Brown's Betta

About

Found wild in the blackwater peat swamp forests of Borneo, Betta brownorum is a member of the so-called coccina group. A cluster of small, mostly red-bodied bettas that can be tricky to tell apart. This species stands out from its relatives by a large, iridescent green blotch on the flank, present in both sexes, set against a reddish-magenta body with a red and white-tipped pelvic fin. The peat swamps it calls home are intensely acidic, shallow, and tannin-stained environments, and replicating those soft, acidic conditions in the aquarium matters quite a bit for this fish's long-term health. Like all anabantoids, it breathes atmospheric air using a labyrinth organ, and access to warm, humid surface air is genuinely important. Especially for developing fry. Despite landing in the beginner care category, it is not a community fish in the usual sense. Larger or more boisterous tankmates will stress it out, so peaceful nano species from similar habitats are the safer choice. It is a bubble-nesting spawner, and breeding in captivity is very achievable with some attention to cover and water conditions. Groups can sometimes be kept together, though reports on how well that goes vary. Some individuals are more assertive than others.