Bettas & Guppies

[Katchan]

Hey Randomwiktor come and slap me (as long as your gonna talk dirty first you big man) Any betta (male or female) we have been succesful with in a community tank (and there are some that arnt) has also had guppies in there as well. In my opinion guppy males are much more likely to cause each other (and their girlies) more damage niping, jostling, and fighting than a betta will.

Random each of us here are entitled to our own opinions please do not threaten violence just be we successfully practice that which you choose not to (yes that also includes my 3 wonderful kids)

Katchan

edit in* if a betta has been unsuccessful in a community tank the guppies were not the ones he or she was attacking

 

[FalconStorm]

edit in* if a betta has been unsuccessful in a community tank the guppies were not the ones he or she was attacking

Good point. Right now, I'm having trouble with my betta in my guppy tank, not because of the guppies, but because of the swordtail that is in there. The swordtail has ich, so the whole tank is being treated. I suspect that the betta is picking on him because he's sick. As soon as the ich is gone, the swordtail is going in my other tank and Sorensen will go back in with the guppies. In fact, the guppies just had babies and Sorensen was ignoring them even. And THEY look like food to him.

 

[cell]

i put my playties in a 15 gallon with my betta, he was confused at first and chased and flared at them, a hour later he didn't care. i'd just make sure there is enough room and hiding places. guppies are also really fast, unlike most bettas

 

[snowyangel]

Had a female betta in my male guppy community and lets say everyday i was welcomed with a guppy with a piece out of its tail.
I think over all some bettas have a calm, community attitude and some have an aggressive, non community attitude. Usually you should be able to tell what attitude your bettas has before introuducing it to a community tank. For example I have male bettas by themselves that flare just when you pass by them and they'll even bite my fingers(have bitten friends hands too) so i wouldn't dare put them in a community tank.

 

[Katchan]

And there snowangel I think is the real truth, any fish that can be aggressive with its own or another species (not just bettas) deserves to be treated on its own merits, if as a person you dont like keeping betta's in a community fine for you, but it may be they're loss, but as well if you want to keep your betta in a community please consider that it may not work out and have contingency plans if it doesn't.

katchan

 

[FalconStorm]

Exactly, katchan. I have a betta in a community tank with neons, which is supposed to be a bad idea, but he's so laid back, there's very little trouble and the neons are in a school of ten, so they have plenty of their own kind to keep their attention. Actually, they get along really well and even seem to like one another.

 

[Eunen_de]

Why would you get upset about a common turn of phrase "I'd slap someone..." which many people use who never have, or would, actually slap someone and accuse them of threatening violence......but then have such an OFFENSIVE signature? Do you have bipolar? Do you even know anyone with bipolar?

Don't know anything about guppies. Had a Betta with four Danios- never flared at them.

 

[Allix]

My betta lives in a community tank, i've kept a close eye on him since he's been in there, he is with guppies, a pleco, catfish and mollies ...

Everyone said they would all scrap but they all swim round together, happy as larry and none of them have had problems so far (been 2 nearly 3 months)

Depends on their individual personalities imo

 

[lvlyldyuk]

hi

i bought my male betta from local fish shop, along with albino catfish and four male guppies.
the male guppies where 2 black and 2 yellow.
the two black ones did not get on, the ended up dying, but the two yellow ones leave him alone and he leaves them alone.

 

[SnowyzMom]

I agree that it depends on the Betta and his attitude. Mine is total predator. He acts like a lionfish...he'll freeze, stalk, dart....yes I give him things to chase and eat if he can and wow he's grown, but heavens never largish fish. That'd be right gruesome. He even flares at the picture of the Betta on his Betta pellets food container. Once he got out of that crammed little transport cup there was no going back in his mind. His tank, his kingdom...even the snails run for cover.

Um one thought...was the bipolar comment about those proudly posted sig pics of little kids colouring their pictures? I just think "there's a proud mommy" when I see those coloring pics. And heck we all have to start somewhere.

I have a feeling if anything went in my Betta tank it wouldn't last long...sigh. I'd love to covet that 5 gallon tank to put other things in there but he is NOT a community fish. It's like us humans eh? Some of us live in communes or kibbutzes or cities, others live blissfully alone in a cabin in the forest or atop a mountain or off in the jungle....some of us like playing team sports, some like solo pursuits. I think if my Betta could hold firearms he'd have a sawed off shotgun. That's HIS tank!

Um excuse me....a Betta using a kid's plastic slide Now you've REALLY got me curious! Any pictures?

 

[Karah's_Mommy]

I also think it's a huge no-no to house a betta with a guppy/guppies. I once kept a betta in a community tank with guppies and they got along fine for a long time. But, as I sat watching them one day I watched my betta swim over and remove a large chunk out of one of the male's tails, then he chewed it up and swallowed it. The betta was immediately removed and placed in his own tank. There's no telling what else he might have done to that guppy if I wan't there at the time. Yes, it might just work, but in my opinion, it's just not worth it, nor is it fair to the guppies.

 

[Alix]

well i just tried it out. 3 out of 4 of my bettas attacked first...then attacked some more... i love them guys to death. then my last one just swam around an when a male swam infront of him he went nuts for a sec then was back to normal hes a bipolar lil sucker

 

[wwestar2000]

1 out of my 3 male bettas can live with any community fish. He acts like there not even there. And both my females can live with a community too. Just not together.
Oh and for who made the slapping statement. "R U ok?" just a very strong statement for no reson.

 

[Alisha]

But what would happen if you put a FEMALE guppy in with a male betta???

 

[cjcmditto]

When using the term "Guppy" I assume they mean the Fancy Tail ones. I have been involved with tropical fish for 40+ years and will never do it. Common sense dictates that you never put a Betta with any fish with similar fin veils.

A Betta I had in a 20 gal. community tank "adopted" the Neons. When ever any other fish would chase the Neons he would zip out and flare up at the offender sending it running to a far corner of the tank. It was funnier than heck to watch. As long as fish "behaved" it self and/or left the Neons alone it was docile.