Wine-red betta
A small deep-red bubble-nesting Betta from Sumatran peat swamp, with a green iridescent spot on the flank in good condition. It is a blackwater specialist that fades to brown in ordinary tap water and is often assumed to be a dull fish as a result.
Quick profile
- Scientific name
- Betta coccina
- Adult size
- 4–5.5 cm (1.6–2.2 in)
- Lifespan
- 3–5 years
- Temperature
- 24–28 °C (75–82 °F)
- pH
- 4–6
- Hardness
- 0–4 °dGH
- Minimum tank
- 30 L (8 US gal)
- Minimum length
- 50 cm
- Swimming zone
- All levels
- Social
- Pair
- Diet
- Micropredator
- Overall confidence
- moderate confidence
What keeping this species involves
Requires genuinely soft acidic water to show what it is, live food, dense cover and a sealed lid. In ordinary water it survives as a brown fish.
Shallow blackwater peat swamp pools and ditches, deeply stained, extremely soft and almost still.
Identity and names
- Common name
- Wine-red betta
- Scientific name
- Betta coccina
- Family
- Osphronemidae
- Order
- Anabantiformes
- Class
- Actinopterygii
- Also sold as
- Betta coccina, coccina, clarets betta, wine red fighter
Adult size and growth
4–5.5 cm (1.6–2.2 in)
Typical lifespan in an aquarium: 3–5 years. Almost every animal sold in a shop is a juvenile, so the tank has to suit the size in the first line rather than the size in the bag.
Shape, which is what the compatibility engine reads instead of length alone: deep-bodied with a small terminal mouth. Assigned from what is typical of Osphronemidae, not examined for this species.
Water and tank requirements
A small territorial fish kept as a pair in dense cover. Floor area with broken sight lines matters more than volume.
Temperature (°C)
Scale: 0 to 36 °C.
pH (pH)
Scale: 4 to 9.5 pH.
Hardness (°dGH)
Scale: 0 to 30 °dGH.
Why these ranges: Sumatran peat swamp water is among the softest and most acidic fresh water there is. This species does not merely prefer it; colour, breeding and disease resistance all depend on it, and it is routinely kept in water many times harder.
Where these figures come from
Habitat class
Peat swamp forest
Standing or barely-moving water over deep peat, in Sundaland and analogous systems. The most acidic fresh water routinely inhabited by aquarium fish.
Species from here are adapted to oxygen levels that would kill most fish, which is why so many of them breathe air. The pH is genuinely extreme and generally does NOT have to be reproduced for maintenance, only for breeding.
- Conductivity
- 10–70 µS/cm
- Flow
- still
- Dissolved oxygen
- low
- Seasonality
- moderate
These are figures for the KIND of water body, not measurements of this species. They are AquariumHQ’s summary of the general limnology and are given wide because the water is.
- TemperatureReasoned on this record
- This record states its own reason for this band. See the water section.
- pHReasoned on this record
- This record states its own reason for this band. See the water section.
- General hardnessReasoned on this record
- This record states its own reason for this band. See the water section.
| Requirement | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Temperature | 24–28 °C (75–82 °F) | Stability matters more than hitting an exact figure. |
| pH | 4–6 | A stable pH outside the ideal band is usually better than an unstable one inside it. |
| General hardness | 0–4 °dGH | Check your supplier's published figure before choosing species. |
| Minimum volume | 30 L (8 US gal) | A floor, not a recommendation. |
| Minimum footprint | 50 cm long × 25 cm deep | A small territorial fish kept as a pair in dense cover. Floor area with broken sight lines matters more than volume. |
| Water flow | still | Match the outflow to this rather than to the filter's rating. |
| Lid required | Yes | This species jumps. |
| Structure | Deep leaf litter, dense planting, dim light and a tightly sealed lid. Almost no flow. |
Behaviour
- Hangs among leaf litter and dense planting rather than in open water.
- Males build small nests in cavities and under leaves rather than in open surface foam, which makes the nest easy to miss.
Telling males from females
Males are deep red with a green flank spot and longer fins; females are browner with shorter fins and show the spot faintly or not at all.
Feeding
A hunter of small invertebrates that often refuses dry food entirely. Live and frozen food is the practical requirement.
- Diet type
- Micropredator
- Staples
- Live daphnia, Frozen bloodworm, Live blackworm, Frozen cyclops
Breeding
- Strategy
- A small bubble nest under a leaf or in a cavity, guarded by the male
- Difficulty
- straightforward
- Parental care
- guarding
Tankmates and compatibility
Assessments are derived from stored traits by the compatibility engine, with the reasoning shown. A verdict is a statement about probability, not a guarantee — individual temperament can override it.
| Towards | Risk | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Small fish | moderate | Anything that fits in the mouth is at risk once this species reaches adult size. |
| Adult dwarf shrimp | high | Cover reduces losses but rarely prevents them where the risk is high. |
| Shrimplets | near-certain | Determines whether a shrimp colony can grow rather than merely persist. |
| Snails | low | Applies to snails you wanted as well as snails you did not. |
| Long or trailing fins | occasional | Fin damage is an entry point for secondary infection. |
| Plants | none | Tough species such as Anubias and Java fern survive most grazers. |
Any pair in the catalogue can be assessed with the compatibility checker.
Welfare considerations
Points where the way this species is commonly sold or kept differs from what it actually needs.
- Peat swamp habitat in Sumatra and Malaysia has been extensively drained and converted, and several Betta species from this habitat are seriously threatened.
- Sold from hard neutral shop water where it shows almost none of its colour. A fish bought on the strength of a shop tank is a different-looking animal in its own conditions.
Problems to watch for
Most problems in a tank containing this species are general rather than species-specific. Start with the troubleshooting index and work from the observation rather than from a guess at the cause.
What AquariumHQ does not yet hold
Species-level disease susceptibility is modelled in the graph and is not yet populated. Health pages will not be published until each condition has veterinary sourcing, because health content written without evidence is the most harmful thing this product could publish. The gap is recorded in the coverage report.
Where it comes from
- Native range
- Sumatra and peninsular Malaysia — peat swamp forest
- Habitat
- Shallow blackwater peat swamp pools and ditches, deeply stained, extremely soft and almost still.
What the checklists say
2 distribution statements retrieved from GBIF checklists. Establishment means is reproduced from the source where it states one, and left unstated where it does not — a record of presence is not a record of origin.
| Status | Places | What this means |
|---|---|---|
| Recorded as present, establishment means not stated | 2 | The source records the species as present and does not say whether it is native or introduced. AquariumHQ does not fill that in. |
No checklist AquariumHQ holds positively calls this species native anywhere, so the native range above rests on AquariumHQ’s own reading of the literature rather than on a cited checklist.
Evidence
Every stored value with the kind of support behind it and where to check it. Evidence type and confidence are separate axes: an editorial position held confidently and a measurement held tentatively are different things.
| Claim | Value | Evidence type | Confidence | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| scientific name | Betta coccina | Observed / measured | high confidence | Catalogue of Life; GBIF — Global Biodiversity Information Facility |
| native range | Sumatra and peninsular Malaysia — peat swamp forest | Observed / measured | moderate confidence | GBIF — Global Biodiversity Information Facility |
| adult size | 4–5.5 cm | Aquarium-literature consensus | moderate confidence | AquariumHQ husbandry synthesis |
| lifespan | 3–5 years | Aquarium-literature consensus | moderate confidence | AquariumHQ husbandry synthesis |
| temperature | 24–28 °C | Aquarium-literature consensus | moderate confidence | AquariumHQ husbandry synthesis |
| ph | 4–6 pH | Aquarium-literature consensus | moderate confidence | AquariumHQ husbandry synthesis |
| general hardness | 0–4 °dGH | Aquarium-literature consensus | moderate confidence | AquariumHQ husbandry synthesis |
| minimum tank volume | ≥ 30 L | AquariumHQ editorial position | moderate confidence | AquariumHQ husbandry synthesis |
| minimum tank length | ≥ 50 cm | AquariumHQ editorial position | moderate confidence | AquariumHQ husbandry synthesis |
Last reviewed 2026-08-10. Values labelled as an aquarium-literature consensus are AquariumHQ editorial positions rather than measurements — see how evidence is handled.
Why we say this
What each figure on this page rests on, and how far that is from being independently established.
Every figure on this page has a provenance. Open any claim to see what AquariumHQ holds for it, which sources say what, and what a claim of that kind actually needs. Different claims need different evidence: an accepted scientific name is settled by one authority, while a legal restriction needs a current primary instrument. A single source is often the right answer rather than a thin one.
scientific nameAquariumHQ's own position, externally checkableBased on a verified authoritative source.
AquariumHQ's own position on a claim an external source could support.
What this kind of claim needs: accepted scientific name and classification — 1 authoritative source in an appropriate context. Checked against gbif on 2026-08-29. One authoritative backbone is what this class requires.
What would improve this: Go and read a source. This is reachable and has not been reached.
native rangeAquariumHQ's own position, externally checkableLimited evidence — treat with caution.
AquariumHQ's own position on a claim an external source could support.
What this kind of claim needs: where the species occurs — 1 authoritative source in an appropriate context. 2 distribution statements held, and not one of them states an establishment means. Presence without native-or-introduced is not a native-range claim, so this stays below requirement rather than being read as one.
What would improve this: Go and read a source. This is reachable and has not been reached.
adult sizeAquariumHQ's own position, externally checkableAquariumHQ's own position, derived from evidenced inputs.
AquariumHQ's own position on a claim an external source could support.
What this kind of claim needs: size a well-kept specimen reaches — no external source is required, provided AquariumHQ shows its reasoning. No external source is required for this class. AquariumHQ's position stands on its stated reasoning.
What would improve this: Go and read a source. This is reachable and has not been reached.
lifespanAquariumHQ's own position, externally checkableAquariumHQ's own position, derived from evidenced inputs.
AquariumHQ's own position on a claim an external source could support.
What this kind of claim needs: what aquariumhq advises for keeping — no external source is required, provided AquariumHQ shows its reasoning. No external source is required for this class. AquariumHQ's position stands on its stated reasoning.
What would improve this: Go and read a source. This is reachable and has not been reached.
temperatureAquariumHQ's own position, externally checkableAquariumHQ's own position, derived from evidenced inputs.
AquariumHQ's own position on a claim an external source could support.
What this kind of claim needs: what aquariumhq advises for keeping — no external source is required, provided AquariumHQ shows its reasoning. No external source is required for this class. AquariumHQ's position stands on its stated reasoning.
What would improve this: Go and read a source. This is reachable and has not been reached.
phAquariumHQ's own position, externally checkableAquariumHQ's own position, derived from evidenced inputs.
AquariumHQ's own position on a claim an external source could support.
What this kind of claim needs: what aquariumhq advises for keeping — no external source is required, provided AquariumHQ shows its reasoning. No external source is required for this class. AquariumHQ's position stands on its stated reasoning.
What would improve this: Go and read a source. This is reachable and has not been reached.
general hardnessAquariumHQ's own position, externally checkableAquariumHQ's own position, derived from evidenced inputs.
AquariumHQ's own position on a claim an external source could support.
What this kind of claim needs: what aquariumhq advises for keeping — no external source is required, provided AquariumHQ shows its reasoning. No external source is required for this class. AquariumHQ's position stands on its stated reasoning.
What would improve this: Go and read a source. This is reachable and has not been reached.
minimum tank volumeAquariumHQ's judgement — no authority publishes thisAquariumHQ's own position, derived from evidenced inputs.
No external authority publishes this. The rationale carries the reasoning.
What this kind of claim needs: minimum tank size — no external source is required, provided AquariumHQ shows its reasoning. No authority publishes this. AquariumHQ derives it, and the derivation is recorded with its inputs and assumptions.
What would improve this: Keep the rationale current. There is no source to find.
minimum tank lengthAquariumHQ's judgement — no authority publishes thisAquariumHQ's own position, derived from evidenced inputs.
No external authority publishes this. The rationale carries the reasoning.
What this kind of claim needs: minimum tank size — no external source is required, provided AquariumHQ shows its reasoning. No authority publishes this. AquariumHQ derives it, and the derivation is recorded with its inputs and assumptions.
What would improve this: Keep the rationale current. There is no source to find.
Guides relevant to this species
Chosen from this record's own traits rather than listed on every page.
- Predator and prey sizeIt takes adult dwarf shrimp, which decides what can share the tank.
- Territorial behaviourIt defends ground, and the shape of what it defends decides the tank more than the volume does.
- Wild conditions and aquarium recommendationsThe water band on this page is an AquariumHQ position with a stated reason, not a measurement of a river.
- How to read a compatibility verdictThis animal's fins are a target, and most compatibility verdicts about that are derived rather than observed.
Group size and social behaviour
Kept as a pair or in a group in a large well-planted tank. Males are territorial and the aggression is display-heavy rather than damaging where cover is dense.