Betta Tank Mates

[nofishinginmytank]

I was just wondering if bettas can be kept with different species of fish because I know that they cant be kept with other bettas and all the bettas i have seen have been kept alone I think that i heard once that you can keep one with neon tetras is this true? I might be looking at upgrading my main tank so that I could get some white mountain minnows to go with my platies and guppies and then I could use my 40l for a betta but i would like to keep someting else with the betta

 

[Mamashack]

There is no single right answer to this question really. It all depends on the personality of the betta. They really don't need company.
I wouldn't add anything else to an established betta tank as they can be very territorial and harass or attack newcomers. If you are going to try tank-mates it's better to add the non-bettas to a tank first and let them get established for a few days then try the betta and watch out for torn fins and other signs of aggression etc.
Have a cycled tank standing by in case you need to separate them.
I have amano/yamato shrimp and nerite snails in with my betta. The amanos are non-aggressive and can get out of the way quickly if confronted. The nerites just ignore any nudges from the betta and carry on munching algae.

 

[Ninjouzata]

It depends on the bettas temperament and the other fishes as well.
 
I would not put neon tetras with bettas since neons are known to be nippy.
Things with long flowing fins and bright colors are not usually good things to put with bettas (such as guppies). This doesn't mean it's impossible but it's best to be cautious.
 
If you must put something with your betta (only if he is calm enough for tank mates) I would go with pygmaeus, hastatus, or habrosus cories.
They should be kept in groups of 6 of their own kind. I'd go for habrosus over the others as they tend to stay on the bottom more while the other two will go all over the place.
 
Be sure to compare other fishes temperature needs as well since the bettas minimum temperature is 78F.
 
As Mamashack said, they don't need company. I actually prefer mine to be alone now after an unfortunate incident having mine with tank mates. It of course is not something that is guaranteed to happen but something that could happen and that you should keep an eye out for.
 
Mine was with sterbai cories and mystery snails in a 20g long and would gorge himself on their food and eventually he got pineconed.
Thankfully I noticed quickly enough (apparently) and had the amazing help of WildBetta and got some epsom salts in ASAP and he has recovered and is now in his own 10g.
 
HERE is a caresheet that is a good read, if you havn't looked at it already.

 

[nofishinginmytank]

I was wondering as I have a 40l tank that will soon be avalible so i think that I will get a betta but I have seen a few people have divided there tank into two so they can have 2 bettas does anyone have any advice on how you can divide the tank easily but obviously I want it to be safe so that they cant get to each other

 

[SeanTrollope]

you can put a pice of glass that fits in nicely. you can acuarium silicon to keep it in place. when u put it in leve a small gap at the bottom so that the water level on each side is the same althou you must make sure that the gap is not visible (under the gravel)

 

[Byron]

I personally would not do this, divide a 40 litre/10 gallon tank so you can have two bettas.  Stay with one.  If they see each other they will spend their time trying to get at each other, which may be amusing to some but does not make for very peaceful and relaxed bettas.  If the divider is solid, like a piece of glass affixed with silicon so it is permanent, water movement will not flow through and this brings up the issue of separate filtration and perhaps heat, depending.
 
On the issue of combining other fish, I agree with what previous members have stated.  While it can sometimes work, this is not the majority of the time.  Male Betta is really a stand-alone fish.
 
Byron.

 

[Serg559]

i got gold barbs and 2 hasboras in with mine and they dont fight

 

[nofishinginmytank]

OK I think that if I do get one it will just be one on his own are the boys prettier than the girls like in some species of fish or are they all the same?

 

[Mamashack]

The boys generally have longer, more brightly coloured fins unless they are plakats which have shorter fins like the girls. The plakats get less tired as they are not hauling the long fins about, They are less likely to damage themselves on decor too. They are also less prone to problems and disease.
Depends what you are looking for I guess.
If you want more than one betta , have you considered a sorority of betta females? I haven't done so myself but there are plenty on here who could advise on this if you are wanting more than 1 fish in the tank. Not sure how many you'd be able to have in a 40L tbh and I know you'd need a decent number to prevent bullying which can still happen with female bettas. They can be quite aggressive too it seems.
Hopefully someone with experience of this can advise if you think it's worth consideration.

 

[nofishinginmytank]

Hopefully someone can give me some advice on keeping the females together I didnt even know that it was a possibility so thank you  I do prefer the bettas with shorter fins because I just think that the ones with extremely long fins are going to be prone to more diseases such as fin rot etc. and you have to be extra careful with decor and sharp gravel etc. I think that the plakats are currently my favorites I love how many different colour varieties and personalities you can get with bettas