Can a baby girl betta fish get along with other fish..?

[Henry the fish keeper]

I really wanted a female betta in a community tank but I was scared that it will not get along with the other fish. So, can a baby female betta fish get along with guppies and one adult platy..?

[Guppysnail]

It depends entirely on the personality of the betta. As. Baby female being introduced last you have the best chance of success in my opinion. Guppies will be a hit or miss if their fins are long and brightly colored.  Make sure you have lots of plants and hiding spaces and tall plants and objects to break lines of sight. Take care the tank does not get crowded. Betta even girls need a small territory all their own. Guppies are not ones to respect personal space but if lightly stocked and all of the above I would give it a go. Fry will get eaten but probably not more so than the guppies themselves. Have a backup tank in case aggression begins when the betta girl matures and ages. Even if it is a temporary back up until rehoming/adoption can be done. 

A tank separator can be a temporary back up plan. However both guppies and betta can jump

[Henry the fish keeper]

Alright thank you for your help! I might wait for more responses just to be sure.

[Flumpweesel]

I moved a female into a community tank (tetras and rasboras )and it didn't really settle spent a lot of time hiding at the top. Although it was a move to a 60g so it could just have been overwhelmed. I put it back in the smaller tank after about a few days as it was clearly unhappy.

So I second the point of if you try it make sure you have a back up plan. 

 

[813aquatics]

I had my female betta raised from baby in a tank with a few mollies. She clearly doesn’t like them as the mollies are food hogs and get pushy when fed. If you can isolate the feeding times they’ll probably be ok, but my girl became very timid.

[Odd Duck]

I’ve seen people that have Bettas in community tanks train the Betta to go into a breeder net for feeding, so that could be an option.  A single female might work very easily or might be too intimidating for the Betta since they can be annoyed by faster moving fish.  “Back in the day” it was routine to have Bettas in community tanks and it always seemed to be fine.  We know more about fish behavior now, so as long as you have a back up plan in case you notice stress, I would say give it a try. 

[AndreaW]

Like others have said, it depends on the temperament of the Betta. They have a wide range of personalities and you can't usually tell when you see them in a cup at the store. Female or male, they can be timid, calm, active, aggressive, etc. 

If you are trying to add a Betta to a community tank, add it last because they are territorial and will usually not accept tank mates after they have established their territory. Most important of all -- make sure you have a backup plan. If a Betta is stressed they are very susceptible to sickness.

Beyond that, make sure your tank is also compatible to what Bettas need (temp of about 80°F is ideal), lower flow tank, access to the top of the tank to breathe, a lid to keep humidity for their labyrinth organ, and to prevent them from jumping out.

As far as tank mates -- no fin nipping or chasing, and choose tank mates that your Betta isn't going to be aggressive toward like bright flashy fins, fast swimmers, etc.

Lastly, sometimes Bettas in community tanks will eat food not meant for them (flakes, sinking wafers, etc.) that are not compatible with their digestion and you will end up with a bloated Betta you have to treat.

ALL of that being said (sorry, it's a lot of info), you definitely CAN keep a Betta in a community tank, as long as you have thought everything through and have a backup plan. I've seen plenty of Bettas that have become *friends* with Snails or other tank mates, and it's the sweetest thing to see. But, it's the worst to see a beautiful Betta that is stressed, getting injured, or injuring others because they aren't compatible. 

[Henry the fish keeper]

Tysm for all of your help! I would like more answers from betta fish keepers that actually keep betta fish in a community tank setup.