Can Bettas live with other fish?

[Alphabot]

I've seen videos online saying they can live with fish like neon tetras or Corydoras and lots of other fish but I've also seen videos and people saying the opposite. Right now I have a betta occupying a 20 gallon tall tank by himself and was thinking of adding some neon tetras or endlers to add some more movement but now I'm thinking should I just put the betta in a 5/10 gallon and just make the 20 gallon a dedicated community tank or just add the neons.

 

[itiwhetu]

Don't add anything that will swim in the top half of the tank. So, guppies are not good, Corys are not good. I like things that hang around the bottom, Neons will be fine. How about Cherry Barbs or Checkered Barbs anything that stays low in the tank.

 

[Deleted member 149562]

Move the Betta to a smaller (minimum 5 gallon) aquarium by himself.

Regardless of Betta type, they are absolutely not community fish. They will slowly tire of other fish, it can take weeks or months but eventually you will see Betta body language such as wrapping fins/tail around food to stop tankmates eating, you will start seeing fish hiding away and becoming timid even at feed times, then you will find nipping damage leading to eventual all out fighting.

Betta males...and females...have a wired aggressive gene, they are not known as Siamese Fighting fish for no reason, they can be docile for months before turning.

 

[itiwhetu]

The reply above is interesting. I had a tank that I set up, the person wanted a Betta plus Angels. OK it was around 250 liters but the Betta lived at the top and the Angels lived in the middle. Happy as Larry, we never had a problem. It is about space and the right species mixing together.

 

[StripySnailGirl04]

Different bettas have different personalities. This leads to people having different experiences. So some bettas are on full aggressive mode and others are like, "I'm not bothered with these other fish. Might as well let them swim in my tank".

 

[Deleted member 149562]

Different bettas have different personalities. This leads to people having different experiences. So some bettas are on full aggressive mode and others are like, "I'm not bothered with these other fish. Might as well let them swim in my tank".

Trouble is that quite often, unless you know the signs to look for, you usually find out too late that your specific fish is a complete psychotic lunatic serial killer with fins cos it plays all sweet and docile for months.

To me, at least, its better not to chance a Betta with other fish cos once they turn, it can be devastating to see the aftermath of that cute Betta that has gone rogue.

 

[TTboy79]

Betta splendens even if are not a community tank fish, with the right choice of stocking do just fine.. and I believe that enjoy more space even if not active. In my experience in a well planted tank, not overstocked and no fin nippers (peaceful tetras are OK for example) they thrive.
That’s my red betta

 

[PheonixKingZ]

Bettas are not community fish and shouldn’t be kept as such. There’s no possible way to tell the extent of the Bettas aggression in the store. They may seem super chill in the cup and then turn super aggressive once they are in with other fish.

Better safe than sorry in my book - Bettas are soloitary fish by nature and they were bred to fight other Bettas.

 

[AdoraBelle Dearheart]

Personally I'd set him up in a 5-10g by himself, then design a peaceful community for the 20g. For a few reasons;

1. The only way to find out whether you have a peaceful betta is by testing it out with other fish. You're gonna want a spare tank handy in case he starts on a killing spree overnight and you have to rescue any survivors.

2. Have seen way too many posts on this forum from people asking what to do because their "normally peaceful, I swear" betta has begun murdering tankmates. Just do a search for "betta killed..." and you can read the stories for yourself.

3. Male bettas don't live in communities in the wild. They search for a territory, find one, and ferociously defend it, only allowing a passing female to stay long enough to lay eggs - if he likes her - before even she gets chased off. Betta breeders emphasise how important it is to monitor when the pair have finished laying and remove the female quickly, because it's so common that the male will chase her away after mating. But in a tank with no escape, he will kill her. So it isn't how they live in the wild. I personally believe we should try to recreate wild conditions as much as possible, so social fish need to live in groups of the same species, while solitary fish should be solitary.

4. When questioning something to do with aquarium keeping, I like to ask the question: "who benefits from this?" I you want a larger tank, and both you and the fish benefit, then great. Lots of ugly fake decor instead of live plants/natural hardscape? For the owners' sake, not the fishes.
There's no benefit to the betta in having tankmates, and there's no benefit to the tankmates by having a betta around. So if you chose to take the risk, then have to acknowledge that there is no benefit to the fish, and it's risking it for your own benefit.

 

[Alphabot]

Don't add anything that will swim in the top half of the tank. So, guppies are not good, Corys are not good. I like things that hang around the bottom, Neons will be fine. How about Cherry Barbs or Checkered Barbs anything that stays low in the tank.

don't corys stay below?

 

[Slaphppy7]

don't corys stay below?

Yes, they do

 

[reptilenotfish]

I currently do have a betta community tank that's going on three years, and think it does work in certain situations. add lots of decor to increase visual obstruction and give the fish a peaceful solitary place to go. I have heard speculation about adding the betta last to the tank, apparently they will view tankmates as an established part of their "territory", as opposed to trespassers. Flashy fish (guppies, neon tetras, etc) are probably most at risk of the betta, so more muted colored fish are best, I have four otos that do great with my betta male. Of course, every betta is different, so be careful.

 

[Byron]

Post #9 ( @AdoraBelle Dearheart ) is bang on the mark. The inherent aggressiveness of the betta is programmed into the species genetic makeup. Whether or not an individual betta behaves according to that norm we do not always know--but a caring aquarist will assume that the betta will behave according to its natural instincts and not risk the fish just to have something the fish does not want. Why an individual fish does not appear to behave natural for the species can be due to many factors--but no one should ever assume the betta will be abnormal. The majority without question follow the norm.

The same holds for the other fish forced into a situation they do not like. The betta is sending out signals via allomones even if it does not show physical signs of its dominance, and these cause stress for the other fish, whether you see it or not. I do not understand why anyone thinks they can force a living creature into a situation that is contrary to its expectations without something negative resulting.

Back in the late 1960's I recall sitting in front of my 20g and watching the betta easily eat a neon tetra. You cannot change nature, so don't risk the fish trying to.

 

[connorlindeman]

Back in the late 1960's I recall sitting in front of my 20g and watching the betta easily eat a neon tetra.

wow! how small was the neon or how big was the betta?

 

[DragonScales+Doubletails]

This controversy is messed up. When I add a betta to a community I float him in a 1-gallon tank and watch his reactions towards other fish. if he's aggressive I always have a spare tank. In my 20 long planted tank, I have kuhli loaches, 1 male dwarf gourami, a betta, and I also move my guppy fry in as well. this tank has been stocked for a year now with no foul play. when I breed bettas I go for the personality in specific, so I can have optimal tank mates. I'd also like to add that not every betta genus is aggressive, I've discovered that my male alien betta has no aggression to my smaller neons or corys. I'm aware of the "signals" a betta sends out but I do slightly larger water changes than expected when housing males with others. I'm willing to believe that it helps keep stress levels down in the community. I appreciate the wearyness of people and bettas but I still can't believe that people are so close-minded on this topic.