TankBud

Aurigans betta

Betta aurigans

FreshwaterFish

Care at a glance

Temperature
72–81°F
22–27°C
pH
5.0–6.5
Adult size
2.9 in
7.3 cm
Minimum tank
16 gal
60 L
Temperament
Peaceful
Social behavior
Social
Own kind
One male per tank
Tankmates
With caution
Swim level
Middle
Difficulty
Medium
Breeding
Mouthbrooder
Rarity
Very rare
Family
Osphronemidae
Origin
Natuna Besar, Natuna Islands, Indonesia

Overview

The Aurigans betta is a calm island betta for a dim, still blackwater tank. It needs a little more care than a beginner fish.

Did you know

The Aurigans betta's gold belly and flank scales are the quickest way to tell it from Betta ibanorum of Sarawak. That blue-tinted fish is its closest look-alike.

Caring for the Aurigans betta

A pair of Aurigans bettas fits in at least 16 gal (60 L) with a tight lid. A group needs a much larger tank with cover. Keep the flow to almost nothing and the light dim, with dense cover, leaf litter and botanicals for tannins.

Keep the water soft and acidic, at 72 to 81°F (22 to 27°C) and a pH of 5.0 to 6.5. Feed live and frozen foods such as daphnia, brine shrimp and bloodworm, with a quality dried food.

Expect the calm manners of its relatives in the akarensis group. Keep one male per tank at this size. Choose small, calm tank mates only, since dwarf shrimp will be eaten.

It is a paternal mouthbrooder, but no breeding report has been published. Expect it to spawn like its relatives, with the male holding the eggs for about two weeks.

Good to know

Betta aurigans belongs to the Betta akarensis group of the family Osphronemidae. Tan and Lim described it in 2004, in a survey of the freshwater fishes of the Anambas and Natuna islands. Its name comes from the Latin for gold. Like its close relative Betta ibanorum, it lacks the second stripe behind the eye. The IUCN lists it as Data Deficient.

In the wild

The Aurigans betta lives only on Natuna Besar, far out in the South China Sea, roughly midway between Borneo and the Malay Peninsula. It keeps to blackwater swamps, ponds and peatland streams, among submerged leaf litter and the roots of bank plants.

Common questions

What size tank does an Aurigans betta need?

An Aurigans betta needs at least 16 gal (60 L). It spends most of its time in the middle.

What temperature and pH does an Aurigans betta need?

An Aurigans betta is comfortable at 72–81°F (22–27°C) with a pH of 5.0–6.5.

What does an Aurigans betta eat?

An Aurigans betta eats live and frozen foods such as daphnia, brine shrimp and bloodworm, along with a quality dried food.

How big does an Aurigans betta get?

An adult Aurigans betta reaches about 2.9 in (7.3 cm).

How does an Aurigans betta breed?

Aurigans bettas are paternal mouthbrooders, but no breeding report has been published. Expect them to spawn like their relatives, with the male holding the eggs for about two weeks.

Related species