# FAQ & Compatibility List



## Alex09 (Aug 9, 2010)

To help you guys out 

*Can my betta have tankmates?*
Absolutely! There are a few "rules" to follow though:

Fish must be peaceful. No aggressive fish such as tiger barbs, angelfish, and chichlids
Fish must not resemble another betta. So nothing with long flowing fins and bright colors (such as guppies or mollies).
Fish must be tropical. Bettas are tropical fish and need temps of 78-80F.
Your tank must be big enough to support multiple fish. A cycled tank of at least 10 gallons (undivided) is recommended too house a betta with other fish. 

*Will EVERY betta be able to have tankmates?*
No. Unlike many other fish, bettas tend to have their own unique personalities. Some are very placid, others are timid, and some are just evil. Whether or not you can have tankmates depends on the betta.

*Will my betta be lonely if he doesn't have tankmates?*
Absolutely not. Bettas are not social fish. They may tolerate tankmates but they wont love you for it.

*Can a betta have tankmates in smaller tanks?*
Depends on how small it is. I wouldn't recommend any other fish in a tank smaller than 10 gallons, but if you have a 5 gal, or even a 2.5 gal, you may be able to squeeze in shrimp or a snail.

*Can a betta live with goldfish?*
No! why?

Goldfish are coldwater fish.
Goldfish are messy. They produce ALOT of ammonia. When it comes to goldfish, a rule of thumb is 10 gallons per fish.
Goldfish may get too big

*What are the best proven tankmates for bettas?*
Bottom dwellers such as corydoras catfish and otos do best. They stay out of the bettas way and are very peaceful. Bettas have also been known to get along quite well with snails.

*Other tankmates?*
There are many other types of tankmates available. Some people have been successful with these fish, others have not. Use at your own discretion.

African Dwarf Frogs
Shrimp (your betta may eat these)
Danios
Neon Tetras - Schooling fish. Can be nippy
Black neon tetras - Schooling fish, can be nippy
Harlequin rasboras
Platies
White Cloud Mountain minnows - Generally prefer cooler water, but success has been noted.
Cherry Barbs
Zebra Danios
Wild type/feeder guppies

*Unacceptable tankmates:*
These fish are known to be aggressive and can kill your betta

Cichlids
Angelfish
Chinese Algae Eaters
Tiger Barbs
Goldfish
Common Plecos (grow to large!)
Gouramis - Close cousins to the betta. They are aggressive with each other
Red Tailed Black sharks

*FEMALE BETTAS*
CAN be kept with eachother but only under special conditions. Check out our various threads on sororities.

If anyone else has fish that they have successfully kept, or has fish to warn members to stay away from, please post here! I want us to have a comprehensive list all in one thread.


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## JKfish (Apr 8, 2010)

I'm a bit iffy on the harlequin rasboras. I had them in a tank with a betta, and had to remove him for agression. My other betta was a little lamb, but they were always stressed, pale, and skittish. Without bettas, they're absolutely amazing. If you decide to go with harlies, I highly advise a larger tank (20 or so gallons - not ten gallons) so they have more room to swim away, and plenty of areas to hide

also, this should be stickied


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## Alex09 (Aug 9, 2010)

JKfish said:


> I'm a bit iffy on the harlequin rasboras. I had them in a tank with a betta, and had to remove him for agression. My other betta was a little lamb, but they were always stressed, pale, and skittish. Without bettas, they're absolutely amazing. If you decide to go with harlies, I highly advise a larger tank (20 or so gallons - not ten gallons) so they have more room to swim away, and plenty of areas to hide
> 
> also, this should be stickied


Which is why they are on the "potential/ maybe" list. I have come across others who kept both fine with no probs.

And yeah it def should be stickied!


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## baylee767 (Nov 5, 2010)

Agreed, this needs a sticky.

Also, great post lots of info. For those who don't know, don't mistake african dwarf frog for african clawed frog, which may eat your Betta.

Not mentioned in the post, but you should make sure that any new fish you get can survive with minimal current.

Good post you should do more like it!


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## TaylorW (Sep 4, 2010)

Ooh, can someone sticky this please? There are too many people that ask if they can have an "algae eater" in a 5 gallon, or keep a betta and a goldfish in a 10 gallon!


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## Oldfishlady (Mar 1, 2010)

Nicely written and agree needs to be a sticky.......good job.....


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## LikeDiscoSuperfly (Oct 18, 2010)

Good job Alex. =]


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## 1fish2fish (Sep 10, 2009)

I would also make a note that when your looking at a community tank RESEARCH the requirements of the other fish. Just like Bettas have their own special needs any other tank mate has its own needs as well and you have to be able to do your best to make everyone happy.

For instance snails and shrimp need hard water, especially snails. If you have super soft water don't get a snail. Danios (Zebra danios as well), WCMM, and inverts all do best at lower temps around the mid 70s, even lower. You have to decide whether your willing to shorten the lifespan of your tank mates or potentially make your betta sluggish in choosing your temp if your going to use those fish that prefer colder water.


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## baylee767 (Nov 5, 2010)

http://bettafishies.com/3.html

I found a link that shows a compatability table. Doesn't really talk about info such as tank size, temp, etc. but it does show which fish can live with bettas, which can't, and which are kinda iffy. EDIT: Now that I look at it some of the info is a bit off... but most of it is okay


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