Horseshoe betta
Betta hipposideros
FreshwaterFish
Care at a glance
- Temperature
- 73–81°F
- 23–27°C
- pH
- 4.0–6.0
- Adult size
- 3.1 in
- 8 cm
- Minimum tank
- 24 gal
- 90 L
- Temperament
- Mostly peaceful
- Social behavior
- Social
- Tankmates
- With caution
- Swim level
- Middle
- Difficulty
- Difficult
- Breeding
- Hard
- Rarity
- Rare
- Family
- Osphronemidae
- Origin
- Native to peat swamp forests of Peninsular Malaysia and Sumatra, in acidic, mineral poor blackwater.
Overview
A pair needs at least 90 liters with a base of 80 cm, very soft acidic blackwater at pH 4.0 to 6.0, and 23 to 27 C. Keep a tight lid and heavy cover. Feed varied live and frozen foods, including small insects, daphnia, and bloodworm. Best kept in a species tank or with very peaceful blackwater fish.
In the wild
Betta hipposideros is a large waser group mouthbrooder from threatened peat swamp forests. The water is extremely soft, very acidic, and deeply tannin stained. It needs a spacious blackwater tank with wood, leaf litter, and a tightly covered surface. Clean, stable, mineral poor water is essential.
Good to know
Described by Ng and Kottelat in 1994, it belongs to the Betta waseri group and is named for the black horseshoe shaped mark on its throat. It is a paternal mouthbrooder. Peat swamp loss has made it uncommon in the wild.
Did you know
Its name comes from the black horseshoe mark under the chin, hipposideros meaning horseshoe in Greek.
Common questions
What size tank does a Horseshoe betta need?
A Horseshoe betta needs at least 24 gal (90 L). It spends most of its time in the middle.
What temperature and pH does a Horseshoe betta need?
A Horseshoe betta is comfortable at 73–81°F (23–27°C) with a pH of 4.0–6.0.
How big does a Horseshoe betta get?
An adult Horseshoe betta reaches about 3.1 in (8 cm).
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