TankBud

Variety of Betta

Dragon scale betta

Betta splendens

One of 8 varieties of Betta splendens · See all varieties →

Also known as Dragonscale Betta

FreshwaterFish

Dragon scale betta (Betta splendens)

Varieties · Betta splendens

See all 8 →

Care at a glance

Temperature
72–86°F
22–30°C
pH
6.0–7.5
Adult size
3 in
7.5 cm
Minimum tank
5 gal
19 L
Temperament
Aggressive
Social behavior
Solitary
Own kind
One male per tank
Tankmates
With caution
Swim level
Middle
Diet
Carnivore
Difficulty
Beginner
Breeding
Bubble nester
Rarity
Very common
Family
Osphronemidae

Overview

The dragon scale betta carries thick, opaque scales with a dark rim, usually over a copper, gold or white base. The effect reads as armor plate rather than the usual shimmer. It is easy to keep in a calm, planted tank.

Did you know

The trait that sells the dragon scale betta is the trait that can blind it. The fish keeps laying down scale after it is fully grown, and on some fish the plates close over the eye.

Caring for the dragon scale betta

Keep a dragon scale betta in a planted, low-flow tank of at least 5 gal (19 L), with some cover at the surface. Bettas are built for still water, so filter gently. Check the eyes before you buy, because scale tissue can grow across them and blind the fish.

Heat the tank to 72 to 86°F (22 to 30°C) and keep the pH between 6.0 and 7.5. It is a carnivore, so feed a quality betta pellet and rotate in frozen or live bloodworms and brine shrimp.

Males are aggressive and cannot share a tank with another male. Trailing fins draw fin-nippers, so choose tank mates with caution or keep one alone.

Females have shorter fins than males. Bettas are bubble nesters, and a spawning male blows a raft of bubbles at the surface and tends the eggs himself. Breeders report that pairing dragon to dragon over generations increases scale coverage and the eye risk with it.

Good to know

The dragon scale look comes from a thickened layer of iridophores, the reflective pigment cells, dense enough to read as opaque. Scale tissue creeping over the cornea is common enough to have a hobby name, diamond eye, and it ends in blindness. Dragon is a scale type, so it is stacked in front of a tail type on the label.

In the wild

The dragon scale betta was presented in Thailand in December 2004, in the Thai fishkeeping magazine Fancy Fish. It moved into the export trade quickly. Thai accounts credit the Interfish breeder team with those first red dragons, though the cross behind them is not documented in any detail. Wild bettas have thin, ordinary scales, so nothing like this occurs outside the farms.

From published sources

Tank mates

Each fish here is named as a tank mate for the dragon scale betta by at least two published care guides. Seriously Fish and Practical Fishkeeping recommend keeping it on its own instead. The pairings below assume a planted tank of 10 to 20 gallons (38 to 76 liters) or more, with plenty of cover.

Sources: Aquarium Co-Op, Fishkeeping World, Chewy, Tropical Fish Hobbyist, Aqueon, All Pond Solutions.

Check the full mix in the stocking calculator

Common questions

Is a dragon scale betta a different species from the Betta?

No. A dragon scale betta is a variety of the Betta, Betta splendens, and it wants the same tank, water and food as the species.

What size tank does a dragon scale betta need?

A dragon scale betta needs at least 5 gal (19 L). It spends most of its time in the middle.

What does a dragon scale betta eat?

A dragon scale betta is a carnivore. It eats a quality betta pellet, with frozen or live bloodworms and brine shrimp rotated in.

How big does a dragon scale betta get?

An adult dragon scale betta reaches about 3 in (7.5 cm).

How can you tell a male dragon scale betta from a female?

Males carry longer fins than females do.

How does a dragon scale betta breed?

A dragon scale betta is a bubble nester, and the male tends the eggs in a raft of bubbles at the surface. Breeders report that pairing dragon to dragon over generations raises scale coverage and the eye risk with it.

What fish can live with the dragon scale betta?

Published care guides name half-banded kuhli loach, kuhli loach, panda cory and harlequin rasbora, among others. The pairings below assume a planted tank of 10 to 20 gallons (38 to 76 liters) or more, with plenty of cover.

Related species