He eats both pelleted and tropical flakes, and has about 6 plants in there with him. I would like a tankmate that would pretty much have the same requiements. Any suggestions?
2006-09-10 15:49:08 · 6 answers · asked by pinacoladasundae 3 in Pets ➔ Fish
none..... a betta is a solitary fish....
the males ( the pretty ones )....will kill anything and each other.......
2006-09-10 15:51:13 · answer #1 · answered by Campbell Gramma 5 · 0⤊ 3⤋
Each betta is different... a betta's tankmates depends greatly on its personality. :)
Some possible tankmates you might want to look into:
ghost shrimp--these small scavengers are fun to watch skid around, and since they're extremely inexpensive (ten to twenty cents a shrimp), it doesn't hurt your wallet if your betta decides to munch on one or one dies during a molt.
snails--always the perfect companion, you can get different species that will either eat algae, fish poo, or the plants themselves. Some species, like the Malaysian trumpet snails, will only be visible at night, but will do an excellent job munching away on away fish wastes that your plants don't get.
african dwarf frog--this frog is different from the african clawed frog in that it remains small enough to keep in a tank. When purchasing a frog, check to make sure that it doesn't have black claws and has webbing between its toes. The problem with dwarf frogs is that it takes them a while to find their food, so you might wind up having to set their food right in front of them so the betta doesn't eat it.
I wouldn't recommend fish for a five gallon tank, since it's so small that he would take out his aggression on them. If you ever decide to upgrade to a ten gallon tank, you could get a trio of cory cats (coryodoras) or three or four white cloud minnows.
2006-09-10 15:59:56 · answer #2 · answered by Cranky 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋
cat fish work good I have had a few in the tank with them. Other fish I have had are gold fish they pretty much ignore the Betta while at first it tries to boss it around then realizes the gold fish could care less. I also think you can put some various tropical fish in with them like my friend had like some neons and what are those striped fish dollar fish? I am sure your pet store can tell you along with some web sites online. We use to keep them in a tank with other fish and a few females so that the male did not chase one female to death. Have to get not aggressive females though. Plants help for the female to hide in. Also remember for fresh water it is one gallon per one inch of fish no more. Also in setting up a tank take time to add to the tank along with use caution in introducing new to keep the new one isolated awhile to see if it has a disease before introducing it to your tank.
2006-09-10 15:52:54 · answer #3 · answered by Faerieeeiren 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Tankmates for Bettas
The first thing to consider is your tank space. Never overstock, and never try to house fish in a tank they'd be miserable in. If a fish is happier in schools, obviously you would not want to condem it to a little 2 gallon tank.
The second thing to keep in mind is that some fish that don't get along well together due to temperment. For bettas, you don't want certain types of fish as tankmates: bettas are fiercely aggressive with each other, but are sometimes even timid in a community tank. Fin nipping fish like some barbs or some tetras will bite their long, flowing finnage. Others like cherry barbs are suitable, though.
Another thing sometimes overlooked that you should consider when looking for tankmates is the type of water that each fish requires. You should do some research on the species of fish in question to find out its specific needs, then see if they match up. This is very important to the longterm health of your fish!
That being said, here are some types of fish that would be suitable with a betta:
- white cloud minnow
- tetras
- danios
- angelfish
- livebearers *except mollies, which benefit from brackish water
I also don't know that I'd put a betta in with fancy guppies, as it might confuse them with another betta.
- rasboras
As far as tankmate bottom feeders go, plecos, loaches or catfish are suitable. Corydoras (cory cats) are a common favorite. I enjoy Khuli loaches, although they are sometimes hard to care for. There's also a black Khuli loach, by the way.
The bottom line is that the best tankmate depends on the temperment of your betta. It may get along fine with one type fish, but another person's won't. Keep an eye on tankmates and be prepared to seperate if there are trouble signs (fish who are injured, stressed, hiding, chasing or harassing, etc).
If you're playing with dangerous combinations you may think things appear fine, but one day you may wake up to a nasty surprise such as dead tankmates. "Everything was just fine, until he started attacking." Some combinations just weren't meant to be! Respect that even if things appear fine at first, and as always, just keep an eye out for troubles with your tankmates.
Don't get me wrong - I don't mean to scare you away from tankmates. Bettas can be just fine as community fish. You just have to remember a few guidelines to make it successful for both you and the fish. Good luck with it!
2006-09-10 15:51:27 · answer #4 · answered by rita_alabama 6 · 3⤊ 0⤋
i had a african dwarf frog for that lived in harmony with a male betta for many years in a small bowl
2006-09-10 22:21:41 · answer #5 · answered by sean s 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
please check out these two sites
the forum: http://www.forumsvibe.com/betta/index.php?mforum=betta
Betta chris betta site: www.freewebs.com/bettachris/
He is more than happy to answer any questions. Just go to the forum and post your questions.
2006-09-11 14:46:38 · answer #6 · answered by ballerina_kim 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋