# Betta for community tank?



## pringleman1 (Nov 13, 2010)

I'm wanting to get a nice looking betta for my 65L community tank but I dont want any of my fish getting picked on or killed and that goes for the betta too.
My tank consists of 3 platies (1 male), 3 mollies (1 sailfin male), 4 male guppies, and 2 anglefish. 
Ive been told that the angelfish grow to be 7 inches which would be too big for my tank so they might be leaving when they get too big.
Im also looking at getting 2 wrestling halfbeaks (Dermogenys pusilla) as well.
Will any of these fish be picked on if i get a betta?


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## shinybetta (Jul 3, 2010)

Possibly the guppies. It all really depends on your fish's personality. If you don't want to risk it get a female betta, she would be less likely to pick on anything. How many gallons is 65 L?


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## pringleman1 (Nov 13, 2010)

According to google, 65L is 17 gallons.
Would any of my fish be considered a threat to a betta ( male or female) from their coloration? My fish have all bright colors like reds, oranges and yellows, except one guppy is dark blue almost black, one black female molly and the angelfish are black and white.
Would a blue or purple or just a darker betta be less threatened then say a bright red one because of similar fish colors?


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## crowntail lover (Apr 25, 2009)

Your tank is too small for anymore fish. If you look into taking out the angelfish you could add in a female betta.. But females can be just as aggressive as males so keep that in mind.


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## Alex09 (Aug 9, 2010)

The angelfish will be a threat to a betta. So maybe after you remove it/them. The betta MAY then be a threat to the guppies (fancy colorful ones with huge tails).


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## pringleman1 (Nov 13, 2010)

I will probably give the angelfish to my sister she wants goldfish but i think she would like an angelfish or two.
How long do betta fish live in a health community tank compared to in their own small tank?


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## crowntail lover (Apr 25, 2009)

Bettas can live in any size tank, infact they prefer larger tanks rather than small ones that you see advertised..


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## pringleman1 (Nov 13, 2010)

Ok so they do well in community tanks if the tank mates are all friendly with each other.
They need their own kind of food too don't they, or can they tank tropical flakes?
I just want to know as much as possible before i decide so i don't accidentally kill one.


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## Fawnleaf (Aug 31, 2010)

bettas need pellets- they are carnivores. But they also need variations, such as blood worms or brine shrimp.


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## crowntail lover (Apr 25, 2009)

Bettas need some type of a pellet diet. But they LOVE live foods and frozen foods for a treat


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## greg6585 (Aug 1, 2010)

I was thinking about moving my Beta to my 75G community. In my community, I have 4 platys, 15 rummynose tetras, 6 silver dollars (only about 2" at this time), 3 clown loaches, and 1 Pleco. 
The only problem is how much they will eat. They are only supposed to eat a VERY little bit as their stomachs are about the size of their eye. Eating more will get them sick. How can you avoid this?


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## DormDrax (Dec 1, 2010)

crowntail lover said:


> Bettas need some type of a pellet diet. But they LOVE live foods and frozen foods for a treat


or Freeze dried... I've read nothing but people's fish getting sick from tainted live food. Like cases of Dropsy. So I don't plan on chancing it.


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## Fawnleaf (Aug 31, 2010)

Freeze dried tend to cause constipation. The frozen ones (from my experience) are much healthier, safer, and better.


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## Alex09 (Aug 9, 2010)

I have had no probs with freeze dried bloodworms. I just pre-soak them in another container before feeding. As for feeding the betta in a large tank, You can "train" your betta to get its food from one side of the tank while you feed the other fish on the other side.


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## dramaqueen (Jul 7, 2008)

Alex09 said:


> I have had no probs with freeze dried bloodworms. I just pre-soak them in another container before feeding..


Same here.


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## bettamaniac (Jan 6, 2011)

I would get a female. I have a female yellow dragon veiltail with my pet cory catfish. If one of my males ever sees it they start flaring at it. And I have seen a male in a tank with a few other fish on display at my local fish store and it flared at the other fish and it had a guppy that had torn fins caused by him.


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## CatherineMPLS (Oct 12, 2010)

> My tank consists of 3 platies (1 male), 3 mollies (1 sailfin male), 4 male guppies, and 2 anglefish.
> Ive been told that the angelfish grow to be 7 inches which would be too big for my tank so they might be leaving when they get too big.


When thinking long term for your sister's tank (if you decide to give them to her) a good "rule of thumb" for angelfish is 15 gallons per fish (56L per angelfish). 

I've kept angelfish with a betta before. The angelfish were usually so busy establishing dominace (pecking order) amongst themselves, so they really didn't interact with the betta. 




> They need their own kind of food too don't they, or can they tank tropical flakes?


Bettas are piggies! They will eat the flake food if given the chance, but it's not very healthy for them. I put a mirror in the tank to distract him while feeding the other fish


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## scootshoot (Oct 11, 2010)

My male betta resided in his 5 gallon solo til 3 ghost shrimp were introduced. He tormented them and killed em all. Now the same betta in a 14 has 6 ghost shrimp and he don't bother them one bit. I guess he just needed elbow room.

Far as feeding, mine adjusted I guess for the better in terms of variety in his diet due to competition. He never touched freeze dried brine or flakes as he focused on blood worms and Hikari pellets when he was residing solo in his 5. Presently in his new digs as he shares community space with Ghost shrimp and 3 platy's, he devours anything and everything including the brine shrimp and flakes. I guess those 3 platy's made him less picky about food due to competition.


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