Foersch's Betta
Betta foerschi
Freshwater South-east Asia
A mouthbrooding wild fighting fish native to Bornean peat swamps, showcasing coppery cheeks and blue-green body iridescence. It requires extreme blackwater conditions with abundant tannins, very low mineral hardness, and subdued illumination. A tightly sealed cover prevents leaps when taking atmospheric breaths.
Try it in the planner Opens a tank sized to its minimum with 1 fish added.
What it needs
| Item | Value | Because |
|---|---|---|
| Adult length | 6 cm | Used for the Space check: the tank must be long enough for the fish to turn round. |
| Smallest tank | 60 L, at least 60 cm long estimated | The least water and floor length this species is kept in for good, as a single fish or smallest group. |
| Extra water per added fish | 15 L estimated | What each further fish adds once the minimum is met. |
| Waste load | Class 2 of 5 estimated | How much waste an adult makes against its size. Feeds the Load check. |
| Temperature | 22 to 26 C | Stock sharing a tank need overlapping ranges. |
| pH | 4.5 to 6.5 | Compared with tankmates in the Water check. |
| Hardness | GH 1 to 5, KH 0 to 2 | Degrees of general and carbonate hardness. |
| Flow | Low | Low-flow fish are stressed in a strong current. |
| Light | Dim | Matched to the lighting class on the needs sheet. |
| Group size | Single fish is fine | Not a schooling species. |
| Temperament | Peaceful | Territorial: weak. |
| Swims in | Middle water | Fish that use different levels share a tank more easily. |
| Lifespan | About 4 years | A fish is a long commitment. |
| Experience | Experienced keepers only | A guide to how forgiving the species is of mistakes. |
| Jumps | Yes | Keep the tank covered. |
Tags marked estimated are judged from the size and habits of the species rather than measured, so treat them as a sensible default.
Diet and tank layout
Foersch's Betta is an carnivore that swims in the middle of the tank. It is safe with plants. Give it plenty of cover.
Tankmates
Works with
Depends
- Black Skirt Tetra
- Bronze Corydoras
- Cardinal Tetra
- Cherry Barb
- Dwarf Gourami
- Freshwater Angelfish
- Harlequin Rasbora
- Kuhli Loach
- Neon Tetra
- Peppered Corydoras
- Siamese Fighting Fish
- Tiger Barb
- White Cloud Mountain Minnow
- Zebra Danio
- Black Neon Tetra
- Black Phantom Tetra
- Clown Loach
- Common Pleco
- Ember Tetra
- German Blue Ram
- Glowlight Tetra
- Honey Gourami
- Julii Cory
- Panda Cory
- Pearl Gourami
- Pygmy Corydoras
- Rainbow Shark
- Red Eye Tetra
- Rummy-Nose Tetra
- Sailfin Pleco
- Sterba's Cory
- Three Spot Gourami
- X-Ray Tetra
- Black Ruby Barb
- Bleeding Heart Tetra
- Bloodfin Tetra
- Blue Acara
- Buenos Aires Tetra
- Colombian Tetra
- Common Pleco
- Congo Tetra
- Denison Barb
- Dojo Loach
- Emerald Green Cory
- Emperor Tetra
- Flame Tetra
- Flying Fox
- Ghost Catfish
- Gold Barb
- Golden Otocinclus
- Golden Pencilfish
- Japanese Medaka
- Julii Corydoras
- Kissing Gourami
- Lambchop Rasbora
- Lemon Tetra
- Neon Dwarf Rainbowfish
- Norman's Lampeye
- Penguin Tetra
- Pictus Catfish
- Red Phantom Tetra
- Reticulated Hillstream Loach
- Rosy Tetra
- Salt and Pepper Cory
- Scarlet Badis
- Scissortail Rasbora
- Serpae Tetra
- Severum
- Siamese Algae Eater
- Silver Dollar
- Silvertip Tetra
- Spotted Blue-Eye
- Striped Raphael Catfish
- Upside-Down Catfish
- Yoyo Loach
- Adolfo's Cory
- Amazon Puffer
- Asian Bumblebee Catfish
- Brilliant Rasbora
- Bushynose Pleco
- Checker Barb
- Diamond Tetra
- Dwarf Chain Loach
- Dwarf Corydoras
- Dwarf Pencilfish
- Dwarf Rasbora
- Featherfin Squeaker
- Fiveband Barb
- Giant Danio
- Golden Wonder Killifish
- Green Neon Tetra
- Head-and-Taillight Tetra
- Hengel's Rasbora
Avoid
- Goldfish
- Green Swordtail
- Guppy
- Molly
- Platy
- Bala Shark
- Boesemani Rainbowfish
- Celestial Pearl Danio
- Chinese Algae Eater
- Convict Cichlid
- Discus
- Oscar
- Red Tail Shark
- Rosy Barb
- Sailfin Molly
- Variable Platyfish
- Yellow Lab
- Asian Arowana
- Auratus Cichlid
- Electric Blue Hap
- Eureka Red Peacock
- Fairy Cichlid
- Firemouth Cichlid
- Forktail Blue-Eye
- Green Terror
- Jack Dempsey
- Kenyi Cichlid
- Lake Kutubu Rainbowfish
- Lemon Cichlid
- Paradise Fish
- Pea Puffer
- Red Zebra
- Tinfoil Barb
- Zebra Mbuna
- Banded Rainbowfish
- Benga Peacock Cichlid
- Black Ghost Knifefish
- Blue Dolphin Cichlid
- Blunthead Cichlid
- Calvus Cichlid
- Convict Julie
- Daffodil Cichlid
- Doctor Fish
- Fire Eel
- Flavescent Peacock
- Frontosa
- Golden Julie
- Heckel Discus
- Ice Blue Cichlid
- Jewel Cichlid
- Johanni Mbuna
Compare any two fish on the compatibility page, or print the equipment for a stock on the needs sheet. How this is worked out: the method.