Pals for a betta

nerdyguy83

AC Members
May 11, 2006
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Erie, PA, US
I am going to purchase a male crown-tail betta to keep in a 2.5 gallon with a small heater, a bubble filter, and some java moss. Would he be happiest by himself, with some inverts (please specify snails of shrimp), or a couple dwarf platies or other tropicals?
 
Most bettas are happiest by themselves. Some will tolerate tankmates (usually in larger aquariums), but many don't. I've even heard of bettas eating shrimp.

More importantly, a 2.5 gallon tank is barely big enough for a betta. I definitely would not recommend adding anything else.
 
I agree with what Ms.Bubbles said, to a point. 5/7 of my bettas have been fine in community tanks. However, the two solitary bettas are happy with the whole tank to themselves.

But ya, your pretty much full of fish.
 
you could get one dwarf oto, but give him a hiding place, because bettas are usually hostile towards newcomes for a little while.
 
I did some research outside this site, and I found the website for the International Betta Council. According to them:

"Bettas are actually very friendly fish as long as you don't put two males together...They get along *great* with most variety of tetras such as small neon tetras or some of the common livebearers."

Just wanted to put that out there. I realize that my situation is more one of space than anything.
 
Ok, new question:

What if I put the betta and a school of neons (6) in the 10 gallon and moved the current occupents of the 10 gallon to a 5 gallon (4 fish + 2 shrimp)? Any space problems there?
 
nerdyguy83 said:
Ok, new question:

What if I put the betta and a school of neons (6) in the 10 gallon and moved the current occupents of the 10 gallon to a 5 gallon (4 fish + 2 shrimp)? Any space problems there?
most likely. just move the oto and maybe the guppy, but not the shrimp! I put a 1 inch long ghost srimp in mine, and my betta made short work of him!!
 
fishcatch22 said:
most likely. just move the oto and maybe the guppy, but not the shrimp! I put a 1 inch long ghost srimp in mine, and my betta made short work of him!!

I'm saying have a betta and neons in a 10 gallon and the guppy, platies, oto, and shrimp in a 5 gallon.
 
Each betta is different. I have one that does well in a community tank but he HATES snails. He will attack them to death. My other betta is fine with them. I also had a betta that killed every other fish in his tank. So it is just each betta to his own.
 
jodimartin2003 said:
Each betta is different. I have one that does well in a community tank but he HATES snails. He will attack them to death. My other betta is fine with them. I also had a betta that killed every other fish in his tank. So it is just each betta to his own.
my betta likes eating snails and java moss!
 
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