Psycho Betta?

[Red Betta]

hi, i currently have a male betta which i am giving to a friend 2day but i would like to ask if u know what his issue was/is he is kept in a +- 42 liter tank with a angel fish , small kribensis and VERY small rainbow shark. he chases the angel fish around flaring his gills and whatever if i put my hand above the tank to feed (if i take canopy off) he will leap out of the water at my hand , if i stick the end of my net or the tip of a stick he mauls it he is even dominant over the kribensis the krib is small but still about his size. thnx

 

[Jman14698]

Sounds like you have a very aggressive betta. Bettas do tend to be very aggressive, especially to other fish with long fins like the angel. since the tank is so small he has likely claimed the entire tank as his own. I am not sure why he would jump out at you... maybe he knows your hand means food and got a little eager? Also rainbow sharks tend to be very aggressive as well and can easily reach 6 inches, much to big for a ten gallon aquarium. I would say a mature rainbow needs at least a 30 gallon.

Hope this helps a little

 

[-FighterFishh]

It's not that the betta is particularly aggressive, rather that your stocking is bad! Bettas don't mix with angels & sharks!
Your tank is also not big enough for some of the fish you've described. You'll really need to take the shark and angel to your LFS and probably the rainbows too. I'd suggest you research your stocking thoroughly before adding any more fish!

 

[Red Betta]

the rainbow shark is a temporary measure at the moment hes just above two inches im giving him to a friend once he reaches over three , the betta and shark do not fight at all , the kribensis is also tiny and does not come into contact w/ the betta at all , anyway i have already given away the betta and the shark is getting given away in due course , is it alright to stock blue rams w/ angels?

 

[Essjay]

You don't mention moving the angel to a bigger tank. If it's the 42 litre tank you want to keep angels and blue rams in, then no. Two reasons.

Angels need a much bigger tank than 42 litres, and they also need a minimum water height of 18 inches/45cm. That's water height not tank height. Angels are very tall fish and need a deep tank.

Blue rams might possibly fit in a 42 litre tank if it was a long shallow tank, that is a tank with a large floor area compared to it's height. A 70 litre tank is really the minimum for a pair of blue rams.
But you need to be aware that blue rams, indeed all the colour and fin varieties of Mikrogeophagus ramirezi, do much better in temperatures of near 30 deg C, and soft acid water. Failure to provide these often leads to the fish getting sick and dying. Temperatures this high limits the tank mates for blue rams, and even with a bigger tank you shouldn't keep angels with them.




To be honest, I would have kept the betta and had just him and half a dozen of one of the dwarf corys (pygmy, habrosus or hastatus)

 

[Red Betta]

the water is about 1 softness when blue rams only require 4 it is a long tank and very well planted the angel is about 2 inches tall and maybe 1.something wide , it is set up for rams which can live in a 42 liter very well , it has a flat rock hiding spaces and many many plants

 

[Essjay]

If the tank is long as you say, then rams could be an option. But the angel is definitley not. It will need a water depth of 18 inches (45cm). if it is kept in less it will end up with damage to its bottom fin when it trails in the bottom of the tank. They need large tanks of 40 gallons not 40 litres. Your angelfish is a baby and will grow surprisingly quickly. You need to find a new home for it.

But there is also the problem of temperature. Rams need around 30 deg C, which won't be good for the angel. They are very difficult fish to keep alive and find tankmates for. Can I suggest you read this thread, and bear in mind that nmonks is one of the most well respecte fishkeepers out there.
http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?/topic/329753-electric-blue-rams/

And I would definitley not keep rams and a krib together. It is not a good idea in general keeping african and american cichlids in the same tank. They do not understand each others' signals and fights often result.

 

[Red Betta]

my friend will probably be interested in taking my angel he loves fish like that but he has a discus tank would they be suitable to be stocked 2gether? I know african and americans generally dont go together but my krib is a interesting specimen he is very timid , nocturnal and is timid as well as EXTREMELY secretive so perhaps rams would be stockable with him ? i used to keep 2 golden balloon rams with him ( they are in my other tank now ) and he was completely fine w/ them

 

[Essjay]

To be honest, I don't know much about discus, except that they are another warmer water species.

You'll probably get a lot more info if you post in the New World Cichlid section for rams and angels, and the Old World Cichlid section for kribs. But I'm pretty sure kribs need more than 42 litres.

 

[Red Betta]

its just the 1 krib but thnx for your help