beta fish compatability

[pep31]

hi there!I have a question... our family is starting an aquarium... My daughter has a Beta fish and we want to purchase more fish for the tank.. what kinds of fish can we put in with it... we have heard that it will kill another beta fish and don't want my children's first experience to be blood and guts .. any advice greatly appreciated.. Thanks pep31

 

[OrionGirl]

What size tank is this? Bettas are actually compatible with most other fish. The exceptions are fin nipping fish such as barbs, or fish which look much like a betta, such as paradise fish.

However, you will need to provide an appropriate sized tank. Bettas are often kept in very small containers. If you're going to have more than one fish, a 5 or 10 gallon tank would be the minimum to go with.

 

[Faramir]

Are we talking about Betta splendens, aka the Siamese Fighting Fish?

It is certainly true it will fight to the death with another male. It will also harry a female in a small tank.

But with other species of fish it is more likely to be the victim.

Do not keep this fish with

(a) nippy fish, like tiger barbs. I wouldn't trust larger tetras like Black Widows (Black Skirts) or Bleeding Hearts either.

(b) fish with flowing fins. In the latter case your Fighter may initially mistake the fish for another male fighter and lunge at him. I've seen big holes in guppy tails...

 

[aquatix02]

individual bettas may have varying degrees of aggresiveness, it depends if the betta has had many fights before etc.. therefore, if there are going to be peaceful community fish inside the same tank as the betta, to minimise aggression, it should be sufficiently large (more than 6 gallons) and have many areas for shelter (live or silk plants).

on a side note, never add plastic plants in a betta tank, it will shred the betta's fins, only add silk plants or real plants. test it to see if it has any rough edges.

hope this was useful!

 

[goldfries]

i've had a betta that refuses to fight even at the sight of other males.

i currently have a betta that flares just by looking at person walk by.

i've also seen betta damaged a portion of a guppy's tail within a few minutes. very fast, i just placed them in the tank, went downstairs and came up shortly and there was a chuck gone from the tail.

they're good with most fishes. see above, it's mentioned.

 

[TKOS]

My cousin keeps some very nice White Cloud Mountain Minnows in with his Betta. Everyone seems to get along very well. Occasionally the Betta will take up the chase but this doesn't last long and is a fun show to watch. Otherwise the minnows keep in a nice little school and stay away from the "big" fish.