Betta are regular water fish that live in a water labyrinth and are seen in a tropical environment. They are very picky about what they listen to. However, Have you ever asked yourself ‘do betta fish like music’? Well, There is no evidence that betta fish enjoy music. Betta can hear and understand specific words, according to previous research. However, it does not imply they like music.
In many cases music will stress the fish out because of all the changing frequencies, which is why it's important to find your betta a "station".
How Can Betta Fish Hear Sounds?
Betta fish (or fish in general) do not have ears, yet they do have tiny holes in the sides of their heads that house a hearing structure on the inside. So, to put it another way, betta fish can hear.
Water is responsible for Betta's hearing, to an extent. Vibration generates sound. The air atoms in the vicinity of the speaker vibrate as a result of this vibration. The sound is picked up by our ears via the air particles, which cause vibrations in turn. This also applies to fish.
Betta fish are very sensitive to this vibration. The more water there is, the better it conducts vibrations. The vibrations, on the other hand, are transmitted via water molecules in the case of fish.
When you strike the glass of an aquarium, the surrounding water molecules vibrate. This sound vibration travels through the water to the fish's ears and indicates that someone is nearby. This is how a fish is able to sense the approach of its owner even without seeing them.
It Is Difficult to Hear Underwater?
Yes, humans find it difficult to hear underwater. However, this is not the case for a fish. When the human is under the water, there are many bubbles around his ear, and it blocks his ears very quickly. But not for a fish. A fish has only one way to hear sounds underwater, and that is through strong vibrations of water particles.
They also have fantastic vision due to their large eyes and can sense vibrations, all of which helps them understand what is happening around them. Whichever of these stimuli they might be exposed to first will play the key role in their reaction.
What Kind of Sounds Do Bettas Like?
Betta fish do not have the same auditory sensitivity as humans. They hear frequencies in a different spectrum. Although it is difficult for us to understand their frequency scale, we know that bettas are more sensitive to low frequencies than high ones. Their favorite sounds are:
Low, Rumbling Sounds
Your betta fish will be at ease and feel safe in its environment when it's exposed to low rumbling sounds such as the sound of a bubbling filter or the buzzing of a water pump. This is why you'll find most pet stores play soft slow music for their customers.
The sound produced from bubbles helps to relax the pet and puts it into a more tranquil mood. It's not just about hearing the bubble sound to soothe them; seeing it may also help. In the wild, the sound of running water is one that betta fish are particularly fond of.
They love to live near streams and waterfalls as the sound from these elements help them remain calm and relaxed. But in captivity or fish tank they're most at ease with the bubbling sound of a filter. They also appreciate the sound of water striking the plants, whether it's a real plant, fake plant or even a silk plant.
Slow Slapping Sounds
If you find yourself near an aquarium in a pet store and you hear the slapping of fins on the top of the water surface, it doesn't necessarily mean someone's hands are in there trying to catch one of the fish. These fins are meant to be heard.
Betta fish love slow slapping sounds because they mimic the sound of raindrops or gentle waves that are often heard in their natural habitat. Slapping sounds are actually similar to the ones they make in nature, when they rub their fins on plants in order to claim their territory. Betta fish enjoy it because it means that everything is okay and that no predators are around.
Communication
Your voice may be recognized by bettas to a certain degree. Obviously, we can't claim that they recognize our voices with complete certainty since we can't converse with them. Bettas will be able to recognize you after some periods of time by spending months bonding with you through touch, sight, and hearing. This is a popular belief among fish owners.
Some people teach their betta to respond when they call out its name. The bettas will occasionally react to their names by moving up and down and wiggling their beautiful lengthy tails. The Betta fish is regarded as a highly intelligent fish among the different species of fish.
They can be taught to react when called by their names and to execute skills. So, it's not difficult for them to recognize when their owners speak to them, and it's undoubtedly one of the finest sounds bettas would want to hear.
So Do Betta Fish Like Music?
There is no scientific evidence that betta fish like music. On the other hand, there's no indication they despise it. Some claims that music and voices are simply noise vibrations to them. They react in various ways to different sounds.
However, many betta owners claim that their pet fish enjoy particular songs. When presented with music, they have noticed a very strong response from their betta fish. Not just the adult fish, but the betta fish fry seem to be affected by the noise as well.
Betta fish appear to wiggle along with the music's rhythm. Betta fish prefer songs with slow or medium beats, but not too fast, such as dance music. The song should be soothing, and the volume level should be quite low.
Days of testing by betta owners have resulted in the conclusion that bettas enjoy music with a consistent tone, and it's ideal if they pick up on a radio station.
Bettas are used to listening to sounds that are very repetitive. When they hear something that changes too much, it actually causes them physical pain. So, when you turn on the radio for your betta, you will want to find a radio station that plays songs on the same frequency for hours.
What Type of Sound Is Bad for Betta?
As mentioned above, bettas are very sensitive to sound and they do not like high-pitched frequencies. Their reactions to high-pitched frequencies are very negative. Betta's do not have an affinity for these types of sounds. In fact, they are most likely to stress out betta fish when exposed to high frequencies such as whistling noises and loud music.
Loud noises tend to cause stress which in turn causes illness in them, so it is best to limit their exposure. As for their favorite songs, bettas enjoy slow or medium beats, not too fast. Perhaps a soothing impact could be achieved with an instrumental mix of flute and piano.
They are used to hearing the same tone for a long time and get stressed if they hear something that changes too much. Even though there is no proof, betta experts advise against turning up the radio because it might stress them out. It is better to leave a low volume playing all day.
Why Is Sudden Vibration or Loud Sound Bad for Betta?
The sound of the water molecules vibrates the fish's ears. If the water molecules vibrate too loudly, it can be harmful for the fish. This might make your betta uncomfortable and even cause damage. The fight-or-flight response of a fish is activated when it hears a sudden sound, which is neither good nor healthy for them.
How Do You Entertain a Betta Fish?
As mentioned above, it is highly recommended to keep the playing music or voice at a low volume. You can also use different toys that produce visual and audio effects. For instance, you could start off with simple things like floating food items on water.
They are always more interested in their food source than anything else around them, so this may be quite effective. Fish will be more interested in the floating food items, which are caused by their movement on water.
As they become more familiar with you and your surroundings, you could try something a little bit more challenging that tests their intelligence level. If you can find or create suitable toys like ping pong balls or moss balls for them that emit light or produce sound effects, it would be very interesting for them. For instance, you could create something like an aquarium-based lava lamp.
It's also beneficial to place the betta tank in a spot where they can see the things going on in the house. For example, if your fish is going to be spending most of its time in a bedroom, strategically placing their tank where they can see the bed would be a great idea since you might frequently make your bed in the morning. You can even decorate the fish tank by placing a bamboo plant inside the bowl.
This will provide additional entertainment for them as they observe objects and changes from their tank. They will also feel more comfortable with sounds that are familiar, such as the creak of their owner's bed. Above all, it's critical to observe their living environment.
Ensure that the water is of high quality since poor water quality can cause stress and other health issues. They prefer a healthy environment with clean water and aquatic plants. So always remember to keep your betta fish tank clean. It is always recommended to add a lot of aquarium plants as bettas love to grow high between plant roots.
Try adding a few harmless tank mates such as ghost shrimp or brine shrimp. But make sure that you do not add any aggressive fish such as angel fish. Before doing so always remember to get a larger gallon tank. A single betta can be raised in 3 gallons but with tankmates it may be impossible as bettas are known for their aggressive personality.
They prefer dense habitat with lots of hiding spots as these are mainly found in the shallow water or in rice paddies. Make sure that there is ample space inside the tank. If you are using tap water as aquarium water, make sure to remove the harmful chemicals before putting the fish in. As a pet owner, it is important to know what makes them happy and their environment's impact on them.
Conclusion
Bettas or Siamese fighting fish are highly favored by the community for their beautiful colors and amusing personality. These tropical fish, apart from being beautiful, are also great pets.
Their only demand is a comfortable environment for them to live in. It is best to keep the television or radio at a low volume and avoid songs with high-pitched tones. While it is not proven, bettas might also get entertained by observing objects from their tank and listening to familiar sounds such as their owner's bed creaking every morning.
This would make them feel more comfortable and happier. They don't like all types of music, so find songs with slow or medium beats and low volume levels to maximize your betta's listening pleasure. It is very important to know what makes these family of fish happy, since this could help you provide an even more comfortable environment for them inside the fish bowl.