# Tetras and Bettas?



## BlackberryBetta (Feb 6, 2011)

Hi guys, yesterday I went to my LFS and they told me that I could have a betta with some tetras. Is that true? Would I be able to fit 10 tetras and a betta in a 10 gallon? Tetras are tiny so I think I could. Anyways, thanks in advance!


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## shinybetta (Jul 3, 2010)

I would say 5-6 tetras and one betta is better.


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## Lupin (Aug 2, 2006)

Neons, glowlights, kerris and beacon tetras are absolutely fine. Some such as serpaes however, are absolutely appalling choices as they snip the fins. Research your choices well.


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## BlackberryBetta (Feb 6, 2011)

Ok thanks. I will denifinitely get some glowlights. I will keep you posted.


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## FuulieQ (Jan 10, 2010)

Just be careful and watch closely. I have a friend who put his betta in with some neons, it's been okay, but not really ideal.

He's waiting for the neons to die off. xD


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## aparr29 (Feb 24, 2011)

I am new to this and I really like my new friend. My 5 gallon tank is healthy
& crystal clear. Some guy in the store said it would be fine to put in two fancy tail guppies and a small cory cat..., yes or no..? Thx.


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## shinybetta (Jul 3, 2010)

The guppies are okay, if you don't have a betta. They cory cat NO! They need groups of four or more and 10 gallons for small varietys, 15+ for larger ones.


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## BlackberryBetta (Feb 6, 2011)

aparr29: Cory cats need to live in groups of 5 or more. And the betta will probably nip at the guppie`s fins. That is what the petstore worker told me. She said not to put bettas with other fish who have long fins. But if your betta is doing ok, I don`t see a problem!

I just came home from my LFS with my new betta! Eeeeeee!  He is a baby blue coloured male! I named him P.J.! I tried to take some pics, but he is a little freaked out and probably stressed. I am going to leave him to settle in for now. His personality is super shy, I can tell already. I don`t care, hes like me! Anyways. I will post pics when he settles in a bit! And Thanks for all the help.


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## iheartmybettas (Jan 31, 2011)

Can't wait to see pics.

Also if you get tetras just be careful which ones. Our household has had some bad luck with putting bettas in a various community tanks. Everytime they have had their fins nipped off. I think it was my daughters high fin tetra. Those pet store people didn't bother to warn us about tiger barbs either. We learned...


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## BlackberryBetta (Feb 6, 2011)

Awww, well I used to have tetras in my goldfish tank when I was younger...but get this, my goldfish ATE them! He was huge! He just died this year at about 12 years old...... I am so eager to get some pics but this is the most skiddish fish that I`ve ever had. Keep checking back because I WILL manage to get a pic!


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## BlackberryBetta (Feb 6, 2011)

I think he started making a bubble nest! There are little groups of bubbles at the top of my tank. Right now He is just chillin` out at the bottom, is that okay.....He isn`t really moving around that much.


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## BlackberryBetta (Feb 6, 2011)

Here he is. I know that you can hardly make out the pic, but my camera was driving me up the wall and P.J. is the most unphotogenic fish ever! He is a light silvery blue with a white speckled mask. (The first image is a bubble nest that he made)


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## Thunderloon (Feb 6, 2011)

Neon, Cardinal, Glow Light, Black Neon (glow light), green fire tetra (bloodfin)

I've got all these including an albino neon in tank with Goat and none of them bother him. Generally the albinos are fine with one exception.

If an "albino" of these looks kinda like a pristella/xray type in shape, they will behave differently.

Now I DO have pristella in tank with sherbert, but only pristella.

I have several glow lights that are now 35mm in length. You can also have 24karat tetras if they are 24karat tetras.

Just about any of the small tetra who are listed as shoaling fish will be fine. In my tank they all line up across the bottom in a ragged formation and swim in the current at night, leaving goat access to the top 3/4 of the tank. Be aware that what you see for sale in stores are FRY and not fully grown. Neons, Bloodfins and other long lived tetra can get very very big.

Neons and Cardinals seem to like 8 to 10, Glow Lights seem to be 6 to 9 (includes black neons) and the green fires you can get away with two to five of before they become a threat to territory.

I'd not have more than six small tetra without a secondary or larger filter nor would I have more than five pristella type without the same.

Do NOT fully load a tank until it is well established with plants and stable filtration.

If you put in some of these small tetra and they start hovering around the glass or the corners, they need more company of their own. Neons are very accepting and I'd suggest using three neons and two glow lights. The blacks seem to coexist with glow lights better than with neons.
A cardinal and a neon have slightly different body shapes and cardinals run the red line their whole bottom length.

You WILL get both sexes of fish, they scatter eggs so your betta will get live food from time to time.

Remember to treat each of these small fish as two inches right from the start, your betta is about two and a half inches.

You MUST have a fully established cycle before you add any fish other than a betta. If you don't you'll know within minutes because the tetra will all die. They're not only very sensitive to ammonia and nitrite but are also nitrite poisoned very easily. Special breeds like gold pristella are exceptionally sensitive.


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## BlackberryBetta (Feb 6, 2011)

Wow thanks, I was told to put in a betta to help with the cycle. I sm going to take in a water sample on monday and keep taking them in to see when I can get my tetras. Sorry for the bad pic quality again. Today he is very active and he actaully ate breakfast today so I will try again tonight.


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