# Best betta buddy? bump



## frogipoi (Jul 3, 2010)

What is the best betta buddy? :brow: Danios, barbs, mollies? :question:
So many... What is the *BEST BETTA BUD*?


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## 1fish2fish (Sep 10, 2009)

None of those are acceptable tank mates for bettas. IMO the only fish that make good tank mates for Bettas are Harlequin Rasboras (in a group), dwarf corydoras (in a group) or glass catfish (in a group). All of those should be in groups of 6 and IMO a betta would only be good with them in tanks 15+ gallons.

In smaller tanks I don't think fish tankmates are a good choice for a betta. IMO snails and shrimp and maybe african dwarf frogs are the only good tankmates for tanks 5-10 gallons. 

Honestly though most bettas are most happy when left alone. Bettas are not people and do not need "friends" to be happy.


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## sampster5000 (Jul 23, 2009)

I have 3 skunk corydoras and 1 mystery snail in with my betta in my 10 gallon and everything is fine.


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## frogipoi (Jul 3, 2010)

lol I just want to see. I am getting a bigger tank and wonder if there are any betta buds to make it more lively and something to play with lol.


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## sampster5000 (Jul 23, 2009)

Sadly, Betta's are not the kind of fish who like to play with others  See them as a bully at school. They want to play but still want to look the coolest and most mean so they push around the others until they cry. Not the best thing to have! They are great alone though or with some bottom dwellers that keep to themselves.


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## frogipoi (Jul 3, 2010)

I mean mess with lol. I WAS TALKING ABOUT BOTTOM DWELLERS! Not to shout but I just want another fish. I was not going to do it now just wanted opinions. Should I? Could I? Would I? I know a bud would not be a "friend" but a cleaner fellow.


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## 1fish2fish (Sep 10, 2009)

IMHO if you want to experience different fish just put them in a different tank. Almost any betta person will agree a betta is most happiest and least stressed by himself. There are those that would fool themselves into thinking that their fish is actually happier now that he has tankmates but I honestly think they're fooling themselves.


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## dramaqueen (Jul 7, 2008)

I agree with Jackie. Bettas are solitary fish and do best by themselves.


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## RandomFish (Jun 16, 2010)

I hope you don't ever get mollies! They behave disgustingly IMO: produce a lot of waste (and then eat their own poo if not removed immediately), females constantly having babies and then eating them, males always wanting to mate and harassing females...


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## sampster5000 (Jul 23, 2009)

RandomFish said:


> I hope you don't ever get mollies! They behave disgustingly IMO: produce a lot of waste (and then eat their own poo if not removed immediately), females constantly having babies and then eating them, males always wanting to mate and harassing females...


I agree that Mollies are a huge pain.


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## RandomFish (Jun 16, 2010)

:lol: Yeah I'd much, MUCH rather have a divided tank with two gorgeous betta splendens than a group of plain ol' mollies.


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## betta fish crazy (Jul 9, 2010)

*speaking of mollies...*

I had a few mollies once. One completely disappeared.:shock: I still don't know where it went. When we sold the tank we took down the whole thing. There was just no sign of it anywhere. The other fish didn't eat it, they were mostly smaller than it...except the pleco... we had a lid on the tank and everything. What could have happened?


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## sampster5000 (Jul 23, 2009)

The pleco might have ate it after it died. They tend to do this if they are starving.


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## MoePaac (Jun 16, 2010)

I have a 12g with one betta, four cory schwartzii, one mystery snail (along with who knows how many trumpet snails), and today i added a few ghost shrimp. I've had this set up for a few weeks now and has worked well so far. It took a day or so for the cory's and betta to get used to each other, but now they pretty much ignore one another.

I really like the ghost shrimp I added today. Yes they are hard to see, but I think it's neat you can see what they have eaten. I only put a few of the biggest ones in the tank with the betta to see how they do, and I put 3 others in a spare 3 gallon that I have running. They are the only inhabitants along with some pond and trumpet snails. They are small, and a small bioload to go along with that. Something to consider!


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## frogipoi (Jul 3, 2010)

Sadly, I don't have much space and I can't keep more fish unless I put it with my betta. My mom would like a fish that will help clean the tank but also a cute adorable one to love. So if you guys really say so (MY BETTA IS SPOILED!) lol I guess I will take the idea off my brain and just stay with my betta. I said best betta bud not why a betta should not have a bud. Again here I go, What is the best betta bud that will clean a bit and is fun to have? Please, no more Happier without a bud, just answer the question. I know mollies are a pain. Their waste is the worst! Eat their kids, what kind of parent are they? Worst than bettas! Guppies sound good to have in a separate tank, any tips? Post them on my thread "Guppies". Thanks to the people who gave some tips! Thanks and I might get some snails or shrimps. 
*If you want to talk off topic, put* * on each side.*


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## dramaqueen (Jul 7, 2008)

I know you don't want to hear this again but bettas are really better off on their own. Having a "cleaner" fish doesn't mean that you don't have to clean the tank as often.


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## frogipoi (Jul 3, 2010)

I know.


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## kakashikage (Jul 14, 2010)

Not that I have any experience, but I have read a ton of internet stories about people trying to house bettas with other fish and it not going well. Granted, there also seem to be a lot of people who have done this successfully, but it's quite a risk to take. It seems like ghost shrimp are decent tankmates for bettas (mostly in that they tend to leave each other alone), in a large enough tank, although shrimp are not fish and aren't terribly pretty to look at. They are pretty cool, though...
Good luck on your quest for a cleaning betta-buddy!


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## frogipoi (Jul 3, 2010)

I think I will let the idea go... I don't want to stress Aurora so a betta will be fine... I will think a bit longer.


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## shmifty5 (May 12, 2010)

I'm going to disagree, most of my bettas (the few that have had a tank mate) seemed more lively and overall they shinned (they looked stunning, so much color), now granted I'm not a biologist or psychologist but my bettas definately did better when they had another living thing to look at and interact with, whether it be my mystery snails, my step-sister in laws tiger barb (I do regret this tho, her barb leaped from the tank one night and died, but despite what I've learned since then the barb was never biting and it actually huddled with the betta and attempted to school with him, he seemed less than thrilled, like an annoying kid brother), or my various shrimps and minnows, when I used white clouds as feeders for my cynops I housed them with my thrid male and he seemed to love swimming through them and he overall looked like he was having a 'gay ol time', he also loved my 3 mystery snails and would watch them while I was away, my shrimps also seemed to enjoy the bettas company (rare IMO) and they would follow him around and stay in his trunk.

Now I will say that bettas do vary and so do their tolerance of others, but all in all my bettas have enjoyed company and I would urge others to try out a tankmate, whether it be a single mystery snail or a pack of corydoras with a group of shrimp, besides that I doubt the betta will suffer any stress from having a weird snail in its home (I think a too close male neighbour might be more stressful for the guy).


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## JamieTron (May 16, 2009)

my bf has a 29 gallon tank with one of my bettas in it....we have successfully housed danios, numerous tetras, coridoras, siamese algae eater, blue rams chiclids, white clouds. They are all still in there together but I would suggest fish that like different water levels for territories. The betta we have loves the top so we chose middle dwelling and bottom dwelling fish. Nothing that would impose on the bettas personal space...well the white clouds do like to swim around him but they have been with my friend's betta since they were juveniles and then with my bettas for 5 years now and leave him alone. It all depends on your betta, Remus is a very peaceful betta. One of my crowntails JD he hates any fish in with him...he hated my poor cori and beat on him so I had to take him out and put him in with Remus' tank.


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## 1fish2fish (Sep 10, 2009)

This is the problem I have. Lots of people can tell you that they have bettas living happily in a community right now.. but I have yet to see someone who had a betta that lived 3-5 years in a community and died of old age. If the fish is not reaching its life expectancy than there is definitely something wrong. A stressed betta will have a lowered immune system which will make it more prone to illness and shorten its life expectancy.

All that said. I for one love non-fish tank mates. I think snails are great in tanks 4+ gallons and snails/shrimp in tanks 6+ gallons. I can even get on board with the ADF thing. Its just fish tank mates that I think are a no-no with bettas.. unless you have a huge tank and you under stock and over plant so the fish has plenty of space to get away.


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## RandomFish (Jun 16, 2010)

I find that the best betta buddies/tank cleaners are PLANTS. Lots and lots of plants! The betta will love to swim through Amazon Swords, take naps on a mattress of java moss, build bubble nests on a sprig of water sprite. The plants will also keep ammonia levels in check in-between water changes.

Indian Almond Leaves (dead plant!) are also great betta buddies.


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## JamieTron (May 16, 2009)

1fish2fish said:


> This is the problem I have. Lots of people can tell you that they have bettas living happily in a community right now.. but I have yet to see someone who had a betta that lived 3-5 years in a community and died of old age. If the fish is not reaching its life expectancy than there is definitely something wrong. A stressed betta will have a lowered immune system which will make it more prone to illness and shorten its life expectancy.
> 
> All that said. I for one love non-fish tank mates. I think snails are great in tanks 4+ gallons and snails/shrimp in tanks 6+ gallons. I can even get on board with the ADF thing. Its just fish tank mates that I think are a no-no with bettas.. unless you have a huge tank and you under stock and over plant so the fish has plenty of space to get away.


I have had a betta for 3 and a half years in a community tank and he is still just as pretty as I had him. However I have a 29 gallon...with lots of decor


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## frogipoi (Jul 3, 2010)

YAY!! I will get a 5 gallon sometime near my B-day and have a snail! Thanks! *hugs everyone*


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