Bettas And Community Fish

[KingofthePisces]

i was wondering if bettas can go in communitys or will it just kill every thing?

 

[Joshy]

I have been reading up on this a lot lately.
It seems in the short answer is yes they will do fine in a community however... the long answer is do not keep them with any fish that have long flowing fins like themselves and do not keep them with fish that will nip. So that crosses off guppies, barbs and some tetras already. And of course no other betta or gouramis, and it is suggested no other pure-top-dwellers like hatchets. So guess the long answer is the community has to be made to fit round the betta, not the other way round.

 

[KingofthePisces]

i want to keep bettas but i find it cruel to keep them in those tiny litte bowls and containers i just dont think they like it in them so i was wondering if i could try keeping/breeding them in my community aquarium

 

[-germ-]

Why don't you get a 5-7gal rather than a fishbowl then?
IMO you'd be taking a risk, particularly with the tetras and the poecilids......

Bettas are territorial, especially when breeding, i could maybe understand your taking a risk having a Betta as a community fish, but for breeding purposes IMO it is a bad idea....

 

[KingofthePisces]

what about just females should they be alright? or is there problems wit aggression with them? or just a male? please reply
kingofthepisces

 

[-germ-]

No, the main problem i can see if planning not to breed, is the other fish;
Tetras can be extremely nippy, poecilids also can be nippy and have a reputation as not getting on well with anabantoids.
Obviously having a male would certainly add to the risk but not every female is peaceful.

Its an unpredictable situation which IMO is not worth getting into/taking a risk on.
I would have said yes if it was just the Pleco, can't comment on the killies.

The tanks is well stocked as it is anyway.

I'm sure you'll get some better, more comprehensive info from some Betta lovers soon.
Hope you make the best decision you can.

 

[KingofthePisces]

the LFS gets in some bettas that they put in with other fish and ill look at them and see if there mild tempered

 

[-germ-]

You have to be aware that most LFS severly overstock, meaning fish don't show their natural behaviour and/or have the space to adopt territories in the majority of cases....
I think using an LFS to gauge the potential behaviour of any fish is unwise at best.
It sounds to me like you have your heart set on it, whatever is said against the idea, you will do what you think is best or at least what you think could work.
But i honestly think that if you save your money and purchase a small tank (aquastart 500=£50=7 gallons) it would be the ideal scenario and would prevent taking unnessecary risks with the lives/health of your fish.

GB

 

[alessasavoca]

And.... Killifish shouldn't really be kept with bettas, they are too bright and look too similar to house in the same tank as a betta. I agree with Germ, Bettas can be community fish but you have to chose your community very well (mostly bottom dwellers).

Theres an Elite 35, which comes with everything (filter, heater etc) and that will also do just fine for a betta for £40.

 

[xweeqtx]

I plan to have 1 female in my community tank, and only one. Reason being, there will be no aggression between her and other females so she won't be stressed with that. I wouldn't put a male at all in a community tank, as we tried with my first betta and he killed all the fish apart from the platy, but at that point I didn't know about the neon tetras being nippy so I guess that was the problem.

The only thing I worry about in the community tank now is the zebra danios, but as long as I find a female with short fins there shouldn't be a problem. I also have a large breeding trap, so if something does go wrong - they can be separated and I'll purchase another tank for her.

I think the main thing is, be prepared if you plan to do it.

 

[afishdude]

arnt females just as agessive as males? i might be wrong tho.

 

[stang1]

Females can be just as aggressive as male Bettas but they do seem to work better in a community tank. I'm not sure about keeping just one female as I've always thought they prefer to be in groups.
To the OP - I agree with what Germ has said, you will be just as well buying a 5G + for a male Betta, he'll be more than happy in that size tank.

 

[xweeqtx]

You're better either to keep 1 female or 3 females. If there's only 1, there's no one else to fight over hierarchy with. If there's 3, there's more than one to fight with(i.e, one is going to be stronger than the other, and will bully that one fish. Most likely to result in death).

I read up extensively on it and emailed a couple of sites before making my decision for the community tank. But, as I said - always have something to fall back on just in case it doesn't work out.

 

[Rex740]

To put bettas with community fish is all personality. My betta is VERY kind. I have a lot of fish with large fins and he doesnt mind. I have a golden killifish with him, Long finned skirt tetras, Lyretail swordtail, African butterfly fish, and much more (look at sig).

 

[Ray Ray]

Well, I was just asking this question recently.
One guy at the pet store said male Bettas should not, but Female Bettas are taking little risk by putting them in a community tank.

I had mine in a 2.5 gallon tank with a Black Moor Goldfish. Now I wouldn't recommend doing that anymore until I find out the problem, because my Black Moor's eye was torn halfway off, but I'm not sure if it was from my Betta or soemthing else.

So all I know is, females are okay with most fish, just don't try any flashy, showy/colourful fish.