I recently added my betta fish to my larger community fish tank. The betta seems to be chasing and nipping at all of the other fish. Is this normal? Or should I put him back in a tank by himself?
2006-11-26 09:44:11 · 14 answers · asked by little_billy 1 in Pets ➔ Fish
Bettas can be housed in a community aquarium, sometimes. They will get territorial with other fish that have long fins or look sufficiently like other male bettas (such as goldfish, guppies, lyretail mollies, angelfish, etc). If you have some 'finny' fish in your tank, then you should probably remove the betta.
They also do not like high current, so if you have several filters, or air pumps, or schools of highly active fish such as danios, your betta probably isn't too impressed.
However, he might just be feeling ornery. Give him a few days to settle down and see how it goes. Many bettas can be housed just fine in community aquariums but some just won't take to it and require their own tanks.
If you want to help out your betta, you can add some more plants (floating ones, too) to provide shade and cover for him if he's feeling stressed. You can also add a dried sweet almond leaf (e-bay has some). It taints the water very slightly brownish, and also has antibacterial properties, making all the fish, bettas included, feel more comfortable.
You may hear that bettas are solitary fish and kill all other fish. This isn't true. In the wild, they have their own territories which they will defend fiercly, but rarely will they fight to the death, even if another male intrudes. However, constant 'invasion of his territory' will cause undue stress, resulting in sickness and eventually death. Give him some time to see if he will settle down into his own territory, which he very well may, provided you don't have any innapropriate fish (the aforementioned long-finned fish, or the highly active schooling fish) or a high current.
2006-11-26 10:10:48 · answer #1 · answered by Zoe 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
They can. Sometimes though other fish will pick on them, ripping their fins apart. Sometimes the betta gets ornerie and will pick on the other fish in the tank. You just have to moniter the situation closely. I once had a betta that did well with two guppies. After two months, the betta killed the guppies. Always keep an eye out. But then again, I have had a betta in a different tank with no problems his whole life. One peice of advice though: make sure the ph and temp requirements of the betta is similar to that of the other fish. I didn't know that when I was doing it!
kokosgoldfish.com is a great site. The have a forum there just for bettas. You have to become a member (free) and go into the general goldfish discussion forum. scroll all the way to the bottom of that page, and you will see a jump to forum bar. Go into the betta forum and ask away! :)
2006-11-26 09:50:18 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Get community fish who don't have long, flowing fins and they probably won't be bothered. Also, try to put the other fish in first, let them get settled, and then add the betta. The more aggressive fish should always go in the tank last. Also, I've heard that a lot of people have had problems with keeping bettas with gouramis, so that's something you'd want to consider.
2016-05-23 05:44:12 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
The betta fish will be fine if there are places for fish to hide and there aren't many fish in the tank. If you have a 30 gallon tank there should maybe be only 12 fish and it should be ok. Also make sure you don't have any fish with flowing fins are bright colors. If you just have tetras and barbs then it will be ok. But if you have clown loaches and guppies then your betta will start attacking and will kill the fish.
2006-11-26 13:04:46 · answer #4 · answered by SED757 2 · 1⤊ 1⤋
They do well in tanks of their own no smallr than a gallon, not tiny little bowls like people think. bettas can do fine in community tank if te conditions are right. what type of fish are in the tank? are they agressive fish? are htey big fish? do they have fancy fins? you should also check into what their ammonia levels are and such, bettas have a very love tolerance for ammonia.
2006-11-26 12:06:12 · answer #5 · answered by Kylie Anne 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Yes this is normal! And yes you should put him back in his old aquarium! Bettas are very aggressive period. They are especially aggressive toward other males ones. Not so much toward female ones, but its still cautioned! Some times a betta will be fine in a community tank with bigger fish, but its still cautioned! After all they were originally bred to fight!
2006-11-26 10:34:22 · answer #6 · answered by ziddyziddy 3 · 0⤊ 2⤋
Bettas tend to be aggressive. Mine are by themselves and thriving. Good luck.
2006-11-26 10:50:46 · answer #7 · answered by firestarter 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Beta, also known as the dragon fish are extremely aggressive, and will eat each other or any other fish alive.The fish is fine , that is how he is supposed to act.Separate him from the others.I learned my lesson a few years ago!!!!!!!
2006-11-26 10:35:56 · answer #8 · answered by libbybean 3 · 0⤊ 3⤋
they aren't sopposed to be with any other fish, they are in their own bowl at the fishstore for a reason. If you did that because you thought it looked lonely, they do slow down when they are older, but it should be in its own tank.
2006-11-26 10:25:35 · answer #9 · answered by skigrrrrl 3 · 0⤊ 3⤋
No because it will think that that fish is in it's territory so then it will frill it's fins and attack with warning. You can see the frills if you put a mirror in front of it.
2006-11-26 09:48:28 · answer #10 · answered by pokelove9 1 · 0⤊ 3⤋