Betta in community

I have a betta in my 38g community right now , alls good.

I look the school of tetras idea, I did something very similiar with my tank as my betta is my centerpiece fish.

Absolutely NO Gouramis or Angels...All "heck" will break loose...If you must try to make him a community fish, stick with some neons or something...

No, bettas are great community fish so long as you are careful about what fish you put in with them and you don't have a particularly ornery betta.

My experience is that betta's each have a personality/temperament to be figured out. I have a betta in a 60 gallon community (lol, w/ gouramis and guppies even) and he could really care less. He keeps to himself and will occassionally flare for a new addition but that's about it. Then again, I had another I tried in a 29 gallon and even the catfish weren't safe. I'd say just observe closely for awhile.

Puma- I wouldnt exactly call them "great community fish"... It is a crap shoot when it comes to personality even with the females....Also the aquarium environment is not always the best alternative..They cannot handle strong filtration and their fins are extremely delicate and can tear easily on plastic plants, ornaments or just from little squabbles...I am in a different position then most when it comes to Bettas, so my particular needs require that my stock is always in the safest environment...I breed show quality stock and would never risk a 50 dollar fish in a tank. Just my .02

TheMightyQueenPixie said:

Puma- I wouldnt exactly call them "great community fish"... It is a crap shoot when it comes to personality even with the females....Also the aquarium environment is not always the best alternative..They cannot handle strong filtration and their fins are extremely delicate and can tear easily on plastic plants, ornaments or just from little squabbles...I am in a different position then most when it comes to Bettas, so my particular needs require that my stock is always in the safest environment...I breed show quality stock and would never risk a 50 dollar fish in a tank. Just my .02

Click to expand...

I agree that bettas seem to vary widely from individual to individual. The feistiest ones seem to be the hardiest, but probably also not the best community fish.

I think that bettas appreciate more space and more water just like any other fish. If you can keep them in a filtered, heated tank, they'll tend to be much healthier in general.

In fact, you could say that we're conducting that sort of side by side test right now. My girlfriend got three female bettas that were fighting all the time... something had to be done. So she gave the dominant one away and split up the other two. The weakest one originally got the 5 gallon heated, planted hex to share with a snail, the other got a bowl with java moss. The one in the tank is much more active, colorful and healthy. The one in the bowl is more washed out in color and sluggish. I feel a lot of it has to do with the temperature, but also probably the more stable water quality. But we have to keep them apart because one would probably kill the other.

I have a male betta in a 10g, and he seems fine with the current generated by a penguin 100gph filter. But I've deliberately put in a number of leafy plants and a rock that helps shelter him from constant current. I think you need to have a filter of some kind unless you want to be doing water changes every other day.

Dave- I am a total water nazi...Poops plucked out every day with a turkey baster, water change 50 percent ever other day...I agree that temp and water quality are probably the two biggest factors in any fishes health. You take care of the water and the fish will take care of themselves...

I tried once adding a betta to my 75 gallon community tank which has 17 large congo tetras, a skunk loach and three otto cats. It turned out to be a bad idea because even though the congos are not aggressive, occasically during feeding time, they'd see the movement of the betta's fins as potential food and nip it. I ended up taking the betta out. I think in nearly all situations you will have the betta be either dominant or picked on. I cant see a happy medium really....