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Encyclopedia / Gouramis & Bettas / Foerschi betta
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Variations

1 kinds · tap one for a closer look

Foerschi betta

Betta foerschi · Foerschi, Forsch's betta, Betta foerschi

Males are territorial and may fight; a single male with females is better.

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7 cmBody length, without tail ✓
24–28 °CTemperature ✓
4–6pH ✓
54 LSmallest tank ✓
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Tank mates
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Not recommended
  • White cloud mountain minnow needs cool water and makes a lot of waste, while Foerschi betta is tropical.
  • They need different temperatures (24–28 °C vs 14–22 °C). No setting suits both.
Not recommended
  • They need very different water (pH 4–6 vs 7.5–8.5).
Not recommended
  • Giant gourami eats animals up to about 10 cm. Foerschi betta only grows to 7 cm.
  • Their pH needs don't quite meet (4–6 vs 6.5–8). Aim between the two and keep it steady.
With conditions
  • Only a narrow temperature range suits both: 24–25 °C.
With conditions
  • Only a narrow pH range suits both: exactly 6.
Compatible
Compatible
Compatible
Compatible
Compatible

113 species in our list are a good match.

Facts checked against sources on 16 Oct 2026. ✓ means a source backs it; ? means no reliable source yet. See sources

Care and water

Hardness ✓1–5 dGH
Group size ✓2 or more
Temperament ?Semi-aggressive
Swims at ?Top
Care level ✓Moderate
Diet Carnivore
Lifespan ?Unknown
Size in shops 4–6 cm
Growth Medium

Behavior

Males are territorial and may fight; a single male with females is better.

Food

Frozen bloodworms, brine shrimp and small live foods.

Tap a food to see what it is.

Male or female

Males are more colourful and develop longer unpaired fins; the two gill-cover bars are orange-red and sharper in males, golden-yellow in females.

Health

Common problems. Tap one to see the signs. This is a guide, not a diagnosis.

Breeding

Mouthbrooder · Moderate

Paternal mouthbrooder. Unusually, the eggs are caught on the female's anal fin and the male takes them straight into his mouth. He broods them 8-14 days and may even feed during this time; adults tend not to eat the fry, which take microworm and Artemia nauplii at once.

Pairing

A group of 4-6, letting a pair form.

Setup

60 L planted tank with caves.

What starts it

Warm water and live foods.

Eggs

Egg count not given by sources; the male broods the eggs for 8-14 days.

Raising the fry

Fry take baby brine shrimp from day 1.

Common mistakes
  • Boisterous tankmates
  • Hard water
Full breeding guide, day-by-day plan and simulator →

Where it lives in the wild

RegionCentral Kalimantan, Borneo, Indonesia
HabitatBlackwater forest streams and swamps
Native rangeAbout 250 km across
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The story of the foerschi betta

A paternal mouthbrooding betta from forest swamp streams in Central and West Kalimantan, Indonesian Borneo, with iridescent blue or green unpaired fins and two reddish-yellow bars on the gill cover. Many fish sold under this name are the similar B. mandor. Listed as Endangered.

Jörg Vierke described this betta in 1979, honouring aquarist Walter Foersch. It is a mouthbrooder valued for its blue-green body and red gill markings.

First described by Jörg Vierke in 1979. Named for Named after German aquarist Walter Foersch.

  • Males brood the eggs in their mouths.
  • Its gill covers show two red bars.
  • It lives in soft, acidic blackwater.

Sources

16 facts checked with sources