Betta fish?

Question

I want to get a betta and I would be putting it in a large cage for a betta. Most likely a 29 gallon. If my dad let's me get one, what fish can I pit in the tank with it? Other betta? Gold fish?

Answer 1

Arggh, response after ignorant response. There are so many false myths it makes me sick.

Myth # 1: They are fighting fish and will kill anything you put with them. WRONG! Betta's are mainly aggressive toward their own kind, fish that look like themselves, or flashy fish with long fins. Every now and then there is an unusually aggressive betta, but it's not common.

Myth # 2: They drown in larger tanks. WRONG! True, Betta's can breath oxygen from the air. They also have GILLS, to breath oxygen from WATER. They also know how to SWIM to get to the top. A 29 gallon is not too big.

Myth # 3: They need to be kept in small bowls because they come from puddles in the wild. WRONG! They come from large expanses of heavily planted waters and their security comes not from keeping them in a tiny bowl, but by keeping them in a proper tank with lots of plants, just like in nature.

Take your tank. Set it up with lots of plants, a filter, and a heater. Add tankmates like peaceful tetras or rasbora's, shrimp, corydora catfish... that type of thing. Avoid flashy fish like gouramis or it will draw aggression from the betta. Avoid nippy fish like barbs and serpae tetras or they may shred your bettas fins. Avoid Territorial fish like cichlids and some algae eaters or they will fight with the betta over space.

Your fish will do better then in any bowl, and he'll be active rather then float around in a cup doing nothing all his life, and the water will be properly filtered and heated, and can be properly maintained.

I keep a betta in a planted 15 gallon tank with cardinal tetras and corydora catfish. He is 3 years old and doing well, and very active. I've seen betta's successfully kept in tanks as large as 55 gallons.

P.S. sorry about the abruptness, but common... really.

Answer 2

100% agree with Ghapy's, just wanted to add a few things...

do NOT put a male with any other bettas, a few people have said males can be kept with females, but they should only be kept together during breeding. females may be kept together in groups of three or larger. so if you want multiple bettas get females. female are NOT dull and ugly, they are just as colorful as the males, just with shorter fins.

no goldfish. goldfish are cold water fish and produce too much waste.

an apple or mystery snail is a good addition to your tank for algae control, just remember to provide it with a slice of fresh veggies once a week and adding a bit of liquid calcium once or twice a month is good too.

along with the tankmates Ghapy suggested I also suggest mollies, platies, and if you have a mellower bettas even fancy guppies. most bettas are getting more and more tame so they fight less and less. this doesn't mean you should keep them with other bettas, but it does allow you a larger selection because most bettas will only fight with other bettas not colorful or fancy tailed fish. however that is a usually, you're always taking a chance with fish that have long fins or resemble a betta.

good luck, and I'm glad you're giving a betta a nice big home!

Answer 3

No gold fish as they are cold water fish and Betta's are Tropical fish you can put any tropical fish in except guppies or any other fish which tail resembles that of a Betta's. you can keep snails in with him too they eat the leftover food.
Give the other fish heaps of hiding spots as the Betta will chase them even if they get along. Neon's will work but feed your Betta the correct amount of food or it will simply munch on your neon's.

Good luck if you get your Betta fish if you want get females instead as they have heap funny personalities and characters.

and remember to choose carefully dont pic a fish that looks lame or even half alive and dont pay over $10 for a veil tail they are only worth $8.

Answer 4

Okay, it is called a "tank", not a "cage". If you want a 29 gallon tank with a Betta, your options are small because Bettas attack any fish that look like Bettas, so no fish with long fins, and especially, no other Bettas. Don't get aggressive fish that will attack the Betta because Bettas are actually quite timid. Go with one male Betta, 15 Cardinal Tetras, and 4 Corry Cats. You could also add 3 Yo-yo Loaches if you want (not Clown Loaches, Clowns get 12 inches long, which is too big for your tank). This site will be very helpful for starting a fish tank (http://www.firsttankguide.net/). Good luck!

Nosoop4u

Answer 5

Kudos for choosing a large tank for your betta!! Bettas need a lot of room to move around. And if taken care of properly, they live for quite a while. My betta died at the ripe old age of 4! You can set up a community tank. Some neon tetras would look really pretty in the tank with your betta.

Answer 6

Myths myths and MORE myths about this species of fish. Betta are peaceful community fish. They only attack other Betta's and fish with flowing fins such as guppies. I have swordtails, neon tetras, bleeding heart tetras, dwarf rainbowfish, platies, corydoras, barbs, and they are all in with my male Betta in a 36 gallon tank.
Goldfish like some others expalined are not a good match for a tropical tank. They need cooler water to thrive in.

Answer 7

I have two beautiful Bettas only 1 in each of my 10 gallon heated tanks they are super beautiful fish and really don't need any other tank mates because the Betta would probably kill 'em and you can NEVER place two Bettas together. :) And a 29 gallon for just a little Betta is way too big, a 10 gallon would be great though or little Betta bowls. :) Good luck!

Answer 8

Male bettas are very aggressive and should usually only be kept with more than one or two FEMALE bettas (some people may have been able to get them to cohabitate with other fish, but I never could). Female bettas can get along with all kinds of other fish, they are much less aggressive but also less colorful.

A 29 gallon tank is completely unneccessary (they can live in puddles, but I wouldn't suggest testing it out), though they do prefer something larger than the typical fishbowl you recieve them in at a pet store.

Answer 9

One beta per tank, male or female. Most other fish will harass the the slow and methodical beta fish, they are not great swimmers, and prefer very little current, they are labyrinth fish so they breath air, and can live in some pretty horrid conditions, despite popular opinion, they should have filtration and they should not be subjected to lower temperatures than normal room temperature. They are extremely territorial, and will kill other beta fish, yes even having a female in there is dangerous, particularly for her. If you want to see them breed (which sometimes results in the female's death) only put the female in for the purpose of breeding, then remove her, but that's another subject. A 29 gallon tank is a little large for the betta, but he/she will most likely be very happy and healthy, just add some floating plants for him to hang out in.

Answer 10

A large cage, Its called a fish tank, Anyway, No you cannot put another betta in, Nor a goldfish, Non-aggrseive fish can be put in with it,