# How To Keep Tetras From Eating Betta Food/ Bettas Eating Tetra Food?



## bloo97 (Mar 6, 2010)

How do I keep bettas from eating Tetra Food? I might be getting a larger tank like this: (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L-P2xqZMI8E) tonight. I want to add a few tetras, but I want to know: (See Title). 

Thanks!


----------



## bloo97 (Mar 6, 2010)

Bump


----------



## bloo97 (Mar 6, 2010)

Anybody??


----------



## vaygirl (Sep 10, 2009)

Like this : Lee's three way breeder!


----------



## bloo97 (Mar 6, 2010)

Can bettas eat Tetra food and can tetras eat betta food? Kind of like a salad? I just think a 3 way breeder is too much of a hassle for Lucky.


----------



## Welsh (Apr 13, 2010)

I feed all my fish the same food and that's tropical flakes, why? well, because I have tetras, cories and a pleco in my female betta tank and it would be very difficult to feed them all their individual foods, plus they love it lol.


----------



## bloo97 (Mar 6, 2010)

So I can't mix all of the food together?


----------



## Welsh (Apr 13, 2010)

I thought you wanted to stop your females from eating the tetra food and vice versa, you have completely lost me now bloo lol


----------



## bloo97 (Mar 6, 2010)

Sorry if I'm leading you off.

I want to put tetras with Lucky, my male betta. I don't have the tetras Yet. I just need to know if I can mix the Tetra food and the betta food together to make a Mix. That way there are no complications.


----------



## Welsh (Apr 13, 2010)

It's OK, I'm just a bit twp thats all lol 

What do you feed your male at the moment, pellets, flakes? 

See, if you feed him pellets and the tetras flakes then he is likely to finish his and go for the tetras and vice versa. 

I feed my females and tetras tropical flakes and used to throw in some algae wafers for the cories and pleco but the tetras and females used to finish theirs and go straight for the wafers so I stopped feeding the cories and now everyone is just on flakes lol.

Man I'm stupid !!

I just re-read and yes you can mix the food but if you are going to do that then you may as well just either stick to one type of food or get tropical flakes, thats what I would do anyway


----------



## bloo97 (Mar 6, 2010)

Lucky eats Hikari Betta Bio Gold pellets, and so does Dragon. How many flakes does each Tetra need?


----------



## Welsh (Apr 13, 2010)

Just a pinch but then you would need to watch because they will go after the pellets, bloody fish are so greedy these days lol


----------



## bloo97 (Mar 6, 2010)

So just a pinch? And then My usual 5 pellets for Lucky?


----------



## Welsh (Apr 13, 2010)

Yup, just make sure that the tetras don't get over fed though


----------



## bloo97 (Mar 6, 2010)

Okay, so like 1 or 2 flakes per tetra? Okay. Thanks!


----------



## doggyhog (Apr 30, 2009)

Well, since no one has mentioned this. A 5g tank is no where near enough room for a betta and tetras. IMO tetras need at least 15g to be happy. They are very active fish and need to be in large shoals. 

For a tank mate, I'd get a few ADFs or a Mystery snail. A mystery snail is easy to feed. ADFs are not.


----------



## bloo97 (Mar 6, 2010)

I thought the tank looked big enough to keep a small school. Well, you probably know best! Are there any fishy friends for Lucky? The tank just seemed to big for one betta. I thought it was going to be smaller. Shows what I know, lol. Plus, IDK Where I can get ADFs. Nor do I know where I can get snails.


----------



## bloo97 (Mar 6, 2010)

What about a small bottom feeder? Or another small fish?


----------



## doggyhog (Apr 30, 2009)

Maybe you could get two Otocinclus catfish. But I don't think they are very well suited for a 5g unless it's planted. 

You can get ADFs and Mystery snails at Petsmart. At least mine sells both. 

I would not add any other fish. Although it looks big they simply isn't enough space to comfortably house them all.


----------



## wallywestisthebest333 (Nov 30, 2009)

you can get both ADFs and Mystery snails at your local petsmart/petco.
=] you could also opt for shrimp but be forewarned that your betta might see them as a snack and eat them. =/

Also if you get shrimp or ADFs they need lots of places to hide. =]


----------



## bloo97 (Mar 6, 2010)

Thanks! I'll check out the Otocinclus catfish and get some more plants when I can.


----------



## doggyhog (Apr 30, 2009)

They are extremely sensitive fish. I would not recommend them for a 5g, although it can be done. Make sure you do your research on them.


----------



## bloo97 (Mar 6, 2010)

I will do some reaserch around the time when I want to get one. Luck still needs a few more days of adjusting. Thanks Guys!


----------



## doggyhog (Apr 30, 2009)

Oh and make SURE your tank is cycled before you add any of the animals listed above. Very important.


----------



## Sarada (May 11, 2010)

If you figure it out let me know  My female bettas tend to over eat because they eat the corys pellets too.


----------



## bloo97 (Mar 6, 2010)

I know another question but.....What about minnows?


----------



## Sarada (May 11, 2010)

Minnows are fish I can find in the lake outside to use as bait for bigger fish


----------



## bloo97 (Mar 6, 2010)

I read somewhere they can live with bettas.....?


----------



## Sarada (May 11, 2010)

I don't know but probably. They're too big for the Betta to eat...fins are somewhat short. I'd try it if I really cared to keep a minnow.


----------



## JKfish (Apr 8, 2010)

I crumble up the harlequins' flakes into a bowl of tank water, and while Puffy is eating his 3 pellets, I suck up the flakes in a turkey baster and sqeeze the food slowly out. Whenever Puffy comes around and trys to chase the harlequins away to eat their food, I gently poke him with the turkey baster, and so he's learned to leave their food be while the turkey baster is in the water. My harlequins have now become conditioned to come to the turkey baster for food, and Puffy has become conditioned to avoid it.

I don't think the minnows would be a great idea in a 5 gallon tank for the same reason as the tetras. Five gallons is too small for a shoal of fish and your betta as well.


----------



## Sarada (May 11, 2010)

Ya minnows would be too big for a 5g.


----------

