Male Betta, Neon Tetras and Otocinclus?

Question

I have a male betta in a ten gallon tank with a filter and a heater; fake plants and a stump with holes swim through. I want two know if this is a good combo:

- 1 male Betta (Of course!)
- 5-6 Neon Tetras
- 2-3 Otocinclus

My questions are:

- Is this a good combo?
- Will the tetras nip bettas fins?
- Will the betta eat tetras?
- Will otos work with tetras and bettas?
- Are ottos hard to care for?
- How do I feed otos?
- Will neons share betta food or do I have to buy more food for the tetras?

Also my betta attacks his tank sometimes [his reflection I guess] so I put paper on the back and on the right side. He still fights the walls with the paper and he fight the walls without also.

- What can I do about that?
- Will he eventually give up?


Thanks! Answer all my questions thouroughly and I will give you best answer!!

Answer 1

Okay, right through we go!

1. This is a great combo. Very simple, sensible for the size of the tank, and very calm tankmates.

2. The tetras should leave him alone. If they don't, add more plants for him to hide in.

3. The betta should be pretty calm towards them, as they have short fins and aren't too flashy.

4. The otos should leave everyone alone.

5. I have never taken care of them, but I have become interested in them, and from the research I have done, I would say that they are pretty hardy fish that don't require many special conditions.

6. Otos will clean the algae off of the tank, but they will clean it quickly, so you will have to supplement their diet with algae flakes and other sinking fish foods. I've read that they love cucumbers, and will eat them voraciously.

7. For the neons you will need tropical fish food, which is geared more toward their needs. I realize this is a lot of food to use at once, but each of the kinds of fish have specific dietary needs.

8. Male bettas are agressive toward other male bettas, this is normal behaviour which is, in fact, healthy for him. When he finally stops "flaring", he believes that he has won his battle, and comes out fully excercised both physically and mentally. I use a mirror by the side of my tank to achieve the same goal.

9. If he gives up this behaviour, try using a mirror. If he refuses to react to this, then you should actually be worried.


It sounds like you have a great tank planned out, but if I could make one suggestion it would be to swap the otos for a group of cories. Corydoras are great little fish that grow to be just a little smaller than the otos, they look cooler (at least IMO), and they do the same cleanup jobs as otos. I have had cories before, and I plan to get more in a little while.

Answer 2

That combo will work fine, but just be aware that neons and otos tend to be delicate and you have to be diligent about maintaining your water quality. Also, otos require a certain type of algae. If you have none in your tank, make sure you provide them with algae pellets.

You will need separate food for the neons, since betta pellets are too big for them to swallow.

Make sure your tank is fully cycled and established before adding the neons or otos. 1 betta, 6 neons and 2 otos should be a decent combo, as long as you have good filtration and keep up with your partial water changes.

Your betta may or may not stop attacking his reflection--it's a pretty normal thing for bettas to do. He may eventually realize the "other fish" can't enter his territory and settle down. Make sure there's nothing outside his tank that he's reacting to, such as anything bright or shiny.

Answer 3

Yes, I think this is a fine setup as long as you can keep your water parameters stable. The betta and neons should leave each other alone. Bettas tend to go after fish with long, flowing fins - which the neons do not have. Keeping the neons in a full school will also help keep things friendly.

As for the otos, I think it is best to keep them in a larger tank because they are very sensitive to water changes. There can be a lot of fluctuation in a 10 gallon. I wouldn't recommend anything smaller than a 30 gallon for them. For this reason it's also best to add them to an established tank, nothing newer than six months old. It is really up to you if you want to risk it. If you have faith in your ability to keep your water stable then I would go for it. Otos will eat any food their tankmates miss and also like sinking pellets and an occasional algae wafer.

Neons and bettas are not picky when it comes to food. Both will take flake, frozen and small pellets readily. I would get a good quality flake for the neons and keep using your normal betta food. They will most likely share whatever food you give them.

Your betta will probably stop attacking the walls once he gets some tankmates. I think they do this when they are bored. I would not worry about it. The fact that he is active instead of sulking at the bottom of the tank is a good thing.

Answer 4

Neon tetras are generally mild, but do have a reputation to nip at fins from time to time. I think it's a 50/50 chance. They should eat betta food just fine. The Otocinclus should be just fine with either of the other two. Here's a site all about them: http://www.otocinclus.com

Answer 5

I think Clinton just about nailed it. Ottos are hardy little buggers once they get established, but they're hard to establish. There really isn't much need for them if you're taking care of your tank and you may be better served with a small breed of pleco (like a bushy nose or clown or something) if you're worried about the algae. Corydoas are awesome little catfish that will work well in your tank to. Just make sure the tetras don't bully the betta out of his food and you'll be fine. You may want to feed them at different times with different foods (TetraMin and Betta Bites)

Here's a Betta link for ya!
http://www.bettatalk.com/food.htm

Neons are picky abotu their water quality, so be sure to keep up with your water changes and stuff!

Great job on your tank set up

Answer 6

1- It's an OK combo,not great.
2- No,not Neons.
3- No,they're too fast.
4- Probably,but water changes are the way to deal with algae.
5- No.
6- Algae discs,and/or plant foods like zucchini or spinach.
7- Buy more food,some Bettas won't eat Betta food.
8- Don't worry,he won't hurt himself.
9- Probably not.

Answer 7

1. Combo is ok. Maybe only 2 otos for tank of this size, else not enough algae to eat. Get a larger tank & you can include a few corydoras and another group of a different tetra.

2. Neon tetras generally do not nip fins much. Other tetras like serpae & barbs like tigers are far worse.

3. Bettas do not eat tetras. He may occasionally dart at them to show his macho side but should not overly harass them. But be more vigilant in the initial few days & be prepared to remove either the betta or the tetras if you've a more aggressive betta or the neons gang up to nip the betta.

4. Otos are fine with most fish, but should be in a mature tank as they can be sensitive to poor water quality. Other fish will ignore them and they live peacefully with a few otos together. They'll eat algae off practically any surface including plant leaves, and only touch other fish food if there's no algae. If not enough algae, throw in an algae wafer every few days. When cleaning algae off the tank walls, don't scrape all of it off. Once otos are established & happy, they are pretty much self sufficient & quite easy to care for.

5. If the betta is eating round pellets, the neons may be unable to get those into their mouths and such pellets don't disintegrate so easily. Flakes may be acceptable to both parties. With any new fish, sometimes you just have to try out a few options before settling on food that each type of fish will accept. For new picky eaters, not feeding them so quickly may encourage them to feed when you do provide food.

5. For the betta, he may still be seeing reflections despite you papering up certain sides (which is still a good move). Suggest also papering the left side and ensure the papering is smooth ie. no air bubbles which he might attack. Also consider moving the tank to a different location, which may eliminate or reduce those reflections. For that reason the tank should also not be next to windows & exposed to direct sunlight. The only main lighting should be the tank lighting shining straight down, which will minimise reflections off the inner tank walls. May just need to experiment & observe the betta's behavior, once ok stop and the betta should settle down soon. Another thought is that if you are using a light colored gravel or those fake painted colored gravel with glossy surfaces, the tank lighting may be reflecting off the gravel into the betta's eyes or causing reflections off the tank walls.

Hope the above helps.

Answer 8

I think the Betta will be fine in his territory all alone.