Siamese Fighter Vs Neon Tetra

[douwi230]

I added my first Siamese Fighting fish to my tank in the weekend, and it took him less that 12 hours to decapitate one of his fellow tankmates, a Neon Tetra. My local fish expert said I wouldn't have any problems with my fish mix (tetras, danios, algae eaters and Guppies) except maybe the male guppy.

I have put him in a seperate breeding trap in the meantime, but I would really like him to play nice with his new friends. I tried releasing him temporarily, but he was back to his old ways straight away, and after another Neon Tetra.

Is there hope for him, or is he destined for a life of solitude?

Thanks

 

[K.J.]

Neons + Bettas = bloodbath.

Neons are bright and the nippiest little tetras.

 

[Jesseh]

I added my first Siamese Fighting fish to my tank in the weekend, and it took him less that 12 hours to decapitate one of his fellow tankmates, a Neon Tetra. My local fish expert said I wouldn't have any problems with my fish mix (tetras, danios, algae eaters and Guppies) except maybe the male guppy.

I have put him in a seperate breeding trap in the meantime, but I would really like him to play nice with his new friends. I tried releasing him temporarily, but he was back to his old ways straight away, and after another Neon Tetra.

Is there hope for him, or is he destined for a life of solitude?

Thanks

That's wierd because i had one of my Bettas in a tank with a few neon tetras at one time and they got along fine but my goldfish killed them But keep him in the tank and if he keeps on a killing spree (which is really weird for them) you might have to invest in an other tank for your tetras. And what size is your tank anyways? Because to small of a tank can cause some fish to get territorial.

- Jess

 

[RandomWiktor]

Bettas are a solitary species by nature. They do not want, like, or need "friends." The safest way to keep a betta, for both the betta and your other fish, is to house him alone in a bare minimum of one gallon, with something more in the range of 2.5-5g being strongly preferable. If you try to place the betta in the tank with tetras, guppies, or any other brightly colored fish, you are risking the lives of those fish. Please, keep your betta singly, and never listen to anything an LFS has to say - they're out to make money off of you.

Also, since goldfish came up... the only thing goldfish should be housed with is other goldfish, and maybe a large coldwater loach. Goldfish are notorious for eating other fish, producing massive amounts of waste, and hogging food. What's more, goldfish are a coldwater species, and should never be kept with anything tropical - such as bettas and tetras. And, because goldfish need 20 VERY strongly filtered and aerated gallons min. per fish at maturity, the kind of tank you need for a goldfish is completely and utterly unsuitable for bettas; please never keep them as tankmates.

 

[SPLiSH]

He really would do better in his own tank... all the fish apart from the algae eaters are fast and rather nippy towards bettas.

Get him a nice little tank (2gal or so) of his own and he will be a lot happier.

 

[Lynden]

Bettas need a big tank, too. Just because they are slow swimmers doesn't mean they should be treated like canned sardines.

I mean think about it; Angels and Fancy Goldfish are slow swimmers too, does that mean you should cram them in a 2 gallon with no flow or oustside stimulation (ie, tankmates).

I think Bettas should be treated just as good as any other fish. Keeping them in tiny bowls is just as bad as keeping Goldfish in bowls.

Having kept Bettas in bowls in the past, I noticed a miraculous increase in colour, responsiveness, and activeness within a few days after placing them in a proper tank with other fish. However, I do notice that they attack a few small fish, and especially in my experiences, Neon Tetras.

-Lynden

 

[Vicky99]

It's a strange one isn't it? My IFS said it would be ok to put a Betta in my community tank - and it has been. He's with neons amongst others and has been for a year now. No fin nipping or murder has occurred!

I think from what I've read since though that I've been lucky - it seems to depend on the temperament of your fish - just like dogs - some dogs love other dogs, other dogs like all the attention to themselves and attack other dogs!

My tank is also pretty well planted and has lots of hidey holes - my betta has his own territory (with castle!) and they all seem to get on just fine. He's sharing his castle with a platty that has taken a shine to it at the moment!

 

[Lynden]

My tank is also pretty well planted and has lots of hidey holes - my betta has his own territory (with castle!) and they all seem to get on just fine. He's sharing his castle with a platty that has taken a shine to it at the moment!

That's how Bettas should be housed

-Lynden

 

[GuppyDude]

Id pay good money to see a betta go after a neon. I would suggest something with low agression and a little size to em. Bettas love small fish, esspecially annoying nippers with bright coloration.

 

[K.J.]

Lynden, this topic (size of bowl for bettas) has been discussed before and has only resulted in arguement and the realization that it depends on the betta and other people have different fishkeeping opinions. So please, don't start it again.

 

[RandomWiktor]

That, and though the psychological/behavioral aspect could be argued, there is no comparison between keeping a betta in a 1g bowl and a goldfish in a 1g bowl. In the case of the goldfish, the animal will be growth stunted, oxygen depleted, socially deprived (goldfish NEED other goldfish; bettas are solitary) and suffering from immensely poor water quality after just a day due to their massive waste output. It will shorten their natural lifespan of 20+ years often to less than a few months, maybe a year or so tops. A betta, on the other hand, suffers none of these atrocities when kept in a bowl, and depending on your opinion is either content, or suffering from understimulation. Significant difference.

 

[K.J.]

As well as keeping goldfish in a bowl, they are extreme waste producers - and while I can't say that bettas aren't, goldfish have the upper hand, and of course you are forgetting that bettas grow to two inches while goldfish grow to... variable sizes?