As you may know, there are many variants of betta fish. Some are common, while some are rare. Purple betta fish is an extremely rare color that experienced betta fish keepers try to acquire.
If you’ve got a pure purple one, then you are so lucky ( and you must be so rich!)
Because it took more money to buy this fish, it is crucial to take care of your purple Betta in the best possible way.
This guide will help you take care of your purple Betta in the right way.
What is Purple Betta Fish?
Jump To
- 1 What is Purple Betta Fish?
- 2 How big do Purple Betta Fish get?
- 3 Is Purple Betta Fish aggressive?
- 4 Purple Betta Fish behavior
- 5 How long does Purple Betta Fishs live?
- 6 One look care guide
- 7 Purple Betta Fish care
- 8 Purple Betta Fish breeding
- 9 Special tips
- 10 How to feed Purple Betta Fish?
- 11 What fish can live with Purple Betta Fish?
- 12 Is Purple Betta Fish rare?
Also called Siamese fighting fish, betta fish is a labyrinth fish hailing from Siam (Thailand). These fish inhabits slow-moving waters, rice fields, and small ponds.
Scientifically named Betta splendens, betta fish comes in various colors. The primary colors are Blue, Red, Yellow, Turquoise, White, and Orange. But, due to cross-breeding, you’ll find betta fish in every color, including purple.
However, the elusive purple betta fish is considered the rarest color in the trade because of the difficulty in acquiring the true purple color.
In fact, the purplish pinkish color you see is not the true purple Betta.
This is because, during cross-breeding, the intensity of the red color in betta fish fades when it is crossed with another color.
So, the purple Betta you see has lesser red in them compared to the original. Some examples are purple salamander, purple gas and a purple popsicle.
So far, the purest purple betta fish was produced by a Bangkok breeder, Mr. Chiawcharn Chaisaeng, from Minburi Betta farm.
It wasn’t just luck, but years of experimenting with colors. That is why purple betta fish is so expensive than other colors.
To breed the pure version of purple betta, experienced aquarists try to use royal blue bettas.
In this process, a blue butterfly spawn paired with a blue/red female to acquire pure purple color.
How big do Purple Betta Fish get?
The color doesn’t change the standard size of betta fish. Purple betta fish also reach about 2.5 inches maximum in captivity.
Is Purple Betta Fish aggressive?
Yes. Elusive Purple betta fish are aggressive as they are Siamese fighting fish. They are one of the most aggressive betta fish variants.
It is better not to keep two or more males in a small tank. They will fight and kill each other. There is no question of the outcome; only one male Betta will survive in such fights.
Purple Betta Fish behavior
As their common name suggests (Siamese fighting fish), betta fish are fighting fish in nature. They are very aggressive and territorial.
You should never keep bettas in the same tank because they will fight and kill each other. They also will fight with any other similar-looking fish, especially with those who have long fins.
However, this fighting nature changes from fish to fish. Some bettas are more docile and less aggressive than others.
Their behavior is more of a behavioral trait that is hereditary. Some betta owners claim that their Betta never fought with any other fish in the past.
However, they point out that it is because of aquarium size or tankmates.
In fact, when betta fish owners come to us asking for help in this subject, we always say that the result is never 100% positive even if you do it in the right way.
In short, if your betta fish has been showing signs of aggressiveness from the moment you bought it, then you will not be able to house your Betta in a community tank.
Apart from their aggressive behavior, they are intelligent species. Most bettas learn from their surroundings and adapt to them.
For example, they can learn when they see their owner’s hand close to the tank means it’s feeding time. Sometimes, the behavior looks like a learned trait rather than an instinct.
How long does Purple Betta Fishs live?
Purple betta fish can live up to 10 years in captivity. But, it is considered the upper limit of their lifespan because of their aggressive nature.
If you keep them in a community tank, the betta fish will fight with its tankmates, and one will die.
One look care guide
| Scientific name | Betta splendens |
| Common name | Siamese fighting fish Betta fish |
| Care level | Moderate |
| Native to | Thailand |
| Type | Freshwater fish |
| Color | variety of colors and patterns |
| Tank size | 10 gallons optimum 5 gallons minimum |
| Preferred temperature | 75 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit |
| Other water parameters (ammonia, etc.) | pH level of 6.5 to 8.0 Hardness around 5 – 20 DH or 70-300 ppm Ammonia and nitrite level of 0ppm Nitrate below 20 ppm. |
| Preferred salinity | No salinity |
| Size | 2.5 inches |
| Life span | Up to 10 years |
| Temperament | Aggressive |
| Recommended tank mates | Neon tetrasBlue GouramiAfrican Dwarf FrogsPictus catfishCorydoras Catfish |
| Preferred food | live or frozen food like brine shrimp Krills bloodworms blackworms betta fish pellets flakes |
| Feeding frequency | two times per day |
| breeding | Egg layers, suitable for experienced breeders |
Purple Betta Fish care
Some people claim that betta fish can be kept in bowls because they are labyrinth fish. But, they also require plenty of water to thrive.
Although bettas can survive in bowls, their life expectancy decreases significantly.
The essential thing in betta fish care is the tank size and the number of its tankmates. Bettas are aggressive and territorial fish, so they cannot be kept with other fish.
The number of fish or size of the tank does not matter if you do not want house bettas with other fish.
Purple Betta Fish size
They can grow up to 2.5 inches in size, which is the same as other bettas.
Purple Betta Fish tank size
Betta fish can live in tanks as small as 5 gallons, but keep in mind that they prefer to live in much larger tanks. The bigger the tank, the better it is for betta fish.
Keeping bettas in small bowls or tanks can cause stress. Thus, they become ill-tempered and start to fight with their other fish tankmates.
The recommended minimum tank size for one purple betta fish is 10 gallons.
How many Purple Betta Fish should be kept together?
You can not keep more than one Betta in a small tank because they will fight with each other until death.
A breeding pair might work, but it depends on the fish. Some bettas are not interested in reproducing.
Tank setup
Bettas come from Asia. They are native to ponds, rice paddies, swamps, and slow-moving streams of Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, and Malaysia.
In order to keep your purple Betta happy and satisfied, you should recreate the natural betta fish habitat in your aquarium.
Substrate
For a betta fish tank, you can use gravel or sand as the substrate. If you choose gravel, then the size of the pebbles should not be larger than 1/2 inch in diameter.
Gravel is good for bettas because they are naturally accustomed to living in the wild without sharp substrates. If you choose sand, you can easily clean it with a siphon.
Filtration system
Bettas prefer clean and clear water. Although these fish can live in poorly oxygenated water because of their labyrinth organ, keeping them in dirty water is not advised.
Always keep your tank filter running because bettas also produce waste. If you don’t, then your betta fish will get sick.
Hiding place and plants
Bettas like to hide when they feel stressed. So, you should provide them with plenty of hiding places in your aquarium.
Driftwood, plants, and caves are perfect hiding spots for bettas. If you choose artificial plants, always choose silky ones because plastic ones may hurt Betta’s delicate fins.
The same rule applies to other decorations. All the decorations and equipment must be soft surfaced to keep your Betta safe.
Lighting
Betta fish are diurnal fish species, so they require some light to induce their natural behavior.
Although you can keep them in the dark for most of the day, they will appreciate moderate light because it simulates sunlight in their natural habitat.
Water flow
Bettas’ natural habitats are slow-moving waters. Therefore, you should not create a fast water current in your tank.
Bettas have long fins, which make it more difficult for them to swim in fast-flowing waters.
If you use a filter, choose an adjustable model so you can slow down the water flow when necessary.
Water quality condition
Like any other betta, purple betta fish are also susceptible to water changes. You should provide clean, fresh water to your betta fish tank.
Tap water is not suitable for bettas because it contains chlorine and other dangerous chemicals for their health.
You can use spring or distilled water to fill your betta tank. If you live in the city, run the tap for a few minutes before you fill the tank in order to get rid of chlorine and other chemicals in tap water.
The ideal water conditions are,
- the pH level of 6.5 to 8.0
- Temperature between 75 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit
- Hardness around 5 – 20 DH or 70-300 ppm
- Ammonia and nitrite level of 0ppm
- Nitrate below 20 ppm.
Make sure that you always check the water quality. To keep your Betta healthy, you should change 10%- 20% of the water every week.
Purple Betta Fish breeding
Betta fish are not an easy fish species to breed. In the case of purple betta fish breeding, it is nearly impossible unless you are an extremely experienced betta fish breeder.
To breed elusive purple betta fish, you need to know about their elusive genetics. A recessive gene causes purple coloration.
This means that the purple betta fish has to inherit this gene from both of its parents in order to be purple.
Sometimes it is nearly impossible for the betta fish breeder to find a mating pair that carries this gene because it is rare.
Before you decide to breed betta fish, you should read some facts about betta fish breeding. This will prevent you from unnecessary disappointments in coloration.
Purple Betta Fish male or female identification
This rare betta fish males have longer dorsal, ventral and caudal fins.
The fins of the male betta fish are often taller than their body height. Therefore, these fins tend to droop when swimming.
Male purple betta fish have thicker and more colorful bodies than female ones. Sometimes, some purple betta females look like males because their fins are as long as males.
Generally, the fish with shorter fins are female ones. Again, this can change because there is a shorter fin variety of betta fish.
This sex identification is the most challenging task in betta fish breeding. However, experts can quickly identify the gender of a fish due to their detailed observations.
Identify pregnant Purple Betta Fish and Purple Betta Fish pregnancy stages
Betta fish can not be pregnant because they are egg-laying fish. However, when a female betta fish is carrying eggs to spawn, people consider them pregnant and use the term “gravid.”
When a female betta is gravid, her belly becomes round and bigger, and her color becomes deep.
If you want to identify a gravid purple betta fish, you should know that this process can take several months.
You should keep an eye on the female Betta for some time to find out if she is carrying eggs or not.
Purple Betta Fish breeding
Betta fish are ready to breed when they grow up to 2 inches approximately in length.
When a female betta fish is ready to breed, she will look for a suitable place in the tank to spawn her eggs.
At this time, you should remove all other fishes from your betta tank because they might eat your eggs or hurt your pregnant female betta fish.
When the breeding pair is ready to spawn, the male fish creates a bubble nest in the aquarium.
This is the time you should introduce the gravid Betta to the male fish. Once they’ve found each other, they go through an elaborate courtship and mating dance.
When the female Betta starts laying eggs, the male collects them and deposits them in the nest.
After the pair spawn, the male fish starts to guard the eggs and chase the female away. The betta eggs take about three days to hatch. Until then, the male fish protects the eggs.
How many babies do Purple Betta Fish have?
Betta fish usually lays about 40 to 50 eggs at a time. However, it is not unusual if your fish lays about 500 eggs at a time.
Purple Betta Fish fry care
After the betta fish eggs hatch, you should feed them live food like infusoria until they reach 1 cm in size because these fish fry cannot eat prepared betta fish food.
When the fry is about 1 cm long, you should use betta “baby” food to feed them.
Special tips
Since purple betta fish are susceptible to water changes, you need to acclimate them before introducing them to the aquarium.
It is not wise to simply dump your new fish to the aquarium. You have to float the fish in its current container and slowly replace the water until your fish get used to the new aquarium conditions. Otherwise, your fish may get stressed and die.
How to feed Purple Betta Fish?
Betta fish are carnivore fish. Therefore, they need a protein-rich diet to thrive in captivity.
Most of the time, you should feed them live or frozen food like brine shrimp, Krills, bloodworms, or blackworms.
You can also feed them with pellets or flakes especially made for betta fish. Pellets can be a good option if you can not afford to buy live or frozen food daily.
Feeding them twice per day is enough. Also, avoid overfeeding by providing the food for about 3 to 5 minutes and removing them after your fish finish eating.
What fish can live with Purple Betta Fish?
Betta fish are not good tank mates with other species of fish. Bettas are one of the most aggressive freshwater fish species that can not coexist with other fish species.
Especially, you can not house two bettas in one tank unless it is a breeding pair. Otherwise, both fish will fight each other until one dies.
However, you can house certain fish species with your purple betta fish. The rules are,
The tank mate shouldn’t look similar-looking – If the fish you plan to add has bright colors and fins resembling Betta, then your purple Betta will start a fight with other fish.
The tank mate shouldn’t be territorial – Bettas are highly territorial fish that prefer solitary. If its tank mate doesn’t bother your Betta to claim their territory, your Betta is cool with them.
The tank mate shouldn’t be a fin nipping fish – Bettas have long fins, and if you house fin nipping fish with your Betta, then it will be a disaster for both fish. So, never add a fin nibbler to your betta tank.
Some suitable purple betta fish tank mates are,
- Neon tetras
- Blue Gourami
- African Dwarf Frogs
- Pictus catfish
- Corydoras Catfish
Related Questions
Is Purple Betta Fish rare?
Purple betta fish are among the rarest betta fish colors in the world, if not the rarest. There is no pure purple betta fish out there.
They are just confusingly called “purple” bettas because of their color that resembles the purple color.
The closest to pure purple betta fish have been bred by a Bangkok breeder, Mr. Chiawcharn Chaisaeng, from Minburi Betta farm. All others are just purple hues or colors that resemble purple.
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