TankBud

Wine-red betta

Betta burdigala

Also known as Burdigala betta, Bordeaux betta

FreshwaterFish

Wine-red betta (Betta burdigala)
YIE BABEL · CC BY-SA 4.0

Care at a glance

Temperature
72–81°F
22–27°C
pH
4.0–6.0
Adult size
1.4 in
3.5 cm
Minimum tank
11 gal
40 L
Temperament
Mostly peaceful
Social behavior
Social
Tankmates
With caution
Swim level
Middle
Difficulty
Difficult
Breeding
Bubble nester · Hard
Rarity
Rare
Family
Osphronemidae
Origin
Bangka Island peat swamps, Indonesia

Overview

The wine-red betta is a small wild betta, deep claret-red in good condition. It is best kept by experienced fishkeepers.

Did you know

The wine-red betta's describers named it for its color, reaching for Burdigala, the Roman name for Bordeaux. They matched its deep claret body to the famous wine of that region.

Caring for the wine-red betta

Give a pair of wine-red bettas a shaded tank of at least 11 gal (40 L), dim and densely planted. Add a dark substrate, leaf litter, driftwood and plenty of floating and leafy cover.

They need soft, acidic blackwater at 72 to 81°F (22 to 27°C) and a pH of 4.0 to 6.0. Botanicals or peat help hold the acidity. Feed small to medium meaty foods, such as live and frozen daphnia, bloodworm, brine shrimp and small insects. Good pellets are accepted once the fish settle.

Keep wine-red bettas as a single pair, or as a group only in a larger, densely planted tank. They are mostly peaceful, but choose their tank mates with care. They are often given a species tank so a pair can settle and breed.

Wine-red bettas are bubble nesters, and the male builds and tends a small nest at the surface among the cover. Breeding them is hard in the very soft, acidic water they require.

Good to know

Betta burdigala belongs to the family Osphronemidae and is a dwarf wild betta in the Betta coccina group. It also goes by the names Burdigala betta and Bordeaux betta.

In the wild

The wine-red betta is endemic to peat swamps on Bangka Island, off the east coast of Sumatra. The water there is stained dark as cellar wine, very soft and strongly acidic.

Common questions

What size tank does a wine-red betta need?

A wine-red betta needs at least 11 gal (40 L). It spends most of its time in the middle.

What temperature and pH does a wine-red betta need?

A wine-red betta is comfortable at 72–81°F (22–27°C) with a pH of 4.0–6.0.

What does a wine-red betta eat?

A wine-red betta eats small to medium meaty foods, such as live and frozen daphnia, bloodworm, brine shrimp and small insects. It accepts good pellets once settled.

How big does a wine-red betta get?

An adult wine-red betta reaches about 1.4 in (3.5 cm).

How does a wine-red betta breed?

Wine-red bettas are bubble nesters, with the male building and tending a small nest at the surface. Breeding them is hard in the very soft, acidic water they need.

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