# Betta Fish mixing with others in 20gal? Is it safe?



## GuppyColorMaker (Nov 17, 2008)

I have a female betta fish, 1FW molly, 3Guppies, and 1Blackskirt Tetra(i will rack up on these guys later). And don't forget the two baby mollies that will be added once they get bigger, and once i feel they wont be sucked up by my filter  *Anyway,I got a 20gal for Christmas, and I was curious if it would be safe for the other fish to move my Betta Fish in there.* Its a large enough tank, and I've heard of people putting their Bettas in a 10gallon with other fish. My mom thinks that my Betta would eat the other fish, and I wanted to find out. If not, I have a spare 1.5 gallon she's going to be put into, and I am also getting another Betta, and I think that if I go out and buy another kit like the current 1.5 gallon, that he'll be fine in there. *But if I would get a female, could I put her in the tank too? Only if its safe...* I've also heard that Whisper Filters are not good for bettas. *Should I find another brand of filters? Whisper has been a good brand for me, so should I change now?*


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## Cody (Dec 22, 2007)

Eating the other fish? Defiantley not, unless it is molly or guppy fry.

I would not do it. Even though female bettas have smaller fins, it still has the potential to be nipped by other fish. Black Skirts are *very* nippy, and I have seen a lot of mollies who nip. Bettas do not make good tankmates as well.

Whisper internal or external? The Internals are great, but I have no experience with the HOBs. HOBS generally produce a lot of flow, unless it has an adjustable setting.


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## GuppyColorMaker (Nov 17, 2008)

I think its an external... It has a little tube thingy. which sucks up the stuff. There is no setting for it.* I'm gonna play the blonde card. What is an HOB?*


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## Cody (Dec 22, 2007)

HOB= Hang on back. Like Penguin Filters, Emperors, your Whisper, etc.


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## GuppyColorMaker (Nov 17, 2008)

Well it has a suction cup.


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## Cody (Dec 22, 2007)

Ok... is it in the tank or outside the tank? 

Sounds like the internal if it has a suction cup.

IE:
Aquarium Filters: Whisper In-Tank Filters


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## fishman09 (Dec 29, 2008)

they will be fine unless you have babys in the tank becaus betta's are predatory


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## JHK30 (Dec 29, 2008)

Some times fish are fin nippers so I would watch out, His fins could be nipped off.


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## JHK30 (Dec 29, 2008)

wow, I post then read the other posts, and I just realized cody said that.


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## fishman09 (Dec 29, 2008)

JHK30, it is a femlae, not male, the fins are to short, they wont bite at them unlss the fish is known to do that to all fish,they only nip on the males cause there so long


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## JHK30 (Dec 29, 2008)

fishman09 said:


> JHK30, it is a femlae, not male, the fins are to short, they wont bite at them unlss the fish is known to do that to all fish,they only nip on the males cause there so long


it doesn't matter how long the fins are. fish just nip fins no matter the size.


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## JHK30 (Dec 29, 2008)

from experience


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## fishman09 (Dec 29, 2008)

not nessicerilly, they usually bite at males, not females cause they are shorter


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## bxtorr19 (Dec 30, 2008)

It depends on the breed. I had a Barb who had a suspected kill count of 6 and a confirmed kill count of 4. The tank was a 20 gallon with an emporor tetra, 2 diamond tetra, 2 neon rosy barbs, 2 black lace angel fish, and 4 black neon guppies along with Taz the killer black strip barb. None of my fish had dramatic or flowing fins but his breed of barb liked to nip the fins off from the unberbelly. You have to research the breeds before you introduce them together in a tank.


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## onefish2fish (Jul 22, 2008)

bxtorr19 said:


> It depends on the breed. I had a Barb who had a suspected kill count of 6 and a confirmed kill count of 4. The tank was a 20 gallon with an emporor tetra, 2 diamond tetra, 2 neon rosy barbs, 2 black lace angel fish, and 4 black neon guppies along with Taz the killer black strip barb. None of my fish had dramatic or flowing fins but his breed of barb liked to nip the fins off from the unberbelly. You have to research the breeds before you introduce them together in a tank.


if you keep barbs in 6+ they will be so confused and caught up with eachother that this shouldnt happen


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## GuppyColorMaker (Nov 17, 2008)

Well, good news! I set it up, put the gravel and the filter and heater in, and I did the first test... -after- my sister put in the dechlorinator drops... this is what it read::

nitrAte : 0, and the thing said Safe
nitrIte : 0, and it also said Safe
total hardiness: it read as 75, and the words were Soft
total alkanlinity : it said it was at 40, and the words were Low
pH : it was at 6.2 and on the thing it said it was Acidic.

*How can i jump start it? I've heard of people putting fish food in the water to start it, should I do that?*
*Is the amonia in the nitrIte? That's what I've read, but i am not sure.*


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## bxtorr19 (Dec 30, 2008)

onefish2fish said:


> if you keep barbs in 6+ they will be so confused and caught up with eachother that this shouldnt happen


Thanks, for the tip. This tank was over 10 years ago and I learned to research BEFORE introducing any new fish to a tank. I also learned not to let my nephews just pick a fish because the looked cool.


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