TankBud

Pinguis betta

Betta pinguis

FreshwaterFish

Care at a glance

Temperature
72–81°F
22–27°C
pH
5.0–7.0
Adult size
3.1 in
7.9 cm
Minimum tank
21 gal
80 L
Temperament
Mostly peaceful
Social behavior
Social
Own kind
One male per tank
Tankmates
With caution
Swim level
Middle
Difficulty
Medium
Breeding
Mouthbrooder · Medium
Rarity
Very rare
Family
Osphronemidae
Origin
Middle and upper Kapuas basin, West Kalimantan, Borneo

Overview

The Pinguis betta is a calm wild mouthbrooder for a dim, well-covered tank. It needs a keeper with a little experience.

Did you know

FishBase records the Pinguis betta's only human use as fishing bait, a strange fate for a fish the IUCN rates Critically Endangered.

Caring for the Pinguis betta

Pinguis bettas are fine in a pair or a group, in a big tank of at least 21 gal (80 L). Give a pair or small group a base of about 80 by 30 cm and a tight lid. Add leaf litter and dense cover, with dim light and gentle flow.

Keep the water soft and acidic, at 72 to 81°F (22 to 27°C) and a pH of 5.0 to 7.0. They accept dried food, but they should get live or frozen daphnia, brine shrimp and bloodworms regularly.

In a tank this size, keep only one male. Keep them with small, peaceful fish or on their own, and expect dwarf shrimp to be eaten.

Males carry more iridescence in the pelvic and anal fins than females, which is the easiest way to sex a group. The male is a mouthbrooder and holds the eggs for 14 to 21 days. The fry take microworms and brine shrimp nauplii at once, and breeding is moderately difficult.

Good to know

Betta pinguis is in the Betta akarensis group of the family Osphronemidae. Tan and Kottelat described it in 1998. Its name is Latin for stout, a nod to its heavy body, one of the deepest in the group. That deep body comes with a densely marked gill cover.

In the wild

The Pinguis betta comes from the middle and upper Kapuas basin in West Kalimantan. The type series was bought from fishermen who had caught it on hook and line. They took it in a small, slightly tannin-stained stream in degraded forest, among bank vegetation and leaf litter. Betta dimidiata and Betta enisae lived there alongside it.

Common questions

What size tank does a Pinguis betta need?

A Pinguis betta needs at least 21 gal (80 L). It spends most of its time in the middle.

What temperature and pH does a Pinguis betta need?

A Pinguis betta is comfortable at 72–81°F (22–27°C) with a pH of 5.0–7.0.

What does a Pinguis betta eat?

A Pinguis betta accepts dried food, but it should get live or frozen daphnia, brine shrimp and bloodworms regularly.

How big does a Pinguis betta get?

An adult Pinguis betta reaches about 3.1 in (7.9 cm).

How can you tell a male Pinguis betta from a female?

Males carry more iridescence in the pelvic and anal fins than females. This is the easiest way to sex a group.

How does a Pinguis betta breed?

The Pinguis betta is a paternal mouthbrooder, and the male holds the eggs for 14 to 21 days. The fry take microworms and brine shrimp nauplii at once.

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