Blue Rim Snow White Plakat Male Betta (Betta splendens)

The Blue Rim Snow White Plakat (Betta splendens) is a male betta with a clean, opaque white body and fins edged in a deep cobalt blue, so the outline of every fin stands out against the plants. As a plakat he carries short, sturdy fins, which makes him a faster, more active swimmer than long-finned bettas and much less prone to torn or ragged fins. He is a beginner-friendly fish with a semi-aggressive temperament toward other bettas. Browse the rest of our freshwater fish and supplies.

Why a Plakat?

Plakats are the short-finned form, the closest of the show bettas to the original fighting fish of Thailand. Without heavy finnage to drag around, they patrol the whole tank, chase food at the surface, and stay active for years. They also forgive the small mistakes that wreck a long-finned betta, like a rough decoration or slightly stronger filter flow. If you want a betta with personality that you will actually see swimming, a plakat is a good pick.

Care Guide

• Tank size: 5 gallons minimum for one male, filtered and heated. A 10 gallon is easier to keep stable and gives an active plakat room to cruise.
• Water: 76 to 82°F with a steady heater, pH 6.5 to 7.5, soft to moderately hard water. Change 20 to 30% weekly and treat new water with a conditioner.
• Filtration: Gentle flow. A sponge filter or a baffled small filter keeps him from being pushed around.
• Diet: Carnivore. Feed a quality betta pellet once or twice a day, only what he finishes in about a minute, with freeze-dried or frozen bloodworms and brine shrimp as treats. Overfeeding is the most common way bettas get sick.
• Aquascape: Live or silk plants, a cave, and a leaf hammock near the surface for resting. Leave him easy access to the surface, since bettas breathe air from it.
• Lid: Required. Plakats are strong jumpers, more so than long-finned bettas.
• Watch for: Clamped fins, lethargy or a pale color usually point to cold or dirty water. Check the heater and do a water change before reaching for medication.

Specifications

Compatibility

He must be the only betta in the tank. Two males will fight until one is badly hurt, and a male should not be kept with females outside a short, supervised breeding setup. In a planted 10 gallon or larger he can often share space with calm, small tankmates such as ember tetras, small rasboras, corydoras, kuhli loaches, and nerite snails.

Plakats are more assertive than long-finned bettas, so be careful with shrimp: he may hunt small cherry shrimp. Avoid fin-nippers like tiger barbs and serpae tetras, and skip colorful, long-finned fish such as guppies and fancy gouramis that he may see as rivals. Every betta is an individual, so watch the first few days and be ready to separate them.

Recommended Foods & Supplies

• Staple food: Hikari Betta Bio-Gold or Seachem NutriDiet Betta with Probiotics.
• Treats: SFBB Freeze-Dried Bloodworms, a few times a week.
• Water care: Ocean Nutrition Betta SPA Water Conditioner at every water change.
• Heat: the Aquatop Pisces 25W Nano Heater for small betta tanks.
• Rest and cover: the ZooMed Betta Bed Leaf Hammock and the Hikari Dark Rock Cave.

FAQ

Can I keep him in a bowl or vase?
No. Unheated bowls swing in temperature and build up waste fast, which is how most bettas get sick. A filtered, heated 5 gallon or larger is the honest minimum.

Will his colors stay the same?
Mostly, but not guaranteed. Many white bettas carry marble genes, so the blue rim can spread, fade, or pick up small spots over his life. That is normal for the line, not a health problem.

Why are his fins so short? Is he a female?
No, plakat males have short fins by design. You can tell he is male by his longer ventral fins, brighter color, and bolder flaring compared with a female.

Can he live with other fish?
Often, in a planted 10 gallon or larger with calm, small, plain-finned tankmates. Never with another betta, and watch him closely with small shrimp.

He is building bubbles at the surface. Is something wrong?
No. That is a bubble nest, and it usually means he is healthy and comfortable in his tank.