# Can Bettas really live with other fish?



## Antoni (Feb 20, 2011)

I have a 55 gallon fish tank. I have guppies, neon and x-ray tetras, sunburst wags, suckers, black and gold snails, panda/ peppered and spotted catfish. I just got 2 pea puffers cause the snails breed like crazy.

I have my Betta "Anton" in a 5 gallon tank all by himself cause I thought they can only live by themselves. I see some people have other fish behind thier Betta pics.

Can Bettas live in bigger tanks with other community fish? I really dont think I'll change this, but I would like your guys' experience and opinions.


----------



## turtle10 (Dec 30, 2010)

Yes they can 

I have a male plakat in a 20 gallon with four female guppies (not fancy), five micro rasboras, a few snails, and a tiger pleco. They get along really great, except the first week the male nipped at the guppy with the darkest tail. That has been the last of the fighting. The guppies know the male is boss, he has the upper right side by the heater and driftwood claimed. 


Some people have a sorority, which is when 5 or more female bettas are kept together. A sorority can also be in a community tank. I plan on getting 6-7 pygmy cories for my sorority, but people have suggested guppies, mollies, bloodfins, tetras, etc.


----------



## Malvolti (Nov 15, 2010)

Bettas can live with some other species fairly well but not your tank. A Betta would be seen as an easy meal in there.

They are generally good with some Mollies, non-fancy guppies, small species of tetras, pygmy corries, swordtails. Small Peaceful schoolers usually.


----------



## JKfish (Apr 8, 2010)

Yes they can, but they won't exactly thank you for it. Your ability to keep bettas with tank mates alsodepends on the general disposition of your betta. Also, you have to make sure they are compatable. Aggressive fish, or larger or faster ones don't typically go well with bettas.


----------



## bloo97 (Mar 6, 2010)

JKfish said:


> Yes they can, but they won't exactly thank you for it. Your ability to keep bettas with tank mates also depends on the general disposition of your betta. Also, you have to make sure they are compatable. Aggressive fish, or larger or faster ones don't typically go well with bettas.


And to add to that, Don't get fin nippers. Some fish find nipping long flowing fins irresistable.


----------



## shinybetta (Jul 3, 2010)

The pea puffers can get VERY aggressive. Be careful.


----------



## LittleNibbles93 (Feb 7, 2011)

I had my betta with 1 non-fancy black guppy, 2 bleeding heart tetras, 1 algea eater, 1 molly, and 1 corycat, and all at once, for about 1-2 years  (Then I moved and they started to die D: )


----------



## Antoni (Feb 20, 2011)

As I mentioned in another post. He hated the small tank so I did move him in the bigger tank. He has been so happy ever since. So far its been 3 days and all is quiet in the tank. Anton has such a gentle personality that he often leaves when the sunburst wags get in his hidey spots. Finally today the sunbursts have let Anton have his favy spot.

I am happily surprised. *smiles*


----------



## Pekemom (Jan 27, 2011)

Harmony is a beautiful thing! It really does depend on the personality of the fish. So glad Anton is happy!


----------



## BlakbirdxGyarados (Feb 10, 2011)

*Sure, Why Not?*

There are some fish that bettas won't like, and others they'll be perfectly fine with.

Desides the obvious things (like the fish have to be able to live in the same type of waters as bettas, as well as same temperatures, etc.), betta's can get along with almost any kind of fish, excluding a female with a male betta obviously.

Female bettas: They can live in a group of other female bettas as well as a community of other types of fish. I don't recommend goldfish or minnows. Goldfish are pretty mean anyway, and minnows are way too hyper for their liking. (My betta Leliia wouldn't stop chasing the Rose Minnow she was "roomed" with one day because the minnow kept trying to tap her, almost as if trying to play tag.)

Male bettas: They probably do better in smaller communities of other fish (but never with another male betta)... for example, I don't recommend you put a male in a tank filled with hundreds of guppies as this is both crowding and annoying to him. The black orchid Crowntail my grandfather had lived in a tank with a few guppies and an algae-eating shrimp. He never really bothered the other fish as long as they didn't bother him, so it worked well.

Each fish has their own personality, though. It really depends on his/her personal temperament as to what fish they'd be fine with living among.


----------



## karlhague (Aug 9, 2010)

BlakbirdxGyarados said:


> There are some fish that bettas won't like, and others they'll be perfectly fine with.
> 
> Desides the obvious things (like the fish have to be able to live in the same type of waters as bettas, as well as same temperatures, etc.), betta's can get along with almost any kind of fish, excluding a female with a male betta obviously.
> 
> ...



Actually for Keeping a Male and Female Betta together, It dpends on the male and Females Temperment, Nature and Aggression..

Yesterday I had NO choice to allow my female in with my males tank ,(after she was floating in an ice cream carton she jumped) Her tank heater went boom.

After Carefull watching I noticed both flare at each other and them swim away as fast they could into different plants.


----------



## windfire (May 25, 2010)

hmmm lets see all mine live with roomies of one type or another, Ares has 5 khulis, Apollo lives in my 1.2m heavily planted community and my latest addition is Apsolem and he has 5 white clouds that chase each other around but leave him alone. all my tanks are well planted, provided theres hidey places there shouldnt be a problem. i've also known people here to keep a males and 3-4 females together with no problems but as has been mentioned it all depends on the bettas personality. Apollo would be ok i think but Ares is far to aggresive, Apsolem i'm not sure, i still havnt gotten a handle on his personality just yet.


----------



## BlakbirdxGyarados (Feb 10, 2011)

karlhague said:


> Actually for Keeping a Male and Female Betta together, It dpends on the male and Females Temperment, Nature and Aggression..
> 
> Yesterday I had NO choice to allow my female in with my males tank ,(after she was floating in an ice cream carton she jumped) Her tank heater went boom.
> 
> After Carefull watching I noticed both flare at each other and them swim away as fast they could into different plants.


That's interesting. My grandfather actually used to be a betta breeder and he's never been able to keep females with a male. (They'd get beaten up badly.)

Hopefully (if having to put your female with the male was recent) it's really their temperament that makes them able to live together, or they're just not familiar with each other and are avoiding for now... And I hope they don't start fighting when you're not around. D:


----------



## MrVampire181 (May 12, 2009)

Males and females can be kept together until spawning is complete. I've had them live peacefully together upt to 2 weeks in a tub before they spawned.


----------



## BlakbirdxGyarados (Feb 10, 2011)

Well, spawning yes. But keeping them together just to keep them together is risky.


----------



## karlhague (Aug 9, 2010)

BlakbirdxGyarados said:


> Well, spawning yes. But keeping them together just to keep them together is risky.



Yup its Risky but I didnt have a choice..

The heater in the tank she was going in exploded... And Damaged the seal on the tank.
She arrived yesterday, Had no other tanks suitable tried floating her, she jumped out, So Rather than stress her, whilst things are going well I'm just going to leave her be.

Moving the endlers,guppies and fry out of this tank after the weekend


----------



## BlakbirdxGyarados (Feb 10, 2011)

karlhague said:


> The heater in the tank she was going in exploded... And Damaged the seal on the tank.
> She arrived yesterday, Had no other tanks suitable tried floating her, she jumped out, So Rather than stress her, whilst things are going well I'm just going to leave her be.


Wait, it literally exploded?! I didn't... know that could happen. At least, not with an aquarium heater, as that sounds rather dangerous to the aquatic life living in it. >>
But it's understandable what you did. Just hope nothing else bad happens..


----------



## karlhague (Aug 9, 2010)

BlakbirdxGyarados said:


> Wait, it literally exploded?! I didn't... know that could happen. At least, not with an aquarium heater, as that sounds rather dangerous to the aquatic life living in it. >>
> But it's understandable what you did. Just hope nothing else bad happens..



Yup it exploded. Made a huge mess, She arrived an hour after , And I had to strip the entire tank down, as Their could be tiny glass particals and stuff..

It was an hagen Elite 25w... Sent it off to them like they requested, well the bits of it could actually find.

So lets wait and see what they say!

I'm just watching them alot, They know each other are there.. As they flare at each other occasionaly.

but apart from that they tend to keep out of each others way


----------



## BlakbirdxGyarados (Feb 10, 2011)

karlhague said:


> Yup it exploded. Made a huge mess, She arrived an hour after , And I had to strip the entire tank down, as Their could be tiny glass particals and stuff..
> 
> It was an hagen Elite 25w... Sent it off to them like they requested, well the bits of it could actually find.
> 
> ...


Well, that's good... not the heater exploding thing, the fact that they're "getting along" alright.

So the company's going to replace it for you?


----------



## karlhague (Aug 9, 2010)

I certainly hope Their Going to replace it.

The guy said it all depended on what condition they get it in (yes i told them it exploded)....

So If it goes on the condition i think a replacement will come LOL


----------



## Antoni (Feb 20, 2011)

Thats aweful! Well it worked out that they can handle being together right now given the other options are far worse. Hope things only get better from here.

My Anton has the most gentle nature so far. He leaves everyone else alone and swims a bit away when someone gets into his personal space. My Aviv, well I am not sure about her yet. She likes to hide from me so I havent figured her out yet. She's in the smaller tank. I am just greatful Anton liked the big tank cause I just know he would have died in the smaller one.

Thanks for all the responses here!! People say not to give a betta more than a small blowl to live in…pfhfhf… the ones you see in those tiny things look so sad. 

There is a difference between SURVIVING…and THRIVING !!!


----------



## Antoni (Feb 20, 2011)

Ok so my 55g has 4 female 4 male guppies, 7 neon and 5 xray tetras, 4 sunburst wags, and 4 panda, 3 spotted and 3 peppered catfish. I have snails and ended up having an overpopulation of babies so I got 4 pea puffers.

I just checked my tank and Anton is hiding in the floating plant right, I mean right beside a pea puffer. They are both sitting there next to each other. Thats it. OMG I lucked out big time!!


----------

