Why wild betta smaragdina are the BEST BETTA

[@ozpinoy]

I’ve got 9 gallon long in my office, with 2 smag guitar and a school of neons. Love their color and always draws the eyes of my clients and coworkers.

[@PrettyPinkPlantedAquatics]

Both males??

[@ozpinoy]

@@PrettyPinkPlantedAquatics yeah, 9 gallon long is large enough for both to establish their own territory and escape from aggression. It is also heavily planted, plus these are wild and not the overly bred variants.

[@PrettyPinkPlantedAquatics]

@@ozpinoy I always wondered if I could do that with the wilds. I’d love to get two in my ten gallon with a school of neons. That’s definitely in the works now lol

[@PrettyPinkPlantedAquatics]

@@ozpinoy do you post pics of your tanks anywhere? Reddit? Insta? I’d love to see it

[@ozpinoy]

@@PrettyPinkPlantedAquatics just keep in mind to have plants, that can block lines of sight so that they can hide and relax.

[@brachypelmasmithi2498]

Liked the content, and yes , please share the knowledge about breeding them! Looking forward to your next vids

[@simonark1176]

Thank you... They are beautiful indeed. I'm cycling my first aquarium and have my heart set on a wild betta. I feel the long fins are a bit too flashy for my taste. I want a more mysterious set up where the fish is more elusive amid beautiful plants. You've helped me make up my mind which type i think is a safe starting point ❤ You have a new subscriber here 👍

[@edmarcoslima4207]

please also show temperature in Celsius

[@morwenna]

I have three alien bettas and so far they're my healthiest and best-tempered of all my bettas! I hope to be able to get some smaragdina someday though!

[@BlackwaterAquatics]

that's good to hear! i never have them live longer than a year without having health issue.

[@kazekaen7271]

hi any update on your alien bettas? i’ve heard them getting health issues past the 1 year mark.

[@kenjiro2676]

4:42, I hope they remain temperature tolerant in the hobby Would it be a good idea to use cool temperatures as a culling method?

[@BlackwaterAquatics]

Yes actually, but it would be up to you. I live in CA and i can just leave them outdoor overwinter.

[@kenjiro2676]

@@BlackwaterAquatics sheesh, they really are resilient. Might keep a few as pond inhabitants then, I just need a new mini pond before I start thinking about getting some. Can they survive and overwinter when nights drop to near freezing?

[@BlackwaterAquatics]

@@kenjiro2676 I doubt they will survive freezing but we have never tried it. We're in California, so our winters don't freeze.

[@bobs5596]

growing up, 60 years ago, i had a betta splendens. blue and red, long fins,, that classic beauty. we had the power go off during a blizzard and had to stay with my uncle for a week. the tank didn't freeze, but the betta died, as well as the rest of the fish. it got pop-eye and lingered on for a week. i was upset to see it like that, but too uninformed to know i could have put it in a jar and brought it with me to a warmer house. (my uncle had a wood stove, and everyone including my grandparents moved in with him).

[@Fish_Nexus]

Extremely underrated video

[@fbasantajr]

Great video, a lot of information. Thank you from NYC

[@mass1387]

Nice video ! I have a 30L planted Tank with some shrimps. Do you know if two Bettas smaragdina would be compatible With ? Thank you 😊

[@charlesbradfield9205]

If you had asked me what my favorite wild Betta species was a few years ago, I would have likely said one of Betta unimaculata types. But the smaragdina group has slowly taken over in my heart. I spent a year and a half to get a successful spawn from my group of Betta unimaculata "Sangatta", but my Betta smaragdina casually just threw spawn after spawn. In that time, I got to watch these little fish and their drama of learning to be dads unfold. It was absolutely delightful. In the last few weeks, I have started working with my first Betta stiktos pair and my initial impression is that they have many of the things I love about other smaragdina types and then some unexpected benefits. Who knows? Maybe, in time, they'll become my favorite. Time will tell. TL;DR I cannot agree with you more. The entire smaragdina group is amazing and everyone should try them.

[@BlackwaterAquatics]

Im so glad someone share this experience with me. My main goal is to spread this to new wild betta keepers who are way too obsessed with alien type bettas. But mouth brooders are a whole different experience all together. I do have some theory on how to trigger mouth brooder to spawn. So stay tune!

[@charlesbradfield9205]

@@BlackwaterAquatics Keep up the good work! I've been preaching the good word of wild Betta with my co- hosts on our podcast for quite some time now. Haha. Trust me, I'll be sharing this video.

[@chrisshanks7725]

They look stunning! How aggressive are they? Are they still best kept alone or can you keep them in a community set up? Thanks

[@BlackwaterAquatics]

@chrisshanks7725 you can actually keep a pair in a 5 gallon thats densely planted and alot of hiding spot. They are no different than any splendens

[@dn7096_]

Great video

[@RED1982ONE]

Good knowledge u have👍. I'm from Malaysia😊

[@shannarafryer3111]

You should do a video on betta Persephone. They’re my dream betta but most videos on them are super old

[@berenicehickey9755]

I live here in Singapore. They are endangered and difficult to keep. It will also be very very shy.

[@shannarafryer3111]

@@berenicehickey9755 ah I didn’t know that, I’ve seen people keep them and say they were easy to care for. Even breeding isn’t that hard but its probably because of prior experience. Do you know what makes them hard to care for? Now I’m curious since I’ve had a hard time researching them in the past

[@berenicehickey9755]

Live food needed. The fish are taken from the wild here so are extremely stressed and shy. Also tiny so you rarely see him! He hides a lot. You are advised to only buy them if you intend breeding as they are pretty much wiped out in the wild due to pollution and humans taking them for the aquarium trade....

[@Gim-oe6rn]

A pair (male + female) in an aquarium 75 x 75 x 40h (or maybe 80 x 80 x 40) with a lot of plants (microsorum etc), wood and limnobiun + pistia as floating plants could work?

[@faizin5584]

what is the difference between smargdina rainbow and guitar?

[@zoutou123]

Can you also do a video on the betta mahachai in the future please?

[@rjv2395]

great vid, tks

[@gabrielmarques6656]

They are my favorites from splendens complex

[@Nefariouslash]

3 vital questions after this video :) Are they fit for a community tank at all given the mates are relevant? I.e. smagardinas aggression level towards same and other species. Or they only kept in a species tank? And last but not least are they hardy, i.e. don't get sick at the least reason like usual betta.

[@BlackwaterAquatics]

@Nefariouslash you can watch my newish video for the answer. You can keep males in community tank with many females or by themselves. Do not use 2 or more males

[@Dan-rb6fb]

This is a great video. Very entertaining and educational!

[@bobs5596]

yeah, i had no idea what an alien betta was. i thought they are close to wild type. i have a lot of catching up to do on this betta genus. i didn't know how diverse the genus is. all i am familiar with are the ones from 40 years ago in the hobby.

[@siddheshthomas8005]

I am in India, i want to procure the betta variety for a new setup. Suggestion pls

[@Betta_hunter]

Amazing ❤

[@Sparkeyaquatic777]

Super brother love from india 💓

[@southeastasianaquatics230]

Stunningly beautiful.

[@marchean83]

Can you keep them safly in pairs? Lots of sources say that you can. What's your opinion on that?

[@BlackwaterAquatics]

95% it wont work, but occasionally i have peaceful pair

[@marchean83]

@@BlackwaterAquatics Thanks.

[@LushSaltyAquariums]

Thank you for this. The juveniles look so muck like Licorice Gouramis!

[@inthebasement]

Blackwater Aquatics I wonder if you have experience of smaragdina tank sharing with aa small shoal of suitable fish eg ember tetra. Is stressed out fish inevitable? say in 15-20 g tanks. I don't love the common practice of keeping male betta alone long term I think they tend to get lethargic / depressed without any stimulation or activity.

[@BlackwaterAquatics]

He would do well with small tetras. But make sure the tetra dont out compete him for food.

[@Pembalap]

Thank you for explaining about Smaragdina. What do you mean with hybrid?

[@BlackwaterAquatics]

Hybrid is when a species has genetic from a different species. An example of hybrids are alien type bettas or domestic splendens.

[@zoutou123]

Is it true that the Mahachai is accepting of harder water because they naturally come from brackish water environments?

[@BlackwaterAquatics]

Brackish and hardness are different but in general yes mahachiensis can tolerate harder water. But that is true for almost all splendens. In VN some population of imb live in hard brackish water. For mouthbrooding wild bettas blackwater is almost always recommended.

[@charlesbradfield9205]

By definition, brackish environments are hardwater environments because brackish environments have an abundance of calcium, magnesium, and carbonates. All things that buffer the water into the "hardwater" range. Betta mahachaiensis does come from an environment that gets a bit of tidal influx, making it marginally brackish. There are also a few populations of Betta imbellis that come from similar "brackish" swamps. But I have to agree with the comment from BA, most splendens complex Betta species seem to handle hardwater just fine. I come from a region with pH around 7.6, a GH around 10, and a KH around 9; but I've never had a problem breeding wild Betta. So far, I've pulled off: unimaculata, splendens, smaragdina, imbellis, and mahachaiensis. With the efforts of some individuals in our local aquarium clubs, another dozen or so species have been spawned locally.

[@bobs5596]

@@charlesbradfield9205 i have that type of water in Wash DC. akaline and hard from limestone potomac river water.

[@calvinc6121]

Would smaragdina genes help in enhancing aggressiveness in fighter types?

[@BlackwaterAquatics]

No it would not, figthers have specific aggressive traits brought outbby selective breeding.

[@cashcash5995]

Every betta the call alien betta is is hybrid , I do not know how many % of each specie is used . The 4 species the Thai people uses to create very fancy color are: betta splenden , smaragdina , imbelis and Mahachai .

[@lifelusteall2676]

So stiktos is a smaragdina that is not called smaragdina? Will they be reclassified ?

[@BlackwaterAquatics]

Stiktos is a smaragdina type that are found in cambodia. They are different from other smaragdina by being stouter

[@atomic626]

The story of this sold me. I live in southern California too. Is there a way to buy from you fish and pick up locally to save on shipping? Because of you I have chlorella successfully growing and daphnia and moina. Can't thank you enough.

[@BlackwaterAquatics]

Yes you can pick up locally, we are in anaheim area

[@fred.abadio]

@@BlackwaterAquatics can you ship smaragdina male to GA?

[@AnnaMariaCiniErak]

uhaoo you fascinated me! I am an expert dog lover but a super novice in aquariums. I'm studying for my first aquarium by reading and watching lots of videos. You really struck me, I love wild shapes! But is it true that they are less aggressive and can you keep more of them together, like a couple or 1 M and more females? You would have removed all my doubts! Literaries?

[@BlackwaterAquatics]

I never recommend keeping splendens in groups unless it's females, you never know what kind of pairs you have.

[@berenicehickey9755]

Even females will kill each other, a female sorority will always stress the fish as this is not naturally how they live in a confined space in the wild. The females are forced to tolerate each other.

[@cashcash5995]

The betta Smaragdina is not only from Northeast Thailand , In Laos there is even more of them than in Thailand . The population in Laos is unknown because Laos has no international Airplane , the fish is no commercialized .

[@BlackwaterAquatics]

Yes that is true, thabks for pointing that out.

[@Sam-Videos]

I used to have this betta when I was in Laos back in 94! Mine was all green and another one was red and black.

[@cashcash5995]

@@Sam-Videos The bettas you catch around Vientiane is a betta Smaragdina but in city of Vientiane you catch many battas splenden . Laotians has been importing the fighter from Thailand for gambling , releasing them into the swarm , they survive .

[@AdnanSyaifulloh]

No one gives a shit

[@lokeshgnanasekar]

how much does a wild betta costs? WHere can we buy this beauty. Please let me know. Thank you for the video

[@BlackwaterAquatics]

My website bwaquatics.com

[@GustavoMRosario]

I’ve been trying to breed mine but my male betta won’t pick the eggs up and just leaves them in the bottom of the tank

[@BlackwaterAquatics]

Yeah some males are clueless, must be a young male.

[@guapforeign7861]

what species is spade tail bettas ? are spade tail orange and blue a true wild

[@BlackwaterAquatics]

Mahachai, splendens and smaragdina naturally have spadetail in the wild, while imbellis and siam do not.

[@BlackwaterAquatics]

Anything blue is not wild

[@dumtaminn]

Yep, Smaragdina Buriram are bred in Buriram Province in Thailand in the southern part of Northeast Thailand. That Guitar Carbon looks sexy af.

[@BlackwaterAquatics]

This is what i heard but i dont know if they are line bred to look that way alot of them appear to have mahachai tail.

[@diegomoralestattoo]

Buenísimo!!!

[@luckylee3455]

Where would you recommend getting one from in the US ?

[@BlackwaterAquatics]

You can get them from my online store. Www.bwaquatics.com I always persobally make sure my fish are of good quality

[@bobs5596]

this was my question also. very happy to find a knowledgeable breeder. i actually saw your ads on ebay yest, they were for aliens, if i remember right. i am very interested in finding the original green/brown wild type. i will wait til spring so they don't freeze during shippng.

[@nb8665]

Buriram is a province in Thailand.

[@mikejohe1920]

They look good to breed together with spade tails

[@aliencommander632]

how do you jar these? is there a special set up or is it left as a group?

[@BlackwaterAquatics]

I jar them like ny regular splendens, i habe a rack system for this.

[@northwestlife2794]

Do you have a website?

[@BlackwaterAquatics]

Yes bwaquatics.com

[@moza337]

Have you crossed imbelis x Hendra?

[@BlackwaterAquatics]

@@moza337 you can not cross splendens with coccinas

[@moza337]

​@@BlackwaterAquatics Why?

[@BlackwaterAquatics]

@@moza337 because they are two difference species complex

[@aquaticcreations3521]

🎉 wishing u best

[@thetofficial123]

Wow

[@stuffedlittlehouse-nhanhon6843]

So, can I raise these fish in temperate climate country?

[@BlackwaterAquatics]

Yes but you still need some amount of temperature stability. Tolerance is not the same as ideal.

[@yuh8946]

Can you keep them in colonies?

[@BlackwaterAquatics]

No

[@yuh8946]

​@@BlackwaterAquaticsthank you! How about in pairs in a planted tank?

[@jhndr0nia]

I don't agree in regard to the genetic diversity within the species. Multiple specimens are even referred to as cf. smaragdine indicating that it might be another species. It rather seems like there are multiple different similar species that are share many characteristics with B. smaragdina.

[@BlackwaterAquatics]

I see what you are saying, but all smaragdina share genetic markers with each other indicating that they had a common ancestors. But you are right that the diversity among them makes it so they could be refer to as different species

[@jhndr0nia]

​@@BlackwaterAquatics No, that's not exactly what I was saying. Obviously they share a common ancestor like B. splendens, B. imbellis, B. siamorientalis and B. mahachaiensis do. But not their diversity indicates that there might different species. It's mainly the naming cf., aff. etc. Of course it could be a diverse species and since the researches choose multiple smaragdina and putative smaragdina samples it seems like that. But if they would indeed believe it's a single species they wouldn't refer to them as cf. smaragdina. Species can be diverse but in this case it's rather believed that smaragdina is a species complex

[@Bingo_Betty]

are betta macrostoma wild?

[@BlackwaterAquatics]

Yes betta macrostoma is a type of wild betta

[@jamie3499]

Do you prefer imbellis or smaragdina?

[@BlackwaterAquatics]

Smaragdina

[@jamie3499]

@@BlackwaterAquatics interesting. For what reason?

[@MarcoRenovato-vd7op]

Anyone know which one is the most aggressive

[@berenicehickey9755]

I think Splendens....

[@tungtruong2094]

Do you sale?

[@Balvaro]

Hello! Do you know if smaragdina copper is a pure smaragdina morf or a hybrid? Thank you for the great video!

[@BlackwaterAquatics]

Copper is hybrid, pure fish are metallic green only

[@Balvaro]

@@BlackwaterAquatics thank you!

[@swanlake482]

Hello. I choose from three types of fish: betta smaragdina, betta imbellis and betta mahachai. 1 I would like to keep two or three pairs in one aquarium. 2 it is desirable that the color of females be as bright (or almost the same) as that of males. Which species of the above three would you recommend to me and what size aquarium is desirable for two or three couples? 

[@BlackwaterAquatics]

These fish should be kept in females sorority or solo male in a nano tank/community tank. You can keep some pairs in larger 10 gal tanks with some success but its dependent on the fish.

[@berenicehickey9755]

They will kill each other if you force them to live like that.

[@jenpink4298]

Beautiful 😍

[@fishomobile6214]

สวยมาก🙋

[@tonyher22]

I recently stumbled upon your videos and I love them. Keep up the great work! New subscriber here! Also, what did you breed your smaragdina to make that copper colored one? It looks amazing!

[@BlackwaterAquatics]

Copper comes from recessive iridescence with wildtype metallics. Im thibking about making a video to explain this in more detail, what do you think?

[@tonyher22]

@@BlackwaterAquatics that would be amazing if you could do that! Thanks!

[@padda61]

😍😍

[@emiliengoubert2781]

Hello, can we keep a single male?

[@BlackwaterAquatics]

Yes no reason why you cant

[@emiliengoubert2781]

@@BlackwaterAquatics thanks !

[@Babeaja2000]

bang harganya brp ya

[@ervhynerodriguez1815]

Why is that wild Betta needed a pair for competitions?

[@BlackwaterAquatics]

for the males to flare and check for fins quality.

[@blackshama9]

Smaragdina guitar Smaragdina rainbow Smaragdina copper Smaragdina hybrid Names of varian smaragdina

[@Foraminifera11]

คุณพูดชื่อจังหวัดบุรีรัมย์ได้ชัดเจนมาก

[@waltroskoh8650]

Doh jeh sai, yu see fu!

[@debrajdas9765]

in India we have "Koi maach" that one is more beautiful than this

[@zayne6180]

💦 𝐩𝓻Ỗ𝓂Ø𝓈Ｍ

[@franciscoemilianodiasmorei6491]

Gostei muito do vídeo, explicou muito bem. aprendie muito. Aratuba.ceara.brasil

[@alexhutton155]

Aliens are easy 🤷🏻‍♂️ but then again I grow corals too