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Encyclopedia / Gouramis & Bettas / Persephone betta
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Variations

1 kinds · tap one for a closer look

Persephone betta

Betta persephone · Persephone, Black betta, Betta persephone

Peaceful and shy; best in a quiet tank with no tankmates or tiny peaceful ones.

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3.5 cmBody length, without tail ✓
22–27 °CTemperature ✓
4–6pH ✓
40 LSmallest tank ✓
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Tank mates
Check your own mix →
Not recommended
  • Tinfoil barb eats animals up to about 5 cm. Persephone betta only grows to 3.5 cm.
  • Only a narrow pH range suits both: exactly 6.
Not recommended
  • White cloud mountain minnow needs cool water and makes a lot of waste, while Persephone betta is tropical.
  • Only a narrow temperature range suits both: exactly 22 °C.
Not recommended
  • They need very different water (pH 4–6 vs 7.5–8.5).
With conditions
  • Only a narrow pH range suits both: exactly 6.
With conditions
  • Only a narrow pH range suits both: exactly 6.
Compatible
Compatible
Compatible
Compatible
Compatible

110 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 ✓Peaceful
Swims at ?Top
Care level ✓Moderate
Diet Carnivore
Lifespan ?Unknown
Size in shops 2.5–3.5 cm
Growth Medium

Behavior

Peaceful and shy; best in a quiet tank with no tankmates or tiny peaceful ones.

Food

Small live foods such as baby brine shrimp, cyclops and mosquito larvae.

Tap a food to see what it is.

Male or female

Males are more intensely coloured (blackish with light green iridescence on the fins) and develop longer fins than females; females are browner.

Health

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

Breeding

Bubble-nester ·

Bubble-nester. The male builds the nest under a leaf, in a tube or among floating plants; both parents normally help with brood care and do not usually eat the fry, which take microworm and Artemia nauplii once free-swimming. Needs very soft, acidic, dim conditions.

Pairing

A conditioned pair in a species tank.

Setup

15-20 L blackwater tank with peat, leaf litter and floating plants.

What starts it

Soft acidic water, low light and live foods.

Eggs

Usually fewer than 20 eggs, sometimes up to 50. Eggs hatch in 24-72 hours and stay in the nest 3-4 more days.

Raising the fry

Fry take infusoria and baby brine shrimp.

Common mistakes
  • Hard water
  • Disturbance
  • Poor-quality food
Full breeding guide, day-by-day plan and simulator →

Where it lives in the wild

RegionJohor, southern Peninsular Malaysia
HabitatPeat-swamp forest pools
Native rangeAbout 50 km across
See it on the world map

The story of the persephone betta

A tiny, nearly black bubble-nesting betta from the peat swamp forests of south-western Johor, Malaysia, named after Persephone, queen of the Underworld, for its dark colour. Most of its habitat has been cleared for oil palm and it is listed as Endangered.

Dietrich Schaller described this dark betta in 1986, naming it after the Greek queen of the underworld for its near-black colour. It comes from a very small area of peat swamp.

First described by Dietrich Schaller in 1986. Named for Named after Persephone, Greek goddess of the underworld.

  • It is one of the darkest bettas.
  • It is part of the coccina group of small bettas.
  • Its tiny range makes it vulnerable to forest clearing.

Sources

16 facts checked with sources