20 gallon stocking suggestions with beta

[DonC]

Hey, so I am getting ready to set up a 20 gallon high and will put in a single male beta and possibly a few African dwarf frogs so I was looking for some tank mates and how many thanks

 

[Byron]

With a male Betta, you are best to forget other fish, upper ones anyway. while some assert it can work, the majority of the time it will not work. Either the betta attacks the other fish as rivals, or the other fish become fin nippers when the betta is so close at hand.

Aquatic frogs also do not work with any fish. @Essjay has good experience with this issue, she can comment.

Edit. If the betta is another species than the familiar one, things might be different, other members may have more.

 

[Essjay]

I once kept 2 African dwarf frogs with a male betta. One of the frogs clamped onto the betta's tail. ADFs are almost blind, and this one must have seen the betta's tail swooshing past, thought it was food and lunged for it. I went into the room to see the betta swimming frantically round the tank towing the frog behind it. I immediately set up my quarantine tank, used half the media from the betta's tank and moved the frogs into the QT. The betta developed finrot in the bitten area. While it stopped progressing, the damaged area never regrew.


The main problems though is that the frogs find their food by smell and by the time they've found it the fish have usually eaten it. And frogs are very sensitive to fish medication so if the fish ever need treating it can't be done with frogs inn the same tank.

 

[DonC]

With a male Betta, you are best to forget other fish, upper ones anyway. while some assert it can work, the majority of the time it will not work. Either the betta attacks the other fish as rivals, or the other fish become fin nippers when the betta is so close at hand.

Aquatic frogs also do not work with any fish. @Essjay has good experience with this issue, she can comment.

Edit. If the betta is another species than the familiar one, things might be different, other members may have more.

Bummer how are the chances of a bottom fish

 

[Byron]

Bummer how are the chances of a bottom fish

If the lower-level fish remains on the substrate, the betta might ignore it and vice versa. At least, that is the assumption. But it is something I would never consider simply because I do not believe in experimenting with fish. I have spent a lot of time researching fish both as to how they live and the inherent traits and needs that make up the genetic blueprint of individual species. I see it as inhumane to put any fish into a situation which will obviously cause stress at the very least, and which the fish normally would never encounter. Another member recently posted about how it is we, the aquarists, who cause a fish to be a bully, or aggressive beyond the norm, simply because we do not provide what that fish requires and expects.

 

[DonC]

If the lower-level fish remains on the substrate, the betta might ignore it and vice versa. At least, that is the assumption. But it is something I would never consider simply because I do not believe in experimenting with fish. I have spent a lot of time researching fish both as to how they live and the inherent traits and needs that make up the genetic blueprint of individual species. I see it as inhumane to put any fish into a situation which will obviously cause stress at the very least, and which the fish normally would never encounter. Another member recently posted about how it is we, the aquarists, who cause a fish to be a bully, or aggressive beyond the norm, simply because we do not provide what that fish requires and expects.

I am still new to the hobby and I am trying very hard to get things right. I really appreciate all the insight it is so frustrating to see and want these beautiful fish but there are so many comparability issues. So far I have a well established 75 community nano tank with an apisto agasizzi, dwarf crayfish all doing well and a 29 gallon with a pair of kribs breeding for the second time with some dither fish in there and a 10 gallon neo shrimp tank but I have this 20 high and looking to put something nice and colorful with some personality in there.

 

[WhistlingBadger]

Bettas can work with relatively sedentary bottom feeders such as Hara jerdoni. I have had good luck keeping them with amano shrimp and various snails, which move about relatively little and are completely ignored by the betta. But as others have pointed out, B. splendens are by nature solitary fish, and even if they aren't aggressive toward other fish species in the tank, the presence of other fish does seem to cause them stress, and I believe it can significantly shorten their lives. 20 gallon high gives you some possiblities for a community of small, peaceful fish. But bettas generally just don't play well with others.

Sorry to say that--I know it isn't what you want to hear. If you are open to other suggestions, we would like to know your water hardness, as that will influence which species would do best. As Byron said, some of the more wild-type bettas can do well with tank mates. But B. splendens probably aren't going to give you what you want.

 

[On_a_dishy]

Bettas are incredibly frustrating. They are fiercely solitary but also get bored and will crave interaction with you. They are basically comical, beautiful brats. If they could, they’d take your credit card.
I tried my first one with dwarf frogs, so I fully appreciate @Essjay. The frogs ended up having to be fed bits of steak with tweezers because they’re so blind they just wouldn’t stumble into food before my Betta found it. They also assumed everything that swooshed past them was to be chomped, and that included my Betta.
I’m trying my current Betta with cherry shrimps. I put the shrimps in first then, when I added the Betta, I gave him live daphnia to chase so he’d see the shrimps as second-best. It worked well, but he still liked to give chase or nose right up to them. He hasn’t killed one (yet). He’s currently recovering from having eaten their food, so once the shrimps die off I won’t be replacing them.
As @Byron suggests, I’d concentrate on providing a beautiful tank for just your Betta. It’ll be worth it, and you won’t have regrets. Post a photo when you’ve done it!

 

[DonC]

Bettas can work with relatively sedentary bottom feeders such as Hara jerdoni. I have had good luck keeping them with amano shrimp and various snails, which move about relatively little and are completely ignored by the betta. But as others have pointed out, B. splendens are by nature solitary fish, and even if they aren't aggressive toward other fish species in the tank, the presence of other fish does seem to cause them stress, and I believe it can significantly shorten their lives. 20 gallon high gives you some possiblities for a community of small, peaceful fish. But bettas generally just don't play well with others.

Sorry to say that--I know it isn't what you want to hear. If you are open to other suggestions, we would like to know your water hardness, as that will influence which species would do best. As Byron said, some of the more wild-type bettas can do well with tank mates. But B. splendens probably aren't going to give you what you want.

Thanks sometimes you need that tough live.
I haven’t set it up yet but my other tanks are
GH 10
KH 11
PH 7
any other colorful fish in the cichlid family that would work in there aside from kribs, apisto or Bolivia cichlid which I have

 

[WhistlingBadger]

So, medium to hard water, but not extreme. I don't know much about the dwarf cichlids. A 20 high doesn't have much surface area, which is more important to most fish than height. But it's still 24" long, which does give you some possibilities. You're going to want to stay with fairly small, not-too-active fish that like medium hard water.

You might look into some of the dwarf rasboras/danios such as the celestial pearl (Celistichthys mergaritatus) that come from Myanmar. They seem to do well in moderately hard water. I believe endlers could be kept in a tank that size, and they are quite colorful (@emeraldking could advise you there). Some of the smaller rainbowfish might work as well, although most of them like more space. Just be sure to do your research (seriouslyfish.com is my go-to resource; planetcatfish and loachesonline are good for bottom dwellers) and make sure your species will be comfortable in your tank size.

 

[DonC]

So, medium to hard water, but not extreme. I don't know much about the dwarf cichlids. A 20 high doesn't have much surface area, which is more important to most fish than height. But it's still 24" long, which does give you some possibilities. You're going to want to stay with fairly small, not-too-active fish that like medium hard water.

You might look into some of the dwarf rasboras/danios such as the celestial pearl (Celistichthys mergaritatus) that come from Myanmar. They seem to do well in moderately hard water. I believe endlers could be kept in a tank that size, and they are quite colorful (@emeraldking could advise you there). Some of the smaller rainbowfish might work as well, although most of them like more space. Just be sure to do your research (seriouslyfish.com is my go-to resource; planetcatfish and loachesonline are good for bottom dwellers) and make sure your species will be comfortable in your tank size.

Thanks for all the info
I do have a 20 long not sure if that makes much of a difference

 

[WhistlingBadger]

Oh, 20 long gives you much better possibilities than 20 high!

 

[DonC]

Oh, 20 long gives you much better possibilities than 20 high!

What do you think l could get in there?