Name: Flowertail Betta
Brand: Brooklands
SKU: 16290 - Base
Price: 64.95 NZD
Availability: OutOfStock

Flowertail Betta

Product Details

Flowertail Betta — Male & Female (Betta splendens variant)

Available in-store only

Overview:

The Flowertail Betta is a truly exquisite and poetic line-bred variation of the classic Siamese Fighting Fish. It takes its name from a spectacular, unique mutation in the caudal (tail) fin webbing. Instead of spreading smoothly like a standard Halfmoon or Delta tail, a Flowertail's fin edges naturally ruffle, layer, and cascade over themselves. When the fish flares, flips, or turns, the overlapping ripples in the tail spread out in the distinct, layered silhouette of a blossoming rose or hibiscus flower.

Origins:

While wild Betta splendens are native to the warm, shallow rice paddies and stagnant floodplains of Thailand, the Flowertail morphology is an elite, artificial line-breeding development crafted by global breeders who selected Halfmoon Bettas displaying unique, natural ray-branching anomalies.

The Male Flowertail

Appearance: The true showstopper. Males carry the full weight of the "flower" mutation. Their dorsal, anal, and caudal fins are massively elongated, richly saturated in vibrant iridescent colors, and features heavy, dramatic ruffling.
Personality: Highly territorial, proud, and intensely aggressive toward other males. They are exceptionally responsive to their owners, frequently dancing at the glass or flaring to show off their massive petal-like fins.
Social Dynamic: Strictly Solo. A male must live completely alone in his own aquarium. Placing him with another male, or even a female outside of a brief, managed breeding encounter, will result in lethal fighting.

The Female Flowertail

Appearance: Females possess shorter, more functional fins than the males, giving them a sleeker, torpedo-shaped body. However, a true Flowertail female will still display distinct, miniature ruffling and scalloping along the edges of her caudal and anal fins, looking like a delicate fringed skirt.
Personality: While still territorial, females are generally more active, agile swimmers because they aren't weighed down by heavy fins. They are highly curious and excellent hunters of micro-crustaceans.
Social Dynamic: Can be kept solo, or occasionally housed in a specialized, heavily planted all-female group known as a Betta Sorority (minimum 5+ females in a large tank). However, sororities are notoriously unstable and require advanced experience to manage female aggression.

Quick Profile Specs (In Litres & Celsius)

Care Level: Intermediate (Heavy, ruffled fins require precise habitat management)
Temperament: Territorial & Aggressive (Toward their own kind)
Diet: Carnivore (Thrives on high-protein pellets, live/frozen bloodworms, brine shrimp, and daphnia)
Max Size: 6 – 7 cm
Family: Osphronemidae (Labyrinth fish)
Tank Size (Solo Male or Female): 20 – 30 Litres minimum.
Temperature: 24°C – 28°C (Requires a reliable aquarium heater)
pH: 6.5 – 7.5

⚠️ The Flowertail Fin Care Guide:

Because the Flowertail's defining feature is its heavy, delicate, highly layered finnage, they require strict environment styling to prevent injury:

1. The "Zero-Snag" Environment: The frilled edges of a Flowertail are incredibly prone to catching on sharp objects. Never place rigid plastic plants or rough, jagged stones (like dragon stone or lava rock) in their tank. Stick strictly to live plants (like Java Fern, Anubias, and floating Frogbit) or ultra-soft silk plants.

2. The Resting Station Requirement: Swimming with heavy, layered fins drains a male's energy quickly. You must place broad-leaved plants or suction-cupped Betta Hammocks 2 to 3 cm below the water's surface so they can easily rest their bodies while keeping their labyrinth organ close to the air supply.

3. Baffled Filtration: Strong filter currents will trap a Flowertail in a non-stop, exhausting struggle to move forward, often causing them to stress or bite their own tails out of frustration. Use a gentle, air-driven sponge filter or significantly baffle the output of a power filter.