Anyone know from experience any of the following tropical fish listed here that are not safe with a Betta?

Question

I have been doing research on the internet trying to find a combanation of fish and what knots that can be put into my 55 gallon tank with my betta. I know everyone thinks that a betta cannot get along with other fish, but I've read that all of the following can be housed with him:
Amano Shrimp, Apple Snails, Bards, Cory Catrfish, Danios, Gouramis, Guppies, Hatchets, Loaches, Minnows, Mollies, Mystry Snails, Platies, Plecos, Rasboras, Sharks, Suckermouth Catfish, Tetras and can be surrounded by Freshwater Plants.
The research I have come acrossed states that all that was listed above can be put into a tank and live peacefully amoungst one another.
I've read on some sites "not to put" bards, danios, guppies, rasboras and sharks in a tank with a betta, but other sites state "it's fine".
Does anyone know from "experience" any of what I've listed in this details space not to be safe" with a betta?

Answer 1

From experience, only one that fits in your first list and that's a type of barb, the tigers. I tried it with a large group of young tiger barbs for a day... the experiment lasted about 2 hours before the Betta was getting beaten up pretty badly. Even in a large group, tigers are in my experience not safe with Bettas. Most of the others you list I can say from experience are fine with a Betta. I wouldn't even begin to try it with most fish sold as "sharks". That's just silly.

MM

Answer 2

The actual list is a follows for betta tank mates:
Corydoras Catfish, Danios, Guppies, Hatchets, Loaches, Minnows, Mollies, Platys, Plecostomus, Rasboras, Suckermouth Catfish, Swordtails and Tetras.

Caution should be taken into consideration for the following:
Bettas love to eat shrimp. I lost four that I once had as algae eaters since Plecostomus require a 40 gallon tank because of the great size they can reach. When it comes to Guppies, I would use caution as bettas attack fish with flashy fins. The fins of the Guppy confuse the betta into making it think that they are a threat. Anytime that you add a betta as a showcase fish for a community tank, you should add the betta male last to keep it from being too territorial as it would if you added it to the tank first.

Answer 3

Well, bettas tend to vary in temperament, depending on the individual. Some bettas are pretty docile, and will tolerate all kinds of tankmates, but others are more aggressive and will beat up anything that enters its tank.

This is the reason for a lot of conflicting information about compatible tankmates for a betta.

In my personal experience, all the fish you mentioned should be fine except:

1. The tiger barbs, gouramis and "sharks". I'm pretty sure these are just out of the question, due to their aggressive nature.

2. The tetras and guppies. These are a little iffy - they tend to form the "grey area" where compatibility is concerned. They work for some people, and not for others. Some say the tetras nip at the slower-moving betta's tail; others say the colourful fins of guppies cause the betta to mistake them for other bettas.

Answer 4

I wouldn't put them with tiger barbs either, they are very nippy and could potentially tear a betta up. I would skip the gourami's too, sometimes they play nice, but they are similar enough to a betta to cause problems. I have a rainbow shark that I would put with a betta. He is all show and only chases other fish, if the fish doesn't run away when he dashes at them, he will just move on to something else. He only dashes at bottom dwelling cichlids like rams and geophagus, and never does any harm. Completely peaceful with the angel fish, various tetras, corydoras, rasboras, and otocinclus.

Answer 5

Out of experience, they shouldnt be put with tiger barbs and male guppies because the fins of a male guppy is to fancy, and tiger barbs are to nippy

If you are planning on getting a female, you can actually consider to buy 3 females, they get along just fine
But don't buy 2males OR 1male&1female, they will kill each other
But it's proven that females can live together

With the list you actually added pretty much everything that gets along with a betta

Personally I would also stay away from the gouramis


Hope that helps
Good luck



EB

Answer 6

I've had most of the fish on your list with a Betta without any problems.

Answer 7

beta's are great fish but I wouldn't put fish of the simular size in with them. I have had a variety of simular size fish and the beta's killed them all. All 33 and I had 1 male 2 female. Eventually the female killed the male as well. They are hard headed but beautiful.

Answer 8

from expereance i would not keep them with guppys.. had a nice male betta torn to shreds. left with no fins or tail left to swim with.

Answer 9

ive had tetras with betas and red tail sharks angel fish platties betas are fine with fish that are not betas