Is there a Betta way?

[yogias]

I am having a problem at the moment, keeping Male Bettas. I have been keeping various tropicals fr nearly a year now, and never had a problem. My original Male was fin-nipped so badly that he died from the stress, but he lived for around 6 months. Ever since, I have bought more male Bettas over the past few months, and they don't live for longer than 4 days. Their colour fades and then they die. Now all of the water Parameters are fine, and the females in the tank are thriving. All of the other fish are doing well in there. I can't fathom it out. Here is what is in the tank:-

Boseami Rainbows
Silver Dollars
Female Siamese
Guppies
Pleco
Swordtails

The tank has a few plants, is running at 82 Degrees, and like I said the water parameters are fine. I just dont understand it as the females have been absolutely fine. I have even tried purchasing the males from different LFS incase they had bad suppliers. Please help me!!!!

[Nolapete]

Sounds like there's too much competition for food.

Keeping male and female bettas together is not a good idea, but I don't think that's your problem.

Lower your temp to 78.

[tanker]

Male bettas are very timid fish (except when another male betta is around). Their long fins are asking to be nipped.

PS--Bettas love warm water so 82 is fine for bettas.

[Jmerk]

If you want male bettas, you should get a tank with really docile fish, or at least non-fin-nippers...

[jm1212]

he could also be getting attacked by the female

[aquaman#1]

Sounds like there's too much competition for food.

Keeping male and female bettas together is not a good idea, but I don't think that's your problem.

Lower your temp to 78. There is nothing wrong with it.

[aquaman#1]

Take the Silver dollars OUT

[Featherfin]

I would not put females and males together. Even in a 300 gallon tank, research has shown that the fish will continue fighting. Definitely too much stress and movement. Remember - they did evolve into labyrinth fish living in foot-deep marshy creeks and bogs in Thailand. They can't take alot of movement. Actually, even a tiny school of 3 danios freaked my female bettas out; they always had horizontal stripes ( a sign of trauma and stress) until I took the danios out. (Vertical stripes mean they feel sexy.) Bettas do fien alone, too, or with corys or otos. They just can't take alot - those fins are not conducive to survival, and the fact that they have to breathe from the surface is not conducive to surival in a deep tank - especially one filled with active fish.

[yogias]

So should i get another new male and keep him in a smaller tank by himself? Or would he be quite happy with a female? If so, is it good to keep a couple of females with him?

[Marinemom]

Do not keep the females with him. Even when breeding bettas it is very tricky keeping the male and the female togather. One will usually kill the other. There is a reason why they call them fighting fish. I also think there is too many fish for the betta that like a more peaceful enviroment. Guppies have long flowing fins if they are the male fancy guppies which I am assuming they are and the swordtails if they are males are fin nippers. So are the silver dollars and the rainbow fish which are quite territorial. I would get him in another calmer tank ASAP if that is possible. He needs calmer waters and less activity around him. Then see how things go.

Marinemom

[newsom00]

mabey just stick wit females

[*Bethie*]

I have 2 bettas, a male and female, and I keep them seperate; the male in a 5 gal. and the female in a 2.5 gal.. I currently have a red claw crab with the male and that seems to be working well too. I have learned from experience not to put bettas (especially males) with other fish. Someone ends up dead or injured or whatever. Both of my fish seem very happy and are very active, they are always swimming around, so you don't have to worry about them feeling lonely. They seem pretty happy by themselves.

Ok I rambled more than I planned. I hope this helps!

*Bethie*

[yogias]

Thanks all for the advice, it is much appreciated.

[lucky777ca]

I would say that if you like to have a male betta, then it would be best to separate him in a smaller tank, as long as it is sufficient swimming space with proper filtration and heating (as usual). It also doesn't necessarily mean that he should be kept alone. If the would-be tank is give enough, then you would be able to keep shrimps (ghosts), ADFs, Snails, Neons (a small school in a 10G with a betta), etc (Compatibility issues depend on the individual betta).

[hankn]

I think we need to discus this with your LFS :)

[Jahosacat]

Male Bettas can have very different personalities. I rarely read where males and females can live happily, safely together. I've read about some males living in community tanks; it all depends on the Betta. I currently have 5 females from the same spawn in a 55 gal tank. There are plenty of hiding spots and they all seem to be happy and healthy. But, I know that could change at any time.

Your problem may also be the guppies; both have long fins and may be fighting.

[NinjaPirate]

The guppies having long fins would make it problematic for the guppies, as the betta would beat on them 'till they died. I would suspect either the female or (more likely) the silver dollars.

Male bettas generally do alright in very peaceful community tanks. Stick them with things like the medium sized non-nippy tetras (glow-lites, diamonds, lemon's etc.) or other schoolers like HET Rasboras. I personally have had no success at all with neons, but that's YMMV. Other good tankmates are corydoras and Otto catfish. Generally the betta chases them for a day or two then ignores them. Snails and Shrimp are YMMV as to if the betta will eat them or not.

Males and females almost never work. I've seen it done, but almost always with fish from the same hatching in a passive line. I've actually known a breeder of an extremely passive yellow line that had to breed aggressiveness into his line because the fish became so passive they wouldn't flare/nest when in the same tank.

Otherwise a single tank with a bit of decor is just fine also.

[killieskid]

I have 8 Betta's at work that i have had for 6 or 7 month's now and feel that i have had some success with them. I have noticed that the females are just as or more aggressive then the males, I would not put them together. Your other fish are probably nipping the males tails and killing them from stress. As cruel as it seems, i think they are happier in a smaller tank by themselfs.