Wild Bettas

[Banicks]

G’Day All,

I was wondering how many of you own wild bettas. My PFS is getting a new shipment in, and of the photos they've shown me they are really beautiful.

He told me that wilds can be kept together in the one tank, is this true? Are there any differences in maintenance, feeding or caring for them to their splender cousins?

[BettaMiah]

No, I believe they fight just the same. I would NOT listen to that.

I think they do need other types of food. But i'm not sure. Otherwise I'm sure tank size and matinence will problably be the same, unless they are larger or smaller than Betta Splendens.

[LittleBettaFish]

Don't you ever read my siggy Bannicks haha. I'm a wild betta nut.

You can house most species in groups or pairs. They will spar but not full-out fight like betta splendens.

If your water is soft and conditions right they are generally easy to spawn.

Feeding is another issue. Some of mine will only eat live, and only my larger mouthbrooders take pellets.

What species are they selling? That will give me a general idea on care.

[BettaMiah]

No way, how cool! So where did Splendens get the fighting thing?

Will they rip fins? Like females?

[Banicks]

I was hoping to hear from you LBF! I thought you might be the one to speak to about wilds.

I'll give them a ring to get the exact species name when the open today. From memory it was quite long - on their old stock list and I THINK it is BETTA CHANNOIDES - but they had a few names.

[LittleBettaFish]

My rutilan male and female will tear each other up before mating. They are very rough when courting.

My Betta ideii pair do hate each other and have to be separated as the male tries to kill the female. However, they are known to be aggressive so it wasn't unexpected.

My albimarginata are some of my favourites and are so gentle and shy. They are easy to breed and mine have 20 odd fry that I'm looking after.

Wild splendens are more aggressive than other species, and I assume they just bred for that trait and culled/released any fish that didn't display the necessary aggression.

I love my wilds, even if half the time all I see is an empty tank because they're off hiding.

[Banicks]

I would hope to get a docile pair (male + female). When/If they breed is it pretty much the same procedure as the splendens?

What size tank do you keep your pairs in?

I would theorise that the splendens are the most aggressive as a bi-product. Splendens were bred by humans to expand on colours, finnage and those traits. In nature bright colours = danger and warning. So by breeding for colours and specific aesthetic traits, it also bred into existance a very aggressive by nature splenden.

Well thats my theory anyway.

[LittleBettaFish]

Channiodes are like albimarginata.

They like slightly soft and acidic water (pH around 6.5). They prefer some current as they come from rivers with a bit of flow to them.

I've used a small internal filter in the past, but now use a sponge filter so as not to suck up my fry.

I use lots of branchy driftwood, but also some hollowed out logs (which is where mine usually spawn) and some java moss.

They are a shyer species, but will learn to hand-feed and to come out when you're around. Dim lighting is recommended and mine seemed to like it when I had floaters such as frogbit and riccia.

All my albis will eat is frozen brine shrimp and live blackworms. Nothing else. Depending on whether yours would be tank-bred or wild-caught, they might accept more.

They like water around 20 degrees Celsius and I usually get mine to spawn by doing water changes with cold tap water and a good feeding of blackworms.

I don't bother cycling my wild betta tanks and just do 20% water changes every second day. At a low pH, any ammonia is just going to be ammonium anyway so don't worry if you are getting readings if your pH is below 7.

A pair of these can be kept in a 10 gallon tank. However, females have been known to breed males to death and so a reverse trio is recommended.

Males brood for around 12-15 days and then release fully-formed fry. I recommend separating the male when he's about to release as otherwise fry might be eaten. I feed my fry vinegar eels and microworms, and they also eat any little organisms that they can find in the water column.

[LittleBettaFish]

Here is Eddie my male albi, next to one of my male splendens.

[BettaMiah]

Oh my gawd its so cute!