Can A Male Betta House With Guppies?

[Trienchieu]

Hi i am almost done with setting up the tank, just a couple more days and I'll have some fish in it. Question: I really like guppies but once I saw this type of betta at petsmart, I really liked it. So can a male betta be kept with guppies? I have a 20 gallon tank. Mildly planted and currently only have one Medium size decoration in it, it has holes for fish to swim through. Also can bettas eat tropical fish flake?

 

[fluttermoth]

You can't keep bettas with male guppies; the betta will think they're other male fighters and will attack them (they're not very bright!).

The betta will eat flake.

 

[marieukxx]

No not with guppies.

 

[soybean]

I've never had a betta attack a guppy yet, but I HAVE had bettas bullied and nipped by guppies.

Not worth the risk either way.

 

[Trienchieu]

Bullied and nipped BY guppies? So they both bully each other? Also I asked a petsmart employee he says it's 50 50 and I look online it's the same. Ppl says it depends on how temperament and how large your tank is, 10 gallon and above should reduce aggression is what they said. But I still can't find how to pick a calm betta over an aggressive one? Is there a way to pick a calm one?

 

[soybean]

Yes, fins shredded BY guppies. It was a very meek betta! They're very easily stressed out.

I don't think 20 gall is large enough to risk it. They're better kept alone IME. I've had quite a few. I've only managed to keep one in a community successfully once - it contained no other guppies and peaceful fish that didn't nip.

 

[bluemoon11]

I also love the look of male guppies but wouldn't risk it. I have a gorgeous male betta (trey) and wouldn't want anything to happen to him.

Bettas won't eat regular flake food, I had to get special food for him called atisons beta pro

Laura x

 

[Nutorious]

I have a female betta with a male guppy.. Absolutely fine.

I read into it quite a bit on the internet and the opinions were very much mixed, there were quite alot of people who had male bettas with male guppys which were perfectly ok but then there were others which wern't. I think it all depends on the guppies/betta.

I know females are less teritorial hence why they may get on ok and if you have quite a large tank it is usually better aswell.

 

[Caprichoso]

Bullied and nipped BY guppies? So they both bully each other? Also I asked a petsmart employee he says it's 50 50 and I look online it's the same. Ppl says it depends on how temperament and how large your tank is, 10 gallon and above should reduce aggression is what they said. But I still can't find how to pick a calm betta over an aggressive one? Is there a way to pick a calm one?

I would say that 30g+ would give you better odds. Anything under that isn't recommended. One can't say 50/50 because it's all dependant on how large the tank is. There is no way to pick a calm betta. It is the luck of the draw. The only sure way(almost) to get a calm betta is to buy one from someone else who already has him with guppies successfully.

 

[fluttermoth]

Surely there are so many other fish species to choose from it's not worth the risk?