Betta fish tank mates.

[xXInkedPhoenixX]

I've youtubed and internet searched this topic to death and have plenty of general ideas. I'd like to hear from other Betta keepers that have them in community tanks what works best for them. I'm going to be setting up a Fluval Flex 9 gallon (which to my understanding is more like a 7.5 gallon as far as living space goes) and like an idea for a few small community fish to keep my female Betta entertained. I was thinking Neons since they stay rather small but they're not my favorite, I'm a fan of rasboras but already have Harlequins. I'd like ideas if you've got any! thanks!

[Guppysnail]

On 7/17/2021 at 12:28 AM, xXInkedPhoenixX said:

I've youtubed and internet searched this topic to death and have plenty of general ideas. I'd like to hear from other Betta keepers that have them in community tanks what works best for them. I'm going to be setting up a Fluval Flex 9 gallon (which to my understanding is more like a 7.5 gallon as far as living space goes) and like an idea for a few small community fish to keep my female Betta entertained. I was thinking Neons since they stay rather small but they're not my favorite, I'm a fan of rasboras but already have Harlequins. I'd like ideas if you've got any! thanks!

I kept neons with a male betta. They did great but he was a chill dude. He didn’t eat my shrimp or bladder snails. I think it’s all temperament of individual betta.  I advise against anything longfin though they may be seen as competitors 

[Bobbie]

I’ve got a 15g with zebra danios, albino corydoras and a betta - it works great and everyone gets along well. 
 

If you’re gonna do a betta & community I’d suggest making it a heavily planted tank, add the community fish first and give them a while to settle in (the more time the better, in my opinion) and choose a betta that has already been in a community setting & seems happy.
Ask the people at the shop why the betta is in a community tank and how it acts, and spend a lot of time watching it to see how it behaves with the other fish - is it flaring and sulking in a corner; is it fighting some fish but ignoring others; is it happy to share food with the other inhabitants. 
 

Always have a backup plan in case your betta doesn’t get along with the community and they need to be separated. 
 

Loads of people have good experiences keeping bettas with corydoras (I’d suggest pygmy corycats for such a small tank) since the corycats stay down low and most bettas stay up high. 

Edited July 17, 2021 by Bobbie

[Betsy]

I definitely agree with @Bobbie that the betta needs to be the last addition to the tank - and, I also agree that the attitude of the betta is crucial...and the size of the other inhabitants might matter as well - the more comparable in size they are, they less likely the betta is to consider eating them.

I have had success with lambchop rasboras, shrimp (short nose algae and sakura orange), Corydoras julii, nerite snails, and bladder snails in my 20 gallon long with Pete...but he's a super chill dude - more likely to be a bro than a predator to anything close to his size or larger.

I do suspect Pete snacks on any baby shrimp...he spends a lot of time under the driftwood. 🤔

[FrozenFins]

 

As stated above the temperment of your betta is the most important part. Some bettas will eat shrimp where as some bettas as @Betsy mentioned will be "bros" with the shrimp. 

I haven't had the best luck with neon tetras and bettas. My group of neon tetras started nipping on hugos fins, so I gave the group of neon tetras to the LFS.

I would suggest fish like small rasboras (galaxy rasbora, rummy nose rasbora, chilli rasbora), snails, pygmy corydoras, etc.

I soon want to get a school of rasboras for Hugo. Thinking possibly rummynose rasbora but possibly chilli rasboras. 

For whatever reason hugo really hates the snails in the tanks, but he loved the neon tetras (unfortnaltey the neons didn't love him back). He flares and has attacked dobby the nirite snail. But most people have seemed to succesfully keep snails with bettas. Hugo did seem to like the mysterysnail that was once in his tank, just not the nirite.

[xXInkedPhoenixX]

@Guppysnail @Bobbie @Betsy @James Black Thank you very much for your advice. @Bobbie I'm actually doing this for my female Betta she seems very smart and I feel like she needs more stimulation and more space so we're going with whatever happens from this point. 

Here is the plan I have so far: Move the 3 gallon my female betta is in to a temporary location. Set up new tank where the 3 gallon was, use some substrate, decor, moss balls and plants from my other established tanks for it in combination with whatever new I put in there. Once that's ready I had heard about putting the Betta in last so thanks for confirming that- I will let whatever I choose settle in first and also give them quarantine time since I'll be getting about a half dozen of the new species and that's a bigger tank than the 3 gallon. Though they're still in the running I was leaning away from Tetras because I feel like they're more fin nippers (as I've seen with my Black Neons) than rasboras and I would love some Chilis but I've heard they are much pickier about their water parameters. I was wondering if someone would answer up that had Ember Tetras? Neons were my 2nd pick in the tetra department but as @James Black pointed out they CAN be a crap shoot. I do have a female betta, she doesn't have super long fins but obviously she has fins that are longer than tetras. I'm getting about a half dozen of whatever I choose- and I'll be adding a few Otos from my grow out tank. 

NOW, I have a suspicion that my female betta will do ok with bottom dwellers like Otos and she does fine with her Nerite and bladder snails and they wouldn't be "in her space" but I'm not sure about the mids. My back up plan is this: If she or the species I pick don't get along I will pull them (as they would have essentially already been in quarantine in that tank) and put them in my 2nd 20 gallon where there are only 10 black neons and some Nerites/bladders. 

Anything that might need adding/subtracting to make that smoother?

[Kilrkitty08]

I think Ember tetras will be a perfect addition I plan on setting up a 10gl with a school of embers and a male Betta.  I have him a in a large aquarium with Black Skirt tetras and they all get along well.  I don't believe he will have any issues with embers from what I've read online and YouTubed.  I do plan on 'flare excerising' him in hopes of him not becoming bored in the 10.  I guess we will see how it goes, can't wait to see pictures of your female and friends 😃 Best thing is to observe daily for a while to make sure everyone is happy.

[mountaintoppufferkeeper]

I agree on ember tetras thats a nice combo. Id view it as my betta tank and the other inhabitants as roomates being tested out. If it doesnt quite work out the roomates find a new home. 

 I have kept the strawberry rasbora, Boraras naevus, in a 50 gallon before those are very small very schooling and get very intense coloration. Im not entirely sure how they would fair with a betta but they looked nice in a planted set up for me .  Not the best photo but the males with the red tips get very red when showing off. 

Edited July 19, 2021 by mountaintoppufferkeeper

[xXInkedPhoenixX]

@mountaintoppufferkeeper wow, haven't seen those before I wonder if I'm able to get them in my area (I don't want to mail order if I can avoid that- esp since it was 106 today). I love the Rasbora family and they seem to be very similar in size and requirements as the Ember and/or my Betta. On that note, YES, I will absolutely be considering this my BETTA'S tank so if someone isn't going with the program I've come up with alternate plans plans for them- thanks to my currently understocked 20 gallon.

I plan on putting quite a few plants for the little ones to hide in and bought a handmade pottery center piece that is perfect for them to also dodge and feel safe (attached pic)

@Kilrkitty08 you'll have to let me know how your set up goes too and send pics!

 

[Casual aquatics]

I had kept corys and  cherry barb’s with my betta in the past in a planted tank 

[Kilrkitty08]

@Casual aquaticscherry barbs are a good idea too they give you red color and are a peaceful fish.  Mine are as big as a female sword tail.  

@xXInkedPhoenixX I Love your pottery center piece and I'm sure all your fish friends will too with this openings and awesome shape!  I don't know if you have a Petco close by but I saw ember tetras at the closes one to me, which is two hours away.  Your LFS may be able to get them for you or let you know of someone who has them within driving distance.  

[Chloe and Speckles]

My betta and my 3 otos are totally friends in my 7.5g tank!

[Chloe and Speckles]

Oh, and for me, I got my betta first and then after 5 months got my ottos. It's commonly said on the internet to add the other fish first before your betta so that the betta doesn't have an already established territory, but my betta doesn't flare AT ALL and I had a feeling he was lonely so I got 3 ottos for him. Absolutely no issues for me. They're now totally friends and my betta's behavior has changed since their addition. He now swims around more of the area of the tank, and he spends a lot of time close to the ottos swimming less like he used to and more like an otto. I think this is him trying to interact with them. I got ottos because they are on the list of tankmates for bettas, and even though they need some protein they are mainly herbivorous, so I in theory don't have to worry about my betta eating their food. A major cause of death in bettas is health complications related to obesity, so I'm trying to make sure my betta doesn't get overfed. He's a plakat so he can actually get an adequate amount of exercise, he doesn't have too long of fins weighing him down. Waiting for my repashy soilent green to arrive so my betta can stop gorging himself on the ottos' algae wafers. 

[BaRanchik]

I've had a long-finned male betta live peacefully with a mystery snail (the beginning was a bit rough but he soon realized the antennae are not food). Long finned would work well with more kinds of fish/shrimp since they are slower - even if they want to hunt something down they can't and they give up quickly.

My female wild betta on the other hand, has short fins and she's super fast. Her mates are 4-5 snowball shrimp, 2 amano shrimp, 1 red nose shrimp and 1 oto. For some reason she'd leave the shrimp alone for the most part (she might show interest in a meal but she just swims away every time), but with the oto - she's a bully. She might chase him down or flare on him (I never knew females can flare before I saw her do that towards him) but she doesn't bite him, she just wants him out of her sight. The oto looks healthy so I don't think he cares too much - I might be more worried than he is.

So what's the point of that story? I think it depends on the betta's personality, and on its speed. A chill betta can do well with species that it might consider as food. Slower bettas (longer finned) will work better with peaceful species, but they might be out-competed for food so you have to keep an eye on that.

[Arcite]

In a Fluval Spec 16 I had a betta, clown pleco, and 6 khuli loaches. Everyone seemed to get along and the tank was thriving.