What fish go well with betas?

[JulieVamp]

Hi, I recieved a beta fish about a month ago, I've gotten it a larger tank and now I'm interested in getting it a friend or two. Does anyone know what fish enteract well with betas? And how many fish would you put in a 2.5 gallon tank? Will it be big enough for 2 fish to live comfortably? Thanks! :)

[emroul]

Hi there,

Betta fish MUST be housed alone, as they are well-known "cannibals". If you put in another betta (or any other type of fish), it will most likely get eaten. I would strongly recommend against getting your betta a friend, he doesn't want one. ;) You could always get another fish tank and house other fish in that one. Most of the time, many other species of fish are fine together (goldfish, maybe tetras, minnows, cichlids, etc)..

Jennifer

[Squawksx3]

My step daughter got a gold fish and put it in a seperate bowl, next to her Betta so it could have a friend.. the Betta just wanted to fight it through the glass LOL. I agree with emroul, they kill other fish.. thats why the pets stores always have them by themselves in those small containers... I always feel so sorry for them...they're so beautiful.

Good to see you emroul :) .

[crazy4chis]

I remember when I was about 10 or 12 years old (20 now) my parents let us get some fish, we picked out a beta and goldfish and the people at the pet store put them in the same bag together, as you can see, the people at the pet store didn't know the history of betas. The beta was taking chunks out of the goldfish. It was really sad. I felt so sorry for the goldfish. We went back to the guy who gave us the fish and decided to put the goldfish back and just get the beta because he was pretty, although ruthless. Makes you wonder how betas even mate though, if they are cannibals?

[mzdolittle]

When bettas are breeding, the female has to have a defensible area. Something with only a small opening on one side so she can defend it against unwanted visits from the male. You can actually put one male betta in a community tank with other fish as long as there are enough others to "keep him in line." It needs to be a pretty big tank, though. Not less than a 10 gallon. I worked in a pet shop for over 5 years and we used to keep the bettas in community tanks that way. Btw, the rule of thumb for number of fish per tank is one inch of fish per gallon.

[riverliz]

:) Hi, I recieved a beta fish about a month ago, I've gotten it a larger tank and now I'm interested in getting it a friend or two. Does anyone know what fish enteract well with betas? And how many fish would you put in a 2.5 gallon tank? Will it be big enough for 2 fish to live comfortably? Thanks! :) Well i have bettas too but i'm a breader and the only bettas that i mix together is a female and a male but i have seen i the pet stores that they have bettas in the same tanks as a the salt water fish.
Good Luck

riverliz

[riverliz]

I have other reptiles at home but I always wanted an Iguana.
I just have one problem! I dont know how to take care of them.
Can anyone help me out?

[riverliz]

I really need help on how to take care of an Iguana!

[Squawksx3]

Hey!!.. I have an Iguana! :D

Iguana's need to have warm environments, they need reptile lights(no hot rocks!) on them for at least 12 hours a day. They also need direct sunlight daily(outside).. thats where they get a major source of their calcium... I have a few pics posted on here somewhere of mine. He's about 4 years old and was rescued a few years ago....someone found him running loose in a parking lot and turned him into the wildlife refuge center. He's permanently crippled..... his lower spine is crooked... probably due to not having the proper diet/calcium and care prior... and he can't move around and climb like normal Iguana's. You have to be very careful of their tails when they get older... they will swat you with it for defense and it hurts!. Some will also bite.
Iguana's are vegetarians.. and they can have fruit and other healthy foods as treats. They do need calcium and vitamin supplements, I put it in his food. They should be misted with water at least once a day.. more when they are shedding their skin. I put mine in the bathtub or put a large bowl of water out when he's in his outside cage, at least once a day... plus I mist him with water once in awhile. They need to be able to climb and hide... Iguana's like high places, branches are good. Because mine cant climb, I have little animal hammocks and stuff to make it easier for him to get around. They can carry salmanella (sp?) so its very important to keep them and their environment very clean... also you MUST wash your hands after handling them. They also get mites and parasites. My daughters Iguana prolapsed twice and the surgeries were very expensive... hers also fell out of a tree and broke its leg.. the poor little guy has really gone through alot, its also about 4 yrs old.. no relation to mine. Like any pet, Iguana's need to go to the vet for check ups and when they're sick.
They are the greatest!!... very loving, sweet and smart guys. I take mine to petsmart and out for car rides.. he loves it and just hangs around on my shirt LOL. They can get up to 6 feet long so be prepared if you get one... MANY people get them and when it gets too big, they get rid of it. You'll need to have a large enough cage/room to accomodate them when they get older.

We went and bought the book "Iguana's for dummy's" when we got our first one... its a wonderful book and will tell you everything you need to know... plus I have a few other books on them also and have learned alot from my vet.... Learn all about their diet.. what they can and CANT eat.. its very important. It sounds like alot.. and basically is.. but once you get the knowledge and routine down, its a piece of cake.

Good luck if you decide to get one... they are awesome critters and make wonderful pets!. ;)

[Squawks~Jr]

Hi, I recieved a beta fish about a month ago, I've gotten it a larger tank and now I'm interested in getting it a friend or two. Does anyone know what fish enteract well with betas? And how many fish would you put in a 2.5 gallon tank? Will it be big enough for 2 fish to live comfortably? Thanks! :)


Hello.....
I agree with emroul... betas aren't very social fish they are known as fighting fish....... but if you do want another fish the get a divider for your tank and put them on seperate sides and I think they have ones that you cant see through so that way the beta doesn't keep trying to maul the another fish.... and I sugges dont get one with a reflection because my friend got one like that and the beta kept trying fo fight it self!!! LOL :D

[radrich114]

I have a betta in my 10 gal thank with my red tail shark and marble angel fish with no problems. He likes to stay inbetween the fake plants usually only coming out when i feed them. Iv had them for at least 6 or 7 months now he used to get into fights with the redtail shark but all they really did was chase each other theve all gotten used to liveing with each other now. Iv also added in 2 baby red eared turtles and a basking ledge now the beta likes to stay under there. I know the turtles are supposed to eat fish but they havent bothered with the fish and iv had them in there for about a month already. Just just like to piss off the snail everyone and a while put they leave him alone there just curius little guys.

[jubjubair]

Betta
Can two or more female betta live together?

Yes. Again, a heavily-planted tank helps. Also, females from the same spawn that haven't been separated tend to get along better. When put in a tank together, females will establish a pecking order, similar to a pack of wolves or dogs. After initial skirmishes to determine that hierarchy, things should settle down
A betta should be kept in no less than a 1 gallon container. Many breeders use Beanie Babie containers or quart mason jars, but these fish also get water changes multiple times a week. The larger the container, the less water changes you have to do, and the happier your betta is.
When you get up into the larger tank sizes, like 10 gallons and up, water changes are greatly reduced. Ten gallons also allow for the addition of more fish, if you desire. A community tank (multiple fish) should be no smaller than a 10 gallon. Most freshwater fish (besides guppies and teeny mosquito fish) require a minimum size of 10 gallons. In 10 gallons, the tank can cycle (bacteria grows that will turn ammonia to nitrite, nitrite to nitrate, and nitrite is plant food!) and you can have several fish (depending on the species you prefer), or even several bettas if you desire.
Bettas are tropical fish, and therefore do best in a water temperature between 78 and 82 degrees. Bettas are very sturdy and can handle water several degrees above or below these temperatures, but it is best to have them at a stable temperature. Using a heater in your tank will help keep the temperature stable. Aeration is not required. Since bettas are anabantoids, or air breathers, they rise to the surface to gulp air. However, if you wish to keep other fish in with the betta, aeration is needed. Aeration does not actually provide oxygen, it agitates the surface of the water to increase the waters oxygen level. If you have a well planted tank and a low fish load, aeration is not needed due to the plants providing oxygen. But for begginners, and for those who don't want to risk fish suffocation, aeration can still be used.
Water Requirements

Bettas need clean, safe water to live in. There is a myth perpetuated by irresponsible pet stores that bettas live their entire lives in squalid mud holes. In reality, bettas live in thousands of gallons of waters in the rice feilds and swampy areas of Asia. During the dry season, sometimes bettas are forced to live in small amounts of water, but that is for short periods of times. Bettas, like any fish, do well in large amounts of clean, fresh water.
Make sure that your water is free of chlorine, chloramines, and heavy metals. Sometimes well water can be used without any treatment, but most water, and all city water, needs a water conditioner to make it safe for fish. If you are unsure about if your water from the tap is safe or not, either call your city water company and ask about what chemicals are in the water, or have your water tested at your local pet store. If your water needs conditioning, there are several good products out there to use. Novaqua and Amquel are popular, and can be found in most pet stores. Aquasafe is a cheaper conditioner, but I love it. It removes chloraine, chloramine, and heavy metals, and is cheaper than other conditioners. Depending on the toxicity (to fish!) of your water, you may need to use a more expensive conditioner. Again, consult your local pet store as to which conditioner would be best for your fish.

[jubjubair]

Water changes are very important to water quality. Your bettas water should never be anything but clear and free of debris. While your betta can live a suprisingly long time is yellow, filthy water, its cruel to force it to do so. The way to have clean, clear water for your betta is to do water changes when needed. A one gallon container needs either a 100% water change one time a week, or else 50% water changes two times a week. The larger the container, the less water changes you need. Therefore, a two gallon can have a 50% water change one time a week, and a five gallon can have a 50% water change every other week.
In five gallon tanks and up, you can have the tank cycle, which will eventually cut down on the amount of water changes you need to do. Cycling, in short, is where bacteria grows that changes toxic chemicals into less toxic chemicals, which are then sometimes used as food by live plants. These chemicals are also drawn out by at least monthly gravel vacuums and water changes. To learn more about cycling, click HERE . Eventually, a cycled 10 gallon tank will need only a monthly gravel vacuum and to have evaporated water added weekly.
Plants:

Plants are a welcome addition to any tank. Plants provide hiding spaces for shy or harrassed fish, resting spots (bettas love to relax on broad plant leaves), help oxygenate the water, help remove dangerous toxins, and give the tank a more natural look. There are numerous plants which are easy to maintain and easy to find at your local pet store. All of the following plants require minimal lighting (25-50 watts pet 25 gallons) and are useful in both community tanks and spawning tanks.

Apogneton ulvaceus This is the most common type of apognetons I have been able to find. Apognetons are one of my favorite plants - they are easy to grow, very hardy, and grow quite large. I've been able to find packages of bulbs at Wal-Mart to start my plants from, and they have grown to be over 18 inches tall. The bettas love these. Apognetons have large, broad dark green leaves, and multiple stems from each bulb. These are perfect for 10 gallons and up. Apognetons don't need to be rooted, which also makes them perfect for the bare bottomed spawning tank. Several of these floating in a 10 gallon provides shade, protection from other fish, and a great relaxing spot.

Pygmaea Helvola or Dwarf Water Lillies: These are much like the apognetons, and have the same care and benefits of the apognetons. Dwarf lillies do not grow as tall as apognetons.

Echinodorus, also known as Amazon swords and raddican swords: These broad leafed, rosette plants are very sturdy and can grow quite large. These do best when rooted, althogh they can be successful as free-floating plants. Swords are most often found as already sprouted plants. They can grow up to 1.5-2 feet, and their broad leaves are another favorite sleeping spot of bettas.

Ceratopterus thalictroides, also known as water sprite or water fern. A very pretty feathered, bright green plants with a dense rosette growth from the roots. This grows up to 20 inches, and is very prolific. Great for babies and harrassed adults to hide in.

Lemnaceae family, also known as duckweed. There are several different types of duckweed, each of which are different sizes. Duckweed is a floating plant that produces readily by budding. Duckweed is great to provide a shade for the bettas, and males love to incorporate duckweed into their bubble nests.

[jubjubair]

Water changes are very important to water quality. Your bettas water should never be anything but clear and free of debris. While your betta can live a suprisingly long time is yellow, filthy water, its cruel to force it to do so. The way to have clean, clear water for your betta is to do water changes when needed. A one gallon container needs either a 100% water change one time a week, or else 50% water changes two times a week. The larger the container, the less water changes you need. Therefore, a two gallon can have a 50% water change one time a week, and a five gallon can have a 50% water change every other week.
In five gallon tanks and up, you can have the tank cycle, which will eventually cut down on the amount of water changes you need to do. Cycling, in short, is where bacteria grows that changes toxic chemicals into less toxic chemicals, which are then sometimes used as food by live plants. These chemicals are also drawn out by at least monthly gravel vacuums and water changes. To learn more about cycling, click HERE . Eventually, a cycled 10 gallon tank will need only a monthly gravel vacuum and to have evaporated water added weekly.

He may not eat for a day or so. Don't worry, he will eat eventually!

[jubjubair]

Feeding


Live food: Live foods can be offered, and most bettas love them. Large grindal worms, fruit flies, blackworms, mosquitos and mosquito larve are some of the more popular live foods. These can be used when alternating with Hikari Betta Bites, or if you have a large enough selection of live foods, these can be the only foods fed to the betta. The most important thing about live foods is making sure they are free of disease and parasites that might attack your betta. We feed and highly recommend live California Blackworms, which can be found at http:///www.aquaticfoods.com . LCB's provide complete nutrition for the betta, and the fish love them. We feed solely LCBs, and they thrive!
For best health, your bettas should be fed a variety of foods. Hikari Bio-Gold Betta Bites should be at least 50% of their diet. Hikari Bio-Gold provides complete nutrition, and is the best pellet food out there. The rest of the bettas diet should be a mixture of foods. In our bettas, we feed them freeze dried (FD) bloodworms, FD brine shrimp, FD daphnia, frozen brine shrimp, and two other types of betta pellet. Other pellets are still nutritious, but none surpass Hikari (no, I don't work for Hikari, I just know they make good stuff!).
When feeding your betta, you want to remember the bettas stomach is about the size of its stomach. Bettas can get by wonderfully with one feeding a day. If you want to keep your bettas in breeding condition, feedings should be increased to twice a day. Breeding condition mean simply that at any time the bettas can be put in the spawning tank. If you don't ever plan to breed your bettas, you should not keep them in breeding conditions. Breeders sometimes walk a fine line between having conditioned bettas and overweight bettas, the latter being dangerous to the betta.
When feeding your betta once a day, alternate at least one other food (bloodworms are the favorite) every other or every three days. Replace the meal of Hikari Betta Bites with another food. This should keep your betta happy and looking forward to mealtime, since it will never know what kind of food is coming that night!
If you plan to breed your betta, then alternate the second meal of the day with food besides Hikari Betta Bites. We do this with ours and have great success with it.

[jubjubair]

Betta Tankmates


Bettas can make great additions to the community tank, but their tank mates need to be chosen with care and the bettas personality taken into consideration.
First, is your betta highly aggressive, or has it been alone for most of its life? Some bettas are solely solitary fish. Adult males can be aggressive to any fish, whether it is the same species or not. Males that have often been alone for several months may not welcome other fish into "his" territory. If it is an old fish who has been alone all of his life, then it is better to leave him that way. Old fish may become stressed when surrounded by new, curious fish, whose motives he isn't sure of.
When picking out tankmates, be aware of all of the fish's personalities. Watch for fish that might hurt the betta. Fin nipping fish such as barbs and most tetras will often rip at the males finnage, which can lead to the male killing its tankmates, or the male being killed from damage and infection from his torn fins. Gouramis are never good tankmates for bettas, as they are anabantoids like the betta. Gouramis will fight, and often kill, bettas. Other aggressive fish (cichlids, especially when spawning) shouldn't be part of the bettas tank, as they may get into a territory battle. Next, consider whether or not the betta will be a danger to the fish. Fancy guppies and lyretail swordtails, with long finnage, may pose a challenge to the betta and be hurt or killed. Small, darting fish (mosquito fish or small neon tetras) may be mistaken for food and eaten. Livebearer (molies, platies, guppies, swordtails) fry will be swallowed eagerly.
So what kind of fish can you have with a betta? A whole bunch of kinds, actually. Catfish are fine, and are cute as can be, too. Livebearers (besides those with fancy finnage) make great companions, as long as you don't expect the fry to survive. Danios and rainbow fish are peaceful and quite beautiful fish. Larger, non-aggressive tetras and barbs (adult Neon Tetras, Cherry barbs) make fine tankmates, as do plecostomus and many sharks, such as the bala or red tail shark (many sharks get quite large though, so be sure that you have enough tank space for the adult sharks). Shrimps can be good tankmates, but some bettas will eat the shrimp.

[jubjubair]

Bettas with other bettas:


If you want to have a species only tank, here are some considerations:
No more than one male can be kept in a community tank, unless there is a divider keeping the two males from coming into contact with each other.
Females need to be kept solitary or in groups of four or more in a community tank. A single female will not pick on or be picked on usually by its non-betta tankmates. Female bettas will always fight for dominance when in the same tank together. The important thing is for one female to not be picked on constantly, or for any female to get really hurt while jockeying for her position in the heirarchy. Three females or fewer will lead to one female being harrassed constantly. Four females spreads the fighting and sparring over more fish, and there is less of a chance for a single betta to be harmed by the encounters. After the initial dance for dominance, females will usually remain peaceful unless disturbed (a move, a new female or fish added, etc). Also, tanks with female bettas need to be heavily planted. This provides cover for girls when they need to rest, or are trying to hide from another female. Java moss is great for this purpose.

Males and females should never be kept together. Doing so will more than likely lead to one of the following: A) spawning, B) fighting and fin damage, and possibly C) death, from damage inflicted by the other betta during the fighting. If you want to spawn your bettas, you need a proper setup, not a community tank. Spawning bettas can be read about here
The aging betta


As bettas get older, they slow down, like everyone else. Bettas can be expected to live till about two years of age. Considering the average age that a betta is sold is 5 months, that means you should have about a year and a half with each betta.
When the betta gets 14-15 months and older, he will probably sleep a lot more, be slower to flare, and generally not be the same betta that he was when you first got him. To make him more comfortable, heat and filtration can be added. A betta prefers a temperature of 78 degrees, and cold will make any betta slow down. Filtration decrease the number of water changes required, which reduces his stress.
Feedings may have to be changed. Watch your betta, and if he isn't eating as much, don't feed him as much. Feeding him extra fod just means that it will decay in his tank.
Be extra vigilent about diseases. An aging betta is more supsceptible than a young rapscallion. The best way to prevent disease is to keep him in a heated tank and to have immaculate water.
If your betta is in a community tank, he or she may need to be removed. If your betta is being harrassed or seems distressed from being in the tank, remove the betta and give it a well-deserved rest by itself.
Finally, when your betta passes on, remove him or her from the water promptly and drain the water from the tank if the betta was the only fish in it. Many persons let the water remain in the tank until they get a new betta, but it is more sanitary to wash and dry the tank, and let it stay dry until you find a new betta to love.

[jubjubair]

BETTA
• Can two males live together?

NO. DON'T DO IT. They will kill each other. Or one will kill the other. Not good.
• Can a male live with a female betta?

I've heard of one male living with two or more females in a heavily-planted tank.
What fish make good tank mates for bettas?

Corydoras catfish. Supposedly, neon tetras, glowlight tetras, mollies, swordtails, and platies are also good, although different aquarists have different experiences. Whether or not male bettas should be kept with any other fish is the subject of some debate

How often do I need to change my betta's water?

The water in a half-gallon tank needs to be changed twice a week. If you have a one-gallon, you can change it once a week. If you have two gallons, you can change half the water once a week (and use a siphon to clean the gravel). Et cetera.

[CheeriO]

hi,
i have two bettas each housed differently in two one gallon bowls....

if you want you can have an all female betta tank it's very impressive...

[scarlet99_ca]

beta fish are also known as fighting fish it is highly recommended that you not put any other fish with them if you do want another fish with it in the same tank then you have to get that new fish his own inner sanction it is a separate tank that floats inside the beta tank just as breeders do with new fish when introducing them into a new tank or new borns when placed with parents who eat their babies i hope this helps you and good luck with your beta

[princessnmi]

My gramma has about a 55 gallon fish tank or so. She has had this tank set up for as long as I can remember. She has ALWAYS had a variety of fish and a betta. She keeps her betta in with the other fish. Shes had angel fish, red tail sharks, tetras, guppies, etc. And has NEVER had a problem with the betta in the tank. When she loses a fish (normally do to old age) she will wait a little while then go get another one.

[BirdLuver288]

personally, i dissagree with most of u people!

as u can see in my info i have many bettas, and have lots more scense i last edited it :p i keep all the betas i can in my comunity tanks:) they r not monsters! they r wonderfull peacefull fish! i have a male and 4 females (used to have 6 females, but i just lost one today from dropsy, and another one a few weeks back from unknown causes) in with them i also have a blind male betta seperated, just because he has trouble seeing food, but those 2 males dont fight becasue if the other male shows aggression, then they will fisht! but because the blind one (part albino) cant see, he is not aggressive AT ALL!

i have lots of experience with these fish, and have bred several times, sometimes to rid females of eggs, and othertimes to keep the fry, i have just bred a pair in a 5 gallon (should only be done by people who KNOW the pair) and i have another pair in a 10 gallon getting set to breed!


but i have kept my bettas in with ALL he fish i have/had, right now in the 29 (where the males and females r) i have corys, ottos, danios, a male cherry, a minnow, a half banded loach, guppies, plattys, a pair of rams, and a pair young sunfish (only 1 inch) no one fights, the only problem i nthat tank i have is me loosing plants lol
in your tank you can have a pair of cherry barbs, a pair of MALE guppies, a pair of endlers, a.....u wanna know what? why dont u pm kitten! on fishprofiles.com, she has an artical all about small tanks, why not take a look!


but if u have ANY more questions about your betta friend feel free to pm me here or on fishprofiles! (my name is fishyhelper288)

[PittieNMutt]

My Betta lives with a stained glass fish she's clear with a white strip and you can see all her bones my daughter love it. The Betta has lived with it for a year and there has never been a problem surpisingly enough.
I will post pics later of those two living together.

[BirdLuver288]

stained glass fish? oo would like to see what one looks like:) i have only heard of glass fish, or catfish, by chance is there a floresant color coing along its spine :confused:

[PittieNMutt]

Yes there is!

[BirdLuver288]

is this (http://badmanstropicalfish.com/articles/painted2.jpg) your fish by chance? if it is, then the fish is called the painted glass fish (http://badmanstropicalfish.com/articles/article3.html) and it is a dyed fishy :mad:

here is some more info about the painted glass fish -> -> here (http://www.deathbydyeing.org/)

[santeechris]

I put a betta fish in with all my community fish in the tank and absolutely nothing happened. they will BE FINE as long as they are not with another betta fish!!!!!!!!

[BirdLuver288]

i have a 29 with 4 female bettas and 2 males%!) planted, and scaped very well:) no fighting%!) and this isnt the first time i have had 2 males together :rolleyes:

[wrchili]

Just a minute here. Some of you guys are making bettas sound like man eating machines. You should never put two bettas in a tank together, but it's pefectly fine to have one betta as part of a community tank. There's actually more of a chance that the other fish will pick on him instead of the other way around. We used to have an angelfish that would nip on our bettas tail. Right now we have a betta, two neon tetras, and a cory fish in our tank and they all get along perfectly well. So as long as you don't have more than one betta or a fish that will lunch on the betta's beautiful fins, it's fine to add them to a community tank. I hope this helps.

On a side note the first time I went to buy a betta the idiot at walmart put two males in the same little bag. By the time I got to the check out counter they both had pieces of each others tails sticking out of their mouths. They both died shortly after. I told the guy they shouldn't be put together, but he said I was wrong. I think he needs to double check his facts.

On a double side note I'm a little weary of the painted glass fish. We bought one and it ended up spreading ick in our tank. I guess when they are injected with the die that makes them pretty colors it breaks down their protective slime coat and makes them more susceptible to diseases like ick. I also think it's kind of cruel that they inject them with die to begin with.

[wrchili]

I don't know if I'd put more than one fish in a 2.5 gallon tank. The rule of thumb is one inch of fish (adult size) per gallon. If you are wanting to start a community tank I'd try to get a bigger one.

[lovedoggies]

It's odd that people say that you can't put any fish with a betta. It's true that most bettas are aggressive, but I have had my betta and three goldfish in the same tank for about a year. They get along fine. You just have to make sure that the goldfish are bigger than the betta.