Acceptable betta tankmates

[mstinawu]

I put 4 cory cats into the tank with my betta.. They've been together for a couple of weeks now and seem content.

 

[Nim]

I do call it LUCK.

I have 2 Male bettas in the same tank (both real brothers) along with 5-6 females, other fish are:
(I am sure gonna have some eyebrows raised)
4 Serpae tetras
8 Gold barbs
3 Clown loaches
2 Red tailed black sharks
12 Cardinal tetras
4 Nanostomous eques (hockeystick pencil fish)
5 Glowlight Danios
2 Cherry barbs
2 Honey gouramis
8 Herliquine Rasboras
3 Boesmani Rainbows
2 Large golden Angels
Had a couple of Orange Chromides in there as well.

Its a large heavily planted tank though.

Now this does not mean that anyone is allowed to have Male bettas with anything from the above mentioned stock but the day I see any damage to their fins is the day I will move them out...

I have grown the entire brood togather unlike the recomended system of seperating the males and keeping them in Jars and probably thats why when my 2 males cross each other they just flare for a couple of mins and then mind their own way.. Fighting fish

Herliquine Rasboras (and relatives like Henglii), Various Pencil fish, Corydoras, snails, Plecs, Many non predatory catfish, otocinclus etc. are IMO the only possible peaceful companions that can go with a male Betta.

Nim

 

[danny101]

that seems like a very strange combination nim. still i would put both the bettas in seperate tanks, also 2 red tail sharks is a bad idea..they are highly terratorial. it may seem like it's working now but its just asking for trouble.

most if not all of the fish you mentioned are a bad idea.they swim too fast and are all nearly fin nippers.
I wouldnt wait for something bad to happen (which it will) i would prevent it as soon as possible.

move the 2 bettas to seperate tanks.if big enough otto's would be ok, if filtered.

Danny

 

[Nim]

that seems like a very strange combination nim. still i would put both the bettas in seperate tanks, also 2 red tail sharks is a bad idea..they are highly terratorial. it may seem like it's working now but its just asking for trouble.

most if not all of the fish you mentioned are a bad idea.they swim too fast and are all nearly fin nippers.
I wouldnt wait for something bad to happen (which it will) i would prevent it as soon as possible.

move the 2 bettas to seperate tanks.if big enough otto's would be ok, if filtered.

Danny

Now this does not mean that anyone is allowed to have Male bettas with anything from the above mentioned stock but the day I see any damage to their fins is the day I will move them out...

Thats what I also meant.. Both these male Betta have been grown to develop their long fins in the very same tank with the inhabitants. Just that the fish now dont realize that they can nip at the bettas. Besids, Community grown betta are a lot less aggressive then the ones grown in Jars.

Regarding Red Tailed Black sharks.. I have kept these 2 togather for a little more then 3 years and they both are about 5" and I have a large verticle slate in the middle of the tank and one side of the slate marks the territory of one (male) and the left side marks the territory of the female. When ever they come face to face they do challange in their typical way but then go off to chasing the SAEs from their territory.. come feeding time, they both togather come up and snatch tubifex FD worms from between my fingers.. I think they are now well settled with each other .. I know a bit how to train RTBs to get along but its a process not for the faint hearted.

Nim
ps: I always like to challange what ever has been written in the books and most of the time I am successful

 

[danny101]

well i wish you continued good fortune nim.

Danny

 

[Nim]

Thanks.. I know its a dangerous situation and sometimes have actually thought of putting a webcam on the tank to just monitor if anything goes wrong (I mean about the Betta stuff not RTBs).

Eventually in the text 2-3 months I probably will be moving them out anyways as one is going to a friend and other in the snailarium.

Serpae tetras will also be going away in a weeks time into the new setup and my gold barbs are non nippers so once the serpae tetras are gone, I am sure there will be no danger to them.

Angels dont mind them at all and danios are too small and too busy swimming around to think about them.

Nim

 

[kha]

can bettas live with parrot fish and angel fish?

 

[Nim]

Female bettas may be able to go with Angels but I doubt with Parrots but male bettas cannot go with either.

 

[metfan581]

Angels and betas?
yes / no ?

 

[Nim]

Angels and betas?
yes / no ?

I think I already answered it in the previous post

Nim

 

[Judmacaroni]

Angels and betas?
yes / no ?

I know a lot of people say you shouldnt but we had a betta in with our angels and there was never a problem. it was a huge tank and has plenty foliage for the betta to hide in. But he never bothered with them and they never even noticed him.

 

[Nim]

Juda,

Firstly. nothing is impossible. I still have a betta in my community with full size angels and the likes of Serpae tetra, gold barbs, red tailed shark, clown loaches and boesmani rainbows but there is a very big risk..

It should be avioded for the well bieng of the betta though as it is more than likely for it to suffer damage. I also depends more on the attitude of the betta itself as if it wants to challange everything in front of its eyes, it is very unlikely that it will survive. My Betta was born at my home and was grown up with other bettas (unlike most breeders) so it is not aggressive.

Nim

 

[Al Murray]

what about hatchets? can they live with betta?

 

[Kairi]

you said "no" to livebearers b/c of their tails, but some don't have pretty tails, like platys or some mollies... what about those?

 

[danny101]

i would say no to hatchets al..no experience with them together but because hatchets are only top level and bettas spend most of there time there i think there would be a risk..since hatchets only have a short life span anyway, they would'nt stand a chance


Danny