What to put with a male betta?

[JamieMonster]

Glofish= zebra danios, and they are a little too active for a 10 gallon, IMO- they'd be miserable in that cramped of a space, as they really like to spaz out & swim constantly. My Salvador (male betta) has a 10 gallon tank... he has 5 neon tetras in there (could have more than that, though), and they get along perfectly. The neons stay schooled, for the most part, and they are pretty colorful and active. There are also 4 ghost shrimp in there, but bettas & shrimp can be hit or miss. Sal happens to be REALLY laid back, the girls in my sorority tank shredded them. Sal's tank is also the snail nursery, for now- I'm picking them up another tank of their own soon... he doesn't bother even the baby snails. (I don't think this would be typical betta behavior, though.) You could do a betta, 8 or so neons, some cherry shrimp, and a snail, if you wanted. Or, the betta, 5 neons, a couple of otos, and probably a few shrimp, as long at the tank is pretty mature. I'd do somewhat heavy plants and cave like structures in the tank for both places for the shrimp to hide, as well as bettas just generally love to hide & explore, too. Just get everyone established in the tank & let the shrimp grow to full size before adding the betta. From my experience, bettas, shrimp, and snails can work in a 10 gallon with a male betta. (not so much in a 10 gallon with 5 females- but my girls are CRAZY, and very mean to everything but themselves.)

 

[mesto]

Zig zag eel.

Was this a joke? lol

I am following this thread because I'm thinking on setting up a very similar tank - I have a 10 gal ready to go and a Betta planted community was one of the 3 top choices I was trying to work out. (I also have gnarly insomnia and am trying to decide whether to set this tank up at work, where I need stress relief, or in my bedroom, where it would be nice to have something to look at and go to sleep to).

You have a definite leg up on me because I don't know bettas well, and have never kept one. But from everything I read, it seems like there is a bit of Jekyll and Hyde aspect to trying to stock them with anything else - a lot of stuff is purported to stress them out or be downright harmful to them (too much activity, too much boisterous behavior from fast active schoolers like danios, any fish prone to fin nipping, heavy water flow from the filter). On the other hand, they can be very aggressive, so you have to take pains to avoid fish they may bully or kill, which I hear is any fish with longer flowier fins or anything too "pretty". Between all those conditions, AND the fairly strict limits of a 10 gallon tank, it seems like the list of potentials has to be pretty narrow? I know some people say don't even try community with a betta, I guess because of all of this, while others say it's no big deal and try it.

If I personally liked neons or cardinals more, I think I might give them a go. They are colorful and peaceful, and not too action-packed - I don't THINK they are in the "too pretty" category. Small bioload too. Along those lines, I've also been looking at more colorful, small varieties of pencilfish (Nannostomus) and small colorful nano rasboras, even lampeye killifish. I was only planning for one school of 6-8 in with a betta, I'm sure you could fit more if you were careful and had a good maintenance schedule (and def. in the 20) but I generally like to understock. Any experienced community betta keeper's viewpoints on the OP much appreciated here too. Also looking forward to seeing pics of your new betta and tank, whatever you decide, StarS!

 

[StarSapphire22]

Is a swordtail to fancy of finnage? I'm really liking these....

http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=830+1102+2941&pcatid=2941

 

[JamieMonster]

I've done swordtails, mollies, and platies with bettas in the past- they got along fine! Those guys do have a heavier bioload, though, so, you could only have a few in a 10 gallon.

 

[StarSapphire22]

Do I need to do them in schools? Or would 1 or 2 be ok, as long as they were females?

 

[JamieMonster]

No schools needed- 1 or 2 would be fine. You could do females, sure- she may be pregnant already when you bring her home, though. they are like the rabbits of the water. Buy ones that look like they are still babies, and let them grow in your tank.

 

[stephybabe88]

No Betta expert, but I have heard that if you add the betta last, it's generally more successful. My betta has a 10g with some RCS and he hasn't bothered them at all. Thinking about adding a few neons and seeing how it goes.

 

[wesleydnunder]

1)EEEEEEEEEEW. Eels creep me out. Too much like snakes. *shudder*

2) Don't eels need like a minimum of a 55 anyways?

Not zig zags. They stay small; 6 or 7" max with very small mouths.

Was this a joke? lol

I am following this thread because I'm thinking on setting up a very similar tank - I have a 10 gal ready to go and a Betta planted community was one of the 3 top choices I was trying to work out. (I also have gnarly insomnia and am trying to decide whether to set this tank up at work, where I need stress relief, or in my bedroom, where it would be nice to have something to look at and go to sleep to).

You have a definite leg up on me because I don't know bettas well, and have never kept one. But from everything I read, it seems like there is a bit of Jekyll and Hyde aspect to trying to stock them with anything else - a lot of stuff is purported to stress them out or be downright harmful to them (too much activity, too much boisterous behavior from fast active schoolers like danios, any fish prone to fin nipping, heavy water flow from the filter). On the other hand, they can be very aggressive, so you have to take pains to avoid fish they may bully or kill, which I hear is any fish with longer flowier fins or anything too "pretty". Between all those conditions, AND the fairly strict limits of a 10 gallon tank, it seems like the list of potentials has to be pretty narrow? I know some people say don't even try community with a betta, I guess because of all of this, while others say it's no big deal and try it.

If I personally liked neons or cardinals more, I think I might give them a go. They are colorful and peaceful, and not too action-packed - I don't THINK they are in the "too pretty" category. Small bioload too. Along those lines, I've also been looking at more colorful, small varieties of pencilfish (Nannostomus) and small colorful nano rasboras, even lampeye killifish. I was only planning for one school of 6-8 in with a betta, I'm sure you could fit more if you were careful and had a good maintenance schedule (and def. in the 20) but I generally like to understock. Any experienced community betta keeper's viewpoints on the OP much appreciated here too. Also looking forward to seeing pics of your new betta and tank, whatever you decide, StarS!

Nope, no joke. I kept a zig zag and betta together for around 6 yrs. Aside from a few stare-downs they seemed to get along really well.

Mark

 

[mesto]

I meant the 10-gallon size tank, more than the community pairing. I thought those guys needed a much bigger tank, even when only 6". I have seen one at my LFS and it was bigger than that too (probably 9-10"), but maybe that was a different species with same common name.

I admit I am confused about what you can put in a 10-gallon. A lot of people will warn you off fish that even reach 2-2.5 inches in a 10, on the other hand a lot of people seem to keep 4-inch swordtails in them and they do ok! Again timely for me since I am scratching my head about a 10-gallon stocking right now.

SS, those are really pretty swords!

 

[StarSapphire22]

Stephy, I had heard that too....that's gonna be the plan. After the last betta I had, every betta is a serial killer until proven innocent lol. Does your betta do population control with the rcs?

So my tentative stocking plan is:
A handful of RCS
6 cardinal tetras
1 male betta

When I move to the 20 gallon:
A handful of RCS
6 cardinal tetras
(1 other school...suggestions?)
2 female pineapple swordtails
1 male betta

I plan on adding everything in that order. The betta will hang out in the 10 for a while so he can be added last again.


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