10 gallon betta community tank?

[BettaMan2000]

I REALLY want a small community tank with a male betta, but I want some other colourful fish in there.

My LFS says 1 betta would be fine with tetras or guppies in a ten gallon tank?

If so I'm thinking 1 male betta, 4 fancy guppies and 4 neon tetras.

or 1 dwarf gourami, 4 guppies and 4 neon tetras

Please help!

 

[SeanTrollope]

Right to start with a betta and a community tank are not compatible. Nomatter what people tell you. Especially with other colourful fish.

The only time a group of bettas can be together is of they are very carefully selected females and the tank is longer than 3 foot and heavily planted.

About your second choice. A single dwarf gourami can work on a 10 gal but I don't recommend it as it is on the limit. Also you wouldn't really be able too keep anything with it.

Also can you please send the hardness of your water.

Sorry mate.

Sent from my SM-G570F using Tapatalk

 

[Byron]

Sean is correct. Male betta are not community fish. And to make this even worse, the smaller the tank the more probable there will be serious issues. Individual betta can behave differently from the norm, but this is a two-way street. Male Betta are bred to be highly aggressive, and they can take a dislike to other fish, especially colourful ones. This is the norm, not the exception. And in reverse, small shoaling fish like the tetras can be "peaceful" normally but in the presence of a Betta can become holy terrors, fin nipping and worse. Putting a male Betta in a tank with other fish is simply cruel. We here on TFF do not endorse cruel behaviour to our fish.

Now to the 10g, it could house a male Betta alone. Or it could house some small sized fish species. I don't consider a dwarf gourami small exactly, but alone it could work in a 10g, but not advisably. Guppies or neon tetras could work, but what are your source water parameters? These fish have different requirements when it comes to the hardness and pH of water.

Byron.

 

[NickAu]

My LFS says 1 betta would be fine with tetras or guppies in a ten gallon tank?

Do me a favor, When you go into LFS tell him I said " he hasn't got a clue about fish keeping " his bad advice will cost you money and grief when fish die.

 

[BettaMan2000]

Sorry about the late reply, accountant meeting hell atm!

This is a hypothetical setup so I can’t give you ph readings, this is a tank I’m thinking of putting together, I live in a soft water area btw.


How about the guppies and dwarf gourami?

 

[Byron]

Sorry about the late reply, accountant meeting hell atm!

This is a hypothetical setup so I can’t give you ph readings, this is a tank I’m thinking of putting together, I live in a soft water area btw.


How about the guppies and dwarf gourami?

It was the source water parameters we need anyway, so you could confirm these from the data on the municipal water authority's website, perhaps. Knowing the numbers really is important, esp GH (general or total hardness) and pH. With small tanks, your best options are the "nano" type fish and these are usually going to be wild caught so attention has to be given to the parameters. We've had other threads where the water was said to be "moderately hard" and it turned out after the numbers to be very soft to soft, so these subjective terms can mean different things to different people.

Gourami are sedate fish and do not appreciate active fish around them, hence the guppies are not good. If your water is soft, guppies will not be at their best anyway; like all livebearers they need moderately-hard or harder water. There is also the risk of diseased dwarf gourami; unless you acquire this species direct from a reliable breeder, it is a serious risk for iridovirus which cannot be treated. Store fish are still carrying this, esp in fish from SE Asian suppliers.

Jumping ahead, assuming the GH is soft enough...fish like Ember Tetra, the dwarf rasbora species in Boraras, one of the dwarf cory species, pygmy sparkling gourami.

 

[BettaMan2000]

Thanks for that guys!

Water parameters btw:

Ph: 7.5
Hardness: 33mg/L calcium

 

[Byron]

Thanks for that guys!

Water parameters btw:

Ph: 7.5
Hardness: 33mg/L calcium

If the "calcium" is actually calcium carbonate, that is the GH and at 33 mg/l (= ppm, and equates to just under 2 dH) that is very soft, so fish like I suggested previously will work well.

The KH is likely similarly low, so the pH in an established tank will likely lower, which is better.

 

[BettaMan2000]

It’s a shame I can’t put a DG in with tetras or guppies, I want at least one sizeable very brightly coloured fish in my 10 gallon tank.

It looks like I going to have to go with either two fancy goldfish or 2 Bettas in a divided tank for the latter, they just look so lonely!

 

[Byron]

It’s a shame I can’t put a DG in with tetras or guppies, I want at least one sizeable very brightly coloured fish in my 10 gallon tank.

It looks like I going to have to go with either two fancy goldfish or 2 Bettas in a divided tank for the latter, they just look so lonely!

A 10g is too small for two goldfish, sorry about that.

 

[BettaMan2000]

Lol I’m not doing too well on the Fishkeeping regardless of how hypothetical it all is!!!

 

[Byron]

Lol I’m not doing too well on the Fishkeeping regardless of how hypothetical it all is!!!

Just occurred to me, we have been discussing Dwarf Gourami but there is the Honey Gourami. A safer fish health-wise, and a red variety, but a 20g (24 inch length) is still the recommended minimum. Small tanks really only suit small fiishes.

 

[fish boi]

It’s a shame I can’t put a DG in with tetras or guppies, I want at least one sizeable very brightly coloured fish in my 10 gallon tank.

It looks like I going to have to go with either two fancy goldfish or 2 Bettas in a divided tank for the latter, they just look so lonely!

Goldfish NEED about 4 times what you got
sorry to say

 

[BettaMan2000]

Thanks for that!

Unfortunately I don’t really like the honey gourami and I’m stuck with a 10 gallon tank.

I’m a bit unsure on which dividers to use for the tank to house two Bettas though and am a bit concerned with the shirt lifespans of these small fish too tbh, I’ve been told Betta 3 years and tetras only a year!

I’m doing this for my young son, so am also very worried it’s going to be a difficult conversation and a pet cemetery in my back garden sooner rather than later with this choice of fish!

 

[BettaMan2000]

Wow I reared a whopper in a much smaller tank of a goldfish, but had to rehouse in a larger tank a good few years ago though!

I’m confused!