# Betta's and Guppies



## WDW Donna (Jun 28, 2009)

My 14yr old can't decide between a guppy and betta. (My 8yr old is the owner of Mr Bubbles, the betta in my avatar, and the reason for joining this wonderful site)
Can she put a betta and guppy together? She would like to have one betta and two guppies. Now she only has the desk in her room for space so the largest tank we could get is a 5gal.
Thanks for your help.


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## hannah16 (Mar 3, 2011)

Guppies, from what I heard, need to be in a school of 5 or more. And a betta grows to be about 2 inches, needing 2 gallons just for himself. A gup grows to about 1.5 inches, so 1.5g needed for each guppy, so gallons wise (For 2 gups and 1 betta) its fine, but the guppies wouldn't be happy. Along with guppies can be mistaken for bettas through a bettas eyes because of there fins. Hope this helps :3.


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## Shayna09 (Mar 26, 2011)

Hey, guppies and bettas will NOT work as tank mates. The bright colors and flowing fins make them a potential rival in the bettas eyes. A good choice for your daughter, if she wants a betta as well as a tank mate in a tank that small, is two african dwarf frogs. Make sure the tank is heavily planted (or, if you're not using live plants, make sure there are many caves and silk plants [plastic can potentially rip betta fins]) for the frogs to hide in. They have essentially the same nutritional needs, but ADFs are bottom feeders as they have poor eyesight, so make sure you over feed so that some food will sink to the bottom for the ADFs to eat.

There is a great article in my signature about choosing tank mates for betta fish - it won an editor's choice award on Suite101. Check it out. =)


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## turtle10 (Dec 30, 2010)

hannah16 said:


> Guppies, from what I heard, need to be in a school of 5 or more. And a betta grows to be about 2 inches, needing 2 gallons just for himself. A gup grows to about 1.5 inches, so 1.5g needed for each guppy, so gallons wise (For 2 gups and 1 betta) its fine, but the guppies wouldn't be happy. Along with guppies can be mistaken for bettas through a bettas eyes because of there fins. Hope this helps :3.


Actually guppies get to be about two inches, and the one-inch-per-gallon rule does not apply IMO because guppies are super active. I wouldn't put guppies in anything less than 10 gallons. Guppies are also social fish and should be in groups larger than 2. A betta may need two gallons to himself, but to add more fish in with him you would need 10 minimum, even with a fish different than guppies.


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## WDW Donna (Jun 28, 2009)

Thank you so much for your input. I think she is going to have to decide between betta and guppies now.


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## Astro277 (Jul 18, 2010)

Not true. breed several strains of guppies and have 2 bettas in my two 10 gal females tank. They get along fine they only time I have ever had an issue with them was when a female had a surprise drop in the tank and the betta thought the small fry were food. Other then that they et along just fine.

If you get both make sure the betta is not aggressive. If it is very aggressive it will not work.


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## baylee767 (Nov 5, 2010)

On rare occasions you can get Guppies in with Bettas, depends on how colorful the guppy is and/or the Bettas temperment (some can stand the flashy males... don't think you should risk that) you could get some guppies that aren't as flashy or females. But since you need 10 gallons, and you said you only have 5, you should really get a Betta (From what I understand guppies need a lot of room unlike popular belief)


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## turtle10 (Dec 30, 2010)

All in all, guppies and bettas _can_ be compatible under certain circumstances, but in a larger tank.


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## Here Fishy Fishy Fishy (Oct 29, 2010)

WDW Donna,

I have a betta sorority in a 20H, and in this sorority I have a young guppy pair (male & female). They have been accepted by the betta girls and yes, the male got nipped a little at first but his beautiful tail has healed just fine.

Guppies are very beautiful fish in their own right, but their lifespans are about half of a betta's (2 1/2 years compared to 5 years for a betta).

I have a female betta in a 5 gallon tank, and at almost three inches long, there really isn't enough room for another fish. I did terribly overstock my five gallon originally - before I knew better and before my fish GREW - and my betta got popeye as a result.

I rehomes the other fish from the five gallon and my betta recovered - but now is blind in one eye. So, I wouldn't reccomend cramming too many fish into one tank. What looks roomy to us can be biologically crowded & toxic!


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## Shayna09 (Mar 26, 2011)

Here Fishy Fishy Fishy said:


> What looks roomy to us can be biologically crowded & toxic!


That's the best way I have ever heard anyone describe over stocking! I second this.


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## Astro277 (Jul 18, 2010)

I did have the one betta in with my male guppies the Orange Flame (which are like a highlighter orange coloring.) and it did just fine. So it cant be said they only get along with females or pale/plain colored guppys. The reason I moved it out was because all the males kept trying to mate with him. So before listening to all the rumors and myths about keeping guppys and bettas together I suggest you get a betta barrack or something to keep it at a safe distance so you can see if it has any aggression.

Another way to make sure you get a calm betta is to buy from a breeder that already knows the temperment of the fish.


I do agree that you have to be sure your not over stocking, also depending on the strain of guppy you have they will vary in size. Such as, my moscows are huge but the topaz are about an inch and a half tops. So I can safely have more topaz in a 10 gal then I can Moscows if you go by the size and gallon chart.

I just dont like when people who have not kept guppies with bettas automatically say it wont work, only because I know it does from experience. I've had many bettas with my guppies over the years but I currently only have two. And yes I know now there are some that are too agressive but thats why you need to be very selective when getting one. (Smallest tank Ive had the together in was a 5 gal. with 3 topaz and one female betta.)


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