TankBud

Antuta betta

Betta sp. 'Antuta'

Also known as Turquoise dragon betta, Betta antuta, Betta sp. Bulungan, Betta sp. Antuta/Bulungan

FreshwaterFish

Antuta betta (Betta sp. 'Antuta')
The Wet Spot Tropical Fish · Used with permission

Care at a glance

Temperature
70–81°F
21–27°C
pH
5.5–7.5
Adult size
3.9 in
10 cm
Minimum tank
26 gal
100 L
Temperament
Mostly peaceful
Social behavior
Social
Tankmates
With caution
Swim level
Middle
Difficulty
Medium
Breeding
Mouthbrooder · Medium
Rarity
Rare
Family
Osphronemidae
Origin
Bulungan, North Kalimantan, Borneo

Overview

The Antuta betta is a large wild betta for a roomy tank with clear, gently moving water. It is a fish for a keeper with some experience.

Did you know

The Antuta betta is one of the few wild bettas offered as tank-raised stock in the US. One importer lists fish bred in Colorado, which is unusual for a fish that still has no scientific description.

Caring for the Antuta betta

Give the Antuta betta at least 26 gal (100 L) of clear water with a gentle current. Sellers offer it as a pair for about 110 liters, with 150 liters for a group. Add driftwood, floating plants and leaf litter for cover, and fit a tight lid because it jumps.

Keep the water at 70 to 81°F (21 to 27°C) with a pH of 5.5 to 7.5. The importers that sell it advise keeping tannin staining to a minimum. Feed frozen daphnia, brine shrimp and bloodworm. It will learn to take pellets, though it is easy to overfeed.

It is shy at first and does best with cover. Males fight, and females work out a pecking order, which is why a group needs the bigger tank. Small, peaceful cyprinids or loaches are the safe tank mates.

The Antuta betta is a paternal mouthbrooder. It has been bred in aquariums, and tank-raised pairs are sold alongside wild fish. Breeding it is moderately difficult.

Good to know

Betta sp. 'Antuta' is an undescribed member of the family Osphronemidae with no scientific name yet. It is sold under a locality name, sometimes written as Betta antuta as if it were a described species. Shops also sell it as the turquoise dragon betta. Its two trade names, Antuta and Bulungan, point to the same corner of northern Borneo, and Seriously Fish files it under both at once. Seriously Fish and the shops that sell it place it in the Betta unimaculata group of large stream bettas. With its size and a blue-green mask on the head, it looks the part.

In the wild

The Antuta betta comes from flowing highland streams in Bulungan Regency, North Kalimantan, on Indonesian Borneo. That sets it apart from most wild bettas, which live in swamps. Nothing has been published on its wild population.

Common questions

What size tank does an Antuta betta need?

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

What temperature and pH does an Antuta betta need?

An Antuta betta is comfortable at 70–81°F (21–27°C) with a pH of 5.5–7.5.

What does an Antuta betta eat?

An Antuta betta eats frozen daphnia, brine shrimp and bloodworm, and it will learn to take pellets. It is easy to overfeed.

How big does an Antuta betta get?

An adult Antuta betta reaches about 3.9 in (10 cm).

How does an Antuta betta breed?

Antuta bettas are paternal mouthbrooders. They have been bred in aquariums, and tank-raised pairs are sold alongside wild fish. Breeding them is moderately difficult.

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