In the vast realm of colorful betta fish, would you like to introduce the biggest betta breed into your aquarium? Among betta fish of different shapes and sizes, you may be fascinated by a selective-bred betta due to their huge size. So, you must be wondering what is the biggest betta breed.
Giant bettas are the largest breed of betta, almost twice the size of other betta fish. Giant betta fish can grow up to 7 inches, while typical betta fish reach up to 3 inches. Giant bettas are selectively bred to achieve sizes ranging from 3.5 to 7 inches.
In this article, I’ve explained a detailed overview of Giant betta fish which is the biggest betta breed. Also, I’ve penned down its massive size, a care guide about this Giant betta, and so on. So, let’s take a tour to learn more information about Giant betta fish from this article.
Key Takeaways
Giant betta fish is the biggest betta among over 73 betta species.
These Giant bettas are specially bred to gain excess growth.
Giant betta fish is almost two times bigger than the regular betta species.
These Giant bettas can grow up to 7 inches long.
The experts do not encourage the beginner to keep Giant bettas as pets.
The Biggest Betta Breed: What Is A Giant Betta Fish?
In case you think that you can find Giant betta fish in the wild, you are completely wrong. These giant bettas are a kind of plakat bettas. After all, Giant bettas are robust-sized special-bred Plakat bettas with a new strain.
In the early 20th century, three Thai breeders made a genetic mutation of a special green Plakat betta. It was already over 3 inches.
In consequence, the breeders gained true Giant betta fish within 5 generations. In this way, these breeders achieved oversized betta fish in several generations successfully.
Afterward, the breeders experimented with crossing Giant bettas with other types of regular betta fish. In consequence, you can now see different colored Giant betta fish in different forms.
I’ve made a small chart of the Giant betta fish overview below. Let’s take a quick look at the overview chart.
In a study published in 2023, researchers at the Aquatic Biology Association reported that the rich diversity of Betta fish, also known as Siamese fighting fish, encompasses more than 70 species, many of which exhibit a dazzling array of colors and fin shapes that have captivated aquarists around the world.
Giant Betta: Detailed Overview Of The Biggest Betta Breed
1. Size: How Big Does Giant Betta Get?
As the name suggests, Giant betta fish look giant in the world of betta fish due to their massive size. When you keep Giant betta fish with other betta species, you can notice a remarkable difference in size.
Giant betta fish are specially bred to gain their massive growth.
Generally, the average size of Giant betta fish ranges from 3.5 to 7 inches. The female Giant betta fish can be a little smaller than their male counterparts. There is a record for Giant betta reaching 7.2 inches.
2. How Fast Do Giant Bettas Grow?
Giant bettas can grow pretty fast. If any Giant betta has a good gene, it can grow 6 cm in 3 months. However, gaining the highest size depends on the care and environment of the Giant betta fish.
Generally, betta fish can take around 7 months to gain full growth. In the case of a Giant betta fish, it can reach 3.75-5 inches within 7 months. Giant betta fish can achieve its highest size between the ages of 7 months to 12 months.
3. Appearance Of Giant Betta Fish
Although Giant betta fish are especially bred, these bettas have similarities with wild bettas. After all, these Giant bettas are improved versions of Plakat bettas. you might have noticed the closer appearance of Giant betta fish with Plakat bettas. Like Plakat bettas, these massive-bodied betta fish have stout bodies.
You can find these Giant bettas in a wide range of colors. It may seem a feast to your eyes to observe vibrant-colored Giant betta with long fins and tails.
You can add a noticeable new addition to your aquarium by introducing the biggest bettas of different colors. There are several versions of Giant bettas.
Such as fiery red, deep blue, olive brown, dull grey, green, or marble colored Giant betta fish.
Who is not aware of the bad reputation of betta species? The extra size of Giant betta fish may make you worried about their bad temperament.
Despite their size and ancestral history of bad temperament, Giant betta fish are way calmer than regular betta fish. The experienced owners reviewed that Giant bettas are more peaceful than their counterparts. But, these bettas can still exhibit their territorial behavior.
The experts forbid keeping male Giant bettas together during their breeding time. After all, these huge bettas show their aggression during their brooding or breeding period. Generally, Giant bettas are calm and slow-moving. In stressful situations, these bettas can flare or make frantic swimming movements.
5. Breathing Method Of Giant Betta
You might know that all fish have specialized gills to extract oxygen from the water. But, all betta fish follow a unique respiration method that makes them anabantoid fish. Giant betta fish aren’t an exception to these betta species.
These Giant betta fish have specialized respiratory organs named labyrinths. Due to these labyrinth organs, Giant betta fish can breathe oxygen directly from the surface of the water.
Due to such a unique breathing method, Giant betta fish can survive in low-oxygenated areas.
Owner: Ibrahim
How To Take Care Of Giant Betta Fish?
To keep the biggest betta breed healthy, you should have a good grip on their requirements. Having good genes isn’t enough to ensure the fullest growth of Giant bettas. You can get the growth of your Giant betta by taking good care of these fish.
Let’s start with the required tank conditions for the biggest betta breed.
1. Tank Size: What Size Tank Does A Giant Betta Need?
It’s pretty obvious to choose a larger tank for the biggest betta breed. Due to becoming twice in size, Giant betta fish need more space than regular betta fish.
The tank capacity should be 10 gallons to keep a giant betta fish. Yet, more tank space can ensure a better life quality for these massive bettas.
You might know that betta fish hail from slow-moving water areas of Southeast Asia. So, your giant betta fish need mild-warm water that doesn’t have a strong current.
Keep in mind that Giant bettas can not tolerate cold water. Besides, the water should have moderate general hardness.
Giant Betta will love a well-planted tank. You can choose large plants with broad leaves for the betta tank. Your Giant betta can take shelter or hide under these broad leaves.
While choosing plants, you should select the plants that survive in soft water.
Giant betta fish do not have any special demand for lighting. But, it is a must to keep things to promote the healthy growth of the plants. Also, you should not add intensive lighting to avoid algae boom in your Giant betta fish tank.
Make sure to turn off the lighting at night. It’ll ensure a sound sleeping schedule for this biggest betta breed.
The International Betta Congress (IBC), in its 2023 conservation report, highlighted the threat of habitat loss due to pollution and urbanization in Southeast Asia, emphasizing the need for habitat protection to preserve the natural diversity of Betta species.
Owner: Betta Hanz
5. Feeding Giant Betta
Before selecting foods, you should know that Giant bettas are carnivores. So, their diet will be based on meaty food items. You need not include any vegetation or plant matter.
To keep these huge bettas healthy, you must choose a high-quality protein diet. You can feed your Giant betta mosquito larvae, bloodworms, brine shrimp, daphnia, etc.
Also, you should add supplementation with the betta food to keep the diet balanced.
Sometimes, new owners can assume to feed Giant betta on a higher amount due to its double size. But, you should feed your Giant betta as much as the size of their eyeball.
Do you want to add some new inhabitants to the Giant Betta aquarium? Then, you should match the personality and demands of the possible tank mates with your Giant betta.
As stated before, Giant Betta has a cool temperament and a docile personality. So, you can choose peaceful and non-invasive tank mates for your Giant betta fish. A few suggested tank mates for Giant bettas are neon tetras, ghost shrimp, cory fish, guppies, Kohli loaches, etc.
Sometimes, the betta owners take risks of keeping a male and a female Giant betta together. In such cases, you should check their compatibility regularly.
7. Breeding Giant Bettas
Considering the rarity of Giant betta, you might want to get their offspring by breeding under your supervision. One interesting fact about Giant betta is their paternal mouth-brooding characteristic. It means that the male Giant bettas take up the responsibility of eggs.
The very first responsibility should be choosing a healthy pair of male and female Giant betta. You can also breed Giant betta with other regular betta. It depends on the characteristics that you want in the Giant betta fry. To get a larger betta fry, you should select true Giant betta parents.
Make sure to create a breeding-friendly tank. For this, you should place the breeding tank in a quiet room. Also, the tank should have adequate space for the betta pair. Besides, you must add lots of hideouts in the tank.
The experts give a special tip to maintain an ideal temperature range in the breeding tank. It’ll ensure a successful breeding of your Giant betta fish.
Sometimes, betta eggs may fall on the floor of the tank. To help your Giant betta, you should not add any substrate in the breeding tank. It’ll help your Giant betta retrieve their dropped eggs.
Finally, you should remain patient to make a successful breeding from a cooperative pair of Giant bettas.
Giant Betta Vs King Betta: Is Giant Betta Bigger Than King Betta?
People often mistake King Betta as the biggest betta breed. On the contrary, these King bettas are just slightly larger than the regular betta breed.
As the name suggests, Giant Betta is bigger than King Betta in comparison to its size. Giant betta can measure from 3.5 to 7 inches. On the other hand, King betta fish can grow up to only 3-3.5 inches.
Before You Go…
By now, this article should have cleared your curiosity to know about the biggest betta breed in the world. If you’re a betta enthusiast, you may want to know the journey of Giant betta from the mutation of Plakat betta fish. For this, the following article will help you know the growth of Plakat betta fish.
Hello, I’m Muntaseer Rahman, the owner of AcuarioPets.com. I’m passionate about aquarium pets like shrimps, snails, crabs, and crayfish. I’ve created this website to share my expertise and help you provide better care for these amazing pets.
This site is owned and operated by Muntaseer Rahman. AcuarioPets.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. This site also participates in other affiliate programs and is compensated for referring traffic and business to these companies.
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