# Cichlids and Betta? Help!



## FishyBets

Okay, so here's my story:

Last weekend, I went to PetCo and got two Betta's, a female and a very pretty male (Sake). The female died within two days, and the male is healthy.

I set up a 10G divided tank (filtered and heated) for them with gravel and caves and lots of cover. Sake went in his half, and the female died in a short QT period.

Fast forward to this weekend- Dad said he wanted a fish. So we went to the pet store and got a dwarf South American cichlid. The exact name escapes me, but full size is about 3 inches. I had him in quarantine overnight. Since he was active and eating I put him into his half of the divided tank, which has plenty of cover, current, and gravel and whatnot.

From what I can recall of threads I once read, Cichlids can be tank mates with Betta's.

What I've come here to ask you all is, A) would these two fish in an undivided tank be a good idea? And B) Can Cichlids be fine as a singular fish? Or do we need to go the the store and get a school of fish for this guy? I realize that if we got a school, the divider would need to come out. This the first question stands.

From my experience, they would probably be okay tank mates, since Sake is, I think, relatively calm, and the Cichlid not very flashy and still kind of scared.


Thoughts? Comments? Fish well-being is possible at stake!


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## ryry2012

Our member Falcon was talking about chiclid and betta as tank mates yesterday. You can read yourself. 


http://www.bettafish.com/102-betta-fish-compatibility/732282-29g-stocking.html


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## KaderTheAnt

IMO Bettas and cichlids together are a big no no. Can you post a pic of the cichlid? I'm sure one of our lovely members here can help. @TexasDomer and @dave75g are pretty good at idebt


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## FishyBets

Thank you, but I have a dwarf cichlid, apparently one of the less aggressive south American species. I mostly need to know the parameters they like and if they need a school or not.


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## FishyBets

I'll post a picture in a few hours. I want to look for the receipt that has its name on it, though.


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## FishyBets

Apistogramma Hongslet is the name of the fish on the receipt. That was written on the tank too.


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## LittleBettaFish

I've never personally kept cichlids, but apistogramma do have the potential to get nasty. I think it's more of an issue with pairs during spawning, but the potential for serious aggression is still there.


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## RussellTheShihTzu

If you have questions about care of something other than a Betta I would suggest posting in "Other Fish" or I can move this thread. JLMK.


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## FishyBets

Part of the question was if it would be okay to have 1 dwarf cichlid and 1 Betta in an undivided tank- it's heavily planted with 2 caves. They're about the same size (cichlid is a little smaller than the Betta sans fins). Both seem pretty calm and there hasn't been any altercations through the barrier, which is clear.

Still on the fence.


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## Falcon

Even with a dwarf cichlid mildly aggressive temperament, I would be very hesitant to put in with a Betta as for the fact that cichlids are notorious fin nippers. 

For one couple a minimum tank size is 20 gallons. It's 10 gallons of territory per fish. 

Personally I would say no to this. The tank is big enough for one dwarf cichlid and that's it.


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## FishyBets

By my math, I have one male cichlid and and a Betta in a 10G tank. I can move the Betta and give the cichlid the tank. 

I refuse to return him to the pet store, where he had no cover, no gravel, and had very little moving water from the sponge filter (I have a power filter that cascades and makes a nice current for him).

Do Cichlids need to be a pair? Or are they happy single?


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## Falcon

Depending on the cichlid some are better off by themselves some aren't

a rule of thumb is one male per 3 females.

so a single male would work in a 10 gallon or upgrade to a 30 gallon and go with one male to three females.

A couple would work in a 20 gallon if it's heavily planted with places to hide.

Don't do two males with one or two females. The stronger male will kill the other male.


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## FishyBets

I'm not looking to go bigger- a 10G will be hard enough to move. So I'll just leave the male alone.

I might try removing the barrier is a couple of weeks to see if they can coexist. If there's any sign of nipping and whatnot, I'll put the divider back in and transfer the Betta. I have a 10G guppy tank that is understocked, and I've kept Betta's and these guppies sucesfully before. I need to figure out a way to reduce the nitrites though- they're quite high (tested them today; 2 ppm!), although they are due for a water change tomorrow.

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## LittleBettaFish

If the nitrites are that high you should do a water change today if possible (I'm not sure what time it is where you live), or at least dose a product like Seachem Prime to temporarily detoxify them if not possible. I lost my first betta to nitrite poisoning, and 2ppm is certainly getting high enough to start causing your fish some distress. 

I'm also not sure how sensitive apistogramma are to poor water quality, but most fish species are not as tolerant as bettas (which is why some betta keepers can struggle when they branch out into other fish). Personally I would recommend checking out an apistogramma specific forum (there is at least one out there). Based on what I've read apistos can have some specific needs in terms of substrate, water conditions etc. 

The trouble when you've got two species notorious for aggression/territoriality, is that any disputes may very quickly escalate beyond nipping. Based on personal experience I can say it does not take long for one fish to seriously maim or kill another. 

So I would be very cautious in removing that divider.


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## FishyBets

I actually did testing for everything but the 2.5 today (I have 2 10Gs and a 2.5 which houses another Betta)- the divided 10G was near perfect on the water conditions (the ammonia was creeping towards .25 but nitrites and nitrates were both 0. pH was 6.6 or so, which is ideal for the cichlid I think, but low for the betta if I recall correctly).

I can put in Prime rn for the guppy tank- I'll do a water change tomorrow afternoon. It's probably just a spike in the cycle.

I'll look into that. I'd love to find a thread. I have plenty of substrate, water current, cover and a cave for the little guy- it was originally set up for a betta, and so there's plenty of sight blocks between the two sides.

I will be very careful in deciding if/when to remove the divider. If I do, they will be under very close watch.


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## Ggrodr8350

Personally, it worked out for me. I have a betta and a cichlid living in the same tank and they get along fine! I have a 10 gallon tank and it had a divider between. At first I was hesitant of removing the divider but I gave it a shot. They don’t fight at all. They are so calm toward each other. My brother bought me a female betta later on and I didn’t have a tank for her, so I added it to the one I already had (don’t worry I’ll buy a bigger tank soon) and I was pretty shocked. They all get along great. I am constantly keeping an eye on how they react with each other. At first the male was aggressive toward the female (I kinda expected it so I was ready to take her out of there) but then it seemed like he was scared of her. It’s been 2 weeks and they are all getting along just fine. I don’t see them fighting... I sometimes catch them 3 in one corner just chilling. I WILL buy a bigger tank for them tho because I know a 10 gallon tank isn’t big enough for the 3 fishes so I am saving money rn for it. 🙂 do I guess it depends on your fish’s personality


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