Can black skirted tetras go with betta

[Jerrythatfishguy]

Hi I have a 55 gallon aquarium with 3 platys and 1 betta and will black skirted tetras work with betta and I need some other stocking ideas.

 

[Guppylover3x]

Hi I have a 55 gallon aquarium with 3 platys and 1 betta and will black skirted tetras work with betta and I need some other stocking ideas.

Hi and welcome to the forum

Betta fish are usually best kept alone, however some people do have success keeping them in community tanks. This is dependent upon the individual personality of the fish.

I would recommend plenty of live plants.

I would recommend adding the Betta last to prevent it from getting territorial.

If you could also post the GH of your tap water this will help identify if your stocking is suitable. This can be found from your local water supplier.

Alternatively you can test regular tap water yourself at home with a kit and post the results on here.

I’m not sure about compatibility but I’m sure other members will be able to assist with this.

I do know platies require a higher ph while betta’s prefer a lower one.

Best of luck!

 

[Byron]

Hi I have a 55 gallon aquarium with 3 platys and 1 betta and will black skirted tetras work with betta and I need some other stocking ideas.

No, this would be just about the worst combination. Black Skirt Tetras (sometimes called Black Widow Tetra) have a tendency to nip fins to begin with, and when faced with the waving fins of a sedate Betta, the poor betta would not last long either from being nipped to death or the severe stress.

I should also point out that male Bettas are not community fish so they should be housed on their own. Substrate fish can sometimes work, but they should never be housed with other upper level fish. This is simply risking the Betta (or the other fish, it can go both ways). A 5 gallon tank for the Betta would be to his liking.

 

[Colin_T]

I fully agree with Byron. Black skirt tetras (aka: black widow tetras) are renown fin nippers and will bite the Betta's tail and fins. This will either kill the Betta or the Betta will turn around and go nuts on everything in the tank.

As for Bettas and platies, they require different water chemistry and should be kept in different tanks.
Platies naturally occur in hard water with a GH (general hardness) around 200ppm and a pH above 7.0.
Bettas naturally occur in soft water with a GH below 150ppm and a pH below 7.0.