TankBud

Schalleri betta

Betta schalleri

Also known as Schaller's mouthbrooder, Schaller's betta

FreshwaterFish

Care at a glance

Temperature
75–84°F
24–29°C
pH
4.5–6.0
Adult size
1.8 in
4.5 cm
Minimum tank
16 gal
60 L
Temperament
Peaceful
Social behavior
Social
Tankmates
With caution
Swim level
Middle
Difficulty
Difficult
Breeding
Mouthbrooder · Hard
Rarity
Very rare
Family
Osphronemidae
Origin
Bangka Island, Indonesia

Overview

The Schalleri betta is a peaceful, shy betta for a blackwater species tank. It is best left to experienced keepers.

Did you know

The Schalleri betta turned up in abandoned mining ponds, called kolong, in a 2025 survey of Bangka, Indonesia's tin island. The ponds held it once regrowth had closed in around them. It copes with disturbance better than its Bangka neighbors Betta burdigala and Betta chloropharynx, both Critically Endangered.

Caring for the Schalleri betta

Keep Schalleri bettas as a pair or a small group in a species tank of at least 16 gal (60 L). Set it up as a dim blackwater tank with leaf litter, botanicals, dense plants and caves. Filter it gently with a sponge, and keep the lid tight.

Use RO water or rainwater. The IBC species program keeps it at pH 4.5 to 5.5 with almost no hardness. Aim for 75 to 84°F (24 to 29°C) and a pH of 4.5 to 6.0. Feed live and frozen daphnia, brine shrimp and bloodworm, then add dried food once the fish recognizes it.

Keep tank mates to calm blackwater fish, or none at all. Expect it to eat shrimp.

The Schalleri betta is a mouthbrooder, and breeding it is hard. Males square up during spawning, but they rarely do real damage when there is cover.

Good to know

Betta schalleri is a member of the Betta pugnax group in the family Osphronemidae, and older books call it Schaller's mouthbrooder. Kottelat and Ng described it in 1994 from a stream north of Payung, on the road to Pangkalpinang. It is named for the German fish importer Dietrich Schaller. It is small for the group, with the holotype at 44.8 mm standard length. It is closely allied to Betta fusca and Betta raja. It looks very much like raja, but it has 27 anal fin rays and 31 lateral scales. Like both relatives, it lacks a chin bar, tail bars and dark fin margins. The IUCN lists it as Endangered because its whole range is one island where habitat keeps disappearing.

In the wild

The Schalleri betta lives only on Bangka, an island off the east coast of Sumatra, where it is spread across swamps and small streams. The water is peat-stained, very soft and acidic, measured at pH 4.2 to 5.8 with conductivity of 30 to 80 microsiemens. It runs 26 to 30°C, under dense vegetation such as Pandanus and Melastoma.

Common questions

What size tank does a Schalleri betta need?

A Schalleri betta needs at least 16 gal (60 L). It spends most of its time in the middle.

What temperature and pH does a Schalleri betta need?

A Schalleri betta is comfortable at 75–84°F (24–29°C) with a pH of 4.5–6.0.

What does a Schalleri betta eat?

A Schalleri betta eats live and frozen daphnia, brine shrimp and bloodworm. Once it recognizes dried food, it will take that too.

How big does a Schalleri betta get?

An adult Schalleri betta reaches about 1.8 in (4.5 cm).

How does a Schalleri betta breed?

A Schalleri betta is a mouthbrooder, and breeding it is hard. Males square up during spawning, but they rarely do real damage when there is cover.

Related species