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Green Betta Fish: Care Guide, Varieties, & Lifespan (With Pictures)

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By Lindsey Stanton

green betta fish

Betta fish (aka Siamese fighting fish), are beloved for their elaborate, flowing fancy tails, unique patterns, and bright stunning colors. These pretty fish are native to Southeast Asia where they eat insect eggs and larvae found in drainage ditches and rice paddies.

There are a great many betta varieties with breeders introducing new ones all the time. While green betas are not one of the most common colors of this species, they are coveted by aquarium enthusiasts due to their sheer beauty.

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Quick Facts about Green Betta Fish

Species Name: Betta splendens
Family: Osphronemidae
Care Level: Easy
Temperature: 72°F–82°F
Temperament: Solitary, aggressive
Color Form: Various shades of blue, green, and turquoise
Lifespan: 2-5 years
Size: 2.5”–3.0”
Diet: Worms, larvae, daphnia, brine shrimp, small fish
Minimum Tank Size: 3 gallons
Tank Set-Up: Filter, heater, ornaments, plants, thermometer
Compatibility: Can live with some fish and other aquarium dwellers

Green Betta Fish Overview

Green betta fish most commonly appear turquoise-colored with a metallic look. Like other color variants, green bettas are relatively small freshwater fish that typically grow to around 3 inches in length. A green betta is a beautiful fish that can live to be 5 years of age.

A green betta is a solitary fish that enjoys living alone. However, this fish can live with certain other fish and some freshwater aquarium dwellers. Green bettas have a social side, as they can learn to recognize their owners by sight and sound. It’s even possible for a green betta to grow attached to you, once it realizes that you are its source of food.

If you’re looking for a beautiful freshwater tropical fish that’s relatively easy and low-cost to care for, you can’t go wrong with a green betta. These fish are diurnal, which means they’re awake and active during the day so you can enjoy watching your fish swim around and hunt for food during the daytime hours. It’s easy to find green bettas for sale online and at some local pet stores so getting one shouldn’t be a problem.

How Much Do Green Betta Fish Cost?

When compared to other freshwater tropical fish, a green betta is very affordable. The cost of a green betta can vary depending on your location but on average, you can expect to pay $2.50–$5.00 for a green betta fish. Of course, you’ll have to figure in the cost of a small tank, a filter, heater, and fish food, if you don’t already have those things.

Typical Behavior & Temperament

As stated above, green bettas are solitary fish that enjoy living alone. Although it’s a solitary creature, green bettas can be social toward humans. It’s common for a green betta to swim about excitedly when it sees its owner approaching. This is a curious fish that will carefully inspect new items put into its tank. The fish’s natural curiosity helps keep it mentally stimulated so plan on introducing new items to your green betta’s tank now and then.

Appearance & Varieties

While wild betta fish are dullish gray-green with short fins, selective breeding has resulted in the green betta as being a spectacularly colored, long-finned beauty.

Green bettas are typically solid-colored and the light has to be just right to really see the green on their bodies. The body and fins of a green betta often look turquoise, blue, or black, depending on the lighting. Green bettas have a metallic look to their color too which makes them all the more beautiful. The striking coloring and flamboyant long flowing fins of the green betta remind many people of a Spanish flamenco dancer, as it weaves its way through the tank.

The body of a green betta is shaped like an ordinary goldfish although the betta has a veil-shaped tail and of course, much more elaborate fins. This small tropical fish with the greenish turquoise color is one of the most beautiful of all bettas and a fish to be proud of if you own one!

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How to Take Care of Green Betta Fish

Habitat, Tank Conditions & Setup

To keep your green betta fish healthy and happy, there are some habitat, tank conditions, and setup rules to adhere to including the following:

Tank/Aquarium Size

A green betta, like all betta fish, needs at least a 3-gallon tank to swim freely and live comfortably. If you plan on having several green bettas, the tank should have 1 gallon of water for every inch of an adult betta. The tank should be near a power outlet and away from direct sunlight and heavy foot traffic. The bottom of the tank should be covered with aquarium gravel before filling the tank with water. You can then decorate the tank by adding aquarium decor, rocks, and other items.

Filtration

You need to hook up an aquarium filter that’s the appropriate size for your tank. The filter will keep your tank clean. A top-notch filter should be able to process all of the water in your tank three to five times an hour. For example, the filter of a 10-gallon tank would need to process at least 30 gallons of water each hour.

Water Temperature and pH

As tropical fish, green bettas need to live in warm water. The optimal temperature range for a green betta is 74°F–82°F.  While green betta fish can tolerate cooler water, they’ll become inactive and more susceptible to disease if the water isn’t kept within the optimal temperature range.

These fish prefer living in water with a pH level between 6.8 and 7.5. Optimally, the pH level of a green betta’s tank should be 7.0.

Lighting

Like most other fish, green bettas need light and darkness to stay physically and mentally fit. Lighting is not required for a betta tank as these fish can do well without an aquarium light. However, if you’re going to have live plants in your aquarium, you should have a tank light to keep your plants healthy.

If you get a light, be sure it’s on for 14-16 hours a day and off during the night. A good idea is to use a timer for your aquarium light to ensure your fish and plants are getting all the light they need.

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Are Green Betta Fish Good Tank Mates?

It’s possible to introduce a green betta fish to a community tank if you’re careful about what you’re doing. Green bettas can live in harmony with shrimp, snails, and some frogs like the African dwarf frog if they’re not too small. Concerning other fish, green bettas can live with cory catfish, harlequin rasboras, neon tetras, clown plecos, and kulli roaches that are known for their docile temperament.

Green betta fish should never be paired with any fish with long fins like guppies because the bettas can mistake them for other bettas and pick a fight. Because they are aggressive, male green betta fish should never be kept with other males of the same species. Female green bettas are less aggressive than their male counterparts and can work well in community tanks. However, even the female green bettas should be watched carefully for aggression toward tank mates.

What to Feed Your Green Betta Fish

Green betta fish are carnivores, which means their diet should consist of nothing but animal protein. Instead of feeding your green bettas with goldfish food or tropical fish food, stick to thawed frozen or freeze-dried bloodworms, daphnia, or brine shrimp. You can also give your green betta live food now and then like earthworms, red worms, bloodworms, or black worms.

It’s fine to feed green betta fish a pellet diet as long as the pellets are high in protein and nutrients. If you choose to go this route, be sure to supplement your fish’s diet by giving it some treats now and then like a small worm or some freeze-dried brine shrimp.

Keeping Your Green Betta Fish Healthy

It’s easy to keep your green betta fish healthy and happy. You can do this by:

  • Providing your fish with the appropriately sized tank
  • Feeding your betta fish high-quality fish food
  • Ensuring the tank water is warm with the right pH level
  • Keeping the tank clean with the help of a filter

It’s a good idea to keep a close eye on your tank’s water temperature and pH level, especially if you’re a new fish owner. Remember that your green betta is counting on you to take good care of him. Get in the habit of feeding your green betta a diet that’s rich in protein and nutrients. Because betta fish can get bored with the same old tank decorations, plan on providing your green betta with new aquarium decor now and then to keep him mentally healthy.

Breeding

Green betta fish are not the easiest fish to breed so you need to know what you’re doing if you plan on breeding your bettas. To breed bettas, you’ll need to set up and maintain at least one separate habitat. At the minimum, you’ll need a tank for your male, a tank for your female, and another tank for the actual breeding.

These fish are challenging to breed because of their solitary nature. To be successful at breeding green bettas, you have to condition the adult bettas so they’re prepared for the mating process. This conditioning involves both dietary and environmental shifts in their habitats.

To ensure that you’re successful at breeding green bettas, learn all you can about these fish by reading books or visiting websites. Breeding is a big undertaking that costs time, money, and space. One important thing to keep in mind is that it’s not wise to breed pet store green betta fish as they’re typically severely inbred wherein the offspring can have genetic/health issues.

Are Green Betta Fish Suitable For Your Aquarium?

If you have a few fish in an aquarium and are wondering if you can introduce a green betta to the habitat, remember that bettas are territorial, aggressive fish that don’t get along with many fish species. You should never put green bettas in with any long-finned fish, small fish, or with fish that are equally aggressive. If you have a few good tank mates for a green betta like cory catfish, harlequin rasboras, or neon tetras, feel free to introduce your green betta into the mix.

An important thing to know about green betta fish is that two males will fight each other to the point where either both fish get injured or one of the males dies. For this reason, you should never put two male green bettas together in the same tank.

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Conclusion

Green bettas are gorgeous tropical fish that make great pets. These fish are ideal for new aquarium owners as they’re cheap to buy and easy to care for. You can spend hours on end watching a green betta swim about while putting on a display with its flamboyant wavy fins.

If you decide to get a green betta fish, be sure to put your fish in a roomy, filtered tank with a water temperature that mimics the fish’s natural habitat. If possible, buy your green betta fish from a reputable breeder to ensure that your fish will be free of genetic or health problems. And don’t be afraid to ask a breeder any questions you may have about the fish’s history or genetics.

Looking for more varieties of Betta? Try:


Featured Image Credit: Digital Art StudioTH, Shutterstock

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