Betta with tetras

[Mdg03]

Hi, I have a community tank with a betta and 3 tetras. We started off with 6 neon tetras although 3 since have died. The betta is unbothered by the tetras and only ever reacted to one on the first day of having the fish, but this was only a brief reaction to the tetra getting too close. Now they can swim right up to him without bothering him at all. I was wondering whether it would be okay to get 3 more tetras to decrease their stress levels. I know that I would have to remove the betta for a bit and rearrange the tank. Is this a wise idea or should I refrain?

 

[Aqua67]

You might want to stay with 3 neons if your tank is only a 5 gallon. You could get a few more if your tank is a 15 gallon though.

 

[betta4ever!]

Υοu should definitely get more tetras. Living in large-ish schools is necessary for them not to be stressed...

 

[Essjay]

But it does depend on the size of the tank. As Aqua67 said, neon tetras are not suitable for small tanks - ideally they need 24 inches/60 cm swimming length - so if this is a small tank getting more is not really advisable.

The other issue is that bettas are not community fish. He may not have physically attacked the neons but they could be stressed by any chemical aggression signals the betta is sending out.

 

[GaryE]

I'm the outlier who says Betta splendens are community fish. I have had quite a few Bettas over the many years I've had fish, and the only problem I ever saw was fish nipping their overgrown fins. No tankmates were ever harmed in this 45 year experiment. I stopped keeping Bettas for good 10 years ago.

That's one of the debates here that will never be resolved.

But your tank size says whether this idea is good. You are also playing Russian Roulette with adding unquarantined stock.

 

[Byron]

While personal experiences (mine included) count for some, they are not the basis for normality, when the normal is opposite to what is being suggested. Aside from that, there is another major issue here, and that is the numbers of the tetras. We know without any question that tetras must be in a group and having less than 10 will (again) "normally" result in serious aggression due to the stress the poor tetras are experiencing from insufficient numbers. So combining these with a betta is frankly an act of sheer folly. Please do not do it.

This is a 5g tank, suitable for a single betta, period. If you can return the tetras, it would be best. Otherwise you are working against nature and this rarely if ever succeeds.

 

[jaylach]

While personal experiences (mine included) count for some, they are not the basis for normality, when the normal is opposite to what is being suggested. Aside from that, there is another major issue here, and that is the numbers of the tetras. We know without any question that tetras must be in a group and having less than 10 will (again) "normally" result in serious aggression due to the stress the poor tetras are experiencing from insufficient numbers. So combining these with a betta is frankly an act of sheer folly. Please do not do it.

This is a 5g tank, suitable for a single betta, period. If you can return the tetras, it would be best. Otherwise you are working against nature and this rarely if ever succeeds.

It SEEMS that it is being assumed that this is a 5 gallon tank yet @Mdg03 has not stated a tank size. I think that we should probably wait to find out the tank size before giving advice based on assumptions. That said I don't see ever mixing a beta with neons.

@Mdg03 please give us a tank size.