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Stroh's betta

Betta strohi

Also known as Strohi fighter, Golden ninja betta

FreshwaterFish

Care at a glance

Temperature
72–81°F (22–27°C)
pH
4.0–6.0
Adult size
2.8 in (7 cm)
Minimum tank
14 gal (54 L)
Temperament
Mostly peaceful
Social behavior
Social
Tankmates
Tankmates with caution
Swim level
Middle
Difficulty
Medium
Breeding
Hard
Rarity
Rare
Origin
Southern Kalimantan blackwaters near Sukamara, Indonesia
Family
Osphronemidae

Overview

Stroh's betta is a wild mouthbrooding betta best kept as a single pair, or as a small group only in a larger, well-structured tank with plenty of hiding places. It is mostly peaceful but needs tankmates chosen with care, and many keepers give it a species tank so it can breed undisturbed. Feed meaty foods: small live and frozen items such as bloodworm, brine shrimp, and daphnia, plus good pellets. Give a pair a shaded tank of around 54 liters with soft, acidic blackwater, dense cover, and root or wood shelters.

In the wild

It lives in peat-swamp streams of southern Borneo, near Sukamara in Kalimantan, tea-dark water that is very soft and acidic, shaded and slow. Recreate that with a dim tank, dark substrate, leaf litter, driftwood, and roots for cover, filtered gently through peat. Keep the temperature between 22 and 27 C and the pH low, from 4.0 to 6.0.

Good to know

Betta strohi, family Osphronemidae, was described in 1989 and reaches about 7 centimeters, a dark-bodied fish with molten gold markings across the gill cover. It belongs to the Betta foerschi group and is a paternal mouthbrooder: after spawning the male carries the eggs in his mouth until the fry are free-swimming. Breeding is difficult and demands stable, very soft, acidic water.

Did you know

In this species the father does the incubating: the male holds the fertilised eggs in his mouth for around two weeks, not feeding, until the young are ready to swim out on their own.

Common questions

What size tank does a Stroh's betta need?

A Stroh's betta needs at least 14 gal (54 L). It spends most of its time in the middle.

What temperature and pH do Stroh's betta need?

Stroh's betta are comfortable at 72–81°F (22–27°C) with a pH of 4.0–6.0.

How big do Stroh's betta get?

An adult Stroh's betta reaches about 2.8 in (7 cm).

Where to buy

Some links may not be the exact species or variety.

…or ask your local fish store.

Appears in

Freshwater fish · Bettas & gouramis · Betta fish

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