TankBud

Chini betta

Betta chini

FreshwaterFish

Care at a glance

Temperature
72–81°F
22–27°C
pH
4.5–6.5
Adult size
2.1 in
5.4 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
Medium
Rarity
Very rare
Family
Osphronemidae
Origin
Beaufort peat swamps, western Sabah, Borneo

Overview

A quiet fish that stays calm in a pair or a small group when the tank has cover, though only one male belongs in a tank this size. It holds the middle of the water in soft acidic conditions, pH 4.5 to 6.5, at 22 to 27 C. Feed small live and frozen foods such as Daphnia, brine shrimp and bloodworm, with a good dried food accepted once settled. Tank mates should be small and calm, and dwarf shrimp will be eaten.

In the wild

The Chini betta comes from shallow peat swamps around Beaufort in western Sabah, where it was collected in water less than half a metre deep over leaves, detritus and peat, much of it in logged and badly disturbed forest. Copy that with soft acidic water, a dark substrate, leaf litter and botanicals for tannins, and floating plants to cut the light, which this species dislikes. A pair settles into 60 liters with plenty of cover and a tight lid, since like every wild betta it jumps.

Good to know

Betta chini is a paternal mouthbrooder in the family Osphronemidae and one of the smallest members of the Betta akarensis group, with a largest known specimen of 5.4 cm standard length. Peter Ng described it in 1993 and named it for the Sabah ichthyologist Datuk Chin Phui Kong. It has a yellow eye in life and an interrupted second stripe behind the eye that separates it from its relatives. The IUCN lists it as Endangered because its peat swamps are being converted to plantations and burned.

Did you know

Spawning ends with what one breeder called a ball game: after the embrace the female spits single eggs at the male, sometimes one to eight times, and he catches and holds them. A brood of 40 to 50 eggs comes out as 6 mm fry about 12 days later, and the parents leave their young alone.

Common questions

What size tank does a Chini betta need?

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

What temperature and pH does a Chini betta need?

A Chini betta is comfortable at 72–81°F (22–27°C) with a pH of 4.5–6.5.

How big does a Chini betta get?

An adult Chini betta reaches about 2.1 in (5.4 cm).

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