Beta Question ?? Happy or Sad

katiethree

AC Members
Sep 22, 2007
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Are Beta Fish happier in a little tank alone? or in a bigger tank with a few other fish other than another beta fish?
I have a 20 gallon with a few neons, tetras and algea eaters and then I have a 11/2 gallon tank just for my beta, but I feel feeling sad for him/her cause it's all alone in there.....

Can you tell if a beta is a female or male by their colors or anything?

:confused:
 
Long fins on a Betta unless it is a wild type = male. You have to be careful putting a male betta with other fish. Some do ok, others will fight with and may kill other fish. If you have anything long finned in your 20 I wouldn't add the betta to it.
 
I'd be a little wary of the tetras; some might see the betta's fins as a snack. And Snoopy65 is right: how the betta himself gets along with his tankmates is a function of his personality. Some are fine, others are little psycho-killers.
 
Thank you for answering...I will just leave Beta in his tank by himself :)
 
I have a couple of ramshorn snails in with mine. It entertains him and he likes eating the baby snails. He also has java moss and a ornament like a broken castle with arches that he likes to swim through. He just learned to flare today! it is so funny, every time he looks at me he gets an attitude. He flares at the snails, at his reflection and anything else that catches his eye. What a character.
 
Here is his tank.

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Get the betta a larger space (try for 5 gallons), heated water (78-82 degrees), floating decore to encourage bubblenest building and he should be a lot "happier." Disrupt his territory by changing his decore often will encourage him to patrol more and keep busier, thus appearing "happier." Snails to hunt, live food, live plants, daily flaring excersize, etc, are other things you can do to optimize life for your fish.
 
Have the male betta by himself in the 10g. He was harassing my canas. Sad I know.lol He seems satisfied even chasing insects across the water surface and eating them, and grabbing pellets that fall to the substrate.:rofl:
 
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