Community Betta question

[libertybelle]

I have had a male betta in my 30 gal community tank before. The tank is mostly neon tetras/endlers ... the list is on my profile. It worked out very well. The tetras didn't nip/bother the betta and the betta didn't even bother my ghost shrimp. (Well except that time I went on vacation and they didn't get food for a week. They had shrimp scampi that week...lol) He was fully grown when I bought him and he was looking like a pretty elderly beta by the time he passed a couple years later.

I would like to find another Betta on the more docile side eventually for this community tank, if possible. I prefer the males and there is not much of a selection of females at my local places.

I know that they all have very different personalities and the next one I get might not be as friendly with other community fish.

Any advice for picking a fish on the docile side and/or acclimating them to the community? I quarantine everyone first, but after that I was thinking a breeding box for a few days to get him used to all of the movement and make sure he is eating? That is what I tried last time. (However last time the tricksy boy jumped into the main tank and was chilling with everyone else within a few hours. I got lucky, I guess.)

I've seen young ones at the petco before (not the really really tiny ones...but certainly not full grown yet.) Would I have the best chance if I picked out a young one and let him grow up in the community? Would the breeder box be too stressful. Clearly my first beta thought so when he decided to make the choice for me and jump into the main tank.

 

[paul65]

A breeder box would not be too stressful for a betta and they do have there place in displaying these beautiful fish in a prominent part of the aquarium but personally i don't like them, all the bettas i have had have been happy exploring all the water layers of the aquarium and as long as their tank mates are not similar in appearance to the betta there should be no problem and on the flip side of that make sure there are no fin nippers as tank mates !! I currently have a female betta with 2 male dwarf gouramis as tank mates, took a chance on that one but they actually interact with each other in a non aggressive manner, they are all individuals so you never know ! But as a back up plan you always have the breeder box option to fall back on but i have never had a problem if a few simple rules are followed

 

[Scottyhorse]

Most Bettas will be fine with other fish. Especially if you add the betta last.

 

[paul65]

Most Bettas will be fine with other fish. Especially if you add the betta last.

Totally agree with that in my experience

 

[libertybelle]

A breeder box would not be too stressful for a betta and they do have there place in displaying these beautiful fish in a prominent part of the aquarium but personally i don't like them, all the bettas i have had have been happy exploring all the water layers of the aquarium and as long as their tank mates are not similar in appearance to the betta there should be no problem

Thanks for everyone's input. (I was not planning on using the breeder box as a permanent solution. I can put him in a 5 gal alone if he's a jerk I was thinking just at first so he can see everyone without being able to interact with them for a while.)

I don't have any fin nippers or gouramis so I am hoping that all will work out as long as I don't get that one jerk fish that tries to attack everything!

Any thoughts on the young Bettas. Any downside? Are they harder to acclimate or anything when you buy them young?

 

[Luananeko]

Completely doable with the right betta!

Some tips that will help you have the best chance of success...
1) When picking out a betta... If he's in a little cup, take his cup to the guppy tank and hold it near it. Does he flare at the guppies, just show interest, or does he completely ignore them? Put him back and pick a different one if he flares and shows agitation at the flashing guppy tails since endlers are similar enough he may attack them. If he's already in a community tank at the LFS you can't do this, but usually those are already used to dealing with tankmates.
2) Once you bring him home, float him in a breeder box for a few days. This lets him see his future tankmates, but not let him attack them. See how he does. If after a couple days he doesn't react when they swim by, he's probably ready to be let loose. If after a week he still can't stand them swimming by, return him for a different betta.
3) After letting him loose, watch him like a hawk as much as you can for the first week. Male bettas are good at letting you know pretty quick whether they'll tolerate tankmates. Females are the more unpredictable ones and tend to randomly snap on their tankmates. If the male is showing no signs of attacking his tankmates after a week you should be fine to relax

 

[Scottyhorse]

Agree with the above except for the part where the poster says to hold the betta by the guppy tank. Some bettas are so stressed and/or sick that once they are in clean, heated water, they act like a totally different fish. One of my guys was like that. Mellow in the cup, now he is a very grumpy little dude! It can give you an idea, but it's not a sure thing

 

[libertybelle]

Interesting. So has no one had any experience raising the young ones sold at chains? I've seen a lot of complaints about them around. Like that they die easily because they weren't given proper nutrition and things like that

 

[Scottyhorse]

I'm actually thinking about getting a baby or two tomorrow when I go on my petstore shopping spree for my birthday tomorrow. I could see how there is a low survival rate due to the terrible conditions they are kept/raised in

 

[libertybelle]

Well do let me know how your experience is with them. If they are big enough for regular food etc...

 

[Scottyhorse]

I ended up getting some females instead. The babies were super super tiny, most of them sick/dead Sad to see.

 

[Luananeko]

Keep an eye on the girls... From my experience they tend to be more unpredictable on whether they'll tolerate tankmates... Had a girl living with guppies for a year before she randomly snapped and decided guppy tails were tasty snacks. Even then, she seemed to only do it when she thought no one was watching. She'd be mid tail-snack and see me come in then would drop the tail and go on like nothing was wrong... As soon as I started walking out of the room she'd go right back to it.

 

[libertybelle]

Keep an eye on the girls... From my experience they tend to be more unpredictable on whether they'll tolerate tankmates... Had a girl living with guppies for a year before she randomly snapped and decided guppy tails were tasty snacks. Even then, she seemed to only do it when she thought no one was watching. She'd be mid tail-snack and see me come in then would drop the tail and go on like nothing was wrong... As soon as I started walking out of the room she'd go right back to it.

That's an interesting observation. I had been thinking females might be the way to go because they're thought to be less aggressive.

My LFS also suggested thinking about dwarf guorami species. Any ideas on that?

 

[Luananeko]

That's an interesting observation. I had been thinking females might be the way to go because they're thought to be less aggressive.

My LFS also suggested thinking about dwarf guorami species. Any ideas on that?

You'd think, right? The males do tend to be more aggressive, but they're also much more forward. If they don't like a tankmate, they'll let you know really quickly. The girls are much more deceptive

Dwarf gourami are good options as well. Go through the same steps recommended for introducing a betta, as they have similar personalities. Stick to either just one DG, or if you get multiple make sure its an odd number 5+ to diffuse aggression.

 

[libertybelle]

Dwarf gourami are good options as well. Go through the same steps recommended for introducing a betta, as they have similar personalities. Stick to either just one DG, or if you get multiple make sure its an odd number 5+ to diffuse aggression.

I have a good lfs that generally gives great advice, actually turned me away from a couple types of fish because they like harder water than I have... So I'm inclined to believe them. Which is why I was surprised when they suggested that I could do a pair or 3 gourami. I always thought they were like bettas in terms of aggression. They have red honey dwarf gourami are all living together in a community with no signs of aggression. They said that as long as you bring them home at the same time they should be fine since they are already used to living together...

 

[Luananeko]

I have a good lfs that generally gives great advice, actually turned me away from a couple types of fish because they like harder water than I have... So I'm inclined to believe them. Which is why I was surprised when they suggested that I could do a pair or 3 gourami. I always thought they were like bettas in terms of aggression. They have red honey dwarf gourami are all living together in a community with no signs of aggression. They said that as long as you bring them home at the same time they should be fine since they are already used to living together...

Its really dependent on fish personality... You can put a DG with a Honey without issues usually, but just DG tend to bicker in pairs and trios unless you have really laid back ones. There are some folks that it works for, and quite a few that it doesn't, hence why I usually recommend the 5+ if going multiples just to guarantee no problems. If you only want a pair or trio, do a M/F or M/F/F ratio for a better chance of it working out. Unfortunately, most LFS' don't sell the females, and the females aren't as colorful either. As soon as you have 5+ any aggression will typically be spread out enough that the M/F ratio or honey to DG ratios won't matter.