Single male betta in community tank

[Rod Bacon]

I would like the opinion of users in this group please. My LFS (being
conservative, and responsible) recommends against putting a male betta
in my connunity tank, because of the potential for fin-shredding
action. This is not based specifically on my tank, or it's inhabitents,
but is a general rule of thumb.

My 200L tank currently has 2 gouramis (can be occasionally "pecky", but
only ever to each other), 8 neons, 1 pl*co, 5 zebra danios, 3 siamese
flying foxes, 3 platys and a swordtail. It's quite heavily planted, and
has lots of hiding places.

I know that fish all have their own personalities, and it's a bit of a
lottery when mixing species, but I feel that my tank is peaceful enough
to accomodate a betta.

What do others here think?

[Elaine T]

Rod Bacon wrote:
> I would like the opinion of users in this group please. My LFS (being
> conservative, and responsible) recommends against putting a male betta
> in my connunity tank, because of the potential for fin-shredding
> action. This is not based specifically on my tank, or it's inhabitents,
> but is a general rule of thumb.
>
> My 200L tank currently has 2 gouramis (can be occasionally "pecky", but
> only ever to each other), 8 neons, 1 pl*co, 5 zebra danios, 3 siamese
> flying foxes, 3 platys and a swordtail. It's quite heavily planted, and
> has lots of hiding places.
>
> I know that fish all have their own personalities, and it's a bit of a
> lottery when mixing species, but I feel that my tank is peaceful enough
> to accomodate a betta.
>
> What do others here think?
>
Gouramis and bettas are from the same family and don't always mix well.
I don't think I'd try it because of the gourami. I've also had problems
with tetras nipping bettas' fins, but that's a little less common.

--
Elaine T __
http://eethomp.com/fish.html <'__><
rec.aquaria.* FAQ http://faq.thekrib.com

[§tudz]

a strange problem I had was with platties.

Bettas are not the smartest fish, and if you look at the platty they have
similar shapes, very similar to the female betta, this used to drive my
betta insane, he would go nuts when they came near.

and siamese flyingfoxes? do you mean siamese algae eaters [Crossocheilus
Siamensis], or flyingfoxes [Epalzeorhynchus kallopterus] (also known as
false SAE)?

or are these the same, and had a rename?
I could be wrong, /me shrugs and hopes he isn't.

"Elaine T" > wrote in message
m...
> Rod Bacon wrote:
>> I would like the opinion of users in this group please. My LFS (being
>> conservative, and responsible) recommends against putting a male betta
>> in my connunity tank, because of the potential for fin-shredding
>> action. This is not based specifically on my tank, or it's inhabitents,
>> but is a general rule of thumb.
>>
>> My 200L tank currently has 2 gouramis (can be occasionally "pecky", but
>> only ever to each other), 8 neons, 1 pl*co, 5 zebra danios, 3 siamese
>> flying foxes, 3 platys and a swordtail. It's quite heavily planted, and
>> has lots of hiding places.
>>
>> I know that fish all have their own personalities, and it's a bit of a
>> lottery when mixing species, but I feel that my tank is peaceful enough
>> to accomodate a betta.
>>
>> What do others here think?
>>
> Gouramis and bettas are from the same family and don't always mix well. I
> don't think I'd try it because of the gourami. I've also had problems
> with tetras nipping bettas' fins, but that's a little less common.
>
> --
> Elaine T __
> http://eethomp.com/fish.html <'__><
> rec.aquaria.* FAQ http://faq.thekrib.com

[Rod Bacon]

They are false SAEs. Most of the LFSs in my area incorrectly name them,
and I have just fallen into the trap for simplicity's sake.

[Celtic Wanderer]

Hey Rod,

I have a 30 gallon tank with:
2 Platies
1 Betta
3 emerald cory cats
4 bleeding heart tetras
1 red-tail Black Shark
2 pristella tetras
1 otocinclus catfish
2 long finned serpae tetras
3 cardinal tetras

and I have to admit the the fins on the betta are alot shorter than when I
first got him. However I have noticed that it is only the red-tailed balck
shark that ever bothers him. Most of the time when the shark is hanging out
in his cave, the betta roams around the tank and the other fish with no
problems.

"Rod Bacon" > wrote in message
ups.com...
>I would like the opinion of users in this group please. My LFS (being
> conservative, and responsible) recommends against putting a male betta
> in my connunity tank, because of the potential for fin-shredding
> action. This is not based specifically on my tank, or it's inhabitents,
> but is a general rule of thumb.
>
> My 200L tank currently has 2 gouramis (can be occasionally "pecky", but
> only ever to each other), 8 neons, 1 pl*co, 5 zebra danios, 3 siamese
> flying foxes, 3 platys and a swordtail. It's quite heavily planted, and
> has lots of hiding places.
>
> I know that fish all have their own personalities, and it's a bit of a
> lottery when mixing species, but I feel that my tank is peaceful enough
> to accomodate a betta.
>
> What do others here think?
>

[John D. Goulden]

> My 200L tank currently has 2 gouramis (can be occasionally "pecky", but
> only ever to each other), 8 neons, 1 pl*co, 5 zebra danios, 3 siamese
> flying foxes, 3 platys and a swordtail. It's quite heavily planted, and
> has lots of hiding places.

Gouramis are notorious betta harassers, and in betta vs. gourami the betta
usually loses. The platys might want to play too much nip-the-fin with the
betta, and male bettas will sometimes attack platys. I don't think this is
the right community tank for a betta.

In my experience it's a coin toss as to whether or not a betta will do well
in a community tank, anyway - some do fine (many of mine have co-habited
with swords and guppies and they pretty much ignore / avoid each other) but
others really just prefer to be alone. I once had one that had the guppies
so scared that they stayed huddled over against one side of a 10-gallon and
the betta ruled the other 2/3 of the tank in solitary splendor. I moved the
betta into his own tank and it was still a full day before the guppies
calmed down enough to move around.

Then there was sort of a fry explosion. All those weeks of terror and
pent-up frustration, finally released...

--
John Goulden
mostly goldies, guppies, swordtails and bettas

[Elaine T]

John D. Goulden wrote:
>
> Gouramis are notorious betta harassers, and in betta vs. gourami the betta
> usually loses. The platys might want to play too much nip-the-fin with the
> betta, and male bettas will sometimes attack platys. I don't think this is
> the right community tank for a betta.
>
> In my experience it's a coin toss as to whether or not a betta will do well
> in a community tank, anyway - some do fine (many of mine have co-habited
> with swords and guppies and they pretty much ignore / avoid each other) but
> others really just prefer to be alone. I once had one that had the guppies
> so scared that they stayed huddled over against one side of a 10-gallon and
> the betta ruled the other 2/3 of the tank in solitary splendor. I moved the
> betta into his own tank and it was still a full day before the guppies
> calmed down enough to move around.
>
> Then there was sort of a fry explosion. All those weeks of terror and
> pent-up frustration, finally released...

My one attempt of mixing a betta and guppies ended when I got up the
morning after I added the betta and all three male guppies were missing
part of their tails.

--
Elaine T __
http://eethomp.com/fish.html <'__><
rec.aquaria.* FAQ http://faq.thekrib.com

[John D. Goulden]

> My one attempt of mixing a betta and guppies ended when I got up the
> morning after I added the betta and all three male guppies were missing
> part of their tails.

The one combo that I've had 100% success with is betta + neons. The betta
usually flares a bit at the neons at first, then they leave each other
alone.

--
John Goulden

[Dan White]

"Rod Bacon" > wrote in message
ups.com...
> I would like the opinion of users in this group please. My LFS (being
> conservative, and responsible) recommends against putting a male betta
> in my connunity tank, because of the potential for fin-shredding
> action. This is not based specifically on my tank, or it's inhabitents,
> but is a general rule of thumb.
>

Just today I returned a dwarf gourami because he shredded the betta's fins
to shreds over about a 3 week period. They actually gave me store credit.
The fish guy, who is very knowledgeable, said that the two fish are in the
same family, but dwarf gouramis tend to be one of the least aggressive
gouramis, and it is hit or miss whether they would bother a betta. He asked
if it was a red betta, which it was, because the dwarf gourami can confuse
the red betta with another dwarf. After some thought we're starting to
think it best to give the betta his own little tank. This will allow us to
get some more variety of fish without worrying as much about fin problems.

good luck!
dwhite

[Dr Engelbert Buxbaum]

John D. Goulden wrote:

> The one combo that I've had 100% success with is betta + neons. The betta
> usually flares a bit at the neons at first, then they leave each other
> alone.

Yes, that combination works nicely. Otos can be added to that group too.

Has anybody ever kept shrimps (Caridina or Neocaridina ssp) with bettas?

[Elaine T]

Dr Engelbert Buxbaum wrote:
> John D. Goulden wrote:
>
>
>>The one combo that I've had 100% success with is betta + neons. The betta
>>usually flares a bit at the neons at first, then they leave each other
>>alone.
>
>
> Yes, that combination works nicely. Otos can be added to that group too.
>
> Has anybody ever kept shrimps (Caridina or Neocaridina ssp) with bettas?
>
I tried Caridina spp. "Amano" with a betta. He chased them around
relentessly, and finally killed them when they moulted. Not a good
combination.

--
Elaine T __
http://eethomp.com/fish.html <'__><
rec.aquaria.* FAQ http://faq.thekrib.com

[Dr Engelbert Buxbaum]

Elaine T wrote:


> I tried Caridina spp. "Amano" with a betta. He chased them around
> relentessly, and finally killed them when they moulted. Not a good
> combination.

Thanks, one error I don't need to make then. Shame though.

[Lord Don]

"Rod Bacon" > wrote in message
oups.com...
> Thanks for all the replies. I guess the answer is ... "I'd betta not".
>
> (Sorry)
>

just need a bigger shrimp. I have fanshrimps in most of my tanks and they
hide under driftwood when they moult. Doubt the babies survive long but the
adults are cool if they can bail to safety while soft

[Rod Bacon]

Thanks for all the replies. I guess the answer is ... "I'd betta not".

(Sorry)