It is found in the Pru Toe-Daeng peat swamps in Narathiwat Province in Southern Thailand, but its range also extends into northern Peninsular Malaysia, most notably the states of Kelantan and Terengganu.

Its diet consists of aquatic invertebrates in the wild, but will also eat frozen, live and dried foods such as larva of Chironomidae (also known as bloodworms), Daphnia, and brine shrimp in aquariums.

[2] Betta pi displays mild sexual dimorphism, with males growing larger, developing more extended fins, and also having a broader head than females.

The adults tend not to eat the fry, and some breeders have reported them to develop at a faster rate when left with the parents.

The fry are large enough to accept foods such as microworm and brine shrimp immediately, though there exist reports of young Betta developing health issues if it eats excessive amounts of the latter.

Adding dried leaf litter as a substrate can add even more cover and also starts a microbial colony, and tannins present in the leaves are beneficial for Betta pi, as it is a fish from blackwater environments.

[2] Betta pi is threatened with mostly habitat destruction by human activity, with large tracts of forest being cleared for the rubber and palm oil industries.