what other fish can live with Bettas?

[JerinLeah]

We have been getting conflicting info from the "pros" about what kind of fish can co-habitate with our Betta. Can you please help.

[loonyeuny]

Any fish that is not mean or a fin nipper as long as it is bigger than the beta and can defend its self if it has too. Guppies are not a good idea. Their pretty fins attract the beta and the beta will kill them. White skirt tetras are good in with betas as is rainbow fish and even sepia tetras.

Good luck and enjoy your fish. I LOVE betas and have a few myself. My aunt has even gotten 2 males to live in the same tank without fighting but one stays hidden all the time because he does not have anymore fins from when we first got him he jumped out of his condo and into another betas and they tried to kill each other. She also has tons of plants and hiding places. She did not know he was still alive when she put the other one in.

Eunice

[MONAMLU]

HELLO...IN REPLY TO YOU QUERY. I MYSELF KEEP A BETTA IN MY TANK. HE DOES FINE WITH HIS COMPANIONS. I HAVE DWARF GOURAMI, A VARIETY OF MOLLIES AND PLATTIES AND THEY ARE ALL REALLY HAPPY. MAKE SURE THERE ARE HIDING PLACES...AND THAT THE HOUSE MATE ARE ALL COMMUNITY FISH (NOT AGRESSIVE). TRY PLESECTOMOUS. THEY ARE COOL TOO!!! YOU CAN HAVE FEMALE BETTAS TOO...BUT THEY CAN'T MATE IF YOU HAVE OTHER FISH AND SPLASHING WATER. THEY NEED STILL WATER TO BUILD NEST
GOOD LUCH AND GOOD FISHING!

[Jeni]

whoa whoa whoa.... Male and female bettas CANNOT live together. I repeat CANNOT. I learned this one from experience when my 2 of my females ganged up and killed my favourite male. That was definately a bummer. Depending on the individual fish, bettas can live with nearly anything. I don't advise you to try and place an older betta into a community tank when he has already established himself in one solitary existance. Also, trying to get 2 bettas to live in the same tank is risky and not adviseable at all. I once knew of someone who had a 100 gallon tank and managed to have 2 bettas live in harmony, but that was because they each had 50 gallons for territory. Now, bettas will live with almost anything. Angels are good, but shortfinned ones are better than the long finned ones, since bettas can sometimes nip fins. Fin-nippers, like tetras and barbs, are bad, but not out of the question. If you have tetras and barbs, it is best to determine their personality before adding a betta. if they are finnippers, then the betta is best left out, but if they aren't, then everything should be hunky-dory. Other labrinth fish are good, such as gouramis or paradise fish. Goldies are good in an unheated tank, and Bettas will hold their own in a tank with goldies who are much larger than they are. Plecos are good, but really only if they are in a heated tank. If you are concidering putting a betta in a community tank, or adding some fish in with a betta, post the specifics, or mail them to me @ sexi_jeni_@hotmail.com and I will be glad to help. I hope this helps. And remember, Male and Female bettas cannot go in together!!(i cannot stress that enough)

[loonyeuny]

I agree on the males and female NOT going togeather. I too had a female 1 female kill my favrite male. I thought that maybe it was she did not like him so I got another male and tried him but she started fighting with him too so I pulled her out.

Can bettas go in with Angels? I was told that Angels are fin nippers and would nip the bettas fins. Right now I have 2 angels in with 2 rainbows and they all seem to be doing fine.

Let me know please,

Thanks,
Eunice :angel6:

[Jeni]

I've always had angels wit bettas, but it definately depends on the fish themselves.

[MONAMLU]

MY FEMALE HAS ALWAYS BEEN OK. I ONLY HAVE ONE OF EACH AND THEN OTHER KIND OF FISH. BUT MAYBE MINE'S STERILE. I'VE NEVER SEEN HER BLOAT BEFORE! WHETHER THEY TRIED MATING OR NOT.

[loonyeuny]

Thanks Jeni,
Now that I think of it I know another lady that said her mom always had bettas and angels in the same tank. She also said that her mom had a few bettas in one tank. I wish there was a way to get all bettas to get along that would be a pretty tank with nothing but bettas. Oh well maybe someday.

Eunice :angel6:

[Jeni]

I recently found out that there is a way to have male bettas live together. If you breed bettas, and don't take the male fry out of the tank, they will get along. there will be some torn fins and perhaps some deaths, but for the most part thet should get along.

[amymlc]

in my tank I have four female bettas, a male betta, a Gourami, and a baby musk turtle. They are all doing fine. They have been together for about six months now with NO problems.

[domeomuliet]

Your environment muz be takened care of first, you muz have a big tank and its best don put 2 bettas in a tank. You muz have sufficient hiding space, logs and plants, etc... so that if the betta suddenly goes crazy, the others can stay clear hehe...

The fishes should be around the size of the betta, perferably bigger. They should not be aggressive fin nippers. A school of them would be great. (Sorri I don know wat fishes to name hehe)
Barbs are fishes nippers so I guess should rule that out... smaller fishes like tetras and guppies are surely out...

[zac08]

It depends on the setup and the type of betta you have. A long tail would actually survive well with a load of tetras and other smaller fishes (provided they do not have long fins which might excite the betta into attacking the fishes)

I've kept a single male betta together with discus, neons, cardinals, rummy-noses, otos, yamato shrimps, etc in a single tank and they have their own niche..... they keep out of each other's way and they do not attack each other....

Only trouble I had was when a pair of silver-tip's entered the picture.... They were subsequently banned from my tank and the rest are still living happily....

[richie]

Hello Jeni

I have a 30 gallon tank. My fishes are (2) Angel fish, (3) barbs, (1) pleco, (4) tiny sucker fishes, (1) red-tail shark, (3) neon tetras, (1) female sword tail, (1) striped fish (sorry I can't find the name).
Now, can I add a betta with billy the kid gang?

Thanks