Crowd Control

[Night61]

i have three Betta females in a 26 gallon with lots and lots of guppies.
would chasing down and eating a guppy fry or two harm a bettas health. i probably should have asked a while ago.
i figured it would be good for the bettas to have some "fast food" every once in a while for exercise.

please let me know

 

[electric yellow]

I guess its just the natural thing for them to do?

Ive had gouramis eat tetras and tetras eat platy fry and they all came out ok after eating them.

 

[saltynay]

Bettas splendens are no longer a natural fish just like many pedigree dogs would never survive in the wild, bettas have been bred to have large flowing fins which wouldn't be effective to catch prey in large environments.

Yes should be fine its just like trapping some prey its not going to directly harm them and we all know a bit of exercise never hurt anyone . I looked into this a while back heavily as my betta would be in the exact same environment far as the publicised material said was that providing the guppy fry go missing in a slow attrition rate it shows that your feeding the betta sufficiently and the betta will continue to make bubblenests if its content with its environment depending on the temperment of the betta.

 

[ReMz]

no harm to the bettas...

the question is why are you keeping guppies and bettas in the same tank?

 

[Night61]

no harm to the bettas...

the question is why are you keeping guppies and bettas in the same tank?

they are female bettas, and have been around these guppies since long before there tails grew out. they have never shown any aggression to the guppies, only any fry that show up.

 

[loraxchick]

my betta's fins are incredibly long and you'd think he'd be slow and clumsy....but he can MOVE when he wants to. i think it'd be good for the girls to chase around their dinner. but maybe that's just me?

 

[Devorax]

Although this is quite a gross subject, it is a valid one. Many people have guppies that breed and they often wonder what to do with the fry. If the fry don't harm the betta then I see it as a natural way of keeping things under control. It's surely better than culling the fry ourselves, isn't it?

 

[loraxchick]

^^^^agreed 100%

 

[Night61]

plus the bettas could use the exerciser. i think my girls actually enjoy the chase.

 

[Netty]

Just doing what comes natural and I can only think it's a healthier diet than most processed foods

 

[LionMom]

Just doing what comes natural and I can only think it's a healthier diet than most processed foods

I would be willing to bet it is.

Years and years ago while my father was still alive he had a BEAUTIFUL Jack Dempsey. He also had a 10 gal. tank with guppies for - you guessed it - the Jack!

I have to admit, I believe that is the BEST looking Dempsey I have EVER seen!!!

 

[Syphoniera]

Sounds awful, but my initial excuse (so sad that I needed one) for getting bettas were the 'feeder' guppies I'd bought as babies.
I love (wild/Endler-type, not so much fancies) guppies, including the females, and stupidly didn't realize at time of purchase that not only Mollies but female guppies could continue spitting out babies, apparently for up to 2 years after breeding and separation from males.
So I wound up with a sorority of 4 lovely wild-caught females and a half-dozen female guppies - and lost them all to a horrible nematode infestation.
But the situation does work well, as the (very friendly, when kept with bettas) female guppies were ignored by the (incredibly beautiful, friendly and nice-natured) bettas, but the (sniff) adorable babies were eaten as soon as born, preventing gross overcrowding avoidable only by giving them away - as feeders, no doubt.
Bettas do better with live foods at least some of the time, and it does also give them some excitement and exercise - it's just important not to watch too closely when the females seem ready to give birth.

 

[Night61]

i do always keep a couple from each birth cycle and raise them up, one of my males is and endler, but lets face it guppies are the rabbits of the fish world. with out control even the best of fish keepers can be over run by these admittedly beautiful fish. i have trouble giving my guppies away since i raised my first two broods from scratch, but i have learned my lesson and only try to save one or two from each new born group if i can get to them before the tank does.

i didn't mean to sound harsh before guppies are my second favorite next to bettas because of there equally gorgeous finnage and wonderful personalities to boot. but its so easy to get over run and one can't ignore the free food source.

 

[nosoup4you]

Yeah, I don't think it is hurting anything to let the bettas do the culling for you.