New betta fish

[afurlow96]

my ten gallon has been running for something like 2 - 2 and a half months with 6 black skirt tetra. I was thinking of adding a dwarf gourami but changed my mind at the last minute and got a crescent moon betta fish.
I picked him up about 6 hours ago, when i first put him in the tank he was very lethargic, but i figured that was due to stress of the move. in a little time the tetra came to check out their new tank mate and nipped his fins a bit which scared him off to hang around the upper corned near the heater. I went out and came home and he was still hanging around the heater so i figure he has been there all day. The tank lights were off and the tetra were calmed down so i stirred the beta up to try to get him to congregate with the tetra while they were calmer. well i scared him more than i thought i would and he was whizzing all around the tank and going into plants and what-not, but, the good news is he stopped near some tetra and they didn't pay any attention to him.

So it seems i have a very passive and scared betta, is this possible / normal, and i did some research on tetra and beta compatibility and it looked like hit or miss. At first my tetra were interested in fin-nipping but it seems they may be done. Does it sound a bit normal that fish will quit nipping after they realize it isn't food?

 

[afurlow96]

Let my mistake be a word of advice for anyone thinking of the tetra - betta combo.
STAY AWAY FROM IT
The tetra were a bit fin nippy at first, but quickly stopped. The beta was hiding up at the heater not because he was shy, but because he was in fear for his life. The tetra must have nipped him every time i turned around.
I went to sleep thinking they had become accustomed to each other but when i woke up i could not find the betta, after minutes of searching i found him belly up and finless, so it seems the tetra made mince meat out of him

 

[courtanee]

Let my mistake be a word of advice for anyone thinking of the tetra - betta combo.
STAY AWAY FROM IT
The tetra were a bit fin nippy at first, but quickly stopped. The beta was hiding up at the heater not because he was shy, but because he was in fear for his life. The tetra must have nipped him every time i turned around.
I went to sleep thinking they had become accustomed to each other but when i woke up i could not find the betta, after minutes of searching i found him belly up and finless, so it seems the tetra made mince meat out of him

i second this advice. black skirts are some of the most nippy a**holes ive ever owned. A betta has long fins that are just screaming to be nipped. And they are very very slow moving fish. BST are fast and mean. get a small 1 gallon tank or something and remove the betta. dont get a gourami either.