B. Splendens Compatibility

I just decided to make a little sheet that had, commonly sold, easy to care for and cheap compatible fish for bettas
if anyone has any corrections on this, please comment and ill edit it

Remember that each Betta is different and has a different personality, maiming that there tolerance for tank mates will differe depending one the individual betta. This guide is a general pointer for all bettas, but the majority of Bettas are territorial and should be added last to the tank so they don't claim any territory, when they claim territory, it's THEIRS. Not any body else's. So you would want to add the fish first so the Betta accepts them because he hasn't established a territory yet

generally compatible fish for bettas

Name-minimum tank size-minimum group
Ember tetras--------10 gallons----------six
Habrosus cories--------10 gallons----------six
hastatus cories------10 gallons-------------six
Von-rio tetras-------------15 gallons---------ideally 7 or more
Pristilla tetras------------10 gallons-----------six
Head and light tetras----10-------------------six
Cherry barbs----------15 gallons----------------six
Neon tetras-------------10 gallons------------ Six
Neons tetras can be a bit nippy when kept in small numbers so you would need atleast 6 to house them properly with a Betta. The same goes for other species of tetras, the minimum number can vary though.
galaxy rasboras------------10 gallons-----------Six
panda and pygmy cories------10 gallons-----------Six
most other cories-----------15-20 gallons -----Six
harlequin rasbora -----------10 gallons---------Six
non fancy female guppies------10 gallons ------- Three
endlers livebearers------------10gallons---------Three
zebra danios-----------------3.5 foot tank-------Six
Bristle nose plecos---2.5 foot tank, 20 gallon---One
Bushy nose plecos-------------2.5 foot tank------One
non colorful platies------------10 gallons---------Three
rummy nose tetras------------15 gallons-----------Six
glo light tetras----------------10 gallons----------Six
cardinal tetras----------------15 gallons----------Six
X ray tetras-------------------10 gallons----------Six
"feeder guppies"---------------10 gallons-----------Three
KhulI loaches------------------2 foot tank--------Six
Scissor tail rasboras-------------10 gallons----------Six
Otos---------------------------10 gallons---------3 - 4
Bloodfin tetras-------------------15 gallons-------- Six
Rasbora Brigittae-----------------5 gallons----------Six
Black neon tetras------------------15 gallons-------six
Yoyo loaches

Shrimp that are compatible with bettas

Ghost shrimp---------------------2.5 gallons --------one
Amano shrimp-------------------2.5 gallons----------one
Cherry shrimp-------------------2.5 gallons---------one
and a little note about shrimp, they are a hit and miss, some bettas are fine with shrimp and some aren't but all of my bettas have been fine with shrimp that are over 1 inch. I would suggest that a well planted tank with lots of cover should be used when having small ghost shrimp or cherry shrimp

Snails that are compatible with bettas

Apple snails------------------10 gallons-----------one
Ramshorn snails------------5 gallons---------one
Malaysian trumpet snails---2.5 gallons--------one
Pond snails--------------------2.5 gallons---------one
Nerite snails------------------5 gallons----------one
Snails are a hit and miss too with bettas some will tolerate them but some will chop their feelers off


sometimes compatible fish with bettas

Name - Minimum tank size-minimum group

male, and female Fancy guppies----------10 gallons-----------three
Sparkling gouramis------------------------10 gallons----------one
bright and colorful platies----------------10 gallons-----------three
Black widow tetras----------------------20 gallons------------Eight to not be as nippy
sword tails----------------------------2 ft. Tank------------Three
Mollies-------------------------------25 gallons ----------3
Lyre tail guppies-----------------------10 gallons-------------Three

Fish that are rarely compatible with bettas

Including information regarding minimum group and tank size for this part of the list would most likely encourage people to further on and try the compatibilities which I wouldn't recommend.

Serpae tetras
other bettas. Unless you are attempting a breeding situation or it's in a sorority if females. Both situations require lots of research. You will soon find out that both situations can also be very risky aswell
SA cichlids
NW cichlids
Dwarf gouramis
Tiger barbs
Honey gouramis
Angel fish
Honey gouramis
BoesemanI rainbows
Red tailed sharks
Any type of crayfish with claws over half an inch


Hope this helped!

 

I think this is a bit of a dangerous proposition, in my idea. I think there are more bettas that don't tolerate community settings than there are bettas who do. I would put a caveat at the beginning stating that you should have a backup plan (IE another heated, filtered, cycled tank) for the betta should things go awry.

I'm no expert, but a few things that caught my eye:
1. Zebra danios / glofish are known for being nippy and shouldn't be kept with long finned fish such as bettas.
2. BN plecos need more space than a 2.5 food tank can provide, in my opinion. Also, the volume is important in addition to footprint, because plecos are huge waste producers and need a lot of water to dilute the waste.
3. I think ghost shrimp are pretty iffy. If they're too small, the betta will eat them; if they're too big, they'll nip holes in the betta's fins (see the recent thread posted about this very issue).
4. Gouramis (including sparkling gouramis, which are even similar shapes as bettas, thus making the problem worse) should never be kept with bettas because as they are both anabantoids, males will fight each other upon sight.
5. Swords can be nippy as well, from what I've read.

I think this is too much of an "it depends" issue, and it's hard to make a cookie-cutter list. I have a snail with my betta, but my mom's betta doesn't even tolerate her snail! If he's on the glass, the betta will constantly flare at it and rub against it.

However, there are of course people who have successfully kept bettas in community tanks. I'm just worried that if someone sees this list, they may not fully understand how risky it can be. I read a thread in which someone described having a betta in a community tank with no problems for upwards of four months, then woke up to a beaten-up betta, who ended up dying a few days later. Bettas are solitary creatures by nature, and would be alone in the wild except during mating season, so keeping them by themselves is simply mimicking their natural habitat.



Sorry if that sounds a little disorganized.. but just my two cents.

 

Thank you! I wil request that this list be deleted due to the amount of misinformation

Also, I will not remove sparkiling gouramis from the sometimes compatible, I've kept 5 different bettas with sparkling gouramis, all of which have never had issues with them, they will not automatically fight on sight, sparkling gouramis are very small. So there is always a fifty, fifty chance of them working out

 

That's a pretty comprehensive list.

How many of the fish listed have you kept with bettas or kept at all.
I'm curious as to where you got the information.

 

Almost all exept the rare ones, mollies, and some tetras

 

I sure wouldn't put any Endlers with my Bettas. It was a good attempt but there are far too many variables. Not all Bettas will react the same, I've heard of many bettas murdering mystery snails. Also, bloodfin tetras are evil fin nippers! lol

I think most bettas are better off by themselves. There most certainly are ones that get along fine with tank mates but there is always risk when introducing them to other fish.

 

I bet my betta would get along with a lot of fish; he pretty much keeps to himself and doesn't notice the nerite in there. But my mom's betta would probably attack anything, as he has a serious dislike for her snail.

I think (as Cichlidnut) said is that this situation is just too variable. I would hate for someone to read this list and think "oh boy, I'd love to have some of those fish with my betta," go out and buy some, and then wake up one morning to deaths in their tank.

 

I just want to agree with the others. It's always "hit or miss" when putting bettas into a community tank, no matter the size. Although I definitely appreciate the amount of time and effort you obviously put into this list, I don't think it's a good idea to put it out there. But thanks for trying so hard.

Just edited to add: I don't agree with about 1/2 of your tank size recommendations for the various species so that, too, could've posed a problem going forward.

 

I think this list is a bad idea.

I appreciate your hard work. But at the same time, anyone who needs to look up a list of compatible fish shouldn't keep anything with a betta. Those that are more experienced will know better.

And gouramis shouldn't be kept with bettas. I'd be interested to know how long those setups lasted with no agression, and how long the fish lived.