The dumbo betta is a betta with oversized pectoral fins, the trait behind its name. It is a good first fish for a calm, planted tank.
Did you know
A betta hovers on its pectorals rather than its tail, so those fins move nearly all the time. On a dumbo betta, the whole stroke is visible from across the room.
Caring for the dumbo betta
Keep a dumbo betta in a planted, low-flow tank of at least 5 gal (19 L), with some cover at the surface. The oversized pectorals add drag and make hovering harder work. Gentle flow and resting spots near the surface help.
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. The dumbo trait breeds fairly true, though pectoral size varies within a spawn.
Good to know
The dumbo change sits in the paired pectoral fins, which grow to several times normal area while the rest of the fish stays standard. Dumbo turns up in front of any tail type and any color, and elephant ear is the same fish under another name. Pale or white pectorals are common whatever the body color. Grading rests on pectoral size and how well the two match, and cheap big ear fish often have one small pectoral or ragged edging.
In the wild
Thai accounts date the first big eared dumbo bettas to 1999. The trait was fixed by picking fish born with unusually large pectorals and breeding them together. The result is a farm line, not anything found in the wild, where pectorals stay small. One Thai account names a specific farm as the source, but the record is thin and no individual breeder is firmly confirmed.
From published sources
Tank mates
Each fish here is named as a tank mate for the dumbo 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.
How can you tell a male dumbo betta from a female?
Males carry longer fins than females do.
How does a dumbo betta breed?
A dumbo betta is a bubble nester, and the male tends the eggs in a raft of bubbles at the surface. The dumbo trait breeds fairly true, though pectoral size varies within a spawn.
2.4 in (6 cm)11 gal (40 L)72–82°F (22–28°C)
3.9 in (10 cm)20 gal (75 L)72–79°F (22–26°C)
3 in (7.5 cm)20 gal (75 L)72–81°F (22–27°C)