TankBud

Andrei betta

Betta andrei

FreshwaterFish

Care at a glance

Temperature
73–81°F
23–27°C
pH
4.0–6.0
Adult size
2 in
5.1 cm
Minimum tank
24 gal
90 L
Temperament
Mostly peaceful
Social behavior
Social
Tankmates
With caution
Swim level
Middle
Difficulty
Difficult
Breeding
No record
Rarity
Very rare
Family
Osphronemidae
Origin
Singkep Island, Riau Islands, Indonesia

Overview

Nothing has been published on this fish in aquaria, so treat it like the other waseri group bettas: a calm, shy mouthbrooder that still eats small fish and shrimp, kept as a pair or a small group with cover in a quiet blackwater tank. Water should be very soft and acidic, pH 4 to 6, at 23 to 27 C. Feed live and frozen foods such as bloodworm, brine shrimp and small earthworms. It is not in the trade and no breeding has been recorded.

In the wild

The Andrei betta is known from a single stream on Singkep Island in the Riau Islands of Indonesia, where it was found in slow, tannin-stained water flowing over sand, silt and mud through partly intact lowland swamp forest. It shared the stream with Rasbora, Trigonostigma, chocolate gouramis, licorice gouramis and Betta pugnax, with Cryptocoryne and Blyxa growing along it. A blackwater setup of 90 liters or more with very soft acidic water, leaf litter, wood and dim light matches that. Keep the lid tight and the flow gentle.

Good to know

Betta andrei is a member of the Betta waseri group of large peat swamp mouthbrooders in the family Osphronemidae, described by Tan in 2023 from one specimen of 50.7 mm standard length and named for the collector Andre Chandra. Its relatives in the group reach 8 to 10 cm, larger than the single known Betta andrei specimen, so the true adult size of this species remains unknown. It is told from B. spilotogena by a black lower jaw that runs into a large pitcher-shaped mark on the throat. A museum specimen collected on Singkep in 1888 and long filed as B. spilotogena is very likely this species.

Did you know

Every species in the waseri group carries its own black signature on the throat, and the description lines all ten of them up in one chart. Betta andrei's mark looks like a pitcher, while its relatives carry a horseshoe, the letter pi or the letter omega.

Common questions

What size tank does an Andrei betta need?

An Andrei betta needs at least 24 gal (90 L). It spends most of its time in the middle.

What temperature and pH does an Andrei betta need?

An Andrei betta is comfortable at 73–81°F (23–27°C) with a pH of 4.0–6.0.

How big does an Andrei betta get?

An adult Andrei betta reaches about 2 in (5.1 cm).

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