Betta Splendens

In the Wild

Native Location:

Native Location: Southern, central and eastern Thailand, Cambodia and southern Vietnam

Environment:

  • Overgrown ponds
  • Shallow rice paddies
  • Stagnant pools
  • Polluted streams
  • Lowland swamps and other stagnant water with low-oxygen content

Physical Appearance:

  • Shades of brown and gray
  • Some red, blue and green coloration

Food:

Mainly insects that have fallen into the water, some algae

Water pH:

Low values

In Aquaria

Physical Appearance:

  • Vibrant reds
  • Greens
  • Yellows
  • Blues

Finnage:

  • One caudal and dorsal fin
  • Two pelvic fins
  • One anal fin
  • Two pectoral fins

Newest Varieties:

  • Pineapple Betta is tan with shorter, yellow fins
  • Copper Betta is gold-brown, deep copper and deep red
  • Indo Betta is blue-black – uniformly dark

Size:

Average 3 inches in length

Feeding in Captivity:

  • Live foods
  • Brine shrimp
  • Blackworms
  • Mosquito larvae
  • Prepared foods which are flaked and/or dried

Water

Calcium-magnesium hardness

Water Temperature

78-82 degrees Fahrenheit

Water pH

7 or just below

Breeding:

This species, ideally, should have a 20-gallon tank only filled 6 inches high with water. Cover the tank and add twigs, peat moss and hardwood leaves to help lower the pH.