Galaxy betta
Betta splendens
Parameter dashboard
22-30 °C
6-8
7 cm
3 years
Care guide
The galaxy koi betta is a selectively bred colour strain of Betta splendens, the Siamese fighting fish, a labyrinth fish from the warm, slow waters of Southeast Asia. The galaxy koi name describes its marbled, multi-coloured pattern: flecks of metallic blue, red, and white scattered over a darker body, and the pattern can change as the fish matures. Like every betta, it gulps air at the surface through a labyrinth organ, an adaptation to the oxygen-poor ditches, rice paddies, and floodplains its wild ancestors live in.
Males are highly territorial and will flare at and attack other males, so only one male belongs in a tank. They are carnivores, taking insect larvae, small crustaceans, and zooplankton in the wild, and quality betta pellets, frozen bloodworm, daphnia, and brine shrimp in the aquarium. Community keeping depends on the individual and needs a larger aquarium with plenty of cover, but avoid fin-nippers such as tiger barbs and other gouramis, and treat dwarf shrimp as possible snacks rather than safe tankmates.
Despite the old reputation as a bowl fish, a betta does best in a heated, gently filtered tank of at least 20 litres with the species care range of 22 to 30 degrees Celsius, in soft to moderately hard water that is slightly acidic to neutral. Bettas are bubble-nest breeders: a conditioned male blows a raft of bubbles at the surface, courts a female beneath it, wraps around her to fertilise the eggs, then guards the nest alone and returns any eggs that fall. A male and female should not be housed together as a routine display pair; supervised breeding introductions require a way to separate them.
Galaxy koi is an aquarium trade pattern name rather than a separate species. Use stable heated water with gentle filtration.
Sources
- seriouslyfish.com — https://www.seriouslyfish.com/species/betta-splendens/
- aqueon.com — https://www.aqueon.com/resources/care-guides/betta
- aquariumcoop.com — https://www.aquariumcoop.com/blogs/aquarium/betta-fish-care-guide
Further reading on identification and aquarium care.
Tankmate compatibility (sample)
Pairwise screening against other species in the database (prioritizing the same family when data is available).
Review first (11)
Caution or avoid from automated rules — confirm before mixing.
| Species | Assessment | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Chocolate gourami Sphaerichthys osphromenoides Caution | Caution | one of these species is highly aggressive and is usually best kept on its own · close relatives, and one of them is territorial, so both claim the same kind of space Open pair in Compare → |
| Dwarf gourami Trichogaster lalius Caution | Caution | Multiple territorial species in the same swim layer cause stress · one of these species is highly aggressive and is usually best kept on its own · close relatives, and one of them is territorial, so both claim the same kind of space Open pair in Compare → |
| Honey gourami Trichogaster chuna Caution | Caution | one of these species is highly aggressive and is usually best kept on its own · close relatives, and one of them is territorial, so both claim the same kind of space Open pair in Compare → |
| Pygmy gourami Trichopsis pumila Caution | Caution | one of these species is highly aggressive and is usually best kept on its own · close relatives, and one of them is territorial, so both claim the same kind of space Open pair in Compare → |
| Alien betta Betta splendens hybrid Avoid | Avoid | one of these species is highly aggressive and is usually best kept on its own · a highly aggressive fish takes long-finned tankmates for rivals and attacks them · close relatives, and one of them is territorial, so both claim the same kind of space Open pair in Compare → |
| Crescent betta Betta imbellis Avoid | Avoid | one of these species is highly aggressive and is usually best kept on its own · a highly aggressive fish takes long-finned tankmates for rivals and attacks them · close relatives, and one of them is territorial, so both claim the same kind of space Open pair in Compare → |
| Pearl gourami Trichopodus leerii Avoid | Avoid | one of these species is highly aggressive and is usually best kept on its own · a highly aggressive fish takes long-finned tankmates for rivals and attacks them · close relatives, and one of them is territorial, so both claim the same kind of space Open pair in Compare → |
| Siamese fighting fish Betta splendens Avoid | Avoid | Multiple territorial species in the same swim layer cause stress · one of these species is highly aggressive and is usually best kept on its own · a highly aggressive fish takes long-finned tankmates for rivals and attacks them · close relatives, and one of them is territorial, so both claim the same kind of space Open pair in Compare → |
| Snakehead Betta Betta channoides Avoid | Avoid | Multiple territorial species in the same swim layer cause stress · one of these species is highly aggressive and is usually best kept on its own · a highly aggressive fish takes long-finned tankmates for rivals and attacks them · close relatives, and one of them is territorial, so both claim the same kind of space Open pair in Compare → |
| Three spot gourami Trichogaster trichopterus Avoid | Avoid | Fish 2x+ larger may eat smaller tankmates · Multiple territorial species in the same swim layer cause stress · one of these species is highly aggressive and is usually best kept on its own · a highly aggressive fish takes long-finned tankmates for rivals and attacks them · close relatives, and one of them is territorial, so both claim the same kind of space Open pair in Compare → |
| White Seam Betta Betta albimarginata Avoid | Avoid | Fish 2x+ larger may eat smaller tankmates · Multiple territorial species in the same swim layer cause stress · one of these species is highly aggressive and is usually best kept on its own · a highly aggressive fish takes long-finned tankmates for rivals and attacks them · close relatives, and one of them is territorial, so both claim the same kind of space Open pair in Compare → |
Same rule engine as Compare. Not a substitute for observation, tank size, or acclimation.
Related species
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