might be a silly question but ..

[claireroe]

I really like betta's and my lfs has one in and it looks a bit worse for wear looking at your lot's fine specimens ! do they live well in a community tank or can they only live alone in smaller tanks ?

 

[Kiarra]

Depends on what you want to have in the community tank, or what's already there. Bright, colorful fish are a bad idea with a Betta...he may feel intimidated. Guppies are a bad idea because of the big, colorful tails...he may bite that tail off. Mollies and Platies, in my experience, corner the Betta and nip mercilessly at them. Cory Catfish are almost always great fish to have with a Betta. African Dwarf Frogs usually works. Gouramis are often a bad idea, but it can be made to work...sometimes. They usually get competitive over territory, and the more colorful Gouramis sometimes get the Betta confused into thinking they're one of his own species, so he feels like he must kill them. Neon Tetras are a very bad idea, as they have a tendency to nip a Betta's delicate fins. White Cloud Mountain Minnows make excellent Betta tank mates, and Zebra Danios CAN if you have at least 6 Danios in a large enough tank.

 

[OohFeeshy]

At the moment mines in a 20g (its nicely heated and he got depressed in the 3g) He's got 6 cories in there. He's generally fine, he gats a bit narky if he's bubblenesting (like now) but he flares a tiny bit then runs away... and the cories get the message and runa away before he realises no one takes him seriosly, poor love... I'll probably move him to a 5g if I can get it, if not I'll have to work something out.

 

[FalconStorm]

Depends on what you want to have in the community tank, or what's already there. Bright, colorful fish are a bad idea with a Betta...he may feel intimidated. Guppies are a bad idea because of the big, colorful tails...he may bite that tail off. Mollies and Platies, in my experience, corner the Betta and nip mercilessly at them. Cory Catfish are almost always great fish to have with a Betta. African Dwarf Frogs usually works. Gouramis are often a bad idea, but it can be made to work...sometimes. They usually get competitive over territory, and the more colorful Gouramis sometimes get the Betta confused into thinking they're one of his own species, so he feels like he must kill them. Neon Tetras are a very bad idea, as they have a tendency to nip a Betta's delicate fins. White Cloud Mountain Minnows make excellent Betta tank mates, and Zebra Danios CAN if you have at least 6 Danios in a large enough tank.

That's interesting about the neons, because I have a betta in a tank with a large school of neons (10) and his fins haven't been touched. he's a beautiful, dark crowntail and he and the neons seem to get along just fine. He has a tendency to "herd" their school like a sheepdog. If a couple wander off, he goes and swims behind them slowly, encouraging them to return to the school. I've never seen him nip at them or vice versa. Do I just have a really lucky exception? (I didn't know neons shouldn't go with bettas when I put them together.)

 

[Kiarra]

Falcon, I'm voting lucky exception. I've heard of so many nasty horror stories and so few good cases, that I wouldn't risk putting Neon Tetras with my Bettas.

But every fish is different, and sometimes things work even when they usually don't.

Though, you know, with that large of a school of neons, they're probably much more interested in each other than they are in the Betta. Makes it much safer for everyone involved.

 

[FalconStorm]

Falcon, I'm voting lucky exception. I've heard of so many nasty horror stories and so few good cases, that I wouldn't risk putting Neon Tetras with my Bettas.

But every fish is different, and sometimes things work even when they usually don't.

Though, you know, with that large of a school of neons, they're probably much more interested in each other than they are in the Betta. Makes it much safer for everyone involved.

Which is part of the reason I did that. They prefer to be in groups of eight or more and so everyone is happier all around. Damian is a pretty laid back betta anyway. He only ever flares at his reflection and occasionally at something he thinks is threatening the neons.