Bettas And Livebearers

[Richard James Patrick]

Hi I was just wondering if Bettas can be put in the same tank as guppies, platys and mollies. It's a 180ltr tank so there's plenty of room. I remember reading somewhere that the water flow needs to be very gentle for them because of their finnage, is that right? If it is okay, is it best to keep a single male or a breeding pair?

 

[stang1]

Males and females should never be kept together, only for breeding.
Bettas are likely to nip at the Guppies as they are similar looking and will see them as a threat. They prefer still water whereas the other fish prefer more of a flow.
I personally think that male Bettas are best kept on their own as they can be unpredictable when kept in a community. They are more than happy in their own tank and don't need tankmates. ome people have had success keeping one in a comunity, others have none at all and some find that the Betta is fine for months , then suddenly turns.
If you are to try it, then make sure you have a spare tank for your Betta just in case things don't work out.

 

[lilfishie]

why not have a group of females, then if you still want a male get a small 2-5 gal for him

 

[Richard James Patrick]

If you were to keep a Male Betta in a tank on his own should it be planted or have any particular decoration, do they like places to hide etc.? What can be done to stimulate them if they don't have other fish to interact with??

 

[stang1]

As long as there are a couple of hiding places and some plants then your Betta will be fine in a tank by himself. I've got planted bogwood and rocks with holes in for mine and they are perfectly happy. Just make sure that any decor doesn't have sharp edes to catch his fins on.
Lilfishie made a good suggestion of keeping females in your community tank, less aggressive than males and just as pretty.

 

[girl4God81]

Yes they are right, male and female bettas should never be kept together, ever.

To stimulate a male betta, he just needs some plants (not TOO many since he has large fins and will also need swimming room) and a varied diet. It's easy to try to make bettas like ourself according to what we like/need but they aren't anything like us. Male bettas are completely territorial because they LOVE being solo. You can place all the girls together (the rule is usually about 6-10 for a 20 gallon or larger) but less than 6 has never worked for me. You can do 6 in a 10 gallon but that can be a bit crouded. You have to make sure the tank is VERY heavily planted for a girl's tank so that they can have room to hide. The first couple of days they may be a bit aggressive but they should get over it and establish territories. I've heard it's important to add the smallest to the tank first but my smallest is my most aggressive! Anyway, those are just a few basic rules to follow. Good luck! Feel free to PM me with more questions

 

[Richard James Patrick]

Thanks for the advice all, I'll be on the lookout for a suitable tank.