Can my Betta join my community tank?

[Anonymous Comment]

I have a 29 gallon tank, and currently have an angelfish, two zebra danios, one pink glowfish danio, two yellow glowfish danios, five neon tetras, and three apple snails.

I have a second 5.5 gallon tank with a male betta and two nerite snails.

I was wondering if I could put the betta and the nerite snails in my big aquarium? I have a sponge filter, so high flow won't be an issue, and I already know my betta is good with apple snails and zebra Danios

I've seen mixed opinions on neon tetras and angelfish with bettas


PLEASE DON'T SAY BETTAS CAN'T BE PART OF ANY TYPE OF COMMUNITY TANK. THIS IS NOT TRUE.

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[Ash Paws]

Hi there!

Glad I found your post I know a lot about bettas and keeping them with other fish.

I currently have neon tetras living with my male betta too, they get along well, he was a bit nippy at first, but he got better. All bettas are different though, my betta is quite civil and calm but its always different

They are good with danios, tetras, African dwarfs, snails, some loaches, and some livebearers (you would have to research that.) Angelfish however are not good for bettas!

The angel's long and colorful fins can attract the betta to bite and fight, and angels are extremely aggressive toward bettas.

So sorry to tell you this, but its the hard truth. Angelfish and bets just dont mix.

Hope this helped you. It really depends on the personality of both your betta and angel, some of them are civil and calm, others are really agressive and territorial. If both are good then maybe try, but beware, you could be risking the life of your betta and possibly your angel too!

-ash

 

[NickAu]

and currently have an angelfish,

Simple answer here, No.

PLEASE DON'T SAY BETTAS CAN'T BE PART OF ANY TYPE OF COMMUNITY TANK. THIS IS NOT TRUE.

Well actually it is true, I have Bettas that attack Malaysian trumpet snails, I also have a male who even kills Bn plecos,
It all depends on the Betta some are ok with tank mates some are not.

Male Bettas are solitary fish and best kept that way

 

[Essjay]

The betta belongs in the small tank not the large one. Ash Paws asked about neon tetras and bettas in this thread http://www.fishforums.net/threads/tetras-for-pence.448603/ It is worth reading the replies, though the comments on tank size don't apply to your tank.

Zebra danios, whether normal or GM, need cooler water than bettas so they are incompatible.
Zebra danios are very fast swimming fish which will stress a betta just by swimming in the same tank.

 

[Byron]

Betta (meaning, male Bettas) are not community fish. They should always be on their own. You will not find any knowledgeable ichthyologist saying different.

The reason is two-fold. First, Betta are breed to be aggressive, increasing the natural tendency of the species even more. Colourful fish invading their space usually will not be tolerated. Obviously individual fish within any species may differ in temperament, but it is always more advisable and kinder to the fish to assume it will bee normal rather than abnormal.

Second issue is the other fish. The sedate Betta with its flowing fins is like a red flag to a bull when it comes to other fish. Even otherwise peaceful tetras can become real fin nippers when placed in with a Betta. And even if physical contact is not evident, fish release chemical signals as communication, read by other fish, and the Betta can be seriously stressed by these.

 

[Demeter32]

I'd not try it. The betta will likely get nipped at or nip at the others. The only fish I'd try with a betta are peaceful bottom feeders, but even then I've had a male go after the bottom feeders and he had to be separated. The only fish I have with bettas are BN plecos, kuhli loaches, and upside down catfish. That being said, I also have males in their own tanks due to either their aggression or extreme shyness with other fish.

As others states, the danios and neons need cooler water than the betta. Fast moving fish will stress a betta out and a stressed fish leads to a sick fish.

 

[IHaveADogToo]

The female bettas are a lot more "community" than the males are, in general. Of course every betta's personality is different, and there are always exceptions, but just because one person was a successful exception does not mean everyone should go try and replicate that exception.

With female bettas, I've found them to be generally peaceful with many "community" fish, including neon tetras and corydoras. But with males, your options are a lot more limited. Non-fish species are generally more accepted by males than fish species. For example, snails, larger shrimp, or dwarf frogs. But even that can be a risk because some male bettas can't even tolerate a snail in their space.

As a rule you should never put angelfish and bettas together. Bettas generally don't get along with any fish bigger than them, or any fish with long pretty fins. Angelfish are territorial and aggressive. They even aggressively bite their own mates. "Normal" behavior for angelfish can be quite violent sometimes. I wouldn't put any fish with sensitive decorative fins with one.

Now I am an avid believer that bettas can be a community fish if certain requirements are met. Those requirements are a ton of space (at least 20 gallons) and a ridiculous amount of plants and hiding places. Seriously, if you think your tank has too many plants, add more. That is what it takes to achieve a peaceful community with a betta. Also, you need to make sure the betta is tolerant of tank mates, and you need to make sure the tank mates are appropriate species. Your existing angelfish/danio tank does not meet *all* of these requirements. And all of them must be met for this to be successful. You would have to rehome a lot of fish to make this work.