Good Tankmates for a Betta?

[BarleyBear]

Hi all,

I'll be getting my chocolate/yellow half moon betta from Thailand early February, and I want to go ahead and place Tankmates in the tank before he arrives.

What fish have been successfully kept in a community tank with a betta? I've read lots of different opinions on the Internet. Some say avoid glofish/danios (which is at the top of my list) because they are fin nippers while others say they're fine. Opinions differ regarding mollies, swordtails, and platties, too.

So, any first hand experience to report?

I'd like interesting and somewhat colorful fish.

One site said angel fish were okay. I have a 12 gallon fluval, highly planted. How much room do angel fish need?

The tank will be the betta's home, my star fish. So my first priority is to him.

I have a small pleco, cory cat, and snails already.

 

[GodFan]

The 12 gallon fluval is not good for angels, most plecos, or bettas...... Bettas breath air and unless you underfill the fluval...wait? Is it a fluval edge?

 

[LyndaB]

It is my belief that bettas should not have tank mates.

Other opinions may vary.

 

[dancersmama79]

from what ive read tetras are good with bettas as well as mystery snails and possibly ghost shrimp

 

[Boogety48]

I've had mine with mini neon tetras, cories, ghost shrimp, african dwarf frogs, and snails. Don't get anything that has a flowy tail (molly/goldfish/guppy) or anything that has fins that dangle off of them(angel fish). The betta will nip the fins off or in my case I had an angel kill a betta once, before I knew better.

 

[LyndaB]

The angel fish will not fit into this 12 gallon tank anyway, so no worries there.

It really depends on the betta as to whether you'll have success with tank mates. Some recommend snails, others say their betta has eaten off any part of the snail it can reach. Some say shrimp, others say the bettas kill the shrimp and eat them if possible.

You have to have a good backup plan, no matter what you might choose. You have to have another tank available to pop the betta into (I recommend 5 gallon minimum, heated and filtered), if it doesn't work.

If I was getting a betta directly from Thailand, to be honest, I would not risk it. Simply not worth it. I can't imagine what you're paying in shipping alone.

 

[stone1269]

In a tank that small ur choices will b limited but small tetras would b fine. I have a 10g myself for my betta his tank mates are 1 bristlenose pleco and 8 bloodfin tetras for now but I will prob b getting sum ghost shrimp this wkend an I am debating on a cpl of paradise gouramis because they stay small but haven't decided yet. So good luck and post pics

 

[Blackmolli]

Usually tetras and some platys would be alright

 

[Boogety48]

True. I missed the part about it only being 12 gal. You're right about it depending on the temperament of the betta. I had my betta first so I could see how he was, then I got my tank mates for him.

 

[Freshie In Disguise]

I've had mixed success with different tank-mates, an in a huge way, it really depends on the individual betta. I've kept some bettas with just about any tankmates.

For the most aggessive bettas, I recommend very slow moving snails with extremely short / inconspicuous antennae, peferably with a 'trap door'. Small, fast-moving fish capable of evading an angry betta (and fitting in small hiding spaces) will work as well... I like neon tetras because they school which discourages bettas from picking them off. I've never actually had a betta kill a tetra or vise versa, but who knows.

 

[Hholly]

I must have the world's most laid back Betta. He gets along with everybody in my community tank. But it's 45 gallons with lots of plants and caves etc. I just stocked with peaceful, non-Betta looking fish. I would be hesitant to put too much in a 12 gallon.

 

[stone1269]

Yea after sum advice I've decided not to add anymore fish but do u think it would b a bad idea about the shrimp as well?

 

[rreekers]

Yea after sum advice I've decided not to add anymore fish but do u think it would b a bad idea about the shrimp as well?

you could try the shrimp. I would go with ghost shrimp because they are cheap and the worse thing that can happen is the betta will kill the shrimp.. but they can't do any harm to the betta

 

[Hholly]

You could try some shrimp. Just have a back up plan if things don't work out.

 

[rreekers]

The 12 gallon fluval is not good for angels, most plecos, or bettas...... Bettas breath air and unless you underfill the fluval...wait? Is it a fluval edge?

this needs to be addressed! what type of fluval tank is it? is there ALOT of open water space for breathing?

 

[stone1269]

I believe I will they have been together before n my 150g and he didn't bother em so they should b fine but I will keep a close eye for a few days just to b sure

 

[TheCrazyFishLady]

this needs to be addressed! what type of fluval tank is it? is there ALOT of open water space for breathing?

I think it is a Fluval Edge. That's the only 12g tank that's Fluval (or at least to me knowledge). I'm not so sure an Edge is a good idea for a betta. I would worry about the fish getting access to air and having good circulation for what they can get access to. I was considering buying one of these just last weekend, actually for one of my bettas. After looking it over, it doesn't seem ideal.

 

[BarleyBear]

It is a Fluval Edge. I think the open square at the top will be more than okay for the betta. Although it seems small for the tank, the opening to the air is still way bigger than any of the common things people house poor bettas in.

My gourami had no trouble at all. (And, no, they will not be housed together. Gave the gourami back to an LFS).

 

[BarleyBear]

In a tank that small ur choices will b limited but small tetras would b fine. I have a 10g myself for my betta his tank mates are 1 bristlenose pleco and 8 bloodfin tetras for now but I will prob b getting sum ghost shrimp this wkend an I am debating on a cpl of paradise gouramis because they stay small but haven't decided yet. So good luck and post pics

Hey there,

I'd avoid the gourami. They are the same family fish and will fight, supposedly, as if they were both bettas. They are both anabatnids (sp?). I had a dwarf flame gourami and just gave him back to my store for this reason.

 

[stone1269]

I'm curious u said u ordered ur betta from Thailand do u live n the states that's a long way lol why order 1 from so far away? can u not get the one u wanted from ur lfs or one closer?