Can I put my betta in my aquarium?

Question

I have these fish in my 55 gallon tank:

2 gourmaris
2 silver platys
2 black platys
2 orange mollys
3 guppies
1 catfish

I would like to know if my betta can go in there...he is currently in a 2 1/2 gallon aquarium. I know that they're aggressive...but is that ok??

Answer 1

Hi!!

Yes you can, however the Betta is a fish that has a Labyrinth. They are found in little make shift pools of water in Thailand. I actually read somewhere that you can walk along a wet road and find little pools of water with a Betta possibly in some. The fish itself only lives up to 2 years and that's even considered luckly. The Labyrinth also works like an air sac, sort of like our lungs. If you watch your Betta carefully it should come up to the surface and literally gulp air. The Gourami's are also part of this group. Watch them and see. Unfortunately the Betta likes to sit near the top of the water surface or at the bottom of the bowl. That's one of the reasons they live in such small, confined spaces. If it sits near the bottom of a 55 gallon tank, it has a very large area to travel through to get a gulp of fresh air. Sort of like you having to walk up 3 flights of stairs to breathe. I personally would just leave it in the small aquarium. Now if you'd like to see some really "cool" display of colors get a divider and cut the 2 1/2 gallon tank in half. Go out and get another Betta, preferably a completely different color scheme and put it on the other side. They will constantly flash fins and gills at each other while putting on a vibrant show of color. Is there a filter in this tank? If so you can get away with a 10% water change every other week and not worry about where to put both fish to change the water. Remember, just as long as you keep both fish seperate no one will die. That's why they're also called "Siamese fighting fish". Now about your 55 gallon tank, you can actually have 1 inch of fish per 1 gallon, not counting their tails. I would look to make this a community tank with at least 2 dozen fish. One way of doing this is to add several shoals (5 fish) of different tetras. They will swim in colonies and sometimes a bunch of different types together. With the mollies, platys, and guppies you will have babies, that however is another adventure.......Hope this helps you out....Leo

Answer 2

I keep a betta in a 15 gallon with cory catfish and cardinal's without issues. In the past I've kept one with guppies too. That betta's can't live with other fish is a myth, a misunderstanding of their aggression, which is toward their own kind or similar looking fish.

It is also a myth that they need to breath oxygen from the air. They can, and this is how they survive in the wild when their waters are at their shallowest and most oxygen deprived, but they also breath through their gills like any other fish.

My tank is also well planted, which is important for a betta in a larger tank - they don't like open spaces much, but that doesn't mean they should be kept in a bowl, it means they should be kept in a planted tank, like their natural environment. - in a 55 gallon you wouldn't need the entire tank planted, but you would want a good portion of it to be. For betta's, this also includes floating plants.

My only concern with your tank is the Gourami's, because they are territorial, just like the betta. This means they might end up fighting over the tank. I wouldn't keep any territorial fish with the betta because it could cause problems, but in a big tank like that I would think there is enough room.

The main thing is simple - if you try it, keep a close eye on things. As long as you pay attention you can intervene should any problems show up.

Answer 3

Leave him in the 2 1/2 gallon aquarium. If you're looking for him to have a "friend", you can add an African dwarf frog. Male bettas are solitary. I have 2 bettas each in their own small tank. My 3rd betta is really ODD..he LIKES a bigger tank (most don't) and he is boss over a few platys and golden danios. There is no aggression.
Gouramis are anabantoids like bettas. They are much quicker and much more aggressive, of course depending on which gouramis you have (mine are blue). My betta did get his fins nipped so he went to a 10 gallon tank. When male bettas see fancy tailed guppies, they think they're other male bettas and will attack.
The last component is tank size. As you can tell by watching him in the 2 1/2 gallon, they patrol the entire tank. They can get exhausted (and then stressed) from trying to do this in a large tank. They're slower swimmers because of the flowing tails. They are not really fond of strong currents either so the hang on the top filters are not the best for them. They can also get tail shreddage from the suction of the filters in larger tanks.

Answer 4

I will give you my opinion from my experience that I have had with these beautiful fish. I have a 35 gallon tank and I have swordtails, cory cat fish, algae eater, Kissing fish, Tetra's, neon tetra's, dwarf rainbows, platy's, and barbs. I kept my male betta in there until I got 2 female betta's. I now have him in his own tank because of them breeding. But I had no problems at all with the male chasing other fish..not even the long sword tails. I'm not sure about the guppies. Good luck! I know my Betta loves the extra room and he is not aggressive at all to any other fish.

Answer 5

He should be fine with the platys, mollys, guppies and catfish my only concern would be if they are fancy male guppies he may think they are other Bettas and attack them. Also I don't know how well he will do with the gourmaris. Good luck if you decide to put him in the tank, pick a time when you can watch closely to make sure everything goes well and you can rescue the Betta if he gets in danger.

Answer 6

The use of plastic boxes that hang inside the aquarium are a suitable option for keeping more than one betta in a tank, or for keeping them in a tank with fish that might nip their fins. Females will generally not fight with each other, and may be kept in the same tank.

A male betta is generally characterized by his long flowing fins which over centuries have been breed to be quite spectacular and great in length. The male will often flare with his gills as an aggressive act towards other fish or activity outside of his tank. His body is often longer and bigger than a female.

Male bettas are aggressive towards each other and many other fish. It is best to keep them secluded from other fish on a regular basis and stick with tank mates such as snails. Male bettas often do not do well in community tanks because their long fins become the victim of nipping from other fish, as well as prevent bettas from being able to swim fast enough for a quick getaway. Also due to their fins, it's important to monitor the current in any tank to make sure it does not cause them too much effort or discomfort to maneuver through their environment.

A female betta is usually smaller than a male both in body and with shorter finnage. Females will be just as bright and vibrant in coloration as males. An ovipositor is the main indicator that a betta is a female. The ovipositor is a small white egg tube that protrudes from underside her body. In some cases it has been reported that young males have ovipositors although this is much less common.

Although often overlooked by some when purchasing bettas, females can be a real delight. They are often spunky and have even more personality to them than males. With their shorter fins, females will zip around their tank and are not as bothered by water current. Female bettas can be just as aggressive as the males at times though, so it's still important to monitor them if they are placed with other fish. They can be housed alone or with other female bettas in groups of three (3) or more. They will naturally form a pecking order and that is why keeping just two female bettas together usually does not have great results. Some people have had success keeping female bettas in community tanks of non-aggressive fish with plenty of room and hiding places.

Answer 7

Personally I wouldn't have gouramis and guppies in the same tank, the gouramis might eat them. Your betta is probably happy in his little aquarium having a betta-y time and may get stressed by putting him in the tank with all the other fish. Bettas aren't all that agressive if they're with other fish in large numbers, they only get aggressive if it's one or two other fishies. I'd leave your betta in his own tank unless you really need to.

Answer 8

bettas are usually fine to put in a tank with other fish. sometimes they will attack other fish that look like other male bettas.

put him in, keep an eye on him for a few hours and if he attacks, move him back out. but he should be fine. Make sure the PH level is the same as what he is in now or it could kill him.

most gouramis, however, arent very nice to other fish, but it depends on what type of gouramis you have. if they start to nip his tail, you will have to remove him.

.

Answer 9

I'm no expert, but I put a betta in a tank with a goldfish and he tore all the fins off of the goldfish! Poor fish was trying to wiggle around and swim with no fins! It was pathetic!

Answer 10

NO. in the beginning that tank is basically too small to place 3 betas in there in any respect! possibly extremely sufficiently enormous for one. Secondly, you are able to in no way keep lady and male betas at the same time interior the comparable fish tank, because of the fact the male will kill the ladies.. extraordinarily in one among those small tank, you're no longer no longer often giving them any area. in case you have an fairly super fish tank you ought to place them at the same time, i've got heard from different people who they do no longer hassle one yet another in the event that they have plenty of their very own territory. possibly 30+ gallons for 2 of them.