Starting a community aquarium with my male betta!?

Question

Right now I have a 10 gallon cycling for my betta. He's been living in a crappy 1-1.5 gallon tank for a couple of months now and I've decided to move him into a 10 gallon. I want to house him with other fish though. What do you think of this set-up?

1 Male Betta
Harlequin Rasboras (I know they like to school so how many?)
Hatchets (They school too, so how many?)
Mollies (how many?)
3-4 Cory cats
6 bleeding heart tetras or 6 royal black emperor tetras

Any suggestions would be appreciated or if you have a completely different setup that you think would work better, let me know. I'm just trying to get fish that are compatible with my betta and fish that I don't already have. I have another 10 gallon community that houses 3 cories, 4 neon tetras, 3 oto cats, and 1 dwarf gourami. So I tried to come up with a different setup.

Answer 1

I would avoid the Hatchet Fish as they are very active top dwellers and could really annoy the Betta over time (by darting around in "his space"). Also, Mollies will get about 3 inches long and breed like rats, so maybe one male Molly. A 10 gallon tank isn't really enough room for two schools (Rasboras and Tetras), so I would suggest that you pick one, and get a nice school of it. My stocking suggestions are as follows:

1 Betta
6 Harlequin Rasboras OR Bleeding Heart Tetras OR Royal Black Emperor Tetras
1 male Molly
4 Cory Cats

The Molly will do its own thing, the Cories will stick to the bottom, the Rasboras or Tetras will stay in the middle, and the Betta will mostly hover at the surface.

Soop Nazi

Answer 2

Ignore people who follow myths instead of truths. Betta's like closed spaces - this means properly planted tanks, not stale, unfiltered bowls. Betta's are interesting, active fish, in a properly decorated tank. Betta's are generally only aggressive toward their own kind, or other flashy, territorial fish. They can make for peaceful community fish. No fish likes dirty water - that's just moronic. Betta fish have gills like all fish, and they don't 'need shallow water' or 'drown in large tanks'.

Your plan sounds solid, here's my recommendations:

1. Go just one species of schooling fish, your list is very overcrowded and this is bad for two reasons - the first is simply that an overstocked tank is harder to keep clean and stable then an understocked tank. The second is that your betta will be much more happy if he isn't crammed in with so many fish - he should have some space. 6 is a good number for the schooling fish you choose. (Make it your choice, but be careful with hatchets, they are best in larger tanks).

2. 3-4 corydora's are perfect - and are a perfect fit to this tank.

3. Your 6 schoolers, plus your cory's, plus your betta will fill this tank. You'll see.

4. Set up the tank and cycle it properly, and leave your betta in his little tank until the other fish have been introduced. By adding him last he'll be less likely to show aggression toward the other fish.

5. Don't forget plants. Betta's love plants in tanks - it gives mimics their natural environment and gives them security and encourages roaming and activity since they can't see all th way across the tank. All the fish on your list benefit from plants. (real is best, but fake ones are fine)

Answer 3

Tapping the glass is purely stressing out your fish. it particularly is genuinely making the Betta extra in all probability to flow after different fish. you are able to not prepare your Betta to stay in an area tank. some Betta fish are purely too aggressive for community tanks, and this would't get replaced. in the experience that your fish has been interior the community tank for a week or extra and continues to be attempting to combat the different fish, you would be able to desire to cut up him. it particularly is as a rule a count of success. you want a marginally calm Betta with the intention to place them in an area tank. you in addition to would would desire to comprehend what forms of fish a Betta can superb stay with.

Answer 4

I had my betta in a one gallon tank before I moved him into my ten gallon with fish similar to the ones you listed. He did fine and I think he was much happier there. You can usually tell within the first couple of minutes if you should keep him in there or not. If he starts to attack the others immediately, then you should keep him by himself.

Answer 5

Sorry, but male bettas do not go with other fish- they will kill them. You will end up with 1 male betta, and a bunch of dead fish. I thought I could get around it and put a male betta in with 3- 7" goldfish in a 20 gallon tank. By morning, all 3 goldfish were dead.

Bettas are used to smaller areas- in the wild they live in rice paddies 4-6" deep and have their own little highly guarded territory in there.

Answer 6

OK, you too I see. I answered another guy about his Betta. First that fish is better off living in a small bowl. About a quart of water at best. Plus that fish requires a very shallow container. And don't change the water. Running a filter is not in the best interest of the fish (Betta). Bettas love their water dirty. And Bettas are loners.

Answer 7

you can NOT put a beta in with any fish not even another beta. betas do fine in smaller tanks and do not need a filter system. if you want to start a community aquarium get tropical fish, like barbs & mollies