Emerald betta

Care at a glance

Overview

The emerald betta is a wild fighting fish for a single-species tank. It is an easy fish to keep.

Caring for the emerald betta

Keep one emerald betta, or a single pair if you have the experience. Give it a quiet, well planted species tank of at least 11 gal (40 L). Add floating plants such as Salvinia or Riccia, plus driftwood and leaf litter to stain the water with tannins. Keep the water a couple of inches below a tight-fitting lid, which lets it gulp humid surface air and stops an excellent jumper.

Hold the temperature at 72 to 82°F (22 to 28°C) and the pH at 6.0 to 7.5. Go easy on the flow, with a sponge or gentle filter. The emerald betta is slightly hardier than Betta splendens but still wants stable, mature water. Feed small frozen and live foods such as daphnia, bloodworms and brine shrimp.

Males are aggressive and territorial, so never house two males together or mix them with other bettas, since they will flare and fight. They sit in the middle of the water column and are shy and easily outcompeted. A single species setup suits them best.

The emerald betta is a bubble-nesting species, and the male builds and guards the nest. Breeding is of medium difficulty. These are wild fish from a limited range, so never release one into local waterways. Check your local rules before keeping or moving them.

Good to know

The emerald betta belongs to the family Osphronemidae and is a wild relative of the common betta. It is a labyrinth fish, breathing air at the surface through its labyrinth organ. It is also sold as the emerald green betta, the Mekong fighting fish or the pink pearl betta.

In the wild

Emerald bettas come from the Khorat Plateau in northeastern Thailand and from Mekong tributaries in central Laos. They live in soft, slightly acidic, dimly lit pools with heavy planting.

Common questions

Related species

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