Betta?

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I remember a couple years ago when I first started keeping bettas a worker @ the lfs told me that I could put 2 female bettas in a 10 g tank together.......bad idea! Now I know better! Wouldn't ever recommend it.
 
I have a male betta in a 10 gallon right now. His other tankmates are 4 zebra danios, 3 ottos, and a snail. Only one I've had a problem with were 3 ammano shrimp that were in there for over a month, when he decided that they would make a nice snack. Also had 5 neon tetras at one time in there(I hate my landlords love of insecticides), that he left alone, except when they decided to bother him. Every now and then, the tetras would decide to try to nip Barry's fins, but other than that, he would ignore them.
 
Tigroscr said:
I remember a couple years ago when I first started keeping bettas a worker @ the lfs told me that I could put 2 female bettas in a 10 g tank together.......bad idea! Now I know better! Wouldn't ever recommend it.

I've seen betta sororities of over 10 females. Guess it all depends on the betta
 
I keep my bettas in all types of community tanks just to see what they could live with since I keep my fancy gold fish in a heated tank unlike most I tried adding a Betta he has now lived with them for 4 years with no problem also I kept another one with my cichlids I know testing my luck but he has been there for a year now lol I kept another with my livebearers guppies mollies platies he is also 4 years old now and my last fella big red is with angels cardinals serpae danios ect and does perfect
Sooooo I am not saying at all this will work for everyone just that I select a Betta that shows no sign of aggression (flaring) from my lfs and always works for me but don't add tge Betta and walk away spend at least an hour watching to see if he is bullying or even being bullied and be ready to pull him out
 
I keep my bettas in all types of community tanks just to see what they could live with since I keep my fancy gold fish in a heated tank unlike most I tried adding a Betta he has now lived with them for 4 years with no problem also I kept another one with my cichlids I know testing my luck but he has been there for a year now lol I kept another with my livebearers guppies mollies platies he is also 4 years old now and my last fella big red is with angels cardinals serpae danios ect and does perfect
Sooooo I am not saying at all this will work for everyone just that I select a Betta that shows no sign of aggression (flaring) from my lfs and always works for me but don't add tge Betta and walk away spend at least an hour watching to see if he is bullying or even being bullied and be ready to pull him out
Yeah, my advice for adding bettas in communities is too put him in the tank in a breeding box or somthing for a while and see how he reacts before ltteing him out into the general populous. Or, to get a betta from the store that was being kept in community already so you can see how he interacts with his tankmates. :)
 
Yeah, my advice for adding bettas in communities is too put him in the tank in a breeding box or somthing for a while and see how he reacts before ltteing him out into the general populous. Or, to get a betta from the store that was being kept in community already so you can see how he interacts with his tankmates. :)
Just remember bettas come to the surface to breathe through their labyrinth organ so it is never an option to keep them in any kind of enclosure that does not allow them to reach the surface.
 
Just remember bettas come to the surface to breathe through their labyrinth organ so it is never an option to keep them in any kind of enclosure that does not allow them to reach the surface.
I guess I should have specified a breeding net. Those allow for surface access. Thats what I use. I do not know of any breeding boxes that do not allow for access to the surface, but that does not mean they don't exist!
 
Yeah well... My dg died. Idk how but I was thinking the betta did it.. What would it look like if the betta did fight it? I had a backup tank just in case something like that would've happened.
 
Well it wouldn't necessarily have to be a net, there are different types of in-tank breeder set-ups that could work, as long as they can be positioned to allow access to the surface.


I've had several bettas that flared and dashed around like mad in their cups, leading me to believe they may be aggressive, yet none of them were. The most violent betta I've had was actually very calm in his cup. Because of this, I wouldn't decide on their disposition based on their actions in the cup or a breeder box. I would just introduce the betta to the tank on a day that you will be around to supervise. If everything seems problem-free, continue to keep an eye for nipped fins or other signs of fighting on both the betta and his/her tankmates. IME bettas are far more likely to be nipped by other fish than they are to actually nip other fish themsevles. Also remember that just because things go well at first does not mean they won't go downhill in the future. At the time of purchase, most bettas are juveniles, so problems are more likely to arise later once they are sexually mature.

Also I highly recommend floating plants for bettas in community settings. They feel more secure when they are resting at the top (which they do for ease of breathing from their labyrinth organ) if they can nestle into some plants up there. :)
 
Yeah well... My dg died. Idk how but I was thinking the betta did it.. What would it look like if the betta did fight it? I had a backup tank just in case something like that would've happened.

Yeah a male gourami and a male betta don't belong in the same tank IMO.

What size tank is it?

Dwarf gourami's are easily stressed so it could be hard to tell. If the betta dominated the gourami and claimed the top forcing the DG to the bottom he wouldn't be able to rise to the surface to breathe through his labyrinth organ which wouldn't eventually kill him leaving no visible signs as to cause of death. If it were actual physical fighting the physical signs should be obvious.
 
From your other threads I gather this is your 5 gallon tank?

As you were already advised, a 5 gal isn't large enough for a dwarf gourami, let alone a dwarf gourami and a betta.
 
A bubbler doesn't help the situation. Betta's and gourami's are labyrinth fish. They do use their gills as well, but they are the type of fish that would benefit from a bubbler the least, since they also breathe from the surface through their labyrinth organ.

A 5 gal is the absolute minimum for 1 betta with no other fish. A betta, gourami, and platy in a 5 gal tank is hideously overstocked. A filter for a 5 gal tank cannot keep up with the waste these fish will produce, and they will be slowly poisoned by the toxins in the water...or quickly..if other factors don't get them first.

I don't know what you knew. Jeesh.
 
I've read a Betta can be in a 2 gallon and be just fine. My dg Is full grown and is 2 inches. My platy is about 1.5. Thats about 5.5 inches. I have a 5gal. One inch of fish per gallon? I think it's perfectly fine.

I found out why my dg died. The betta wouldn't let it get air. JEESH. This one Is perfectly fine with the betta and so is the platy. I also have a backup 3gal if something happens.
 
Ezimmer1990 said:
I've read a Betta can be in a 2 gallon and be just fine. My dg Is full grown and is 2 inches. My platy is about 1.5. Thats about 5.5 inches. I have a 5gal. One inch of fish per gallon? I think it's perfectly fine.

I found out why my dg died. The betta wouldn't let it get air. JEESH. This one Is perfectly fine with the betta and so is the platy. I also have a backup 3gal if something happens.

The inch of fish per gallon rule is not a good stocking guideline... stocking varies by fish species and temperament more than length.
 
The inch of fish per gallon rule is not a good stocking guideline... stocking varies by fish species and temperament more than length.

and bio load and required swimming space, but yeah :)
 
I've read a Betta can be in a 2 gallon and be just fine. My dg Is full grown and is 2 inches. My platy is about 1.5. Thats about 5.5 inches. I have a 5gal. One inch of fish per gallon? I think it's perfectly fine.

I found out why my dg died. The betta wouldn't let it get air. JEESH. This one Is perfectly fine with the betta and so is the platy. I also have a backup 3gal if something happens.
a betta cant go in a 2 gallon. and going by the inhc per gallon rule i could put a 10 inch oscar in a 10 gallon tank,which we all know is crazy
 
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