Are Bettas the wrong kind of fish?

[Louise02]

I'm not sure I like my new betta.  He is by far the healthiest betta that we have ever had, which is probably why he is so aggressive.  He hasn't bitten me, but he violently attacked several snails.  I can forget about putting shrimp in his tank.  I'm really not sure how to handle him.  This probably sounds stupid, but I was hoping for a more peaceful fish.  My last betta would try to sit on my hand while I cleaned the aquarium.  I transferred her from one tank to another by cupping my hand, waiting for her to swim into my hand, then moving her to the other tank in my bare hand.  I did that whenever I needed to really clean, so that I didn't bump her.

Now I have this little bully.  My husband is a rancher, and he insists that I pick sickly animals.  He says that this strong, aggressive male will outlive every other pet we've had.  I just miss my old betta.

Am I buying the wrong fish?  

What if I moved him to a 10-gallon and purchased a female for this 5-gallon?  Would I regret that?  Again, am I just buying the wrong fish?

[AllFishNoBrakes]

All Bettas have different personalities. While your last one was docile and friendly, this one is living up the name of “fighting fish”. They’re like a box of chocolates; you never know what you’re gonna get. 

[Tony s]

On 8/23/2024 at 1:01 AM, Louise02 said:

Am I buying the wrong fish

Some bettas are born with a screw loose. Not all. Honestly, I’d leave him in there by himself. He won’t care. If you have a 10 gallon, you could try another betta in there, or try a honey gourami instead

If you have success with a new one in your 10g, you could mix in some tank mates. Green neon tetras or harlequin rasboras. Or do those with the gourami

[Louise02]

On 8/22/2024 at 11:15 PM, Tony s said:

Some bettas are born with a screw loose. Not all. Honestly, I’d leave him in there by himself. He won’t care. If you have a 10 gallon, you could try another betta in there, or try a honey gourami instead

If you have success with a new one in your 10g, you could mix in some tank mates. Green neon tetras or harlequin rasboras. Or do those with the gourami

Thank you.  I'll try that.  Any idea how I pick a more docile betta via mail?  Can we mention Aqua Huna?  That's where I bought the last one from.  Everything that we have ordered from them has been healthier than anything else we have purchased.  I just don't know how you pick a docile one.

[Tony s]

On 8/23/2024 at 1:24 AM, Louise02 said:

I just don't know how you pick a docile one.

You don’t really, it’s just luck. I usually have 4bettas around most of the time. And have only had 2 I couldn’t trust with anything else. Most of my bettas are in community tanks. Most are not aggressive towards non bettas. But some are.

A.H. Could work. The is a higher end betta shop in dekalb Illinois. She has stunning bettas. You could google it. 

[Scaperoot]

On 8/23/2024 at 1:24 AM, Louise02 said:

Thank you.  I'll try that.  Any idea how I pick a more docile betta via mail?  Can we mention Aqua Huna?  That's where I bought the last one from.  Everything that we have ordered from them has been healthier than anything else we have purchased.  I just don't know how you pick a docile one.

It's really hit or miss. I've had males that are docile and don't care to bother shrimp, and females that will gobble up anything they can fit in their mouths. I will say that the Bettas I've purchased from Aqua Huna have been much healthier than the ones I've gotten from my LFS. I lost three this year, all from the same place. I even tried a Honey Gourami from this store and it lasted less than two months. Other fish (white clouds, barbs) I've purchased from AH are still thriving after two years.