At a glance the quick version
Seriously Fish gives 40 mm standard length; FishBase gives 5.6 cm total length.
Looks how to spot one
Scales, slender labyrinth fish
A small, slim wild betta with a deep wine-red body. It has a labyrinth organ for breathing air at the surface. Males have longer fins and a shimmering green patch on the flank.231
Personality what they are like
Fairly quiet and shy. Males hold small territories; some keepers manage small groups with plenty of cover while others prefer a single pair.23
Daily activity how busy a day looks
Low activity; it moves slowly among plants and leaf litter in calm water.2
Grooming and care the hands-on bits
Feed small portions because it gains weight easily. Keep a lid on the tank and keep the water soft, acidic and very clean with gentle flow.2
Home where they are happiest
A tank of about 40 litres (45 x 30 cm base) suits a pair or small group. Temperature 22-30 C (FishBase gives 24-27 C), pH 4.0-6.0, very soft water (about 1-5 dGH). Dim lighting, leaf litter, floating plants and tannin-stained water mirror its blackwater peat swamp home.21
Food basics what goes in the bowl
Small live or frozen foods such as daphnia, brine shrimp and bloodworm, plus some dried food once accepted.23
Company who they like around
Best kept as a pair or a small group on its own or with very calm tankmates; not suited to a busy community tank.23
The story where it all began
Described by Joerg Vierke in 1979, it gave its name to the Betta coccina group of small red peat-swamp bettas. Its home is the acidic blackwater forests of Sumatra and southern Malaysia.123
Fun facts for the dinner table
- 1
Its species name coccina is Latin for scarlet, after its body colour.2
- 2
It lives in peat swamp water that can be extremely acidic, with pH readings as low as 3 to 4.2
- 3
Broods are small, often fewer than 20 eggs, guarded in a male-built bubble nest.2
- 4
A labyrinth organ lets it breathe air, a feature it shares with all bettas.3
Recognised by the official bits
- IUCN Red List
- Vulnerable (assessed 28 December 2018)1
- Taxonomy
- Family Osphronemidae; described by Joerg Vierke in 1979; type species of the Betta coccina group2
The care rhythm Furry Diary remembers it for you
A typical home-care rhythm for a Scarlet Betta. It is our own starting plan, not a vet's advice, and you can change every line in the app.
- Feedingevery day
- Temperature checkevery day
- Water changeAbout 25% of the waterevery week
- Water testevery week
- Filter rinseevery month
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Where this comes from
Every breed page shows where each fact comes from. If we got something wrong, sorry, we are pet people, not a science magazine. Tell us at support@furrydiary.app and we will fix it.
- FishBase: Betta coccina summary fishbase.seused for origin, size, water parameters, IUCN status
- Seriously Fish: Betta coccina seriouslyfish.comused for care, habitat, diet, behaviour, etymology, breeding
- Wikipedia: Betta coccina en.wikipedia.orgused for other names, colours, history
Checked 2026-09-30. Text is written in our own words from these sources.