Community betta

[Altum]

I took a chance and added a young, blue betta to my little community
tank two days ago. I never know what to expect but things are going
well. The betta flared and lunged at the rasboras a bit, but they're
already adept at dodging cichlids so they shoaled up and swam away.
Oddly, the angel and bolvan ram left the betta alone even though
they're always quarreling over territory and chasing the SAE around the
tank. I was worried about the angel, but bettas must be the wrong
shape and color.

The betta likes to hang deep in the plants where the current is broken
by the leaves so I mostly see him when he goes up for air. He's eating
some flakes - a pleasant surprise - but I'm sure he'll gorge on
bloodworm days. I'm amazed at how flashy he is under the lights. My
attempts to add bettas to community tanks rarely work out this well (I
usually have to rescue something) so I'm pleased.

[IDzine01]

Keep an eye on the betta as well as the other fish. Bettas, with their
fragile finnage, sometimes end up as the victims.

[Liz McGuire]

Altum,

FWIW, I recently (3-4 weeks ago?) put a betta into a community tank
with rasboras, neons, otos and cories. Originally, he would flare
occasionally and lunge at the other fish, but didn't stand a chance of
catching them, but he's gotten much stronger and therefore faster (and
maybe a little sneakier) and once in a while he manages to bump into
someone (usually an oto while it's hanging on the glass). I haven't
seen any signs of physical injury, so I think everyone else is still
fast enough and maybe he just wants to "herd" them rather than
actually injure them, but you should keep an eye on yours in case...

Since you have other larger fish, yours may never get so bold, but I
would expect him to get stronger over time, so keep an eye on things.

Liz


Altum wrote:
>
> I took a chance and added a young, blue betta to my little community
> tank two days ago. I never know what to expect but things are going
> well. The betta flared and lunged at the rasboras a bit, but they're
> already adept at dodging cichlids so they shoaled up and swam away.
> Oddly, the angel and bolvan ram left the betta alone even though
> they're always quarreling over territory and chasing the SAE around the
> tank. I was worried about the angel, but bettas must be the wrong
> shape and color.
>
> The betta likes to hang deep in the plants where the current is broken
> by the leaves so I mostly see him when he goes up for air. He's eating
> some flakes - a pleasant surprise - but I'm sure he'll gorge on
> bloodworm days. I'm amazed at how flashy he is under the lights. My
> attempts to add bettas to community tanks rarely work out this well (I
> usually have to rescue something) so I'm pleased.

[Altum]

IDzine01 wrote:
> Keep an eye on the betta as well as the other fish. Bettas, with their
> fragile finnage, sometimes end up as the victims.

Oh, yes. I'll never forget adding a red betta to a community tank and
then hurridly rescuing him from the shoal of suddenly fin-nipping
cardinals.

[Altum]

Liz McGuire wrote:
> Altum,
>
> FWIW, I recently (3-4 weeks ago?) put a betta into a community tank
> with rasboras, neons, otos and cories. Originally, he would flare
> occasionally and lunge at the other fish, but didn't stand a chance of
> catching them, but he's gotten much stronger and therefore faster (and
> maybe a little sneakier) and once in a while he manages to bump into
> someone (usually an oto while it's hanging on the glass). I haven't
> seen any signs of physical injury, so I think everyone else is still
> fast enough and maybe he just wants to "herd" them rather than
> actually injure them, but you should keep an eye on yours in case...
>
> Since you have other larger fish, yours may never get so bold, but I
> would expect him to get stronger over time, so keep an eye on things.

Thanks. I do have otos in the tank. I always keep an eye on my tanks
so hopefully I'll notice anything underhanded that the betta tries.
;-)

[Gail Futoran]

"Tynk" > wrote in message
ups.com...
>
[snip]>
> I've on many occasions have kept a school of Neons in with several male
> Bettas over the years. I currently have a male living with 9 younger
> Neons until I move them.
> I've never noticed the Neons goiong after a Betta's fins. I wonder if
> this is specific to Cardinals. I think of them as the same fish, just
> different colors.
> The worst thing I've seen Neons do is bicker between themselves for
> territory and dominance.
> What are the Cardinals doing that's different? I've never kept them,
> just Neons so I have no experience of my own.
> A side not about male Betta that has the company of 9 Neons at the
> moment was ticked off so much when they were first added. He was used
> to taking his sweet time eating his food.
> Now.......
> The Neons turns into something that can only be described as a shark
> feeding frenzy.
> And boy are those little buggers fast.
> It was so funny to watch the Betta's reaction after the first and
> second feedings.
> (I ended up having to hand feed him so he got some food, so no worries)
> He just sat at the surface looking around, turning his head back and
> forth, as if he were saying.. What the heck! Where's all the food?
> He quickly learned he has to gobble. I've now also seen him several
> times taking food from a Neons mouth that snatched it from him.
> Most of the time they completely ignore each other. However, there are
> times during the day that the Betta will heard them out of a certain
> area in the tank. Not one of the Neons has a bit if fin damage. They
> have pretty delicate fins so he's not doing any damage to them.
> He's been a bit cranky to share is pad, (some don't mind a bit, some
> do..that's just Bettas) and he only has to wait a little longer until
> they're out of there and into their own home.

I was glad to read that. I added a female Betta
to a tank with adult Neon tetras (and other fish). I
noticed some competition around feeding time but
hadn't noticed any fin nipping, in either direction. :)

Gail

[Altum]

Tynk wrote:
> Altum wrote:
> > Oh, yes. I'll never forget adding a red betta to a community tank and

> I've never noticed the Neons goiong after a Betta's fins. I wonder if
> this is specific to Cardinals. I think of them as the same fish, just
> different colors.
> The worst thing I've seen Neons do is bicker between themselves for
> territory and dominance.
> What are the Cardinals doing that's different? I've never kept them,
> just Neons so I have no experience of my own.

I've never talked to anyone else with a shoal of "killer cardinals." I
wouldn't have believed it myself except that it was happening right in
front of me. I don't know whether the fin nipping would have
eventually settled down - I wasn't risking the betta's health to find
out. Later, I put a cambodian red female betta in the tank and she did
fine.

I don't think of neons and cardinals as similar any more than neons and
glowlights. The colors are similar but IME cardinals are shyer, more
sensitive to water conditions, grow larger, and are very fond of live
food (probably because many are wild-caught). They also have different
susceptibility to diseases. You could compare cardinals to wild bettas
and neons to "Betta splendens."