Mahachai betta

Care at a glance

Overview

The Mahachai betta is a wild betta that lives alone or in a pair rather than in a community tank. It is a sound choice for a keeper with some experience.

Caring for the Mahachai betta

Keep one Mahachai betta, or a carefully introduced pair, in at least 10 gal (38 L) with a footprint around 45 by 30 cm. Plant the tank heavily, add floating plants for surface cover, and use a sponge filter for gentle flow. It is a strong jumper, so use a tight-fitting lid that still leaves a warm, humid air gap above the water.

Keep the water warm, at 72 to 82°F (22 to 28°C), and on the hard, alkaline side, with a pH of 7.0 to 8.5. It does not need salt and is kept and bred in plain freshwater. Do not chase a low, acidic pH the way you would for a blackwater betta.

Feed small frozen and live foods and a quality betta pellet. The Mahachai betta is not a community fish. Males are territorial toward each other and toward Betta splendens, so they are best kept solitary.

Males build bubble nests, and the eggs hatch in 24 to 48 hours. The fry first need infusoria, then move up to microworms and baby brine shrimp. Breeding is moderately difficult.

Buy captive-bred stock only. Never release captive fish into the wild, and check your local rules before keeping or moving them.

Good to know

Betta mahachaiensis belongs to the family Osphronemidae and was described in 2012. It is slightly larger and more robust than the common Betta splendens. It is a labyrinth fish, so it breathes air at the surface. The species is critically endangered in the wild.

In the wild

Mahachai bettas come from coastal swamps in central Thailand, around Samut Sakhon, Samut Songkhram, Samut Prakan and western Bangkok. These are low, brackish wetlands with alkaline water.

Common questions

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