Prima betta

Care at a glance

Overview

The Prima betta is a small wild mouthbrooder, and one of the more adaptable ones. It is undemanding for a wild betta, so it is a good species tank choice for newer keepers.

Caring for the Prima betta

Keep a pair or small group of Prima bettas in a tank of at least 16 gal (60 L). Give it a base of 60 cm and a tight lid. A shaded tank with wood, plants and leaves suits them.

Keep the water soft to medium, at 73 to 81°F (23 to 27°C) and a pH of 5.0 to 7.0. Feed small live and frozen foods, such as daphnia, artemia and bloodworms.

Prima bettas are mostly peaceful, but choose any tank mates with caution. They are paternal mouthbrooders, and the male holds the eggs for roughly 7 to 12 days. Breeding them is moderately difficult.

Good to know

Betta prima was described by Kottelat in 1994. It is usually placed in the Betta pugnax complex, though some link it to the picta group.

In the wild

The Prima betta lives in clear forest swamps and streams in southeastern Thailand, Cambodia, Laos and southern Vietnam, including Phu Quoc island. It occupies both still and gently flowing water with vegetation and leaf litter. The water is soft to medium and acidic to neutral.

Common questions

Related species

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  Falx betta

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• Andrei betta

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