Is there a Betta way?

yogias

yogias

www.justgiving.com/susanmoseley
Jan 23, 2007
95
0
0
West Wales, UK
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!!!!
 
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.
 
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.
 
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.
 
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?
 
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
 
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