Possible Betta tank mates

[sairving]

Louie the Betta and his nerite companion have made the move into their new 10 gallon tank.  All the new plants seem to be adjusting well.  

I would like to add something like pygmy cories or one of the other small varieties or corydoras. What is the best way to judge if your Betta can have tank mates? Louie completely ignores the nerite and only seems to flare at his reflection (when the light is on).  

What else should I be looking for in his behavior?  

[Keeg]

Ive always just tried some fish and see if it reacts to it or ignores. If you have a different tank with fish, you can try putting him into a clear breeder box and see if he try to go after fish that swim by. 

[sairving]

On 10/4/2021 at 1:30 PM, Keeg said:

Ive always just tried some fish and see if it reacts to it or ignores. If you have a different tank with fish, you can try putting him into a clear breeder box and see if he try to go after fish that swim by. 

I don't have any other fish to add to the tank.  I may just get a few corydoras and see how he reacts.  If he gets along, add a few more.

[fishmom]

My bettas have done really well with ember tetra and pygmy corys. I don't think there is any way to know know how he will react until he meets them. My Rosie flared at the corys in the bag but once they were in the tank ignored them.

[Dwayne Brown]

I would start with a bottom dwelling fish since bettas seem to spend more time in the upper water column. A few cory's would be a good choice. Maybe one or two khulli loaches too since they usually hide all day and the betta wont even see them. 

[sairving]

On 10/4/2021 at 5:40 PM, Dwayne Brown said:

I would start with a bottom dwelling fish since bettas seem to spend more time in the upper water column. A few cory's would be a good choice. Maybe one or two khulli loaches too since they usually hide all day and the betta wont even see them. 

I didn't even consider khuli loaches.  I made sure that there was room for small fish to hide between the rocks.  

[Waka88]

I've decided keeping a Betta in a community tank is pain and not really worth the hassle.

Really limits what fish you can have.  It seems to get stressed easily, even if it's lightly stocked, seems to be stressed.  I have 20 gallon with 7 fish, 3 of them being cory, 4 platy.  20 gallon tank, with Co-Op sponge filter and 30 Aquaclear.

Also in terms of filtering it's also pain if you like using a HOB, which I do, I use a Aquaclear.  I got plenty of plants, a large driftwood, spongebob house, and the Betta still behaves as if it's a real struggle to live.  Aquaclear is on the lowest setting. 

In hindsight I wish I got a Honey Gourami instead.  He's really boring, all he does is look fatigued, resting in one spot from another.  I find him hiding under the wood, under the sponge filter, in corners, just boring fish.

Not really sure what to do atm, whether to return the male Betta or not.  He's gorgeous, but really boring.

Edited October 4, 2021 by Waka88

[sairving]

On 10/4/2021 at 5:43 PM, Waka88 said:

I've decided keeping a Betta in a community tank is pain and not really worth the hassle.

Really limits what fish you can have.  It seems to get stressed easily, even if it's lightly stocked, seems to be stressed.  I have 20 gallon with 7 fish, 3 of them being cory, 4 platy.  20 gallon tank, with Co-Op sponge filter and 30 Aquaclear.

Also in terms of filtering it's also pain if you like using a HOB, which I do, I use a Aquaclear.  I got plenty of plants, a large driftwood, spongebob house, and the Betta still behaves as if it's a real struggle to live.  Aquaclear is on the lowest setting. 

In hindsight I wish I got a Honey Gourami instead.  He's really boring, all he does is look fatigued, resting in one spot from another.  I find him hiding under the wood, under the sponge filter, in corners, just boring fish.

Not really sure what to do atm, whether to return the male Betta or not.  He's gorgeous, but really boring.

My current beta has problems with any but of flow but the plants seem to happier with some flow.  My previous 5 gallon tank had a sponge and hob. Same thing with the 10 gallon but I haven't found the right hob yet. I baffle HOB with a sponge.  

 

[Odd Duck]

On 10/4/2021 at 5:43 PM, Waka88 said:

I've decided keeping a Betta in a community tank is pain and not really worth the hassle.

Really limits what fish you can have.  It seems to get stressed easily, even if it's lightly stocked, seems to be stressed.  I have 20 gallon with 7 fish, 3 of them being cory, 4 platy.  20 gallon tank, with Co-Op sponge filter and 30 Aquaclear.

Also in terms of filtering it's also pain if you like using a HOB, which I do, I use a Aquaclear.  I got plenty of plants, a large driftwood, spongebob house, and the Betta still behaves as if it's a real struggle to live.  Aquaclear is on the lowest setting. 

In hindsight I wish I got a Honey Gourami instead.  He's really boring, all he does is look fatigued, resting in one spot from another.  I find him hiding under the wood, under the sponge filter, in corners, just boring fish.

Not really sure what to do atm, whether to return the male Betta or not.  He's gorgeous, but really boring.

Try using a small sponge prefilter to baffle the water flow.  If you cut a slit in the side of it, they will often just slide over the outflow lip of your HOB.  You still have the same amount of water flow but it doesn’t push the fish around.

[Waka88]

On 10/4/2021 at 11:35 PM, Odd Duck said:

Try using a small sponge prefilter to baffle the water flow.  If you cut a slit in the side of it, they will often just slide over the outflow lip of your HOB.  You still have the same amount of water flow but it doesn’t push the fish around.

Well, someone agreed to take the betta.  I went and found a Red Honey Gourami and it was a great decision.  The Gourami is still adjusting, glass surfs a bit, but already loving the activity and and liveliness he brings to the tank.  And already showing some increase in color, looking forward to when he grows more and more color. 

I really loved the idea of a Betta, but lesson learned.  A female short find typed betta would have been a much better idea.  So hard to find a nice healthy female betta around me right now, hard as in I found zero. 

[KaitieG]

I have a male crowntail in a community tank and have had success for a couple years with that setup.  He didn't like neons when I had them in there and appeared stressed, but he's done great with ember tetras, corys, kuhlis, and neocardina shrimp.  He is always out and about and is quite active, doesn't seem bothered by the HOB filter either.  I think it's really a matter of the individual fish, but that's hard to guage before you get home!

[Odd Duck]

On 10/9/2021 at 8:23 PM, Waka88 said:

Well, someone agreed to take the betta.  I went and found a Red Honey Gourami and it was a great decision.  The Gourami is still adjusting, glass surfs a bit, but already loving the activity and and liveliness he brings to the tank.  And already showing some increase in color, looking forward to when he grows more and more color. 

I really loved the idea of a Betta, but lesson learned.  A female short find typed betta would have been a much better idea.  So hard to find a nice healthy female betta around me right now, hard as in I found zero. 

Sounds like the gourami was a good choice.  A plakat Betta male would also probably work since they don’t get the long fins, but a female would likely be even better if you can find one.  Something to consider for the future.

 

[sairving]

Today was a fun afternoon. I visited my lfs in search of pygmy cories and a few more plants.   I bought 3 because that's all they had in stock.  My Betta flared at them in them bag.  Now he could care less.  We'll see how it goes and later on I'll buy 3 more.  

[Guppysnail]

Best of luck. My pygmys are a barrel of laughs. 

[mtnmonster]

I just set up a betta for my nephew and he got really bored. So I did some research and added 5 neon tetras and a kuhli loach to the tank. When the neons and loach were first released I thought there was going to be problems. The betta just flared a little at them kind of like he was just showing dominance.  Now he mostly ignores them or just follows them. Its almost as if he knows he's king of the tank.