# Very agressive betta



## mattdocs12345 (Oct 13, 2014)

I have a very agressive betta. Im considering 7 or 10 gallon tank. Any tank mates suggestions?


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## BettaMummy87 (Jul 26, 2014)

mattdocs12345 said:


> I have a very agressive betta. Im considering 7 or 10 gallon tank. Any tank mates suggestions?


If he is highly aggressive, I would personally suggest he live alone. Its stressful for both parties if he is trying to attack the other inhabitants all the time.


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## Reccka (Jul 20, 2014)

Agreed...tankmates are usually for the most NON aggressive bettas. Your betta would probably prefer to be alone.


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## TerriGtoo (Jul 2, 2013)

Agreed with above.


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## RussellTheShihTzu (Mar 19, 2013)

Yep; instead concentrate on making a beautiful planted tank. Or, leave him where he is and have a nice community tank. Putting tankmates in with an aggressive Betta is unfair as it will stress him unbelievably from constantly defending his "territory."


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## mattdocs12345 (Oct 13, 2014)

Ok. I was just wondering if there are animals that he would let slide. So for now plan is to keep him in 2.5 and after I get some vegetation growing move him up to 7 gallon.


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## kittenfish (Dec 1, 2013)

Nerite snails, maybe. Most bettas just view them as weird moving rocks.


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## Kithy (Nov 21, 2012)

They'd need to be larger than him though probably. I had a small apple snail that my betta smashed against the glass and ate.

Some bettas just can't have friends.


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## kittenfish (Dec 1, 2013)

Nerites get pretty big and I think they have thicker shells than apple snails. Thorn/horned nerites stay smaller, but have spikes that a betta would probably stay away from:


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## BettaMummy87 (Jul 26, 2014)

My PK boy assassinated his assassin roommate... -_-


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## Bettas are AWESOME (Aug 14, 2014)

Snails or maybe a Pleco is good


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## RussellTheShihTzu (Mar 19, 2013)

Nerites also have shorter eye stalks which makes it more difficult for a Betta to remove them.


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## Polkadot (Feb 10, 2013)

Kithy said:


> Some bettas just can't have friends.


It would seem that all Bettas don't really want them and some just tolerate them.

I don't get why people want tankmates with their Betta,when they are a fish that really 99% of the time want to be (and do best) living alone.

If people want more than one fish per tank maybe they should just have fish that like living in schools,as the tankmates seem to be for the owner's enjoyment and not for the Betta's.


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## BettaMummy87 (Jul 26, 2014)

Polkadot said:


> It would seem that all Bettas don't really want them and some just tolerate them.
> 
> I don't get why people want tankmates with their Betta,when they are a fish that really 99% of the time want to be (and do best) living alone.
> 
> If people want more than one fish per tank maybe they should just have fish that like living in schools,as the tankmates seem to be for the owner's enjoyment and not for the Betta's.



Not always. It really does depend on the bettas. I have seen a lot of the flourish in a community setting.  It needs to be on a faih-by-fish basis though. One of mine was inactive and disinterested in everything 'til he got tankmates, seems like a different fish now. So I wouldn't say all dislike it, the majority may do better alone, but not all.


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## mattdocs12345 (Oct 13, 2014)

So you guys think my betta would be okay with a pleco?

Or should I just leave him to himself.


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## BettaMummy87 (Jul 26, 2014)

mattdocs12345 said:


> So you guys think my betta would be okay with a pleco?
> 
> Or should I just leave him to himself.



You would need a pretty big tank for most plecs... and if you have him in that size of a tank, with just a plec, maybe it would work. However I would still avoid it personally.


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## RussellTheShihTzu (Mar 19, 2013)

Only one person suggested a Pleco; the majority advised that he would be better off by himself. 

Putting aside the danger to any tank mate your Betta would probably be extremely stressed from constantly defending his territory. Stress can can lead to tail biting and a compromised immune system.


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## Schmoo (Oct 3, 2014)

If you have a highly aggressive betta, I would leave him by himself. If you're set on a tank mate, I'd get a snail or two once you have the 7 or 10g set up (either planted or lots of hiding places).


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## mattdocs12345 (Oct 13, 2014)

He stays by himself the.


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## RussellTheShihTzu (Mar 19, 2013)

As someone said in either this thread or another, tank mates are more for us than our Betta as they are mostly solitary fish.

One of my Bettas lived quite happily for 3+ years by himself in a 10 gallon that was supposed to be a small community with him as the centerpiece. He was one of four or five Betta I've had over the years who couldn't live stress-free with anything else in their habitats. 

It took me a while to recognize that the first loner was stressed by all the activity the other fish were creating. So kudos to you for knowing your Betta and asking first.


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## BettaMummy87 (Jul 26, 2014)

RussellTheShihTzu said:


> It took me a while to recognize that the first loner was stressed by all the activity the other fish were creating. So kudos to you for knowing your Betta and asking first.


+1


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## Cotton19 (Nov 26, 2013)

I have kept bettas with bristlenose plecos, a young bn pleco will likely mean you don't have to clean the glass of the tank, but you will have to gravel vac more, and the pleco needs driftwood and a place to hide, for both fish to feel secure. I would advise a 10 gallon or up for a betta and pleco together, and a planted tank, but it can work well. also, amano shrimp are great cleaners, and if the tank is planted, I have had one survive for several years alone with an aggressive fish.


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## BettaMummy87 (Jul 26, 2014)

Personally, (and I know sources differ, but they do with bettas too) I would only keep a britlenose pleco in 20g long as a bare minimum (30g would be better IMHO), but plenty keep them successfully in less. 

On the other hand, i have put 6 hrimp in a 20G long with moderate-heavy planting and none survived with an aggresive male. Just a heads up, as getting a good colony of shrimp can be expensive


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## Charc14 (Aug 27, 2014)

My Female is Extremely Aggressive. She Even attacked her Mystery snail. It is ok, And I removed it. But It was pretty beat up. And Snails Can indeed Feel pain. So, I really don't think it would be fair to put one in there. But you could try it. Just make sure that if he starts attacking it, You have another tank for it


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## mattdocs12345 (Oct 13, 2014)

Thank you Charc. However I think I will leave him to himself. He seems to be enjoying his 2.5 gallon and murky waters.


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