# Betta with baby guppies?



## Abhinand (Jan 10, 2015)

I have a 11gallon tank with a betta. It has an internal filter(the one with suction cups ) and a heater. 3 days ago, my neighbour's guppy gave birth to about 30 guppies and wanted to give me some for free. How many guppies can i keep with my betta?(3day old guppies). Will my betta eat them? In my lps, they kept guppies with a betta.


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## Pumpkin (Jan 16, 2015)

I think the betta will probably eat them.. since they are so small. I wouldn't take the chance.


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## cousiniguana (Apr 3, 2014)

Bettas are great for guppy population control. Yummy babies


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## SplashyBetta (Jul 28, 2014)

They might survive if you're tank is heavily planted with moss, guppy grass, or other fry-hide plants.


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## Cey (Jan 15, 2015)

The betta would most likely eat the babies; they are totally okay with eating other fish and anything "meat" related like shrimp.

If you have places for the guppies to hide, as the other said, you might have some survive. Most likely they won't, though -- plus, you have to feed baby fish a different kind of diet than regular fish, as they are tiny. Does your neighbor have food to give you to feed them?

As for ADULT guppies, it is possible to house some bettas with them. It depends on the betta, and also the size of your aquarium. Some bettas are just overly aggressive, and will more aggressive in smaller spaces. 

My betta Murderface, shrimp murderer of the east, actually lived quite placidly along a selection of _adult_ fancy guppies in my 20 gallon -- the size of the tank enabled him to mostly avoid them if he wanted to. I very cautiously introduced them, however, when I put them together. I didn't just dump them in the tank together and leave them.

So, that being said, if you're really wanting to know if your betta is gonna eat them, try putting 1-3 in your tank with him and see how it goes. If nothing else, he will get a good snack and you won't be quite as traumatized, but it's good for you to be aware that he COULD eat them.


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## Schmoo (Oct 3, 2014)

As others have said, your betta will most likely eat most of the guppy fry. If you have a heavily planted/decorated tank, then some of them may survive...

If you're really wanting to keep guppies with your betta, I would put the fry in a grow-out tank until they're bigger. :3 I would be comfortable trying after a few months. I have a guppy fry (just one) that is coming up on 3 months old, and he's just now getting to the point where I'd be comfortable putting him in a tank with one of my bettas (I'm not planning on it, though).


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## Fenghuang (Dec 28, 2012)

Like the others said, your betta will probably eat them. The betta I kept with guppies was okay with adults, but ended up stalking, chasing down, and eating all the fry within a day. He was totally determined, patrolling the tank and locking in one them even when they hid totally still among the plants and substrate.

Some may make if you have a particularly mild (or lazy) betta and you have lots of cover for them, but the survival rate will probably be pretty low.


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## Greenapp1es (Dec 4, 2014)

In an 11 gallon tank - if you really would like to try to keep the guppies my suggestion would be to divide the tank. Usually we recommend craft mesh for dividing a tank, but I'm honestly not sure that a fry wouldn't get past craft mesh.

That said - *IF* you could find something to separate part of the tank off from the betta with, that would be your best bet until they get a bit bigger.


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## Tress (Jun 6, 2014)

I think right now you should take a step back from the idea of tank mates for your betta. You just went through the whole channel catfish thing only a few days ago. If you really want to have tank mates you need to give yourself time to research with clear head. Rushing into things didn't turn out so well last time for you. There is no need to rush. It's better to stop, think, learn how best to care for your betta first, then start reading and learning about other fish that may be compatible with them.

Remember, not every betta will accept tank mates. Your boy just had a traumatic experience with those catfish, so you also need to give him time to relax and make sure he is alright. Living with other fish can be stressful, so you need to make sure your water and tank are perfect for the needs of all your fish before committing to bringing home any. 

Also, *quarantine. *Always quarantine any fish bought from stores. If you know the person and know that all their fish are healthy and well cared for, then you could get away without doing so. 

As for baby guppies... don't bother. It's not fair to really even try because 99% of the time they will be eaten. Even in a heavily planted tank. I think I remember seeing a picture of your tank and it's was on the light side of decorated. If they were adults and you had a back up plan (always have a back up plan in case your betta rejects them), then you _could_ try *after *you prepared for them.

To sum up... Slow down, you and your betta are young, you've got plenty of time to make plans so you have no reason to rush into things. The more you rush the more stress for you and your fish. Stress isn't fun, and sometimes it makes you want to give up this hobby all together. So relax and read about fish, stick around this site and ask questions! Lots of people here are experienced and willing to help, so just reach out!


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## Abhinand (Jan 10, 2015)

Thanks alot to all  i told him that i cant buy it for now.. My betta seems to be happy without tankmates so i guess he can live in the 11gallon alone


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