Whiteseam betta

Care at a glance

Overview

Keep them in a species tank of 40 liters or more, as a pair or a small group such as one or two males with females, in a setup with gentle flow from a sponge filter. Despite being mostly peaceful they are not a community fish, so do not mix them into a general tank. They spend most of their time near the bottom picking through leaf litter and cover. Run the water at 23 to 28 C, with the cooler end being fine and possibly helping them live longer, while warmer water brings out color and triggers spawning. They are excellent jumpers, so fit a tight lid and leave a warm humid air gap above the surface. They are prone to obesity, so feed small portions and do not overfeed.

In the wild

Whiteseam bettas live in the Sebuku River drainage on Borneo, in East Kalimantan, Indonesia. These are soft, very acidic blackwater habitats, dim and stained dark with tannins from leaf litter on the bottom. To match that, give them a tank of at least 40 liters with low lighting, a soft sandy substrate, and a thick layer of botanicals and Indian almond leaves. You will almost always need RO water cut to keep the pH between 4 and 6.5 with negligible carbonate hardness and very low GH. Heavy planting and plenty of cover suit them best.

Good to know

This is a small wild betta in the family Osphronemidae, staying around 3 cm. It is a paternal mouthbrooder, so the male holds the eggs and fry in his mouth through a 10 to 21 day incubation, with small broods of about ten fry counting as a good result. Like other bettas it has a labyrinth organ and breathes air from the surface.

Did you know

The males brood in their mouths. After spawning, the male takes the fertilized eggs into his mouth and holds them there for up to three weeks, not eating the whole time, before releasing fully formed fry. The name albimarginata comes from the white edge that traces the fins of a fish in good color.

Related species

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• 

  Persephone betta

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• 

  Livid betta

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