Hello, I've read conflicting things about whether to keep Bettas alone or whether you can add smaller friendly fish such as tetras? I'm doing my research before setting up a tank and want to make sure I'm doing what's best for the fish.
Do Bettas want friends?
- Thread starter Jells90
- Start date
In a word, the answer to your question is no. The majority of male bettas are much better off on their own. There are two common problems with having other fish in the tank. The betta, being territorial, can decide the space is "his," period. This causes trouble for the other fish. Even if there is no physical interaction, the betta can communicate chemically via allomones and the effect is just as stressful for the other fish. The other possibility is that any small shoaling fish when faced with the flowing fins of a sedate fish like the betta will decide it is fun to nip them. This causes severe stress in time to the betta. It just isn't fair.
Besides which, your water is too hard for bettas and tetras at 13 dH/225 ppm 
From another post -
From another post -
- 225 parts per million
- 16 Clarke degrees
- 23 French degrees
- 13 German degrees
Thanks, that's what I thought but had seen some places say it's ok and the local fish shop has a Betta with neon tetra. Yes it seems my water is not suitable for them anyway, looks like guppy would be good fish for me
nope. They come from different water chemistry but gouramis are like Bettas and highly territorial, especially towards other brightly coloured fishes.
The other issue with dwarf gouramis (Colisa lalius) and all their colour forms, is they regularly have Fish Tuberculosis and or the Gourami Iridovirus. Neither of these diseases can be treated and once they are in your tank, they are there until you disinfect everything (including the fish). There are other small species of gourami but if your water is medium hard, they probably won't do as well.
I can see how people make the mistake as I always see them in with other fish in my local store and I think I was even told it would be fine as well. Because of that I put one in with an ADF, which I now know should never have happened! I got very lucky and didn't have issues but wouldn't do it again.
Well, back in the '70's and 80's it was quite normal to keep a betta in a community tank. Being with other fish with the same water chemistry of course. Bettas in general, like to have their own spot in a fishtank. If the fishtank is large enough to keep a betta or bettas with other fish, those bettas seek for an own quiet spot in the tank. That's their territory. They will swim across the tank from time to time but as long as they can have their own spot in there, they'll be fine. And if a male betta meets up with another male betta, they could fight but they could also just impress another by flaring their fin and gills and dance around another. And then move on... But again, this is only possible when the tank itself is big enough.
If you're a novice aquarist, I would try top avoid this. For you must know what you're doing. But again, back in those days... it was normal to have a betta in a community tank (at least, in our country that is). And in general, it didn't cause any problems.
If you're a novice aquarist, I would try top avoid this. For you must know what you're doing. But again, back in those days... it was normal to have a betta in a community tank (at least, in our country that is). And in general, it didn't cause any problems.
What you see in fish store tanks cannot be assumed correct or successful. Fish in a store are there to be sold as quickly as they can so they make (maybe) some profit, and the longer the fish are there the more they eat and some may die so profits are reduced. The fish in the store are usually in bad shape when it comes to stress because of the conditions and how the fish got there. It is no surprise that ich is often carried on these fish due to the severe stress all of this takes on the fish. But your home aquarium is where the fish will spend their entire life, they are in your care entirely, and they need the proper environment which includes everything from water parameters, aquascaping, numbers for a shoaling/schooling species, and other fish species. When settled in a suitable environment, their inherent nature should become obvious, whereas it was being affected by the terrible (by comparison) store tank conditions. So, you cannot assume anything from what you see in store tanks, but only what research of the species provides.
Second thing to remember is that store staff frequently know little if anything about the fish, especially in the chain stores. I have previously mentioned on this forum that I was extremely lucky when I started out in this hobby to have an incredible independent store owned and staffed by hobbyists. This set me on the right footing, and I avoided many of the mistakes I otherwise would have experienced--at the cost of the poor fish.
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