Plakat Betta Best Care Guide, Facts & Species Summary (2024)

Plakat bettas are the most popular globally for several reasons; they're inexpensive to buy, they're less prone to illness than other betta types, and they're extremely pretty.

Due to their popularity, many people who own them choose not to take care of them properly, leading to them getting sick and dying shortly after purchase.

Plakat bettas are not the hardiest of fish and need a lot more care than other types because they're so small and have such vast territory needs, but if you take good care of them, they should live for around 3 to 5 years.

At first glance, plakats can seem to be a challenge to care for, but once you get into the swing of things, it is simple. This guide will tell you how to care for plakat bettas to give them the longest and healthiest life they can have.

Species Summary

Scientific Name:	Betta Splendens
Common Names:	Siamese fighting fish, betta
Lifespan:	3 to 5 years
Size:	Up to 3 inches long
pH Range:	6.5 to 7.5
Temperature Range:	72°F to 82°F
Water Hardness:	5 to 20 dKH
Behavior:	Bettas are generally peaceful fish.
Origin:	Thailand And Cambodia
Coloration:	Fish has Dull green, brown, and red. Males also have brighter colors than females.

Bettas are labyrinth fish; this means they can breathe air directly from the surface of their tank. They spend most of their time at the surface, hence why they can get away with having such a small tank.

In nature, bettas live in slow-moving waters where the water is still and warm, so they have to come to the surface regularly to get oxygen from above the water.

Because of this, it's important not to use an air pump when you have bettas as it scares some of them and can be difficult for some to breathe properly, which you can read about here.

Betta tank should not have live plants in it. The fish are more likely to get stuck between the plant's leaves and become injured or worse. Bettas are also excellent jumpers, so they must have a lid on any tank they are in it.

Plakat bettas need to be kept in small tanks, around 2 gallons. They also need their water changed every day due to how much they consume. I will go into this more in-depth later on.

Plakat bettas are good pets, but they require a lot of care and some knowledge that isn't recommended for beginners.

Their colors can also brighten up an otherwise dull tank, making all of your other aquarium plants and decorations stand out more.

You should choose plakat bettas only if you want a fish that is easy to take care of and breeds quickly. Many people try to get them for their colors, but they're just as beautiful when they're not pregnant, so there isn't a reason for this.

It's also important for you to know that plakat bettas are very easy to breed, so if you're not experienced with betta fish, it's probably best that you don't get them because they can easily die.

Facts & Characteristics Of Plakat Betta

Given below are a few characteristics and facts about Plakat Betta

Colors Of Plakat Betta

There are many different color morphs of plakats, but all of them have green or blue tails outlined in black.

They also have red fins sometimes, but most of the time, they're green, gold, orange, white, or any other colors you can think of because there is no set standard for what your fish should look like

You will find that some of these colors may be brighter than others because when you breed two kinds, their offspring will carry one or two genes from each parent, and this can cause any color to come out in the next generation.

How Do Plakat Betta Look Like?

They have a long body and an upturned mouth as if they're always smiling. Their fins are long and flowy, but their colors are dull compared to other types of bettas.

Females have shorter fins and duller colors than males. They're not as bright as other types of betta, such as the half-moon, but they're pretty nonetheless.

They generally bite anything that comes into their tank, including you, so if you choose to get one, be prepared for scratches!

The best thing to do is just ignore the fish and let it settle into its new tank for a few days before you start to interact with it.

Average Size And Growth Rate Of Plakat Betta

Plakats remain very small and should never be kept in anything larger than a 2.5-gallon tank. When you first get your betta, it will seem much bigger than when you look at them often because they shrink when they sleep, so if you keep them in a little net or bowl, they'll always seem bigger than what they are.

This is why some people think that they grow to the size of their tank, but in reality, it's just because they're always stretched out while sleeping, and when you look at them often enough, this can be an illusion.

They also don't grow very quickly, so there's no need for a huge tank since they'll be tiny until they're about 2 years old.

Plakats are the smallest type of betta, and they only grow up to 3 inches long (7.62 cm), and they'll be about that size when you buy them.

They won't get any bigger than that despite being fully grown at such a young age because their bodies are so small.

Average Lifespan Of Plakat Betta

The average lifespan for a plakat is only around 3 to 5 years, and they don't live much longer than that. You can usually look at them and tell if they're dying because they'll start to lose colors, become inactive and spend time sleeping instead of swimming like usual.

It's very important to upgrade their tank before this happens so you're not left with a betta in a tiny tank because if you do leave them in there, then their water won't be cleaned, and it will become filthy for such a small tank so they'll get ill which can lead to death.

It's also much harder to care for them when they've grown up in such a small tank since their waste breaks. The maximum lifespan for plakats is around 2 years; after that point, their health starts to decline.

Temperament Of Plakat Betta

Plakats are very territorial fish. Although they're not the nippiest of betta types, they attack them consistently when it comes to their kind.

If you have more than one male in a tank, both males will think they're the dominant one, so they'll fight until one or both are killed.

If you have multiple females, they'll generally live peacefully together, but you still shouldn't put them in the same tank unless you're breeding them.

The fish also tend to be jumpers, so make sure that your lid fits tight onto the tank and doesn't have any gaps where the fish could fit through because if they do get out, then there's no way you'll be able to get them back.

Sexing Plakats

It's nearly impossible to tell the difference between a male and a female when they're young, so you'll have to wait until they get older.

When the fish is sexually mature, you should be able to tell the difference by looking at their fins because males are slightly longer than females. The females also have pointed anal fins, which are absent in males.

Breeding Plakats

Plakats are very easy to breed. If you have two, they will mate if given a chance. You can tell when a male and female plakat is ready for breeding because their colors will become more intense than what you're used to seeing.

Once they're ready, the male will chase after the female and hold her in his mouth for several seconds before moving on. This is called "breeding biting," showing that she's ready to be bred.

The two will attach themselves to plants or decorations in the tank with their mouths, fins, or both. Once they're attached, the female will release her eggs into the water, and the male fertilizes them.

Within 24 hours of releasing their eggs, the parents should start to eat them up before any fungus or bacteria can kill them. You must remove both fish from your tank during this process as they'll eat the eggs and drink up some of the water.

Once all of the eggs are gone, you can put them back into your tank. Over time they'll heal and replace their fins with new ones. You might even notice that they'll have more intense color than before breeding because plakats don't lose their color after breeding, unlike other bettas.

Breeding Tips

Males will try to breed with any female plakat, but females can be much pickier and aren't always ready when a male is.

If you want to breed your plakats, you must introduce females into the male's tank because if not, they'll fight, which means that the male will likely get hurt.

Plakats should be left in their tanks for the gestation period because they might lose some of their eggs if you take them out too early. If you wait until they're ready to give birth, they'll do it independently.

You should always remove the male from the tank after birth because he'll eat up all of the eggs and fight with the female.

Females can also try to breed with a new male as soon as she gives birth, so you must know how to sex them properly, so you don't have more work on your hands.

If the female has a lot of babies, you should remove her from the tank so she can get her strength back.

Keep an eye on your plakat bettas after birth because they'll only have about a week to eat before they start taking care of their offspring, which means there could be food shortages.

Gestation Period

The gestation period for plakat bettas is 25 to 45 days long. This period will vary depending on the living conditions that the fish have been given and their health and genetic makeup.

If you're breeding female plakats, they must get at least 6 hours of light every day, get plenty of live food in their diet, and have a varied diet. This will ensure that they remain healthy throughout the gestation period.

You should always remove any males from your tank during this process because if you don't, they'll eat up all of the eggs before they can be fertilized, which means no more fish for you. Pregnant plakats should be left in their tank for the whole gestation period.

Difficulty Level

Plakat bettas also have a moderate level of difficulty. They're easy to care for as long as their tank is the right size and they aren't too breed, but it is time-consuming, especially when the eggs are eaten up because you should always remove them from the tank while they're doing that.

They're not difficult to feed in a way, but you have to be careful when handling them because they're very nippy and will try to protect themselves from being handled.

It's important that when you first get them that you give them time to settle into their new tank before trying to handle them because if not, then they could bite out of fear.

If you give them the right amount of care and love, you will have a great time owning betta fish, but if you don't, they'll die quickly. You should always research your pets before bringing them home so that you know what to expect.

Plakat bettas are very fun to own because they can be handled more than other aquarium fish and require less care than many other bettas do.

Plakat Betta Care Guide

Here is the complete care guide to Plakat Betta.

Tank Requirements

They may be a small betta, but they're very active and will need a medium-sized tank at least. If you want to keep more than one in the same tank, you'll need an even bigger one; otherwise, they'll fight until one or both are killed.

They like to swim around and explore their surroundings, so make sure that you have a decent-sized tank as they'll want to keep swimming and need room to make turns.

Another important thing is the temperature of your tank because plakat bettas are very sensitive when it comes to this. They can't live in cold water, so you need to keep the temperature of your tank between 72°F to 82°F.

Bettas are known for jumping. If they do jump, they could injure themselves, which will cause their immune system to collapse. It means they'll be more susceptible to diseases that can kill them if they don't receive proper treatment.

Tank Mates

The only types of fish you should keep with Plakats are other peaceful fish that are small enough for the Plakat to eat; otherwise, they'll eat any fish that's bigger than them. Things like guppies and mollies are fine because they're small enough not to become a hot meal for your Plakat, but you can't keep Bumblebee Goby, Green Neon Tetra, White Cloud Mountain Minnow anything than them, or else they'll be eaten alive.

They've also been known to eat fish fry if their parents don't catch them first, which means that you can't keep any fry in the same tank as a plakat; otherwise, they'll eat them.

Bettas are also very territorial, so if you put another betta or any other fish that isn't completely peaceful into the same tank as him, he will become aggressive and start attacking it. He could end up killing them by biting on their bodies until they bleed to death.

You have to be careful with tank mates because if you pick the wrong one, your plakat may die from stress or become so aggressive that he kills everything in your tank.

Tank Behavior

Most bettas are very skittish, but plakats are very brave and curious. This has to do with the fact that they come from the shallow waters of Thailand, so they don't know what's lurking in your tank's deeper parts, which is why you should always keep them near the top.

They may be very active and will explore every inch of their tank, but plakats are very inactive while eating. You shouldn't have a problem with them being skittish or aggressive, but you should watch out if they start to lose their color and stop eating because there's something wrong with your tank, and it's time for a water change.

Tank Size

Plakats are very active, so they'll need a medium-sized tank to explore every inch. If you want to keep more than one plakat in the same tank, then you'll need an even bigger one.

They like to swim around and explore their surroundings, so make sure that you have a decent-sized tank as they'll want to keep swimming and need room to make turns.

Water Temperature

Another important thing is the temperature of your tank because plakat bettas are very sensitive when it comes to this. They can't live in cold water, so you need to keep the temperature of your tank between 72°F to 82°F.

Salinity

Another important thing you have to consider is the salinity of your tank's water. If it's too high, this could kill your plakat, but it'll become very inactive if it's too low.

People usually make their salinity level match that of natural seawater, so most people buy a special aquarium salt to make sure that their salinity level is at least 1.005.

Tank Water Changes

You should often change the water in your tank because plakats are very sensitive because they came from shallow waters and were born into a polluted environment. They can't handle even a minor amount of toxins, so you have to change about 40% of the water in your tank every week.

You also have to make sure that there are no remnants of soap left behind because this could be very dangerous for them and any live plants you may try to put inside their tank. If you use tap water, you need to add some de-chlorinator to make sure that there's no chlorine or chloramines left behind as these can kill your plakat before you even notice what's going on.

Filter

Plakat bettas are very sensitive to their filter, so you need to make sure that it's gentle enough for them. If it's too strong, then this could hurt them, but if it's too weak, your tank will turn into a complete mess because their feces can cause dangerous chemicals to spread throughout your tank.

This is why you need to make sure that the filter you get for your plakat betta has a medium strength and that it's gentle enough so that it doesn't end up hurting them.

Heater

Another thing you need to keep in mind is that plakat bettas can't live without a heater. This is because they're tropical fish and the water temperature has to match their needs as most of them come from Southeast Asia, where the climate is hot most of the time.

If you don't have a heater, then there's a high chance that your plakat will die because the water temperature can't be warm enough for him to survive. You also need to make sure that any tankmates you have don't affect the temperature of your plakat's tank, as they could end up hurting him even more.

Gravel

Another thing you need to know about plakats is that they can't live without substrate, so if you don't have some in your tank, then the aquarium will look empty and not very attractive. Luckily, there's a special type of substrate for bettas that you can get, and it's usually made out of small rocks that won't hurt your plakat when he digs in the tank.

It's called aquarium gravel, and it usually comes in all different colors that match the color of your betta's scales, so this could be very interesting to see. You also should change about 20% of it every week because if you don't do this, there will be a buildup of bacteria that can harm your plakat betta.

Decorations

You should also make sure you get some decorations for your tank because plakats like to swim around their tanks and look at the different objects inside.

There are a lot of interesting types of decoration you can get so you must pay attention to this and make sure that you get some nice and interesting objects for your plakat to look at and play around with.

Bubble Nester

Another very interesting thing about plakats is that they like to build bubble nests out of anything they can find in their tank. This includes a substrate, plants, or really anything that they feel like using.

The best way to make sure that your betta will be happy with his new home is to make a bubble nest out of tiny rocks and pebbles because this will make him extremely happy, and he'll feel a lot more comfortable inside his tank because of it.

Shelter

Something else plakats need is shelter because this is where he'll hide if another fish inside the tank becomes his enemy. This means you should get some fake plants or any other decorations you have lying around your house and put them inside your tank so your plakat will feel safe when nobody's watching.

Panic Zone

This works in the same way as refuge does, but the only difference is that it's used for when your plakat feels like hiding because he's scared of something or someone. You should make sure that you put some pebbles and small rocks inside his shelter so he can take cover if anything goes wrong.

Gravel Vacuum

You should always use a gravel vacuum once a week whether you have a betta or not. This is because the substrate in your tank will get old and dirty if you don't clean it every once in a while, but this could be very bad for your fish because their feces will build up inside the tank and cause dangerous toxins that can hurt them.

This is why you should always use the gravel vacuum every week because it will suck up all of this buildup inside your tank and make sure that your filter works properly. This is also important if you have other fish in your tank because they need to live in clean water.

Substrate

If you have live plants in your tank, you must get proper substrate because gravel won't be enough to keep the plants healthy. You should use unique aquatic plant substrates usually made out of clay and will help give your plants everything they need to stay alive.

Food & Diet

Their diet is very simple when it comes to plakats, so there's no need to pay too much attention to this. You have to feed your fish pellets or blood worms once a day but never feed him more than he can eat in three minutes because excess food could pollute the tank and cause toxins that could hurt your plakat.

Plakats can eat almost anything you give them provided that it's healthy, but there are some things that you should stay away from.

Fish flakes and pellets are always good for them because they can eat them any time of the day, but you should never give him live food like worms or feeder fish because he could get sick if you do this. So remember that plakats only eat healthy things and stay away from the bad stuff.

Growth Spurt

After three months or so, your plakat betta will go through another growth spurt, and he'll start to color up even more than before. At this point, you should move your fish into a bigger tank because he needs to have a lot of room to swim around if he's going to grow properly.

Acclimation

You should always pour him into the tank when you get a new fish to keep him safe. The best way to do this is to take your cup of water and pour it out into the tank while he's still inside. This way, he'll feel safe because he won't be moved around too much, but also make sure that you move your other fish to a different tank because plakats can become very aggressive if they don't have enough room to swim around.

Oxygen Levels

Their bodies don't need too much oxygen, but you should still make sure that your tank doesn't have very low levels because this could harm them. To keep your plakat healthy, you should get an air pump and place it inside the tank for about ten minutes every day to make sure his gills stay open.

Nitrite And Ammonia

Nitrite and ammonia levels are two hazardous toxins you should always watch inside your tank. These gases can kill your betta if left open because they will build up inside the tank and poison.

To make sure that your tank doesn't have any of these toxins, you should get a liquid test kit at your local pet store and test the water once a week to ensure that it's safe for your fish.

Bacteria Levels

If you're changing the water in your tank, then this is when you should check on the bacteria levels inside. You need to do this because if there are too many toxins inside, your fish could get very sick.

If you notice more than five hundred colonies inside your tank, you need to do an entire cleanout because the toxins could cause him serious harm. If this happens, you should get rid of your filter and gravel vacuum before resetting your tank again.

Plants

Plakats are very messy fish because they release many toxins inside their tanks, but this is why you should have live plants inside. This way, the plants will take in all of these toxins and make sure there's always enough oxygen in the tank for your betta to breathe.

As long as you properly clean your tank and keep a close eye on the levels of toxins inside, then you should be able to keep your plakat betta healthy for a long time.

As a safety measure, remember always to use a separate tank for your fish when cleaning it out. Many people forget this and end up killing their fish by using soap or other harmful chemicals that will get inside the tank.

Cleaning

You should clean your tank once every week, but you must never use soap or other harmful chemicals because they could kill your fish.

To properly clean out your tank, drain all of the water inside before taking everything apart and rinsing it with hot water to ensure no leftover residue from other soaps or chemicals.

After you have finished this, you should refill the tank and add a water conditioner before adding back in your gravel and filter to give everything time to settle in.

To keep your fish healthy, always remember to change out twenty-five percent of his water every two weeks because he needs enough room to swim around and create these gases.

Filtration

Most people don't know this, but clean water is one of the best ways to keep your fish from getting sick. This is true because your betta will always release toxins inside his tank as he swims, so you should always ensure enough oxygen for him by using a filtration system.

To make sure that your fish is safe, you should get a filtration system with activated charcoal inside because this will be able to take it in and remove all of the toxins from the water. This way, there's always enough oxygen for him to breathe, and he won't ever get sick from the byproducts of his gases.

Bettas also like to eat the food that falls to the bottom of their tank, so you should get a gravel vacuum and run it for about five minutes after scrubbing all of the rocks and walls. This way, any leftover pieces will be sucked into the filter where he can grab them.

Biotope

If you want your betta to stay healthy, you should match his biotope. This means that you have to make sure the gravel, rocks, décor, filter, and filtration system are all from the same part of the world he's from because this will make him feel more at home.

These fish come from Thailand and Cambodia, so if you've ever been there, then look at the rocks and décor because these are all from those places. This way, your fish will feel as comfortable as possible, and he won't ever get sick because of it.

Lighting

You should only use the light inside when cleaning out his tank or feeding him. You also shouldn't keep it on for more than six hours when you are not changing the water because this could be very dangerous for him.

If you want to make sure that he's healthy, turn off the light and cover the tank with a dark towel for at least four hours before turning it back on.

Placement

Bettas come from Thailand, and this means that they like the same hot, humid weather as we do. You should always keep him in a room with no air conditioning or heating vents because his water could quickly drop below seventy degrees Fahrenheit if he's near one of these things.

If you want your betta to be happy, you should only keep the room he's in about seventy degrees and make sure that there's enough humidity inside to survive. If this is hard for you, then you could always get a fish tank humidifier to keep his water at the proper levels.

Common Potential Diseases

The best way to keep your fish from getting sick is by keeping him in a clean tank. If you do this, he'll always stay healthy and never come down with any diseases or other problems. The potential diseases this fish can get are-

• Fish Fungus: This disease makes it so that your betta's top layer of skin is discolored and has spots all over it. You can get rid of this disease by giving him an antibiotic inside his water, but you should always change out twenty-five percent of his water every two weeks to make sure he doesn't get sick ever again.
• Ich: This disease makes it so that your betta has white spots all over his body and fins. This is because he has parasites inside of him and you should make sure he doesn't get this disease by changing out twenty-five percent of his water every two weeks.
• Velvet: This disease makes it so that your betta's scales are discolored and his top layer of skin is very slimy. This is a hard disease to get rid of, but the best way to do it is by making sure you never feed him live food ever again.
• Gill Flukes: This disease makes it so that your betta's gills are discolored and inflamed. This is a very serious disease.
• Fish Lice:Fish lice are very hard to get rid of and they can cause a lot of damage if they're not taken care of. This disease is contagious, but luckily there's a medicine for it that helps kill them off.The first symptom is that your betta will be covered in what looks like black dots all over his body. The second symptom is that these black dots will seem to slowly move around him and this can scare the living daylights out of you because it's a lot like having bugs crawling all over your betta!
• Swim Bladder Disorder:This disease makes it so that your betta has trouble swimming and staying at the top of his tank. This is a very serious disease that can cause your betta to die if you don't do anything about it.

Treatment For Diseases

Now that you know what the potential diseases your betta can get, you should be able to treat them as long as you know how to do it.

The first step is always measuring the right amount of medicine and putting it into his water. Most medicine comes with a chart that tells you how much medicine to put into a certain amount of water. If you're not sure, please ask someone at the pet store before doing anything else.

The second step is always cleaning out his tank and putting in clean water at the right temperature. You should change out all of his old water at least once every few days to ensure he doesn't get sick.

The third step is always adding the medicine to his new water. This can be very hard because most medicine sinks, but you should do your best to make sure he gets all of it inside his tank. You should also make sure that the temperature of his water is the same as it was before; otherwise, this could cause him to get sick too.

The fourth step is always waiting for him to get better. This can take anywhere from a few days to a few months. Just clean his tank and give him medicine every day until he gets better and never forget to do this because if you miss even one day, then it could be the end of your betta!

Treatment For Swim Bladder Disorder

Swim bladder disorder is very easy to cure, and all you have to do is feed him a pea. This will help him get better because peas are full of fiber which helps his digestive system get back on track to start eating normally again. Just be careful not to give him too many peas, or else he might get sick from them.

Treatment For Fish Lice

The best way to treat this disease is by using Jungle Fungus Eliminator. This medicine will kill them all off and make sure they never return. All you need to do is mix it up with his food once every day for five days, making him better within a few weeks. Just be careful not to overdose because that can hurt your betta too.

Medicines For A Sick Betta

Now that you know what can cure your betta, you should know which medicine to use. The best treatment for a sick betta is-

• Maracyn 2: This medicine helps get rid of the disease dropsy and it works well because it comes in very small tablets. You need to crush these up and put them into his water.
• Kanamycin: This medicine helps get rid of the disease ich and it works well because it comes in very small tablets. You need to crush these up and put them into his water.
• Poly-Zyme: This medicine is good all-around medicine that can help cure almost any disease your betta has. It comes in very small capsules that you need to open up and put into his water.

Now that you know which medicine to use, all you have to do is crush it up with a hammer or something hard and then add it to his tank to get better.

What If Your Betta Dies?

If you've tried everything and nothing has worked, your betta is probably dead. This can happen when your betta gets ich or velvet because it will be harder to cure him than if he was just sick in the first place.

There's nothing else you can do except flush his body down the toilet and get a new betta when this happens. This is sad to have occurred, but if you've tried everything and nothing has worked, it's probably over for your betta.

Cautious To Be Taken

Another thing you should keep in mind is that you shouldn't mix up your bettas with any other species of fish because they simply aren't compatible with them at all. Plakats are aggressive by nature, so you should only house them with other bettas because they can rip up different fish species, and they won't be pretty.

Advantages Of Having Them In Your Tank

• Active-Plakats, unlike other bettas, are always on the move and very fun to watch. This is because they're always patrolling their tank and will attack anything that looks like food or a threat. Plakat bettas are more active than other betta fish because they're a fighting type.
• Cleaner Betta-Plakats are cleaner than other bettas because they like to take care of their tank by removing any dirt or debris that gets into it. Since they do this, there isn't anything for you to worry about for the most part.
• Disease Resistant-Plakats are much less likely to get sick or die from diseases because they are used to being in dirty water conditions. They can withstand more things than other bettas, so they're great pets for first-time owners.
• Tank Mates-Plakat bettas can live with many different types of tank mates because they won't try to attack them like other bettas. They only attack if they feel threatened, so it's not hard to keep them with fish that you don't want to kill just because of your plakat betta.
• Less Feeding-Plakat bettas can go longer without eating than other betta fish because they are used to scavenging for food. They don't need as big of a tank as other bettas do, so it's easier to put less food in their tank than the tanks of different types of bettas.
• Small Tanks-Plakats don't need as big of a tank because they are used to living in dirty water. You can put them in smaller tanks than other betta fish, so it's easier for you to fit more fish in the same amount of space.
• Attractive-Plakat bettas are more attractive than other bettas because of their beautiful color and patterns. They're unique and fun to look at since they're always moving around.
• Easy To Breed-You can breed plakats easily if you give them the right conditions for breeding. If done properly then plakat bettas are as easy as other bettas

Disadvantages Of Having Them In Your Tank

• Aggressive-Plakat bettas are nippy and will often bite their owners if they try to handle them. They will also attack other fish in the tank, so it can be hard to keep them with other non-bettas.
• Not Suitable For Beginners-Plakats require more care than some other betta types because you have to clean their tank more and keep them away from other fish while they're breeding. It's not for beginners because it requires a lot of knowledge that people that aren't familiar with bettas don't know.
• Dirty-Plakats get dirty easier and eat more.
• Not Suitable For Big Tanks-Plakat bettas need to be in smaller tanks than some other types of betta fish because they get dirty faster. They aren't ideal for big tanks because you have to clean them while they're cleaning them constantly, and it gets annoying pretty quickly.
• Very Active-Plakats are very active and will always be on the move, so if you don't like seeing fish swimming around your tank all day, you won't enjoy owning a Plakat betta.
• Aggressive With Other Fish-Plakats are nippy and will attack other fish in the tank because they're used to being alone. They only really get along with other Plakat bettas and not many others.
• Requires High-Maintenance Tank-Plakats need a lot of care because they're used to living in dirty water, so you have to clean their tank more than the tanks of other fish types. You'll spend less time on your other aquarium.

Conclusion

If you keep your plakat with other bettas, you'll have endless entertainment because they'll fight. Plakats are great fish in your tank if you're not keeping them for breeding purposes because they won't spawn and overpopulate your tank.

All in all, plakat bettas are more than capable of living with other fish, and you should think about getting one. They're also great for people who can't keep bettas with different types of fish because they won't get attacked. Plakats only attack when they feel threatened, so if you give them a good home, they will be just as great as any other betta fish.