# Petsmart said "Betta Forums" are wrong about tankmates



## animallover (Dec 10, 2011)

Hi,
I just signed up here and I still need to fill out the rest of my profile! I have owned various types of fish and am now working on my 6 and 7 Betta! (the other 5 have passed) So I have always had them alone and was always told to do so. Now, I see on this forum as well as others that sometimes they can be mixed depending on the betta's aggression. Petsmart said "don't trust those forums, they cant be with other fish, their fighters". Well, my black Betta ( flareboy) is by himself-the name says it all. My other one "Mint" is in a temporary small container in front of my 29gallon community fish tank. I have a paper dividing the tanks but he will just lay on the gravel or plant and not move.When he gets to see the other fish, he swims "with them back and fourth" and has never flared! Even when I had the other Betta near him, he did not flare. So the other 10 gallon is now cycled for him,( took a month) do I try tank-mate for him? I am sorry this is so long,but I feel I would get proper information from you all instead of Petsmart!:-D P.S. I have read the other questions/answers on the same topic, but really confused when petsmart said no. Also, he said to have one Albino Cory catfish with the Betta if I insisted in a 10 gallon.


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## LittleBettas (Jul 23, 2011)

Sadly....most petstores no NOTHING of bettas... or other fish for that matter

You CAN have males in community tanks...but only ONE
And it depends on the male
A lof of times boys will stop flring or wont flare... a lot of people guess this is from being kept in close quarters next to a lot of other males for long periods of time... they loose their "mojos" as my BF says... if you keep them away from other males for awhile (sometimes just getting them out of the itty bitty cup) they will get their "mojos back"

You can try your male in a community tank, if he gets to mean to the others, he will have to be removed.... but honestly the biggest problem is usually OTHER fish bothering the betta.... bettas are slow moving and their fins are often a great target for other fish
make sure your tank is not over stocked
and make sureto monitor everyone for a couple days
but really, no one seems to have any REAL trouble with community tanks in most cases

And Cories need to be kept in groups of at last 3... 5 is prefered... they are social fish and do better in groups


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## Rosso1011 (Nov 13, 2011)

I have heard of different users trying different types of tank mates with their betta if they think temperament will allow for a successful community. I have heard of people using certain types of tetras and I have heard of people putting in cories with their bettas.

My personal opinion is that cories are the safer bet. Corydoras are peaceful fish that can get along with just about anything. I agree that cories should be kept in a small group, but my personal opinion is a minimum of 4. From what I've researched they like larger groups, but can be kept happy at about 4. 

I personally will not give an opinion on housing bettas with tetras, some people are successful with making this community work. I do not know enough about housing tetras with bettas to help you out.


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## animallover (Dec 10, 2011)

Hello,
Thank you both for replying so fast! I am still trying to learn my way around here! So to LittleBettas, Yes, I agree with only one male Betta. He never flared from day one,had him a month? ( I got him at petsmart and the other at Petsbarn) As far as his current setup, its a critter carrier but I do see your point about a bigger tank! Ok, so no Albino Cory's for him! I was hoping for the Dwarf cory but have not found any here, I heard I could have 4-6 and my Betta without overstocking. Thank You! 
To Rosso 1011, I am nervous about tetras as well. In my 29, I have Long Fin Serpe Tetra,which I think are very nippy and heard most are.I agree with having only a type of catfish( my tank is not ready for Otos). They are gentle, I have another 29 gallon with two other types of cats and love them! Well,my Betta looks like he will have to be by himself when I move him tomorrow!  Thank you both


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## LittleBettas (Jul 23, 2011)

I have heard problems with tetras being nippy.... but I have never kept them
There are people here who have albino Coried in their tanks with their male bettas (I have NO experiance with Cories) but I know they like having sandy botoms and being in groups... EVERYONE here LOVES them and I have always heard good things about them


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## EvilVOG (Nov 23, 2011)

Betta forums say PetSmart is wrong about tankmates...

Betta's are territorial fish, but every fish is different about how tolerant they will be of others.

One of my LFS have a couple display tanks that are 40 gallons or so and have a male betta with a few other fish, and that helped me pick out tank mates for my sorority tank. Harlquin Rasboas (not sure how to spell that) have been great for my girls. They school together and generally stay out of the betta's way. The rules for picking tankmates are that, they need to be non-aggressive, not brightly colored, and my personal addition smaller than the bettas.

Even with these rules your betta may just not be tolerant of sharing space, and you wind up finding shredded pieces of your betta's former tankmate littered all over the bottom of your tank. I just had my male rip his tankmate apart (a ghost shrimp).


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## Sakura8 (May 12, 2011)

I agree wholeheartedly with what everyone has said. It all comes down to the individual betta's personality. I've tried several of my bettas in community tanks, one stocked with danios and another stocked with neon tetras. The danio tank situation didn't work out so well as the danios were just too darn hyper. But all of the bettas I put in with tetras worked out fine. 

I think perhaps the key to keeping bettas with tetras is to have enough tetras. The bigger the school, the more likely they are to play with each other and not bully the betta. I have 10 tetras but I have a feeling if I'd had even 6, my results could have been different.


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## Luimeril (Dec 29, 2010)

of course Pet stores don't want you finding this place, and other forums! xD they'll lose money if you do. ;3

i've heard neon tetras, cory catfish, and one other kind of Tetra... can't place it.

i've also heard that it depends on the betta. some do okay with guppies, my own tore my favorite guppy apart after slipping the divider(i had him in with them for a while, behind a divider).


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## Sakura8 (May 12, 2011)

I've heard platies do well too. But I've also heard of a betta mauling a platy and of platy mauling a betta. 

Basically, whatever you try, make sure you have plenty of time to just observe and be ready to yank out someone in trouble.


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## dramaqueen (Jul 7, 2008)

Personally, I think bettas are better off living by themselves since they are solitary fish BUT some CAN live in a community tank if they have the right personality for it. It's just a matter of trying it and keeping a close eye on things and being prepared to pull the betta out and give him his own tank if you have to.


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## Tikibirds (May 26, 2011)

Rule No. 1..NEVER listen to_ petsmart_ or _Petco_ employees. 99.9% of the time they have no idea what they are talking about. Even if they have fish themselves, they seem to know nothing about bettas.

I think corys would be nice to have. Never had any myself though.


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## animallover (Dec 10, 2011)

Thanks Everyone,
I thank you all for writing me back! I agree with the employees not knowing everything! Well, I only was thinking of adding them because my boy is calm when it comes to being near other fish. If it didn't work, I would add the catfish to the 29 gallon community. Well, having not enough space in the 10, I can not add the Albinos, and I am too nervous about adding any other types of fish. I do not want snails and although the frogs are cute, I am worried about the bacterial issues that come with them!


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## hellofishy (Jul 10, 2011)

I started off with a mystery snail as my first tankmate with my male betta, kato. It worked out as a "test" because the could not harm the snail because it had a shell to protect him. Aside from a couple inital curious nips, i didn't have any problem. Since i felt he would not be really agressive towards tanksmates i bought neon tetras and they did great. So yes, it does depend on personality


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## Myates (Aug 2, 2011)

One of the things you have to look at is where in the tanks do the fish swim at the most.. bettas tend to be more surface dwellers, so gouramis tend to be out of the question- them and bettas can be territorial and both breathe out of a labyrinth organ. The gourami tends to be more aggressive out of the two.

Some bettas have problems with small, fast schooling fish. So if your betta is shy or nervous, then I would avoid them. Danios may not be as small, but they are quick and are notorious fin nippers.

Catfish in general need large tanks, and will eat anything that can fit into their mouths.. those aren't ideal for any fish that are a betta's size.

Cichlids tend to be too territorial and aggressive as well.

But there are still a lot of good fish such as guppies, platy, mollies (especially the balloon ones), sword tails and cory doras- are what I would personally stick with- with more females then males for the live bearers (1 male per 3 female is the basic general rule of thumb for them), as the females tend to be a little more passive and more gentle with the bettas. The cories you can't tell.. but they are very peaceful fish to be with the betta.


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## Kytkattin (May 15, 2011)

I personally have ghost shrimp and a mystery snail. I was actually surprised the ghost shrimp lived so far. One even shed last night and is still alive! I personally like those best as tankmates for bettas just because they are easy to set up on their own if there is a problem. Always have a back-up plan!


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## animallover (Dec 10, 2011)

*To hellofishy,* that's a good idea how to test them! I like snails but do not like how big they get or reproduce! My kids insisted on Hermit Crabs which were not that easy to take care of so, I guess I'm nervous on that! I'm glad your fish got along with it. *To Myates,* your right, that's why I wanted more of a bottom dwelling fish with him. The Albinos get to about 2.5-3 cm and the dwarf corries get to about 2 inches.( are they catfish?) I love all the fish you mentioned and had them over the years except guppy's. In the very far, far future I would like a Guppy, Platty and Otto tank. I have more then enough tanks now, along with Gerbils and Outside Turtles! *To Kytkattin*, how long have you had your ghost shrimp? I thought about it but I really think even my calm Betta would eat them,especially after a molt!


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## Pitluvs (Jun 22, 2011)

I've sucessfully had a male betta with a silver dollars, but I'd never try that again lol

Each set up depends on a few things... having the right fish for the right place in your tank (top, mid, bottom dwellers), having personalities that match, aggression, tank size.... if you have the time and supplies you can easily find tank mates for male Bettas. I would never suggest Tetras usually, but there are a few slower more shy Tetras out there that would work great. Glowlights are mid dwellers that are pretty shy. I like Rasboras with Bettas too. But you have to know the personality of the types of fish you wish to put in with Bettas.

And pet stores, oh my. I was told I could never work at mine because I am over qualified. I know too much about each fish, therefore I would overwhelm new customers with proper information and I would also make sure they have solid tanks and never come back for more fish. Pet store are run by companies that want you to buy product and fish. They want you buying 12 different types of medicine, and they want you to replace your fish. They want you to try everything until you find what works. My store hates that I know what I'm doing when I walk in, and I always turn down their suggestions because I know better. I mean my store told me that Bettas like cold water and Goldfish are best tank mates in a 2.65g tank. Like, whoah!


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## Arashi Takamine (Mar 3, 2011)

Everyone's right when they say Petsmart is code for moron. The idiot working at my local one just grabbed Lelouch's cup and SHOOK HIM to see if he was alive. Lulu was flaring at me and building a bubble nest in his cup before that. 

Needless to say my mom and I were horrified and that poor baby got a new home with us.

Tankmates depend. I don't think mollies will work as they are brackish water fish and I read somewhere that they flare too so it's just an invited for a betta to go hunting so to speak.


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## animallover (Dec 10, 2011)

Pitluvs,
Silver Dollars and a Betta? That is different! I think my Serpe Tetras are nippy fish so I see what you are saying,those are good suggestions. Earlier I said my tank was cycled, but the Ammonia jumped up, so I have to wait a little longer to add any fish." Mint" is still enjoying looking at the others tho.


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## animallover (Dec 10, 2011)

Arashi Takamine,
Oh no, that's horrible! Im glad you and your mom took him home! Yea, after I bought my mollies back in the 1990's and this year,already mixed them with the other non brackish fish, I found out they were brackish (oops) but have been alive now for about 6 months? Well, they rule the community tank for sure!


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## Arashi Takamine (Mar 3, 2011)

animallover said:


> Arashi Takamine,
> Oh no, that's horrible! Im glad you and your mom took him home! Yea, after I bought my mollies back in the 1990's and this year,already mixed them with the other non brackish fish, I found out they were brackish (oops) but have been alive now for about 6 months? Well, they rule the community tank for sure!


 Yeah I actually told him to be careful and he handed him to me with so much force it left ripples and a scared sunk to the bottom fish and my mom said: "I don't know (insert real name here) He's not moving much." I pointed out the moron and that was that. His name was decided after his flared up reaction moments later.

Lelouch of the Petsmart Rebellion.


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## Kytkattin (May 15, 2011)

animallover said:


> *To Kytkattin*, how long have you had your ghost shrimp? I thought about it but I really think even my calm Betta would eat them,especially after a molt!


About a week now. They are with my _female_ which probably makes all the difference. They have shed, and she didn't eat them. She might nip at them if they swim up out of the plants and towards her, but she doesn't chase them at all.


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## EvilVOG (Nov 23, 2011)

my male CT never accepted his GS tankmate. Ripped him to shreds after a couple days. One of my PK males must have eaten his, as there's not trace of him... My PK girl in my 20 gallon at first would get right up in there faces... she was fascinated by them, and eventually came to accept them. They now swim freely like they were fish, and even come to the surface at feeding time.


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## Kytkattin (May 15, 2011)

I think that is how my shrimp are going to be. I actually thought there was something wrong with them because they were swimming around so much... I thought they were too active. I hope they are just happy.


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## Silverfang (Mar 25, 2011)

EvilVOG said:


> They now swim freely like they were fish, and even come to the surface at feeding time.


I had that happen at feeding time the other night, one was upside down trying to "Walk" upside down on the water. I dropped brine shrimp on him, and he just sorta floated down and nommed.

My ghosties are in the sorority, 5/6 alive (that I can tell, lots of live plants). The girls will nip and chase occasionally but mostly ignore them.


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## Super Sly (Oct 19, 2011)

I don't know too much about ghosties we had them when i lived with my aunt but...they would always jump out onto the frame of the tank and kill themselves...Cories are my favorite tankmates atm my male betta loves to play with them and hasn't really showed signs of aggresion towards them. Sometimes he will chase them around but has never nipped at them since I've got them. Then again it all still comes down to the personality of your betta. Another thing is that my tank has a ton of hiding places and sometimes my cories even try to school with the betta which I think is really funny.


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## SmokeNLark (Jul 22, 2010)

Yeah, most of the time the pet store workers don't know anything. They either have fish and have been misinformed as well. Or they get their information from the store. I now work at a Petsmart, and 3/4 of the people who work in the fish department (including me) actually know about fish. I was quite surprised. But yeah, always take their information with a grain of salt. Do your own research. And make your own conclusions. The tags about each fish at the store have tank requirements and such. Very few are alright. We have pacus (which get 2 feet long!) that say they only need 20 gallons! I don't go by those requirements and neither does anyone else at my store. And wow Pitluvs! That's crazy. My manager wants to be an ichthyologist, and knows a lot. I have made so many recommendations for people to NOT buy stuff (especially fish). And my manager agrees. He cares about the quality of life of the animal, not the sale which is great and I don't have to worry about giving correct information.

But about tankmates, I have a betta in my 29 community with platys and peppered and albino cories. He's completely fine. He actually likes hanging around the cories when they eat. I had a different betta in there before, but he got too aggressive with them. It depends on the individual fish and the species you want to house them with. Bottom dwellers are usually ok (assuming they won't outgrow the tank). Smaller rasboras and platys can work. Any semi aggressive is a no. Gouramis are related to bettas and will fight. Certain tetras and mollies tend to be nippers. I have heard of them being with guppies, but I would be extremely careful about that because of their long colorful fins might be mistaken for a betta. And of course snails and shrimp (at the risk of possibly becoming a snack) are fine.


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## Rosso1011 (Nov 13, 2011)

Personally SmokeNLark, I would love to try a betta/cory community but, I think my guy is a little on the aggressive side and I definitely don't have room to set up anymore aquariums. My bf has two aquariums, I have 2. I honestly didn't even want as many aquariums as we have now. :-|


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## animallover (Dec 10, 2011)

Hey Everyone,
Thanks for all your suggestions!


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## doggyhog (Apr 30, 2009)

First, Welcome to the forum!!! Glad to have you here. 

Most pet store employees really don't know what they are talking about. The occasional ones do know what they are talking about but I generally get an opinion from somewhere else before taking their advice. 

Snails and shrimp work well with some bettas.


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## Andrew H (Dec 2, 2011)

I lucked out with my betta; his temperament is awesome. I have three fancy tail guppies in the tank with him and he doesn't care. Just followed them around the first day and four days later their fins still look great and the betta still looks just as happy doing his own thing.


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## animallover (Dec 10, 2011)

To Andrew H, thats great, especially with fancy tail guppies!
Ok, just wanted to let everyone here know that I am grateful for all their help! As I posted to another member, I have got two juli cory catfish, and will get 2more today. I was worried about their size in the tank and need for space, but my backup plan is if they need more, I will pack my ten and get a 20g.Of course if things do not work between my Betta and corries, I will put the corries in my already setup 29 gallon! Thanks all! P.S. they are the correct small size corries because I compared there "spots" and looked for any lines to those of their bigger twin!


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