Apollon betta

Care at a glance

Overview

The Apollon betta is a small, mostly peaceful wild betta for a shaded, planted tank. It is best for a keeper who has kept fish before.

Caring for the Apollon betta

A pair or a small group of Apollon bettas does well in at least 16 gal (60 L). Choose a tank with a base of 60 cm, and fit a tight lid. Give it shade, wood, plants and gentle flow.

Keep the water soft, at 73 to 81°F (23 to 27°C) and a pH of 5.5 to 7.0. Feed small live and frozen foods such as daphnia, artemia and bloodworm.

It is best kept in a species tank or with calm fish of similar size. It is a paternal mouthbrooder, and breeding it is moderately difficult.

Good to know

Betta apollon is a member of the Betta pugnax complex in the family Osphronemidae, described by Schindler and Schmidt. An elongated gill ray and its fin and scale counts separate it from close relatives.

In the wild

Betta apollon comes from forest-shaded hill streams in peninsular Thailand. It shelters in shallow water among roots, plants and leaf litter, and also in faster water between boulders. Its streams run clear, soft and slightly acidic. Water at the type locality was recorded at pH 6.2 and 24 to 26°C.

Common questions

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