# A post I thought I needed to make . . .



## MaisyDawgThirteen (Dec 7, 2011)

Bettas do NOT get lonely.
I've seen a lot of posts lately about people new to bettas that think their betta is lonely. They are aggressive and solitary fish, most bettas prefer to be alone. They can work in many community tanks and females in sororities. But having tankmates is not necessary.

Just thought I should clear that up. :-D


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## registereduser (Jul 30, 2010)

:lol::lol::lol: feel better now?


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## LebronTheBetta (Apr 23, 2012)

I wonder if this is going to be a Sticky... I guess some People need to get an Idea that their Fishys aren't lonely... Well, the Moderaters should take care of that!


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## bahamut285 (Dec 10, 2010)

Thanks for posting this. I'm not really know how people perceive their bettas being *LONELY*. If they're inactive then it usually means something else, not that they want a roommate or a mobile lunch. (Okay maybe they do want a mobile lunch but that's not the point, lmao)


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## Sena Hansler (Aug 24, 2011)

:lol: Masiy you're awesome hahaha...I'm with you on that!! I had Spartan since he was 6 months, and got him used to other fish. But I got lucky LOL. Georgie looks alone.. Do I care? No lol he's SOLITARY, not LONELY. Plus he'd tear apart anything in there....bigger than him or smaller than him! 

Hey, hey Maisy,


*Male bettas do NOT need girlfriends!*


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## dramaqueen (Jul 7, 2008)

I agree with Maisy and Sena. Just because a male betta blows a bubblenest doesn't mean he needs to be bred.


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## Sena Hansler (Aug 24, 2011)

:lol: "but he looks so lonely Dramaqueen!"


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## Spazzfish (Feb 12, 2012)

My betta dosnt even care about the tabk mates i have i there they are for my injoy ment not his and they are bottom dwellers so they stay away from him as he swims along the top the only time he seems to notice them is when they have food


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## Sena Hansler (Aug 24, 2011)

:lol: Same here! I have 4 shrimp, in 10 gallons (half a 20) with Fiona, and she ONLY notices them when there's food there :roll: I think I have an algae eater in my sorority xD Dunno where he went lol. I better check :| My females steal his food a LOT. Somehow. A whole wafer.


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## shadowpony (Apr 15, 2012)

I'm pretty sure that my betta thinks my snail is an oversized piece of gravel.


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## Sena Hansler (Aug 24, 2011)

I had a snail. Pass tense xD Voldemort looked at him so keenly, then NOM. -spits up- poor snail. He lived. Until he was nommed again and again :roll:


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## BeckyFish97 (Apr 9, 2012)

Yeah I heard tailbiters can do better with companions but I have to agree, other than that, if it/he/she is fine as they are, leave it alone!If you think they're lethargic-work out what is actually wrong instead of deciding the fish just MUST be lonely!  nice thread maisy (love sena's touch) this should be stickied!


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## lvandert (Feb 23, 2012)

Yays!!! I applaud this thread!


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## Olympia (Aug 25, 2011)

I think my two boys enjoy each others company (through the divider).
But I don't really they care for the cories, even if I have seen Reuben sitting beside them.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Sena Hansler (Aug 24, 2011)

BeckyFish97 said:


> Yeah I heard tailbiters can do better with companions but I have to agree, other than that, if it/he/she is fine as they are, leave it alone!If you think they're lethargic-work out what is actually wrong instead of deciding the fish just MUST be lonely!  nice thread maisy (love sena's touch) this should be stickied!


hehe  Thought I should add it in haha! Even my females, I have to separate here soon. Although they rarely see each other in the densely stuffed tank, they are still meanies. I think my algae eater was murdered. -trying to find hm-


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## BeckyFish97 (Apr 9, 2012)

ahhh...not good...I'm sorry if...well I guess if you don't find him...


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## Sena Hansler (Aug 24, 2011)

Another reason bettas should be...."lonely" :lol:


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## BeckyFish97 (Apr 9, 2012)

What cause they're murdering raving lunatics?


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## MollyJean (Dec 29, 2009)

Alright, sorry to be the sour sally, but while I agree with the statement, it wasn't exactly tactful.

We have to remember that there are people here that are new to betta fish and their care and some people here are not as thick skinned as others. The way this thread is going it looks more like you are making fun of ignorant people, which isn't the best way to promote this site or the principles of betta care that it encourages.

So let's revise.

Betta fish do not require a friend or tank mate. Most are alright all on there own. We as humans tend to place human traits on our pets and it is totally understandable to look at a fish all alone in his tank and say "He looks so lonely" because we are human. Which is why there are lists of compatible tank mates all over this site. If someone feels their pet is lonely, get them a compatible friend, just be warned it might not work out. However, if the fish is acting lethargic and slow, like he is "bored" then he might be sick, and those symptoms should be posted in the illness section.


*Bettas don't get lonely, they have us to keep them company. *


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## Sena Hansler (Aug 24, 2011)

> The way this thread is going it looks more like you are making fun of ignorant people, which isn't the best way to promote this site or the principles of betta care that it encourages.


 
Sad thing is I am talking about people who have owned bettas over and over and over and still think they need buddies. For instance, a woman I know owned a betta fish for years. When she got a new male after that one passed she felt he NEEDED a girlfriend so she stuck a female in there. They lived for about a year then both passed away "unusually" and she claimed "heart break".


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## BeckyFish97 (Apr 9, 2012)

My comments before were a little...but anyways I apologise to anyone I may/may not have insulted, they were directed at nobody on this forum, but at the idiots at some pet shops in england, that put 1 male betta with 6 females AND a red tailed shark in a 10GALLON tank...sorry, ranting moment there...but like I say, it was directed at nobody on this forum!


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## Sena Hansler (Aug 24, 2011)

> 1 male betta with 6 females AND a red tailed shark in a 10GALLON


 awww now I'm sad


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## BeckyFish97 (Apr 9, 2012)

Don't be, I got the manager to come over, and told him, if he did not move these fish to seperate tank then they would kill each other, and that in the unlikely event of him daring to not move them I would do it myself and report him to the necessary authorities...you should have heard him-well just look here little girl...that did it, I got one of the brand new nets that was for sale ripped it out of its packet, opened the tank dunked it in, fished out the male and put him in a tank with some shrimp (not sure what kind) want back to the nets, got another one-that would fit the red tailed shark in it, opened that dunked it in and removed the red tailed shark to an empty tank..."but miss, we're waiting for a new shipment of fish" well mr we're waiting for a new shipment, those fish will just have to be put into other tanks, although I thought you were supposed to QUARANTEEN new fish first!Oh-and next time you call someone a "LITTLE GIRL" think about what you're saying and remember what happens to people who don't own a brain-LITTLE MAN!

PS:Anyone who thinks it's a good idea to call anyone a "Little girl/boy" needs their head testing, that or a conversation with this lunatic


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## Sena Hansler (Aug 24, 2011)

...You'er not a little girl.

Kinda like me being called "girl". I am not a girl. I don't even have the figure of a "girl" -.- I know what I was talking about then, they didn't so nyah  (although I do know I am not always right...but then I was haha)

Same with the theory that "only males make bubble nests". Quite a few of my girlies did. And the ones I spawned helped build the nest.


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## BeckyFish97 (Apr 9, 2012)

LOL those people need to hit youtube!There's an AWESOME vid of platinum whites spawning and building together!!!

And I don't think I looked like a "little girl" when he made me mad...more like an ogre...(princess fiona style OBviously)


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## Sena Hansler (Aug 24, 2011)

:lol: haha ogre


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## fairy74 (Jun 10, 2012)

I wish i had done more research or found this forum before i purchased my females,i originally had just a male betta in my 30 litre who was quite happy for 15 months before dying,i went to the pets at home and bought two females not knowing that was very wrong.When i went back recently to buy some live plants the man suggested i add a male to the tank,i said that was a no no and he looked at me like i was mad and said its perfectly fine but just not two males together and he had never heard of females being aggresive(they keep lots of females together)so its no wonder people end up with dead or ill fish
But i am glad i found this forum and have now upgraded to a larger square tank(still has not arrived grrr)and i am so excited to get it all up and running.:lol:


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## BeckyFish97 (Apr 9, 2012)

I have females together-there's nothing wrong with that if you keep an eye on it, but it CAN get messy!


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## Sena Hansler (Aug 24, 2011)

My three main females are aggressive :roll: more so than my males!


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## MaisyDawgThirteen (Dec 7, 2011)

Thanks guys.  

I wasn't trying to mock anybody, I just was being blunt. 

Maybe this could be stickied?


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## Purple (Jun 25, 2012)

My female is very curious about my male (who is about 2 feet from her and covered in a towel ), but poor Donald is terrified of his own reflection!  My fish don't act like bettas, I guess. I would never put them together because I thought they were "lonely"... Only schooling fish get lonely. Sally probably just thinks that Donald is something she should be eating.


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## Sena Hansler (Aug 24, 2011)

> Sally probably just thinks that Donald is something she should be eating.


 hahahhaha I agree!!!


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## Chrexis (Apr 9, 2012)

I have a 26 gallon divided for 2 male bettas, they'll occasionally meet at the divider swim along flare at each other and then swim away. But for the most part they mind their business and do what they do.


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## Sena Hansler (Aug 24, 2011)

That's good =D I have had a "pair" of bettas I divided in a tank, and they were fine. Some aren't :roll:


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## BeckyFish97 (Apr 9, 2012)

I think it was xshainax that had one of her males jump over the divider, and found them chilling in the same part together!aparently they escaped unharmed!LOL the same day this fish hopped in with the girls too!Again he escaped unharmed!silly fish


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## Sena Hansler (Aug 24, 2011)

>< Like when Maine breached the border and was all up in Spartan's face, and Spartan was so shocked he just....looked at him....? :lol:


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## underdebate (Jan 26, 2012)

For the sake of offering a story: this Sunday I'm going into Toronto for a family thing, and while I'm there I'll be picking up a male and a female who are being kept in the same (tiny, tiny) tank. I think I'm developing a twitch in my eye here. I mean, even if bettas weren't a species of KIND OF VERY AGGRESSIVE FISH, I don't think anyone seems to realize that, you know, if you leave a male and female _anything_ together for any length of time, there is a possibility that you might end up with _hundreds of fry_.

So yes. Sunday we are driving an hour and paying $30 for two sickly fish and a barely-suitable tank. (And then by god I'm going to eat birthday cake until I explode.)


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## Sena Hansler (Aug 24, 2011)

Yay birthday cake!!


errr... I mean geesh people shouldn't stick fish like that together.


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## Tikibirds (May 26, 2011)

> 'm pretty sure that my betta thinks my snail is an oversized piece of gravel.


My bettas probably think mine are mobile mossballs, since they look like moss balls till they start to climb up the side of the tank :shock:


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## mursey (May 9, 2012)

I wish I read this thread a long time ago. I got platys for my first betta, it didn't work out, and now I have a separate tank for the platys I really wasn't that into. If that wasn't bad enough, Petco must have sold me a preggers female because now I have some platy babies too!

Don't get me wrong, the platys are cute and nice little fish .. but I really just want betta tanks, and the platys poop a million times more than my bettas! I am cleaning the bottom of their tank a lot. 

I also got ghost shrimp which died, and I really hated those things. They annoyed every fish I had. 

No more tankmates for my bettas!


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## quakersteph (Jun 7, 2012)

*Awesome!!*



bahamut285 said:


> Thanks for posting this. I'm not really know how people perceive their bettas being *LONELY*. If they're inactive then it usually means something else, not that they want a roommate or a mobile lunch. (Okay maybe they do want a mobile lunch but that's not the point, lmao)


Really couldn't have said it better myself. I just wish people would research PRIOR to purchasing new pets, whether it's in regards to fish to other animals. Thank you, although those who really need to see this most likely won't...


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## MaisyDawgThirteen (Dec 7, 2011)

Thanks guys. ._.


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## MyRainbowBettaFish (May 9, 2012)

bahamut285 said:


> Thanks for posting this. I'm not really know how people perceive their bettas being *LONELY*. If they're inactive then it usually means something else, not that they want a roommate or a mobile lunch. (Okay maybe they do want a mobile lunch but that's not the point, lmao)


so true, and i don't know why, but that animation makes my ROFLMAO


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## Ramble (Mar 13, 2012)

Well, I'm in both camps...bettas being solitary fish don't generally need fishy companionship. However, they do get bored and need stimulation (hence the toys and fabulous planted tanks!) For my guys, the dwarf algae eater or the ghost shrimp seem to be plenty of company.
Now for my half moon fin biter...if he doesn't have a neighbor, he does a lot of damage to himself. Since I have put him in a tank next to my boy Rudis's tank, he's stopped fin-biting completely and has grown back about half of his tail. it's crinkley and not as flowing as before, but that's okay. In his case, a neighbor is a good thing. They don't challenge each other much, but do the occasional swim-by to check out the competition. I think a heavily planted divided tank would be as close to friendship as they'd get, though... :thumbsup:


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## MaisyDawgThirteen (Dec 7, 2011)

Ramble - Cool! I said in my original post that most bettas prefer to be alone, not all. I guess your HM is an exception.  I'm glad that he has stopped fin-biting!!


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## Ramble (Mar 13, 2012)

Hey Maisy! Yep, there's an exception to every rule, but I do agree that 97% of the time bettas don't like to share...:lol: I wouldn't try it unless there were no other options, and DEFINITELY not sharing a single tank. Just too much risk.


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## MaisyDawgThirteen (Dec 7, 2011)

I thought maybe I should ressurect this thread, as I thought it may be helpful to some of the begginners.


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## Lrucker (Oct 6, 2012)

I think "My Betta is lonely," can be translated as "I want more going on in my tank." That's how I ended up with a second dog. My first one was "lonely."


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## ao (Feb 29, 2012)

lol after kuro bit off s few legs off my new ghost shrimps, he now lets them climb all over him.
bettas are weird


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## dramaqueen (Jul 7, 2008)

I think we can do without the silly memes. :/


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## Pices (Oct 12, 2012)

I've had my male betta for four months and he seems fine being the only living thing in his tank. I am not worried that he is lonely. I do worry that he may become bored, and I try doing different things to address that. Who knows?? I sure wish he could tell me . . . then again, it's nice having such a quiet and lively friend.


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## NyaNyanNaa (Oct 2, 2012)

As Pices said, I worry that too that he's going to get bored.

But currently he seems focused on defending his bubble nest so I highly doubt he's bored right now.


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