed to receive wonderful breeding stock from some of the country’s best breeders when I first started. I sent my first and second generation fish to shows around the U.S. and ended up in the IBC top 10 in 2007. The interesting thing is that my fish always traveled one way. I offered them up for auction at the end of each show and sent new fish to the next show. Some people would show a great fish over and over to rack up points.
I understand that Kaua‘i’s Westside is a perfect place for breading these fish. How so?
Unlike most tropical ornamental fish, bettas like still, warm water. They do not require a big tank with pumps and filters, although they look wonderful in a planted tank. A simple gallon jar with some aquatic plants makes a good betta home. When it comes to spawning, 80 degree water is a plus so the warm weather on the Westside provides a perfect environment. Where people in cooler places or who have artificially-heated tanks may get 25 to 100 babies per spawn, I am seeing spawns from 150 to 500 viable fish. That is a double-edged sword when it is time to jar the individuals to allow them to mature.
In your opinion, what makes these fish so special?
I think bettas make a perfect first pet for children. They require very little maintenance — are content with a little food and clean water — and can be very responsive to their humans (feed me!). Having a betta can bring out sensitivity and nurturing instincts in humans of all ages and they are great companions for people who may have limited mobility. Their beauty and elegant movement in water is fun and even therapeutic to watch. And as I mentioned, they can make eye contact and interact with their humans.
Do you have a fish that you are most proud of or that stands out as a champion betta?
In order to make this a sustainable hobby, I need to sell fish to be able to continue. Showing is one way to attract buyers. Winning at shows is an even better way. One of my fish — a yellow female — went reserve champion, I think, at the IBC Convention one year. She sold at auction for over $200. That was pretty cool. She was a champ.
But the ones I am most proud of are really all of the ones I have today, including the “runts of the litter” or culls. Other breeders might feed them to predator fish or just euthanize them because they don’t meet breed standards and are not worth the cost of food and expense of time and labor to keep around. I sell them locally as pet fish. They are viable, were born and raised in our good Kaua‘i water, are used to natural conditions — I do not use RO water and UV sterilizers to keep all the germs out — and have a good chance of surviving with their new owners.
The parent stock of these fish came from a young man on O‘ahu that I first met when he visited me a few years ago as a teenager. He just loved bettas and bought some good breeding stock from me. Last year, this same young man reintroduced himself on Facebook and sent me some “pairs to play with.” He sent me fish that had accomplished the goals I had in mind 5 years ago. Beautiful half-moon marbles. Wow. So here is where we start— now on to the next goals!
What is one thing most people don’t know at bettas or breeding bettas that you think they should?
I think bettas can be collected like a plant-lover might collect orchids or bonsai. They are beautiful to look at and they bloom all year round (grin). I would like to see locally-farmed bettas find a niche in a market that is currently dominated by fish imported from southeast Asia.
They are called “fighting fish” or “rumble fish” because people fight them for gambling purposes. They are really very peaceful and serene, but are territorial and will ward off intruders of the same species.
Bettas breathe air so they need to be able to reach the surface of the water. Some people put them in a flower vase with a plant on top and that is not ideal for the fish – but good for aquaponics.
Betta breeding is very addictive. Addicts welcome.
