Best wild-type betta for peaceful, non-fin nipping community tank?

[Lavender]

So, I’m working out my 75 gallon, and have ultimately decided against cichlids. I am still looking at Bolivian rams, but I want the real centerpiece of the tank to be a betta. So far, I’m looking at giant betta, betta Imbellis, betta smaragdina, and betta macrostoma, but I’ve found many other betta species, so which would be best for the tank? It’s soft, rodi water, and while the tank is technically supposed to be a Amazon river biotope…whatever, I made one exception, I can make another one. The stocking is mainly small to medium sized tetras, none of them fin-nipping, scale-eating, or plainly aggressive. For the bottom, I have a decently sized shoal of Cory catfish, some captive-bred otocinclus, and as many small-medium plecos as I can put in. Plus, kuhli loaches, whom I hope I’ll see every decade or so. Nothing should be terribly aggressive or fin-nipping, or occupy the same space as the betta. I’m also looking at sororities, but unless I can convince my parents to let me keep the backup tanks, it probably won’t happen, despite how pretty and cool to watch they are.

Edited June 25, 2023 by Lavender

[Beardedbillygoat1975]

Betta macrostoma get to 6” and they’re mouth brooders so their mouths are large. Anything the size of their mouths is food so many of the tankmates you mentioned are well food size. 

Smargdina, imbelis are essentially a splendens Betta but theres a chance they’ll allow other tank mates but no guarantees. 

Api api are quite small but there you’d be able to have multiple pairs and you could just get a group.

You can give it a try and see how it goes. Let us all know so we can learn. 

 

[Lavender]

I figured it could be ok with their wider body shapes, but if they get to six inches…yeah, no way are my ember tetras surviving that. I do like their trout-like look, however. I’m really only doing cursory research right now, checking to make sure they’re actual bettas and don’t have super weird/specialty care requirements, since nobody makes care guides for the rarer wild-types beyond a few specialty sites. 
 

It’s probably fine if they’re just like Splendens. I mostly want them for the shininess. Giant betta I believe are usually just a Splendens bred to be larger, unless you get a real wild-type anabatoides.

Wow, Api Api is beautiful: definitely on the list now. 

Edited June 25, 2023 by Lavender

[Cinnebuns]

On 6/24/2023 at 11:15 PM, Beardedbillygoat1975 said:

Betta macrostoma get to 6” and they’re mouth brooders so their mouths are large. Anything the size of their mouths is food so many of the tankmates you mentioned are well food size. 

Smargdina, imbelis are essentially a splendens Betta but theres a chance they’ll allow other tank mates but no guarantees. 

Api api are quite small but there you’d be able to have multiple pairs and you could just get a group.

You can give it a try and see how it goes. Let us all know so we can learn. 

 

I've been curious about Betta Mahachaiensis lately. Do you happen to know much about their temperament?  And how about aliens?  I know they are a hybrid. 

[Lavender]

I can’t tell you about the actual, non-mixed species, but I’ve kept a green alien (Probably a hybrid of that species and Splendens), and they act…a lot like a Splendens, basically. They flare at their reflection, I doubt he would have done well with another male in the tank…they’re beautiful fish, so don’t let that keep you from getting one, but aliens definitely aren’t peaceful. Or maybe I just got a hyper-aggressive fish and all the other aliens are balls of love. The actual fish might be different. I do see them being sold in pairs much more often than Splendens, so that may indicate them as more peaceful, but I wouldn’t count on it.

[Beardedbillygoat1975]

On 6/24/2023 at 9:41 PM, Cinnebuns said:

Betta Mahachaiensis

Yeah any of the fish from this complex are going to be splenden-like. There are exceptions to the rules in terms of bubble nesting bettas - api api and other Coccina complex bettas reportedly can have multiple pairs with sight breaks in a well planted and large enough tank - 20long-40g plus. 

[Lennie]

I don’t have wild types but I have 8 fancies.

Wild types usually require an extra responsibility imo because they are fairly new to the hobby and they are endangered in the wild due to being collected nonstop as far as I know. I personally wouldn’t get a wild type if I wont be breeding.

Aliens are not wild. For a fish to be wild, they should be existing in the wild I believe. So aliens just hybrids, hybrids that look amazing. However please know that they come with some health issues. Same goes for dragon bettas with those scales. I have gold dragon bettas and my male and female are totally healthy. I avoided any blindness problem by getting fish that dont have those white scales reaching to their eyes. Some get completely blind due to these scales growing over their eyes. Idk if health issues are avoidable on aliens.

I had my plakat betta live peacefully with my angels, honey gourami and black rams. It usually always depend on the specific behavior of the betta AND other fish. Sometimes a betta can be gentle but other fish can be bullies too.

here is a pic from my 42g tank. 

 

Edited June 25, 2023 by Lennie