Betta

[paulbrear]

Ok so I wanted another fish to go in my tank and found a betta splendid would b suitable, since getting him we've lost three rasbora harlequin one green neon tetra and a mickey mouse platy ! Is he being agressive and killing my fish? Tank is a 40 ltr (uk) was he a bad idea ? Opinions would b helpful !!

 

[CatmanDru]

"Ok so I wanted another fish to go in my tank and found a betta splendid would be suitable..."

I'm curious about what resources indicated a betta would be suitable for a community fish tank?

 

[LyndaB]

The school of thought on bettas in community tanks is a divided one.

I personally don't believe bettas are community tank candidates. This comes from having had them, both male and female. So, if you were to ask my opinion, I would say not to keep one in a community.

Others have had different experiences and will tell you that you can.

It really depends on the personality of the betta.

I will say that your 10 gallon tank is too small for a betta with the other fish that you have.

 

[paulbrear]

Lfs, friends with one, Internet !! All pretty reliable sources imo

 

[CatmanDru]

"... since getting him we've lost three rasbora harlequin one green neon tetra and a mickey mouse platy!"

Are there any clues about *why* they died? Were they injured? Bite marks? Flesh missing? Torn or nipped fins?

"Is he being agressive and killing my fish?"

When you watch your fish, do you see your betta being agressive? Do you see your betta chasing fish or nipping fish? Do you see your betta flaring at other fish?

"Tank is a 40 ltr" 40 liters (about 10 US gal) may be a bit small for a betta along with other fish. People who successfully house a betta with other fish often have a 30 , 45, or 55 gal.

"Was he a bad idea ? Opinions would b helpful !!"

You have four dead fish. So, *if* the betta killed them, then putting him in the tank probably wasn't a good idea.

In my opinion, a betta in a community tank (with other fish) is a bad idea. A betta in a community tank that is only 40 liters/10 gal is an even worse idea. Putting a betta in a tank with other fish often results in chasing, nipped fins (that can lead to disease), stressed fish (that can lead to disease), and dead fish. Some people get lucky and have bettas that are not too agressive with other fish in a large tank big enough for the betta to have plenty of space for its own territory. In my opinion, each betta has a different personality and temperment, but most bettas are not a good choice to live with other fish. In my opinion, most bettas are better off living alone.

Information on potential tankmates for bettas list very few potential candidates, and those are listed as "maybe" or "depends"

 

[Morgie]

Betta's personalities are sooo different, so it's a toss up if they'll be communitiy fish or not.
I always keep a betta alone for several weeks to observe it's behavior and then decide if it'll be a good community fish.

 

[Fishkeeper88]

i have noticed that i can socialize my male betta to live in a community aquarium. but you must first judge them based on personality. if you interact with your betta and you sort of train them with food by gently tapping on the glass.i first saw this being done by mister amano japans world renowned fish keeper/aquascaper on youtube with his angelfish. i started doing this with my betta tapping gently with two fingers on a small acrylic aquarium for a few months and calling the fishes name. he would come up then and i would feed him and interact with him. i found that after doing this for a few months he trusted me. so i decided to try him in my community tank aka 36 gallon bow front with tetras at the time. as long as the fish dont look similar to another betta. once the betta is in the aquarium try and feed him just as you did in the small tank by again building trust and interacting with the betta. when he does and he will go after other fish you kind of have to scold him by tappng on the glass or physically stopping him from chasing the fish. reach in the aquarium use a net or your hand and block him from the other fish. do this as often as possible. if the fish trust you and you interact with him and feed him like this. sometimes you can break them from aggression.

 

[CatmanDru]

Betta's personalities are sooo different, so it's a toss up if they'll be communitiy fish or not.
I always keep a betta alone for several weeks to observe it's behavior and then decide if it'll be a good community fish.

What about it's behavior do you look for?

And what behavior would indicate it would be a good community fish?

I'd like to know because some day, maybe with the current betta, I'd like to have other fish, maybe 3 otocinclus or a tiny pleco like a bristlenose pleco.

But he is way to aggressive.

 

[CatmanDru]

Fishkeeper, thank you for the very good information. I'll look for that video on youtube.

So your training eventually caused the betta to leave his tankmates alone?

How long did it take? How long per training session?

I unsuccessfuly tried to put a ramshorn snail and two Mystery snails in my betta's tank. I'd like to be able to put them in without them becoming snacks.

 

[aqua_chem]

I poke my fish with chopsticks when they're being bad...


So you had a platy, a betta, three harlies and a green neon in the tanks? Are there any other fish in the tank? I sounds like your tank is overstocked as it is, which will bring out the aggression in your fish. Betta especially need their own turf, or the get much more aggressive. It's also possible that the betta introduced a bug into your tank.

Is the tank cycled? How long has it been established.


Honestly, the thing too remember about bettas is that they are mostly all talk. They're aggressive fish, but they are also slow fish. Their finnage gets in he way such that they can't catch up with (or get away from) other, faster fish. Most betta related deaths I know of are either from aggressive fish that stood their ground (gouramis, cichlids, anything with 'tude) or fish that they slowly pestered to death. Harlies, platies, and neons are all in the latter catagory and would have been clearly stressed out long before their death.


Really, my #1 concern about bettas in a community tank is the betta getting picked on because he's so cumbersome and can't maneuver to defend himself against faster fish.


...unless your put a short finned "Plakat" type in your tank...

 

[siva]

Ok so I wanted another fish to go in my tank and found a betta splendid would b suitable, since getting him we've lost three rasbora harlequin one green neon tetra and a mickey mouse platy ! Is he being agressive and killing my fish? Tank is a 40 ltr (uk) was he a bad idea ? Opinions would b helpful !!

I've kept many bettas in community tanks and have never even had another fish so much as injured, so I wouldn't jump to suspect the betta. How is the water quality? Have you already tested for toxins such as ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate to be sure they aren't to blame? If the dead fish are visibly beaten up, and none of this was happening until the betta was added, I'd say that betta isn't a good candidate for a community tank. If you are seeing no flaring or chasing on the part of the betta and the fishes bodies/fins aren't tattered, there's something else going on in the tank.

 

[Fishkeeper88]

Fishkeeper, thank you for the very good information. I'll look for that video on youtube.

So your training eventually caused the betta to leave his tankmates alone?

How long did it take? How long per training session?

do what i said about the food and social traning everyday when you feed him normally. also whenever i walk by the tank i tap on the glass and talk to him calling his name. i like moving my finger along the tank so he chases it wanting food. i recommened large open community tanks though. like a 29 gallon or bigger to do this and only with fish that dont have long fins. like a long finned guppy might not do so well since it looks kind of like a betta. just be the fishes friend and teach him to trust you so he doesnt freak out and go on a killing spree in the new tank. he will learn to set up a territory the other fish respect with out agression. but like i said you have to break them by physically stoping them and blocking them. watch for flared up fins and gills as this is a sign of high aggression this action my go away after about 4 to 6 months. it really depends on the fish though.

 

[CatmanDru]

I've kept many bettas in community tanks and have never even had another fish so much as injured,...

Siva, what size were your betta-community tanks?

Also, did you do any agression-deterring training similar to what Fishkeeper explained?

 

[CatmanDru]

do what i said about the food and social traning everyday when you feed him normally. also whenever i walk by the tank i tap on the glass and talk to him calling his name. i like moving my finger along the tank so he chases it wanting food...just be the fishes friend and teach him to trust you...

This part we already do just because we like interacting with him.

But the agression blocking stuff never even occured to me.

 

[CatmanDru]

Fishkeeper, I have one tracked/tiger nerite in the betta's tank now because the Nerite is fairly safe because the shell stays down low over the foot and head and the tentacles are short, thin and don't stick out much. The betta flares and nips at the Nerite's shell but can't get to the fleshy parts and hasn't even nipped off a tentacle -- yet. In your opinion, if I do the anti-agression training with the Nerite as the target, would I have to train again later with an added Mystery snail? To the same or lesser extent? And train again if I introduced a tiny pleco like a bristlenose pleco?

I tried adding 2 mystery snails but removed them due to nipping and eating of tentacles (see my "profile comments" for details).

I'd really like to have at least one in there, but my tank is a 10 gal 'half moon'. But later I might move that to a 20 X Tall or 25 Tall.

 

[Morgie]

bettas typically ignore snails. You shouldn't have to worry about them being aggressive toward them.

 

[Fishkeeper88]

sorry i dont know cause i dont own snails

 

[CatmanDru]

to Morgie and Fishkeeper, thank you.

 

[CatmanDru]

Fishkeeper88, is this the video of Mr. Amano calling and feeding his Angelfish? He taps a white cylindrical container on the top edge of the aquarium and his Angelfish all come for a feeding.

Mr.Amano feeds his altum angel - YouTube

 

[Fishkeeper88]

yes but use your fingers cause you have a smaller aquarium