Opinion on bettas in a community tank

What is your opinion on having a betta in a community tank? Would a male betta be compatible? What tank mates would be best, or just keep him in his 5 gal? There’s a lot of controversy on this topic but what is your opinion?

 

I'de like to try it eventually but my flow is a bit strong in my 20 long and 55 although all my tanks are heavily planted they are also well stocked and i'd worry about the betta being picked on if it decided to stay towards the top and also competing for food

 

Depends on tank size and the tank mates. As well as individual bettas. All mine have been in community tanks. Ember tetras are good, corys and kuhlis. BN plecos. I even have mine with shrimp, though that doesn't work out for most people it seems.

 

I think community tanks can be great with the ideal set up. No fin nipper, no fish with flowing fins, and no fish that can easily out compete the betta for food. Bottom dwellers work nicely, such as cory catfish. The key is to have them all at compatible temperature and PH ranges, as those are going to be important for long term health. And make sure to give your betta lots of places to hang up top. A few betta leaves of floating vines he can rest on/swI'm through. Maybe even a betta log. I have shrimp with my betta tanks and 3/4 (bettas) don't attack them.

Also I forgot to mention...Aqadvisor can be a nice tool for checking stocking levels, compatibility, ph range, and temp. Just google "aqadvisor stocking calculator". I always use it and then double/triple check the info it gave me with other sites (or use this forum!).

 

Also I forgot to mention...Aqadvisor can be a nice tool for checking stocking levels, compatibility, ph range, and temp. Just google "aqadvisor stocking calculator". I always use it and then double/triple check the info it gave me with other sites (or use this forum!).

Sounds great!

 

I have only had them all together so I have no idea how they act by themselves.

 

What is your opinion on having a betta in a community tank? Would a male betta be compatible? What tank mates would be best, or just keep him in his 5 gal? There’s a lot of controversy on this topic but what is your opinion?

I've had swords, mollys, platys, female guppys, oto's, and loaches in a community tank with male betta's at different times and never had even a hint of trouble. Never anything smaller than a 29 gallon tank though. I think anything smaller than a 20 gallon would be asking for trouble.

 

My Betta is with 6 Ember Tetra, 7 CPDs, 1 Guppy, 3 Small SAEs, 4 Ammano Shrimp and who knows how many Cherry shrimp. He's been there a few months now and it's been great. I feed a micro crumb for the nano's and sometimes crushed flake and I feed bug bites to the Betta and SAEs. I spot feed the Betta but I don't think it would matter with my stock I just like splashing the surface to get him to come

Edit: In a 33 gallon

 

What is your opinion on having a betta in a community tank? Would a male betta be compatible? What tank mates would be best, or just keep him in his 5 gal? There’s a lot of controversy on this topic but what is your opinion?

I have female bettas in my 75g, and they all get along very well, often hanging out together in a specific corner. There are cories, Glass catfish, Neons, Dojo loaches, Rasboras etc. I also have a powerhead that I run once a day for a few hours and even the girls get in on that action!!

I also have a male betta in a 20 gallon long tank with ADFs, cories, guppies, white cloud mtn minnows, etc. Never any problems there either. I don't use a powerhead in that tank because I think the ADFs wouldn't appreciate it much. I kept the male betta in a 5 gallon for a few weeks, but he just looked bored. So, I moved him to the 20 long. He's much more active in the 20 long, investigating the environment. And, the ADFs make the environment that much more fun!

 

I have a female in my community tank. She's so timid she didn't come out of the wisteria jungle to get food for the first two or three days.

 

Ehh I like mostly fish with attitude and bettas don't get along so well with those. Only commonly seen labyrinths they are compatible with are honeys (if the betta isn't overly aggressive and there is enough space for the honey to hide). They tend to clash with anything territorial as well.
Most other fish are fine, with the exception of some fancy male guppies that can fire up the competitive drive in some betta.
So basically cories, plecos, non-nippy tetras, most loaches that aren't too boisterous (or if there is a lot of space) - kuhlI in particular make nice tankmates, pencilfish, hatchetfish, gobies, rasboras, otos.

Some killis are actually fine too, some of the rare colourful fish with personalities that they tolerate, at least in my experience. I've kept A. gardnerI and A. australe in communities with bettas and that was fine even with more aggressive betta, though again make sure that they have enough scape and space to get away from each other if they want.