Betta and Danios revisited

[Eunen_de]

I posted earlier about whether Danios can make good tankmates for a Betta and got a lot of worried responses. Well since I had to clean the little tank anyway and the Danios are done their treatment I put them all into the borrowed 20g.

First I cleaned the 20g and while the water was still low I put the 1g right into the 20g to see what would happen. The Danios ignored it and the Betta never flared. I raised the water and the Betta went to the top ready to get into the big tank. It took the Danio over ten minutes to figure out how to get out, the Betta was just waiting for the water level to rise and out he went. I read someone saying Bettas are dumb fish. I don't believe it for a second.

I hovered anxiously....but needlessly. I've never seen any animals ignore each other so completely. When the little Danio finally escaped they went into transports of joy all nosing each other and began schooling all over the tank. As to the Betta, well they showed more interest in the new plastic plants than him. So far so good...I'm off work so I'll be watching them a lot.

Only problem, the Danios WILL steal the food right out of his mouth so I have to sit there and make sure the Betta gets his share.

Karen

 

[newfishies]

so now they are all in the 20 gallon? how many danios? hope it works for you!

 

[Kiarra]

Now THAT'S funny.

Danios are greedy little buggers. I've noticed them try to steal food from my Guppies, but the Guppies are just as greedy as they are, and the food is small enough (most of the time) that it rarely ever works.

As long as you take care to feed the Betta specifically, it sounds like you might not have any problems.

 

[BettaMomma]

You could get a breeder net and when it's feeding time, carefully so you don't stress him, catch the betta in there and feed him so he gets his own food!

GrullaQuarters has her betta boy in a (I think it's 75 gallon) tank with gouramis. Yeah, gouramis! Neither of them gives a rip that the other is there. they don't even look at each other

I would really keep an eye on them for a while just to make sure all is going well. Good luck!

 

[Eunen_de]

Hi,

There are four Danios now and things are still good. The bossy dominant female has a ripped tail fin but I don't suspect the Betta because they still swim right past him fearlessly and he doesn't flare. I think she got her come-uppance from one of the other Danios. Anyway if she did pester him she has now (hopefully) learned not to and he can't catch them anyway. But I doubt she did. He is mostly turqouise all the time which seems to equal happy or content.

They showed brief interest in him one day by following him around the tank like a little entourage for a few minutes before they got bored. Slow motion schooling isn't for them I guess.

For feeding I just dump the Danios' portion in the opposite end of the tank from the Betta. While they are busy he comes to the top and gets practically hand fed.

People have already commented on how active he is compared to other Bettas. I think tankmates are good for him. Bettas seem pretty smart...maybe a lot of them get bored alone in a little bowl. He likes to turn and watch the Danios swim by sometimes but mostly he likes the big tank.

 

[The_Gilly]

currently have a male in with seven danios in a 240litre tank and all is well.