Betta possibly living with community fish?

[ML]

Can bettas live with community fish? i have no clue and was wondering, since bettas are awesome, and they dont require that much water, if i could put one in with the regular 10G tank.

[monica]

You can only put a betta fish in with other fish in a community tank under certain conditions:

-the other species aren't types that will nibble at the betta's long fins (like gouramis, molliesetc...)
-the other fish don't happen to look like bettas, since they might start fighting.
-the other fish aren't too small or too slow to get away from the betta, or they might be eaten
-there's enough room in the tank--bettas have a rep for handling small tanks, but that's just b/c that's how they're displayed in stores. Realistically, they neeed up to 1.5-2 gallons for an individual, and then the temp has to be around 75-85F, so the 10 gal. tank will need a heater.

Finally, it depends on the betta. If it's naturally mean or antsy then it won't work out.

Overall, it's worth a try, but if not you might lose some fish.

[Chickadee]

It is really my recommendation that the betta not be put in a community tank. The number of fish that they are compatible with is so small really that it is not a good idea. They are fairly compatible with cories in a big enough tank (at least 15 gallons as the cories need to be kept in groups of 3 to 6 depending which type you choose) and otos in at least a 10 gallon tank as they need at least 3 to 6 to be happy also. The problem is that most of the fish that are peaceful enough to be with them are also threats to the bettas fins. Tetras are for the most part terrible fin nippers and danios will shred the fins of your betta. Platies look too much like female bettas, mollies have long flowing fins and gouramis are related to the bettas and if one of them does not kill the other the other will oblige and do the killing. I do know that they get along with Dwarf Loaches as they simply ignore each other and get along famously if you want to try them but I would not try to keep less than 4 to 6 of them together. In the end it is probably just easier to keep the betta alone as the problem is still the personality of the betta. Some bettas will just not tolerate any other creature with them. It is not their fault. From birth those that are breeder raised are kept in solitary once their sex is determined. They live alone and do not learn how to play nice with other fish. They do not realize that other fish have the right and priviledge to be in their water. It is only food that comes into their water so don't be surprised if what they get in their water they consider free to be eaten. Also please do not be surprised to find that any shrimp you place in their tank is going to be eaten when they molt from their shells as shrimp is their first solid food and you do not punish them for doing what is natural.

Rose

[fishfinder]

I have my older male betta in an 8 gallon tank with a dwarf chain loach, two 1 inch swamp darters and an algae eating goby. Lots of plant cover and food, and they all play nicely. But my betta is a mellow guy.

[Chickadee]

yes that says it all. the main component is the personality of the betta. if you get a mellow little betta you can do it. if you happen to get a feisty little one all of it falls apart fast. There are some things that will not work with ANY betta however.

Please always have a second plan available if you try it like a tank to move some of the fish to or at least the betta if everything turns out horribly.

Rose

[luver_of_fish]

This seems like the perfect place to ask betta/golfish question.

I have a 27 (or 29) gallon hex tank with 1 red cap oranda golfish, 1 black moor golfish, 1 bushy nose pleco and my one male betta. The fish all seem to get along just fine, but I was wondering about food. I know goldfish and bettas have their own food when you get them at the pet store and when first transferring them to this new big tank from their small tanks in the kids' bedrooms this worked fine because the betta liked to hide near the filter intake and I could drop a few of his pellets through and opening nearby, but now he has come out of hiding and loves to swim all over the tank and I have noticed him eating the goldfish flakes too. Is there a type of food that would be good for both or should I just continue putting in some of each. BTW, I do feed my pleco algae tabs and veggies.

[Chickadee]

Well you are probably getting along okay for now but you are going to have problems eventually. You see, goldfish are cool water fish and prefer their water in the neighborhood of 72 degrees not higher. Bettas and the other fish you have listed are tropical fish and need to have a temperature of 78 to 80 degrees or they soon have diseases like ich, Velvet, fin rot or something of that nature if they do not develop one of the metabolic diseases having to do with the inability to digest their food properly due to decreased metabolic rates because they are cold blooded creatures and their metabolic rates are determined by their body temperatures.

The bettas usually do better with a pellet or natural food like bloodworms. A lot of the fish will eat bloodworms and your pleco will eat either the algae wafers or the food that the other fish do not eat but probably not do as well on the leftovers if that is all he is getting.

I am sorry to say that you REALLY need to seperate your tropicals from your goldfish and that the goldfish do not have nearly enough room in that tank. Goldies are generally high waste producers and need a lot of tank space. The first one is generally rated at 30 gallons and 10 gallons for each one thereafter. Bettas are generally very clean fish and will get sick leaving them in a tank of this size with large waste producers like this. You can keep a betta in a 5 gallon very easily but the rest of them are high maintenance fish.

Rose

[mitcore]

i have a betta in a com tank with gouramis, angels, widows, congos, and a bala shark
they are all happy

[Chickadee]

I am not saying that you are wrong but could you tell us how big your tank is and how long the betta and all of them have been together? While this is not an impossible situation, all the semi-aggressives that you have listed there are an unusual combination and it would be very unusual for the combination to last a long period of time without territorial issues coming into the mix. When that happens there will be problems unless you have a gigantic tank with a LOT of room and places for hiding and heavily planted areas for fish to get away from each other. It would take a lot of skill and much aquascaping to keep all those fish happy and alive. It is not an impossibility but not a mix made for a beginner in the hobby or someone who is not willing to spend a lot of time and money to keep their fish safe.

I have seen semi-aggressive tanks that have worked but they are massive like in the 125 gallon category at a minimum and heavily aquascaped and not heavily populated with fish. It just depends on what you want. But know the natures of your fish and give them their space if you insist on combining fish that you know are territorial by their very nature.

Thank you for your post. Could you consider posting pictures of your tank?

Rose