Betta channoides - Snakehead Betta
Betta Channoides is a wild type betta. They can live peacefully in a group as long as their aquarium is well established, and setup with lots of plants/botanicals to provide ample cover and break the line of sight.
The Channoides and Albimarginata are very similar, with Channoides males display a stunning deep red body with black and white rimmed fins, with the exception of their dorsal fin- which is lined with only white. When displaying for a female their colour can become brilliant bright red!
Females typically drab in comparison, but some high quality females may show a fair amount of red and have really nice freckles and body markings.
These are mouth-brooding bettas and have only a few babies at a time, unlike the common bubble nesting betta splendens. They don’t build any bubble nests, the males will carry the eggs in their mouths after they do the dance with the female. They forego eating for multiple weeks while they shuffle a few babies tirelessly, until they are large enough and ready to venture out of the mouth of the male.
The females are more aggressive than the males, so it’s important to keep more males than females if you are going to keep a group.
Care Info:
- Ideal Temperature - 70° - 85° F (21° - 29° C) ~ heater not required.
- pH - 6.5 - 7.5
- KH - 4 - 16 dGH
- Tank Size - 15 gallons for a pair/trio & 20 gallons+ for a group of 6; larger is always best. Being heavily planted and well established is highly suggested.
- Micro predator, carnivore - live food is highly suggested, will accept some frozen and prepared foods.
- Difficulty - easy/moderate
Average Adult Size: 1 - 2 inches (2.5 - 5 cm)
Average Purchase Size: 1 - 2 inches (2.5 - 5 cm)
*this species is bred on location* -Tank bred specimens for sale, NOT imported.
Origin/Location: Borneo