What are some good tankmates for a betta?

Question

I have a betta in a 5 U.S gallons

Answer 1

A tankmate for your betta:

should not look closely like the betta or have long, flashy fins - this will attract attention from it.

should not be known for nipping, since bettas have such long fins and are slow movers. Most barbs are not good, or feisty tetras like serpaes or black widows.

Should not be territorial, like cichlids, gouramis, or chinese algae eaters.

Otherwise your options are wide open, (Betta's, despite reputation, only go after their own kind or similar looking fish), but they must stay very small since your tank is very small. Corydora catfish, small tetras like cardinal or glowlight, or small sized rasboras, those african frogs, perhaps a couple of oto catfish once your tank is more mature and stable. Not all of these types, of course, but a couple of them. Remember to keep schooling fish like corys, tetras, and rasboras in schools (for example you could fit a trio of cats and a school of 4 or so cardinals)

Also make sure you have plants (fake is fine) since bettas and all the fish that go with them take security in them. They will also help keep them more active.

As mentioned above a betta can get a little hostile if he's already been in the tank. This can be easily overcome by removing the betta to another container, redecorating, adding some of the new fish, and then re-introducing the betta.

I keep my betta with a group of cory cats, a group of cardinals, and a couple of amano shrimp. Although it is a 15 gallon, the betta poses no problem for any of his tankmaes (the setup is over 3 years old).

Answer 2

5 gallons is a great size for a betta and some tankmates. Contrary to what other people may tell you, a female betta (or any kind of betta) is one of the worst things to put inside a tank with a male one. Some people have said such a set-up has worked for them for a week or a couple of months, but I have never heard of female and male bettas living together peacefully for more than six months.

The basic rule when choosing tankmates for male bettas is: nothing brightly coloured that could cause your betta to mistake them for other bettas. This means no barbs, guppies, gouramis, mollies - you get the idea. Small fish that nip like neon tetras are also not recommended (although some people have had success with tetras and bettas).

African Dwarf Frogs make good tankmates for bettas. Having one frog and one betta in a 5 gallon tank would be just right. (Make sure it's not an African Clawed Frog! It will eat your fish). If you prefer fish, White Mountain Cloud Minnows do well with bettas, as do cory catfish and (I think) plecos.

However, whatever tankmate you choose, I do recommend you be prepared for your betta to be hostile. If the tankmate is of a suitable species, there probably won't be any problems. But anything can happen: different bettas have different temperaments. Furthermore, I've read that bettas don't like new fish introduced into their tanks after they've already marked it out as their own territory, which is why most people set up their tankmates first and put in the bettas last. In the end, it's all very dependent on your individual betta. So keep an extra tank/container out just in case your betta gets unfriendly.

Good luck!

Answer 3

This is not a problem!
If your tank has filteration and a heater you can add any tropical fish but without long fins such as: guppies this is because the bettas will rip the fins of and also NEVER add a male betta with another male or they will just try to kill one another- but a female and male betta could be an option but will probably need to be sepertaed later on in the betta cycle.

Answer 4

5 gallons is not bad for your betta. yes all fishes stated above are good ones... community tank... but i would like you to know that (if im in your shoes) i won't risk placing other fishes... that's the irony when it comes to siamese betta fighting fishes... they nip other fishes' fins... as a matter of fact they even attack their female counterparts.. they only have the behavior of having a company when it's time for them to spawn. as what i am doing, i really separate my female bettas in separate tanks then if the male shows signs of fertility, (so as the females), i would put them in a 5 gallon tank for spawning. but after that, they all remain in different tanks...

enjoy and good luck...

Answer 5

Only get a female betta if you want them to have babies. 5 gallon is still quite small if anything i would get a cory cat as they stay relatively small if not i have had mine with mollies, gouramis, anything small that wont eat him or that nip their fins, e.g angels or knifefish. maybe a loach of some sort but they prefer to stay in groups and your tank is too small for that. go and have a look round your pet store and make sure you tell them how big your tank is and how big your fish will grow!!!

Answer 6

You can put in an African dwarf frog, a cory or oto, hillstream loach, and other small fish of different colours. No gouramis, absolutely.Female bettas are pretty good too.

Answer 7

Thats small. The best thing for a male betta is a few females, 1 female is not enough. He will chase her down for sex and annoy her she will not be happy, if you get 3 or 4 females he will tire himself out by chasing all of them, and will constantly be displaying his beautiful fins. Space and hiding places will be needed, and a tank of about 2foot x 1foot x 1foot minumum. Check out my other answers please, i have kept betta splendens and bred them for 12 years.

Answer 8

Get it 4 Neon Tetras to hang with. It will not be aggressive towards these fish because they do not have long fins. Make sure your tank has a filter and heater, if not, no fish will be able to survive except your Betta.

Nosoop4u

Answer 9

You can add a couple cory catfish or dwarf frogs -- but they do better in groups, and that is a small tank. It is FANTASTIC that you have your betta in that, since most people put them in far smaller, but what you can also do is buy some beautiful plants and that will make him healthy and beautiful. good luck!

Answer 10

If it's a male beta , it will attack other male betas [also known as Chinese fighting fish]...I was told at the fish store, where I bought my beta, that a female beta would be ok.