Variety of Betta
Dragon scale betta
Betta splendens
One of 8 varieties of Betta splendens · See all varieties →
Also known as Dragonscale Betta
FreshwaterFish
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
- 7 gal
- 25 L
- Temperament
- Aggressive
- Social behavior
- Solitary
- Own kind
- One male per tank
- Tankmates
- With caution
- Swim level
- Middle
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Breeding
- No record
- Rarity
- Very common
- Family
- Osphronemidae
Overview
Look for 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. Check the eyes before buying, because scale tissue can grow across them and blind the fish. Dragon is a scale type, so it gets stacked in front of a tail type on the label.
In the wild
The form was presented in Thailand in December 2004, in the Thai fishkeeping magazine Fancy Fish, and moved into the export trade quickly. Thai accounts credit the Interfish breeder team with those first red dragons. The cross behind them is not documented in any detail. Wild bettas have thin, ordinary scales, so nothing like this occurs outside the farms.
Good to know
The look comes from a thickened layer of iridophores, the reflective pigment cells, dense enough to read as opaque. That layer keeps growing through the fish's life and does not stop at the eye. Scale tissue creeping over the cornea is common enough to have a hobby name, diamond eye, and it ends in blindness. Breeders report that doubling down on dragon over generations increases coverage and the eye risk with it.
Did you know
The trait that sells the fish is the trait that can blind it. A dragon scale betta keeps laying down scale after it is fully grown, and on some fish the plates close over the eye.
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 7 gal (25 L). It spends most of its time in the middle.
How big does a Dragon scale betta get?
An adult Dragon scale betta reaches about 3 in (7.5 cm).
Related species
2.4 in (6 cm)11 gal (40 L)72–82°F (22–28°C)Emerald betta
Betta smaragdina
2.4 in (6 cm) · 11 gal (40 L)
3.9 in (10 cm)20 gal (75 L)72–79°F (22–26°C)Brunei beauty betta
Betta macrostoma
3.9 in (10 cm) · 20 gal (75 L)
- 2.2 in (5.6 cm)26 gal (100 L)72–81°F (22–27°C)
Gladiator betta
Betta gladiator
2.2 in (5.6 cm) · 26 gal (100 L)
3 in (7.5 cm)20 gal (75 L)72–81°F (22–27°C)Compuncta betta
Betta compuncta
3 in (7.5 cm) · 20 gal (75 L)
- 2.9 in (7.3 cm)16 gal (60 L)72–81°F (22–27°C)
Aurigans betta
Betta aurigans
2.9 in (7.3 cm) · 16 gal (60 L)
- 2.8 in (7.2 cm)21 gal (80 L)72–81°F (22–27°C)
Pardalotos betta
Betta pardalotos
2.8 in (7.2 cm) · 21 gal (80 L)