TankBud

Midas betta

Betta midas

FreshwaterFish

Care at a glance

Temperature
72–82°F
22–28°C
pH
3.5–6.5
Adult size
2.6 in
6.6 cm
Minimum tank
20 gal
75 L
Temperament
Peaceful
Social behavior
Social
Own kind
One male per tank
Tankmates
With caution
Swim level
Middle
Difficulty
Difficult
Breeding
Mouthbrooder · Hard
Rarity
Very rare
Family
Osphronemidae
Origin
Lower Kapuas basin near Anjungan, West Kalimantan, Borneo

Overview

The Midas betta is a calm mouthbrooder from Borneo for a dim blackwater tank. It calls for an experienced keeper.

Did you know

The Midas betta was described in the same 2009 paper that finally pinned down the identity of Betta anabatoides. That species had been named in 1851 without a picture.

Caring for the Midas betta

A pair or a small group of Midas bettas needs at least 20 gal (75 L) and a tight lid. Set the tank up as blackwater, dark with leaf litter and botanicals, with dim light and dense cover. At this size, keep one male per tank.

Give it very soft, acidic water with a pH of 3.5 to 6.5, at 72 to 82°F (22 to 28°C). It does not do well in hard or neutral water.

It takes dried food but should get live or frozen daphnia, brine shrimp and bloodworm regularly. The Midas betta is calm, and small peaceful fish from similar water can share the tank. Dwarf shrimp will be eaten.

The Midas betta is a paternal mouthbrooder, and breeding it is hard. Breeding reports are scarce, so expect the usual mouthbrooder pattern, with the male holding the eggs for about two weeks.

Good to know

Betta midas belongs to the family Osphronemidae and is the second member of the Betta anabatoides group. It is slimmer than Betta anabatoides and has more gold scales. A black stripe runs from the lower lip through the eye to the edge of the gill cover. Heok Hui Tan named it for King Midas, whose touch turned everything to gold. The name refers to the iridescent gold scales on its gill cover and body. The IUCN lists it as Vulnerable.

In the wild

The Midas betta lives in blackwater streams running through peat swamp forest in the lower Kapuas basin, near Anjungan in West Kalimantan. More records come from the Sambas drainage and from heath forest streams near Lundu, in far western Sarawak. The water there is around pH 4.1 and from 20 cm to more than 2 meters deep. In its home streams it lives with a crowd of small cyprinids, loaches and other labyrinth fish.

Common questions

What size tank does a Midas betta need?

A Midas betta needs at least 20 gal (75 L). It spends most of its time in the middle.

What temperature and pH does a Midas betta need?

A Midas betta is comfortable at 72–82°F (22–28°C) with a pH of 3.5–6.5.

What does a Midas betta eat?

A Midas betta takes dried food, but it should get live or frozen daphnia, brine shrimp and bloodworm regularly.

How big does a Midas betta get?

An adult Midas betta reaches about 2.6 in (6.6 cm).

How does a Midas betta breed?

The Midas betta is a paternal mouthbrooder, and breeding it is hard. Reports are scarce, so expect the male to hold the eggs for about two weeks, as in the usual mouthbrooder pattern.

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