We can just offer wonderful, full-grown German offspring of the largest bubblenest building fighting fish: Betta simorum. The animals reach a standard length (without caudal fin) of over 7 cm with a very slender body, i.e. almost 9 cm with caudal fin. Betta simorum occurs in the black water swamps of the province Jambi on Sumatra, in Riau province, and in West Kalimantan (Borneo) near Pontiak. The species is very closely related to Betta bellica, which also occurs on Sumatra (although in the Medan area), but whose main distribution area is in Malaysia. Both species can hardly be kept apart optically.
Betta simorum needs soft and acidic, ideally slightly brownish water and temperatures of 26-28°C in order to develop optimally and show beautiful colours. Among each other these fighting fish, like most wild forms, are relatively peaceful. In a well-structured aquarium with a lot of dead wood, dead leaves on the bottom and rich vegetation the fish are a show. The Rasbors living in such biotopes, like the harlequin barb (Trigonostigma heteromorpha), Rasbora kalochroma etc., are particularly suitable for community tanks with B. simorum. Pearl gourami (Trichogaster leerii) are also very suitable.
For our customers: the animals have code 387813 on our stocklist. Please note that we only supply wholesalers.
Text & photos: Frank Schäfer
