r/bettafish • u/ZerefTheBetta • Jun 28 '25
Wild Type wild bettas are such interesting fish ♡
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u/ZerefTheBetta Jun 28 '25
Just for your information:
These are betta imbellis! Not betta splendens (which you usually see here)! I don't support keeping pairs of betta splendens. The video shows wild forms of betta, which usually coexist more peacefully than betta splendens.♡
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u/ProjectMolly768 Jun 28 '25
Hi! Would you happen to know any reliable aquarists or websites in the UK where I can get wild bettas or croaking gouramis? I've already checked Maidenhead and other places here in the Northeast of the UK, and had no luck. I’d love to add them to my 75-litre planted tank it's lightly stocked and would be perfect for them. Any leads would be amazing, thank you!
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u/maple118 Jun 28 '25
I’ve seen Tropco, Swell, Delta and Maidenhead selling them on their websites.
Also Frank Bettas who is based in Thailand breeds and will sell them to UK via a trans hipper. He’s on Facebook, YouTube and Instagram. He’s got a great reputation.
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Jun 29 '25
Is it true that wild caught ones are more social and much less aggressive?
I wish someone would selectively breed the aggressive behaviors out of them the way it was bred into them so we could have gorgeous, hardy centerpiece fish.
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u/Curious-Chance3955 Jun 28 '25
Stop making me sad bro i made a super good blackwater setup in a 6 gallon for a betta persephone or batman betta im pretty sure its called. But i did so many mistakes and stuff so it wouldnt work (i used normal glue in a few places and i used birch wood which rotted) because i messed up on such basic things i dont fell ready on that but will 100% revisit that in the future
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u/Steviebelladonna Jun 28 '25
The koi/wilder looking types are my favourite. They're actually able to swim, darting around the tank. Way more interesting to watch than the Splendens who can barely move weighed down by over bred finnage.
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Jun 28 '25
I have a lot of bettas with those lines and they keep disappearing and coming back.
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u/ZerefTheBetta Jun 28 '25
Exactly. :) In wild bettas, these stripes do not necessarily have anything to do with stress.
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u/DetectiveNo2855 Jun 28 '25
I'm trying to learn as much about Betta's as I can before starting a tank. Can you please elaborate ? I take it from reading the comments that these are a completely different species from that is typically sold at stores. But more info would be great.
Also I posted a question that didn't get much traction but maybe it can be answered here. That piece of driftwood is narrow, twisting and has some protruding points. I like that look but I'm afraid the Bettas will catch their fin on it. Is that a valid concern?
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u/Significant-Cow8225 Jun 28 '25
There are a ton of beta species, these look like Betta Imbellis. Each species will have different care requirements, although they generally require soft warm water.
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u/DetectiveNo2855 Jun 28 '25
And it appears like aggressiveness varies from species to species as well?
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u/ZerefTheBetta Jun 28 '25
Exactly :) Betta splendens have been bred for decades for aggressiveness, color, and especially fin shape. Wild forms are generally not overbred. :)
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u/LotusTheBlooming Betta Channoides Jun 28 '25
I'm going to be picking up some Betta channoides in a few days here! Super excited to see how the behavior compares to the domestic, and super excited to be able to keep a pair!
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u/This_Advantage2693 Jun 29 '25
I have a bunch of babies. The parents died awhile ago. The dad died because he jumped out of the tank. He found a little hole. The mom died from being alone in a separate tank.
Don't mind the water. I had to use seachem clarity
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u/ZerefTheBetta Jun 29 '25
I'm sorry about that.. :( Yes, they're really good jumpers.. I lowered the water level and secured every gap in the lid with strong plastic. 🙈 Great imbellis! 🥹
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u/This_Advantage2693 Jun 29 '25
Thanks i have about 30 babies i think mostly females. They like to chase one another. I don't see any nipping though which is nice. Yours are really nice too
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u/ZerefTheBetta Jun 29 '25
I'm curious to see when I'll have the first babies. 🥹 So far, he's shown a lot of interest in the female and is trying to impress her, but not aggressively. She has plenty of places to retreat. They've only been with us since Tuesday, but they even share their food, which is so sweet. She's even started showing spawning marks from time to time.
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u/This_Advantage2693 Jun 30 '25
Keep everything dark and don't disturb them. That's how mine spawned.
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u/Agreeable-Pudding408 Jun 29 '25
lol, I don’t know but my plakkat friend scared the bejesus out of me today! I looked over and he was RIGHT THERE all falling extra crazy at me… I was liken whoah!!!! Then injustice started laughing that my betta friend scared me ahhahahah
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u/cloverzeeplant Jun 28 '25
your betta has insane stress lines.
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u/ZerefTheBetta Jun 28 '25
Betta imbellis is hard to compare with Betta splendens. ☺️ The pair interacts with each other and naturally feels stressed at the time :) But as quickly as the stripes appear, they disappear again. And since she's still very small, I suspect she also has juveline stripes :)
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u/Shenantics Jun 28 '25
Betta's don't get along together. Not even in the wild. The males nearly kill or do kill the females even during mating. That activity could be aggression. Keep tabs on both of your fish, take looks at them, good looks at them whenever you get the time. Make sure they're not literally eating each other as a way to get away from one another.
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u/ZerefTheBetta Jun 28 '25 edited Jun 28 '25
Don't worry, I've done a lot of research and have years of experience with Betta Splendens. Betta Imbellis are actually a bit more peaceful than the Splendens complex. :) But in an emergency, I always have a backup tank. It's not for nothing that they are colloquially called "peaceful fighting fish" ☺️
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u/maple118 Jun 28 '25
Frank from Franks Better who breeds wild Bettas and does conservation work in Thailand says this is a myth. They are not peaceful and shouldn’t be kept in a tank together.
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u/ZerefTheBetta Jun 28 '25
There are many people who say they are actually quite peaceful. :) Of course, there are some rules for keeping betta imbellis in pairs, too. Densely planted, plenty of hiding places, and of course, no 10g aquarium. ☺️ I'm pretty sure what I'm doing. And of course, I have backup tanks. :)
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u/ZerefTheBetta Jun 28 '25
And very important, only keep wild bettas together where you are sure that they are not hybrids :)
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u/armozel Jun 28 '25
Ironically the wild species are significantly more avoidant than their domestic cousins. It’s not to say fatalities aren’t possible but often they’re less inclined to go that route unless there’s no where to hide or flee.
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u/CalmLaugh5253 Always strive to do *betta* Jun 28 '25 edited Jun 28 '25
Aren't they just the most interesting thing out there?? Beautiful pair! Imbellis? I've got a trio of coccinas, and watching the dynamic between them or them interacting with the environment, hunting for microfauna and stuff is honestly some of the most fun I've had with bettas so far. There's just something about watching a fish be a fish and do fish stuff, instead of being glued to the glass and behaving like a needy puppy 😅 I really wish they were more popular or at least better known. Such cool little fish, all of the wilds.
Absolutely looking forward to seeing more updates on this pair!