All fish / Osphronemidae

Betta burdigala

Betta burdigala

Also known as burdigala betta, red betta burdigala, bangka betta, ベタ・ブルディガラ, cupang burdigala, 波尔多斗鱼

A small wild betta from the coccina group, with a wine red to reddish brown body and no bold markings. Hobbyists keep it as a rare, peaceful nano species for soft, acidic blackwater tanks with leaf litter and dim lighting.

Care at a glance

Care level

Hard

Temperament

Peaceful

Adult size

3.5 cm

Temperature

24 to 28 °C

pH

4 to 6

Smallest tank

30 litres

Keep as

A pair or small group in a species-only tank

Diet

Carnivore: live and frozen foods such as daphnia, brine shrimp, mosquito larvae and grindal worms

Swims

Middle of the tank

Lifespan

2 to 4 years

Water

Freshwater

Wild range

Indonesia: Bangka Island (peat swamps)

Breeding

It is a bubble nest builder, with the male guarding the eggs in a nest that is usually tucked among plants or leaf litter. Spawning can happen in very soft, acidic water, but the fry are tiny and hard to raise.

Good to know

It needs very soft, acidic water and stable conditions, and it does badly in ordinary tap water. Wild-type females look a lot like other coccina-group bettas, so buy from sellers who can confirm the collection locality.