# what fish are compatible with a male betta



## taralovesanimals (May 26, 2013)

10 gal tank


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## taralovesanimals (May 26, 2013)

the betta is almost 4 years old. Could I put him with 5 male platys


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## Canis (Apr 15, 2013)

It really depends on the aggressiveness of your fish. Flashy fish might cause a betta to attack. Fast fin nippers can hurt your betta. My betta personally hated platys, but some people have success with them. You might have a bit of trouble with the bioload of that many fish though.


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## taralovesanimals (May 26, 2013)

oh ok. are there any other fish that would get along with a betta


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## Canis (Apr 15, 2013)

Like I said, it depends on the fish. Mine live with common feeder guppies. Not too colorful or flashy, and you can put a group of 4 or 5 in a 10 gallon with him. They only get about an inch long. If you go that route, keep an close eye on the fish. Some guppies can turn out to be fin nippers and will ruin a betta's tail. Your betta also may not like the new tank mates. Always make sure you have a backup plan. I'm sure there are some other fish you can try with him, but I've only had experience with platys and feeder guppies.

You could try about 2 or 3 platys, but I wouldn't go more than that, because they can grow up to 3 inches.


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## LizbethDawn (May 22, 2013)

Cory's are bottom feeders so your betta wouldn't really notice them. Oto catfish are small and are algae eaters not to mention adorable.


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## cheylillymama (Apr 30, 2013)

Mine gets along great with the shoal of panda cories.
He even trys to school with them. Lol.

He is greedy and occasionally steals their food though. 
I've taken to target feeding the cories in the middle of the night so he leaves them alone.


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## lissienen (Mar 27, 2012)

A small school of juli cories could always work - and I had one betta who got along just fine with five neon tetras, but I know that doesn't _always_ work out for the best. Like others have said, it can really depend on the aggressiveness of the betta in question.


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## Sylerwin (Jun 10, 2013)

LizbethDawn said:


> Cory's are bottom feeders so your betta wouldn't really notice them. Oto catfish are small and are algae eaters not to mention adorable.


I have 3 African Dwarf Frogs and 2 Cory's in my 10 gal with my betta, and a LOT of hiding spots for everyone.

My betta is really docile and doesn't mind the tank mates, but I believe one of the frogs has been picking on him, I see little chunks out of his tail


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## jibruno (Dec 26, 2011)

if you get Cory Cat fish, try the pygmy or albino ones, they are smaller and have a smaller bioload, regular cory cats can get up to 3 inches and need a bigger tank than 10 gal


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## Gustersen (Feb 12, 2012)

I would suggest cory cats. I have never had a problem with those in the past. But know that the cory's food like to blow up in the tank so weekly cleanings are a must.


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## Nicci Lu (Jan 7, 2013)

Corys are always a safe choice. You can have the small ones, pygmaeus, hasbrosus or hastatus. Or ones that get to about 2.5", like panda, melini or metae. Juliis get too big.

Otos are a good choice for a ten with a betta, though my fast otos stressed out my betta until I added mellow corys to the mix. With otos, make sure you get at least 4 (ditto with corys) and have a well-established tank with stable water parameters and lots of biofilm, soft green algae or diatoms for them to eat. They are very sensitive when first introduced.

I have had good luck with Yunnanilus cruciatus loaches with a betta. They're zebra striped 1.4" mid-level dwellers- very cute. They need a shoal, too.

I have heard of tetras, endler's livebearers, and harleguin rasbouras though fin-nipping can be a concern.

Make sure you take your water chemistry into account when you look into companions. Some fish do better in hard water, some soft. Required water temps as well.


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## Aconyte (Jun 2, 2013)

African Dwarf Frogs are a great way to go. My very territorial, and aggressive, betta killed off my neon tetras while they slept, but completely ignored the frog. The rule of thumb for a community tank is 1 inch of fish per gallon, so 5 platys shouldn't be too bad, but they are a more energetic fish and there's a good chance they will get on your betta's nerves.

You could always try shrimp! You can get cute, colourful shrimp, and they'll keep your gravel clean. The only thing is they need to have lots of hiding spots for when they shed their shells as they grow so that the betta can't eat them while they're vulnerable.


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## jona31 (May 19, 2013)

I'm not to sure but guppies I think work great even though they are fin nippers my guppies are to afraid to nip my beta because he'll put them in there place if they do


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## OrangeAugust (Jul 23, 2012)

My female bettas are with neons, zebra danios, and julii cories. They all get along well, though once in a while I'll notice one of the bettas briefly chase a neon. There is like no interaction between the bettas and zebras... although zebra danios wouldn't do well in a 10 gallon tank because they really like to zip around fast and play with each other. As for the Julii Cories, because they stay at the bottom, my bettas pretty much ignore them, too. Plus, they're super cute.


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## KohakuRiver (Apr 21, 2013)

I have two small corries in my divided 10 gallon. They are not pygmy, but they are young, and when they outgrow the 10 gallon, I have a 30 gallon sorority I'm setting up. I would not put two fully grown corries in a 10 gallon.


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## jibruno (Dec 26, 2011)

KohakuRiver said:


> I have two small corries in my divided 10 gallon. They are not pygmy, but they are young, and when they outgrow the 10 gallon, I have a 30 gallon sorority I'm setting up. I would not put two fully grown corries in a 10 gallon.


when you move them to your sorority, i would buy 3 more, cory cats like schools of 5 to reduce their stress and reduce being picked on. just a suggestion =]


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## Gallium (May 14, 2013)

Really, really depends on the betta. I have one male that can't be housed with anything- even goes after the snails. On the other hand my other male does absolutely great with literally everything- even the flashiest fancy guppies don't bother him. Oto's and other bottom dwellers will do fine, and most bettas will get along with plain female guppies (though expect some fry if they come from a pet store- you can purchase them "virgin" online.)

Good luck!


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## RussellTheShihTzu (Mar 19, 2013)

+1 Gallium. It's totally personality on what works.

Si lives with Red Cherry Shrimp, Dwarf Orange Crayfish, Thai Micro Crabs and Assassin Snails.

Willie lives alone. His tankmates kept dying and I thought there was something wrong with the tank parameters since he never paid attention to them. Then one night under blue LED lights I watched him sneak around and kill three shrimp before I could net him and remove the remaining shrimp. Not an easy task.


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## jibruno (Dec 26, 2011)

Aconyte said:


> African Dwarf Frogs are a great way to go. My very territorial, and aggressive, betta killed off my neon tetras while they slept, but completely ignored the frog. The rule of thumb for a community tank is 1 inch of fish per gallon, so 5 platys shouldn't be too bad, but they are a more energetic fish and there's a good chance they will get on your betta's nerves.


Frogs with Bettas? i would think that they would not get alone. Im very interested in trying this now though. 

Do the bettas nip at the frog or leave it alone?


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## Sylerwin (Jun 10, 2013)

jibruno said:


> Frogs with Bettas? i would think that they would not get alone. Im very interested in trying this now though.
> 
> Do the bettas nip at the frog or leave it alone?


I've had a few African Dwarf Frog's with my betta.  My betta is really docile so he doesn't mind them--though my most recent frog is a bit of a bully and nipped a bit of my betta's tail off


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## jibruno (Dec 26, 2011)

very interesting, my nephew loves my tanks and the snails are his favorite (no idea why) but maybe he would get a kick out of a frog also.... Now im going to be up all night researching frog facts and water parameters


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## txbettaowner (Nov 28, 2012)

I had my male in a 10 gallon tank with 2 African Dwarf Frogs and they were fine. Right now my male bettas are in a 10 gallon divided tank with one or 2 apple snails right now. I have a lot of bladder snails if you want some. They breed like crazy so you will only need a few.


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