Beta Update

I had to remove my female betta from my community tank. She was always harrassing the other fish, mostly the platys and algae eater. I found a cute gallon size plastic brandy glass at walmart, put in gravel a few plastic plants, and she seems to love it in there all by herself. She spreads her fins more now that she's got the whole bowl to herself. I also took one of those book reading lights and clipped it to the rI'm of the bowl. I turn it on at night is it's soo cute.

 

a betta won't do well in a gallon size anything for long. it is not a good idea to have them in anything that is not heated and filtered. you will find you will soon not have a betta at all. They are tropical fish and have to be treated as such. They really need to have 5 gallons of water to live in. They are sometimes contrary with other fish especially if the other fish are added after the betta has been allowed to establish his territory in the tank. You have to remember, the betta has been by himself in a tiny jar almost all the time since he was born. No other fish of any kind around. He is not used to other fish and does not know how to "play nice" on top of being naturally curious because he does not know what they are. Also he will not tolerate anything with long fins because they are thought of as other male bettas. I am sorry to be the bearer of bad tidings, but just because a betta can survive in something for a SHORT time does not mean he will last in there and you will lose a valuable fish and in fact be very cruel to him.

Welcome to Fishlore. I hate starting a relationship with such a post, but I am devoted to having the best conditions for bettas, not just what they can get by with and I am afraid your situation doesn't meet either of those conditions. This is really a very friendly forum and the people are great and try very hard to be helpful. I hope you stick around.

Rose

 

Rose question for you.. Is it a good idea to add a Betta to a tank that already has a Dalmatian molly and a guppy? How compatable is Betta with these fishes ?

 

I was gonna buy the betta its own little betta bowl like they have in walmart, but they were so small, I figured it would do better in the one gallon bowl. I thought they didn't need heaters and filtration. I read they breathe from the surface. Should I get her her own regular fish tank with heat and filtration? I don't want to lose her, but I've already lost several fish because of her. Please help me out with this!

 

a betta won't do well in a gallon size anything for long.  it is not a good idea to have them in anything that is not heated and filtered.  you will find you will soon not have a betta at all.  They are tropical fish and have to be treated as such.  They really need to have 5 gallons of water to live in.  They are sometimes contrary with other fish especially if the other fish are added after the betta has been allowed to establish his territory in the tank.  You have to remember, the betta has been by himself in a tiny jar almost all the time since he was born.  No other fish of any kind around.  He is not used to other fish and does not know how to "play nice" on top of being naturally curious because he does not know what they are.  Also he will not tolerate anything with long fins because they are thought of as other male bettas.  I am sorry to be the bearer of bad tidings, but just because a betta can survive in something for a SHORT time does not mean he will last in there and you will lose a valuable fish and in fact be very cruel to him.

Welcome to Fishlore.  I hate starting a relationship with such a post, but I am devoted to having the best conditions for bettas, not just what they can get by with and I am afraid your situation doesn't meet either of those conditions.  This is really a very friendly forum and the people are great and try very hard to be helpful.  I hope you stick around. 

Rose

Maybe you already know this but you said he alot, its a female

 

Yes, please do buy a separate heated, filtered, and lighted tank of at least 5 gallons for your betta. Keep the temp at around 80 F. But remember to take the transition from cool to warm slowly. And make sure to monitor the tank carefully while it's cycling.

Parvath, male Bettas are not compatible with Guppies because they mistake them for another Betta with their colorful, long fins. A female Betta might work.

And one more thing, don't turn on a light at night. Fish need to sleep too! But do leave it on for at least 12 hours during the day. If fish do not get enough light, they will not be able to make enough...uh, I'm pretty sure it's Vitamin D, but anyway it's an important vitamin. Did I get that right Rose?

 

yes that is right, and no I did not catch the female betta part. it does not change the betta requirements though. it is very surprising to find a female that is that aggressive though. usually they are quite docile and get along well within a community tank.

As far as mollies and guppies go with bettas, I would say that any fish with longish fins is not a good idea with a betta. they mistake them for another betta and the war is on. it is the best course of caution to avoid the problem than to take the chance.

Rose

 

it is very surprising to find a female that is that aggressive though. usually they are quite docile and get along well within a community tank.

Yes, exactly what I was thinking! I hope my future female Bettas get along better in a community. Was your Betta, by any chance, the first one added to the tank? If so, maybe she established it as her territory and so she did not act nicely toward the other "intruders."
Yeah, I wouldn't risk any gender of Bettas with livebearers. I said "might" because if you had a good-tempered female and other fish who did not feel inclined to nip at the Betta's fins, then it might work. But like Rose said I wouldn't chance it.

 

After consideration to what chickadee said, I decided to put Miss Beta back in the community tank. I had added 3 mollies the day I took her out. After returning her to the community tank the next day, ( I checked the water temp in the bowl I had her in the next morning, and you were right, she did need a heater) The new black male molly kept swimming up to her and rubbing along side of her kinda sideways like he was trying to push her to the top. I think adding her back in after the new mollies worked because she didn't feel like she was the queen of the tank anymore. I hated seeing the male molly push her around like that though. A few hours later she was back to her old self though. Queen of the tank! But she's not being aggressive to much. She had took a chunk of of my platy's tail fin though before I took her out. I made sure I had all passive fish, 1 grown platy, 2 babies in a breeding net, 3 corys, 2 guppys (and she doesn't even bother them) and now 3 mollies. I'm thinking of getting a larger tank.

Oh, and about the comment of when the betta was added. She was added after the corys, platys, but before the guppies and mollies.

Thanks for all the wonderful advice.

I can't wait to let the little ones out of the breeding net, into the tank so they can interact with the other fish, that should be interesting.