Tank size for giant betta

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Abaddon

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Hi!
Would a single giant HMPK betta be comfortable in a 40-45l tank (about 11 gallons)? The dimensions are 50x30x30cm. Filtered, heated, planted - obviously. From what I read giant plakats get to about 4 inches (8-10cm) on average. They have the exact same requirements as regular bettas, they've just been selectively bred to grow bigger. He/she would be the only fish there, no tankmates. I've looked everywhere online for information on this variety and most sources claim 10 gallons is the minimum recommended tank size. There are people who opt for even smaller tanks, and others who say they need more space, but most opinions tend to settle at around 10 gallons. Logically speaking, if a regular betta needs 5 gallons minimum, then by extension a giant (which is about twice the size of a regular betta) would need minimum 10, and he'd be as comfortable as a "normal" betta in a 5gal... or am I overthinking it? lol :crazy: I emailed the breeder I was planning to get the fish from and he confirmed that 40l and upwards is fine for a single male. I just wanted to get a second opinion, because I want to make sure my fish will be comfortable and not cramped in a tank that's too small.
Note: I've kept bettas before, so I'm not new to this. I've just never come into contact with this particular variety.
Thanks in advance for any input.
 
Sometime later this year, there will be a Fish of the Month contest featuring Bettas. That would be a great entry in the contest ;)
 
Sometime later this year, there will be a Fish of the Month contest featuring Bettas. That would be a great entry in the contest ;)
True :) Assuming I CAN actually keep one of these, cause if it turns out my tank is too small after all then it's a moot point ? But if I do get one then he/she will be in every darn contest I can enter, lol.
 
Are you talking about the King variety? Or true giant betta? My Halfmoon King (as labeled by petco) did really well when I had him in a 10 gallon. Mine is about 4 in long, as you mentioned. He is very responsive and curious guy, and didn't show any signs of stress after his initial settling period.
 
Are you talking about the King variety? Or true giant betta? My Halfmoon King (as labeled by petco) did really well when I had him in a 10 gallon. Mine is about 4 in long, as you mentioned. He is very responsive and curious guy, and didn't show any signs of stress after his initial settling period.
I'm not entirely sure, but based on what sellers and breeders have told me about their size, I think they're more likely to be Kings, although over here we don't have such a thing as "King bettas", that just seems to be a Petco marketing gimmick. The breeder I talked to just sells regular bettas and "giant" ones (both B. splendens), that's the only differentiation. He doesn't specify the adult size. He imports some of his stock from Thailand, though, so who knows what kind of genes these fish are blessed with ?
 
10 gallons minimum for giant Betta splendens and 30 gallons minimum for Betta anabatoides.
 
Thanks. According to the breeder it's a giant version of a standard halfmoon plakat and has the exact same water requirements as a regular hmpk. So a splendens.
The fact that there's a whole other species out there called "giant betta" really doesn't help with the confusion XD
 
Well I did some digging and on one of his sites the breeder claims they get to 5.5 inches (and it's the short-tailed variety)! :oops: Is that even possible for a splendens, or just misleading marketing? I find it somewhat hard to believe... other people have told me that they tend to max out at about 4 inches, maybe less if it's a plakat... I've never seen one live so I have nothing to go on beyond what I find online. The same breeder who claims they get to 5.5" also told me a single male would be fine in a 10-11 gallon (40 litres and upwards), can anyone confirm this? I was a bit surprised, it seems like a really huge fish for a tank that size...
 
I had a male that was almost 5 in, he seemed pretty happy in a 10 gallon. I had decided to upgrade him to a 29 gallon, which he jumped out of about a week later.
 
I had decided to upgrade him to a 29 gallon, which he jumped out of about a week later.
Sorry to hear that... I heard they're accomplished jumpers so some precautions are necessary. I'm planning on covering any gaps with mosquito net, hopefully that'll be enough.
 

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