Fish compatible with beta

[Kyle murfitt]

Upgraded my daughter's beta tank to a 5.5 and attempted to add 6 neon and 4 glowlight tetras to the tank . Along with an otocinclus. Within an hour we were down 4 of the tetras so pulled them and now they're with my fry tank. Beta never messed with the otocinclus.

Any recommendation on partners with the beta or do I just have an asshole that's gonna be lonely forever lol

[Tihshho]

Lets begin with thats wayyyyyy overstocked for a 5.5. Having a small school (~6 of a nano species) is pushing it. An otto will work, just be aware that they are schooling and do prefer to be in larger groups, but that would mean a bigger tank. 

For a 5.5 the best option for tank mates, if the betta has a relaxed personality, would be shrimp. Babies would generally turn into snacks, but if you plant it well enough some will make it.

[Kyle murfitt]

On 9/5/2021 at 12:25 PM, Tihshho said:

Lets begin with thats wayyyyyy overstocked for a 5.5. Having a small school (~6 of a nano species) is pushing it. An otto will work, just be aware that they are schooling and do prefer to be in larger groups, but that would mean a bigger tank. 

For a 5.5 the best option for tank mates, if the betta has a relaxed personality, would be shrimp. Babies would generally turn into snacks, but if you plant it well enough some will make it.

Awesome thank you.  Didn't know if the tetras would put out that much bioload , will add another oto or two and start working on plants for that tank. It only has a basic 3 dot led under the lid, got any ideas on very low light plants ?

[Tihshho]

On 9/5/2021 at 1:29 PM, Kyle murfitt said:

Awesome thank you.  Didn't know if the tetras would put out that much bioload , will add another oto or two and start working on plants for that tank. It only has a basic 3 dot led under the lid, got any ideas on very low light plants ?

A simple list would be:

Anubias sp.

Java fern sp.

Mosses (Java, christmas, etc) - more light for them the more compact the growth so it might end up growing a bit more spindly with low low light.

 

[Guppysnail]

On 9/5/2021 at 1:22 PM, Kyle murfitt said:

Upgraded my daughter's beta tank to a 5.5 and attempted to add 6 neon and 4 glowlight tetras to the tank . Along with an otocinclus. Within an hour we were down 4 of the tetras so pulled them and now they're with my fry tank. Beta never messed with the otocinclus.

Any recommendation on partners with the beta or do I just have an asshole that's gonna be lonely forever lol

You may have an attack betta. I kept a betta with neons and neocaridina and juvenile albino Cory + mystery snails only thing Bruno ate or even paid attention to were the shrimplettes. It could also be the tank size causing your betta to stake claim to the tank space. Mine was in a 20 high. Lots of tall plants that reach the water surface should help. 

[Kathy F]

I have a 5 gallon with a betta.   He has a nerite snail and that is it.   Even when he was young and active he never messed with the snail.  He did hover near it the first day or two but that was it.  If you do a nerite I only suggest getting one because if you get two or more they get busy and start laying unsightly eggs all over the tank.   

[Intuos]

Tank mates for betta are always a challenge. Usually depends on their personality. My betta Keanu is in a 15 gallon with 12 glowlight tetra and generally leaves them alone (will chase them occasionally but they are too fast for him 😂). Ottos will be OK if you can get them to eat algae wafers or blanch veg as they can sometimes be fussy eaters, mine won't eat anything I try them on. Might be better going for something like a few panda Cory. 

[sudofish]

I have a 10 gallon with a single betta and some mystery and ramshorn snails. She de-antennaed all my snails in no time at all. Even now she occasionally bumps one off the glass and watches it fall just to be a you know what. I don't think I'd be able to keep anything with her.

[Theresa W]

I've been contemplating what to put in my 5.5 gallon planted tank, which I recently restarted after Shrimptopia was crashed by scuds. (As an aside, scuds are cute until they're not.) It's currently cycling along with a well-marinated sponge filter and some nerites. I read somewhere on the interwebs that sometimes a betta and a dwarf crayfish will work, if the betta is a mellow fellow and the crayfish is a cambarellus. Has anyone else had this combination of tankmates? Any advice about what else one could put in a 5.5 gallon, besides neocaridinas? A colony of babaultis is on my wishlist, but the initial investment is pretty large. No idea is too weird to consider. 😊

[Johnny B. Goode]

I had great success putting platys with my male betta. I just kept them at 7.2 and 76 degrees. Never saw any agression issues. The betta would clean out the fry in a few hours though. So it's not an option if you want to breed platy fish or have a hard time about the babies getting eaten.

[Tihshho]

On 9/5/2021 at 7:18 PM, Theresa W said:

I've been contemplating what to put in my 5.5 gallon planted tank, which I recently restarted after Shrimptopia was crashed by scuds. (As an aside, scuds are cute until they're not.) It's currently cycling along with a well-marinated sponge filter and some nerites. I read somewhere on the interwebs that sometimes a betta and a dwarf crayfish will work, if the betta is a mellow fellow and the crayfish is a cambarellus. Has anyone else had this combination of tankmates? Any advice about what else one could put in a 5.5 gallon, besides neocaridinas? A colony of babaultis is on my wishlist, but the initial investment is pretty large. No idea is too weird to consider. 😊

Depending on your Betta's finnage (long in this case) this would be a very bad idea. Also, don't forget Betta's perch when they sleep, during lights out a Betta would become a target to a roaming cray.