TankBud

Anabatoides betta

Betta anabatoides

Also known as Giant betta, Pearly betta

FreshwaterFish

Anabatoides betta (Betta anabatoides)
Justin Philbois · CC0

Care at a glance

Temperature
79–84°F
26–29°C
pH
4.5–7.5
Adult size
3.2 in
8.2 cm
Minimum tank
26 gal
100 L
Temperament
Mostly peaceful
Social behavior
Social
Own kind
One male per tank
Tankmates
With caution
Swim level
Middle
Difficulty
Medium
Breeding
Medium
Rarity
Rare
Family
Osphronemidae
Origin
Barito and neighbouring basins, South and Central Kalimantan, Borneo

Overview

Calm and slow moving, and one of the wild bettas most often kept in a pair or a group in a large tank with cover, though keep one male per tank at this size. It holds the middle of the water at 26 to 29 C in water from pH 4.5 to 7.5. Feed live and frozen foods such as blackworm, bloodworm, brine shrimp and small earthworms, with pellets accepted once settled. It will eat dwarf shrimp and fish it can swallow, so keep it alone or with calm fish of similar size.

In the wild

The Anabatoides betta comes from the lower Barito basin in South Kalimantan and the Kotawaringin, Katingan, Sampit, Mentaya and Kahayan basins of Central Kalimantan, in blackwater rivers, peat swamp forest and sluggish murky streams up to about a metre deep, some of them draining farmland. It is more forgiving of water chemistry than most of its relatives, so soft, mildly acidic water with tannins is ideal but not essential as long as the tank is clean and well filtered. Give a pair at least 100 liters with plants, wood, caves and a tight lid, because it is an expert jumper.

Good to know

Betta anabatoides is a paternal mouthbrooder in the family Osphronemidae and the name species of the small Betta anabatoides group, with a thick set body and a black stripe running from the black lower lip to the eye. It reaches 8.2 cm standard length; shop claims of 5 inches are total length at best. Bleeker described it in 1851 from Banjarmasin and named it for its resemblance to Anabas, the climbing perch, and Tan redescribed it and designated a neotype in 2009. The IUCN lists it as Least Concern, and it is caught for local food markets as well as the aquarium trade.

Did you know

Old trade lists called this fish the giant betta, but that name now mostly means oversized strains of the domestic Betta splendens, so a shop's giant betta is usually not this species at all. The male holds the eggs for the better part of two weeks without eating.

Common questions

What size tank does an Anabatoides betta need?

An Anabatoides betta needs at least 26 gal (100 L). It spends most of its time in the middle.

What temperature and pH does an Anabatoides betta need?

An Anabatoides betta is comfortable at 79–84°F (26–29°C) with a pH of 4.5–7.5.

How big does an Anabatoides betta get?

An adult Anabatoides betta reaches about 3.2 in (8.2 cm).

Related species