want to buy a betta this afternoon

[walah]

i have a 20 uk gallon tank currently with 5 neons, 4 red eye tetras, 3 zebra danios and 1 pakistan loach could my tank handle a betta, i have worked out that i have roughly 15" of fish (including head and tail). the tank has slate in it (will this damage a betta's fins?) if this is all ok do i need to buy special food or will flakes and the odd bloodworm be ok?

any advice would be great before later this afternoon.

 

[Tanked]

the one inch per gallon rule of thumb is full grown size (not current size) of your fish excluding the tail. I would avaoid putting a betta in with zebra danios. they have a tendancy to be fin nippers and it would be a shame for them to tear your bettas fin up or the betta to kill them in return.

 

[Angel Lady]

and also the neons I have watched them nip the fins of a betta first hand, some people say they dont but I sure beg to differ.

 

[Jht]

i have one betta 3 guppies 10 neons and not 1 fin nipping incident to date (2 hours to date)

 

[mrV]

Neons need cooler water than male betta. Male betta likes if water temperature is about 27 C, neons feel great if the temp. is 24 C. Better are cardinals, they are kept in 27 C too.