Betta

Care at a glance

The betta, or Siamese fighting fish, has character in the most literal sense: males will not tolerate each other, so keep only one. Its labyrinth organ lets it gulp air at the surface, so a calm, shallow, well-covered tank is all it needs; covered, because it can jump too.

Give it warm water without strong current, plus a few resting spots just below the surface, such as broad leaves. Long fins make it slow: fast tankmates and fin-nippers are poor company, and brightly coloured guppies can trigger aggression as well. As a carnivore it does best on small live or frozen foods.

Good to know

• Keep a single male
• Known jumper — cover the tank

Best not combined with

• GuppyPoecilia reticulata
• Tiger barbPuntigrus tetrazona
• Serpae tetraHyphessobrycon eques
• Paradise fishMacropodus opercularis
• Black skirt tetraGymnocorymbus ternetzi
• Buenos Aires tetraHyphessobrycon anisitsi
• Saulosi mbunaChindongo saulosi
• Auratus cichlidMelanochromis auratus
• Kenyi cichlidMaylandia lombardoi
• Stuart Grant’s peacock cichlidAulonocara stuartgranti
• Sulphurhead peacockAulonocara maylandi
• Benga peacock (sunshine)Aulonocara baenschi
• Pea pufferCarinotetraodon travancoricus
• Peaceful bettaBetta imbellis
• Electric blue hap (fryeri)Sciaenochromis fryeri
• Venustus (giraffe cichlid)Nimbochromis venustus
• Cherry shrimpNeocaridina davidi

Related species

• SwordtailXiphophorus hellerii
• Zebra danioDanio rerio
• Harlequin rasboraTrigonostigma heteromorpha
• MollyPoecilia sphenops
• CorydorasCorydoras spp.
• Variatus platyXiphophorus variatus