# Did my Betta eat my neon tetra????? its missing???



## 1JDMBETTA

Hi, 

Yesterday I bought two neon tetra one full-size looking neon tetra and one mini-looking neon tetra. I also bought another cory catfish. Last night I put them all in the betta tank. The betta seems a little aggressive with the neon tetras for a while and he seems to stabilize and mellow out after a while. In the morning I looked for the neon tetra I had two neon tetra.
one mini neon tetra is missing???
I looked at my Betta his stomach looks very big and round than before. 
what the heck? did he eat the neon tetra? lol
I currently healed the betta from bloating and watching what he eats.
but now I think he ate the neon tetra??? If he did is it bad for him?


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## lilnaugrim

Yeah, it is certainly possible that he did! It's not bad for him, extra protein lol.

When you want to add tankmates to your Bettas tank I suggest taking your Betta out and rearranging the tank a little bit so it kind of confuses him. Put the other fish in first and then add your Betta last so that he no longer has a territory to defend and hopefully won't eat the fish like he did >.<

Also with Tetras, it really is best if you can have a school of 5+ fish, if you can't have all of those in your tank because it is too small then its best to not keep them; the fish need a school of their own kind or otherwise they might not be so healthy. They could survive but they certainly wouldn't be very happy is all :-/


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## Sathori

+1 to lilnaugrim. Neons need at least 5 to feel safe and to not be majorly stressed out.

When I introduced new fish to my betta's tank, I took him out and put the new guys in and let them adjust for at least an half and hour before adding the betta back in. He mauled two of my five neons (sucked their eyes out and bit their tails off before I could even get the net in... T-T) Then he injured a third. All in one evening.
After that he left them alone. The remaining three figured out how to avoid him when he came nearby and he eventually began to ignore them completely. 

It was a stressful week for me since I had to wait a whole week before I could get more to complete the school (the closest place that sells fish is a 2hr drive away). I could tell the 3 were stressed out and one began chasing the other two. One died from stress the day before I left for the city to buy more of them. 
Once I was able to buy 4 more and introduced them to the tank with no issue. They all got along and began to even swim around my betta and come to the surface to eat with him. The one that was injured died a month or so later, the week after my husband and I moved to a new place, so now I'm back down to 5 neons. My betta has not chased or hurt them since that first day.

I have them in a 10 gallon tank together with plenty of silk plants and places to hide, so the neons have a place to go if they feel stressed. If something spooks them, they'll often go tuck themselves into a well hidden corner, but then come back out when they feel safe again.
If you have them in a small tank, the betta probably feels like all of his space is being invaded and has decided to snack on the intruders to make more room for himself.


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