Tell Me About Your Personal Success With Betta Tank Mates

[Leahpea]

HI everyone! I have a few bettas right now and planning on getting more, I really like seeing them in a community tank (obviously unless they are very aggressive).. I was wondering if anyone has kept something maybe out of ordinary with their betta? Just looking for some interesting possible tank mates besides the basic neon tetra, rasboras, snails etc.. I know some people say guppies are a no go but some people say they are fine... I personally haven’t tried has anyone else? Thanks for any input

 

[Fanatic]

I have kept male bettas with the tiny celestial pearl danios, and I don't recommend keeping the two together due to temperature incompatibilities, but I had no choice at the time while we waiting to rehome them.

There's nothing wrong with tank mates as long as you find suitable ones that meet betta temperature preferences, and that they aren't speedy and nippy fish, which can annoy and harm the betta.
If you do any tankmates, then I recommend ember tetras, chilI rasboras, glowlight tetras, or possible harlequins, but they aren't one of my prime picks.

However, you can keep bottom dwelling fish like cories or some plecos with bettas, as they are very unlikely to do anything to harm the betta, it would be the other way around in this case.
I have kept one of my old bettas with cories for a very short time, and I also know that my brother had his betta in a community tank with cories for many months, and it was perfectly fine.

Neon tetras are not temperature compatible with bettas, and I have said this many times before in the past, they require a bit cooler of water than bettas prefer, so they shouldn't be kept with bettas.

 

[WinterSoldier.]

I have kept a female betta with guppies, otos, platys, neons, shrimp, mollies, and snails. Never noticed any aggression

 

[JaksAquatics]

I have had a female betta with guppies

 

[Jacquilynn]

My tanks are smaller so I only tried ghost shrimp which died (my fault not the fish) except for 1 and idk what happened to him. My fish chased them around once in a while, but the last guy was fine alone for 3 weeks and went mia. He either got out or eaten.

It's mainly based on temperament and hard to say. Some do well with anything, some can't even have snails. Also the frogs I've heard both sides of it being good vs it can eat your betta.

I liked the look of glass/ghost catfish and was told they are compatible but needs a much bigger tank than what I currently have.

 

[dojafish]

I actually have a betta in a 55 gallon community tank with angels, diamond tetras, yellow phantom tetras, five band barbs, salt and pepper corys, praecox rainbows, whiptail cats, and some young grow out rainbow sharks. I had a black shark grow out a few months ago in there too. Starlord never likes the sharks though. He will chase them out of his territory behind the big rock on the right side of the tank lol.

He's been in there quite a while, a lot longer than I intended, but I haven't found the means to set up the 20 gallon long for him yet (I would have to cycle it too as I'm not sure if I have enough media to properly seed it right now). I had to majorly rearrange stocks in a makeshift manner in order to meet everyone's needs and avoid any out-competing issues, so he wound up in the 55g.

 

[david1978]

I have a bunch of betta in a 75. I went conservative on tank mates so I went with glowlight tetras, emerald green cories and 2 little common plecos that will need to be rehomed eventually if they ever decide to start growing.

 

[Leahpea]

I actually have a betta in a 55 gallon community tank with angels, diamond tetras, yellow phantom tetras, five band barbs, salt and pepper corys, praecox rainbows, whiptail cats, and some young grow out rainbow sharks. I had a black shark grow out a few months ago in there too. Starlord never likes the sharks though. He will chase them out of his territory behind the big rock on the right side of the tank lol.

He's been in there quite a while, a lot longer than I intended, but I haven't found the means to set up the 20 gallon long for him yet (I would have to cycle it too as I'm not sure if I have enough media to properly seed it right now). I had to majorly rearrange stocks in a makeshift manner in order to meet everyone's needs and avoid any out-competing issues, so he wound up in the 55g.

That’s seriously awesome!!

I have kept male bettas with the tiny celestial pearl danios, and I don't recommend keeping the two together due to temperature incompatibilities, but I had no choice at the time while we waiting to rehome them.

There's nothing wrong with tank mates as long as you find suitable ones that meet betta temperature preferences, and that they aren't speedy and nippy fish, which can annoy and harm the betta.
If you do any tankmates, then I recommend ember tetras, chilI rasboras, glowlight tetras, or possible harlequins, but they aren't one of my prime picks.

However, you can keep bottom dwelling fish like cories or some plecos with bettas, as they are very unlikely to do anything to harm the betta, it would be the other way around in this case.
I have kept one of my old bettas with cories for a very short time, and I also know that my brother had his betta in a community tank with cories for many months, and it was perfectly fine.

Neon tetras are not temperature compatible with bettas, and I have said this many times before in the past, they require a bit cooler of water than bettas prefer, so they shouldn't be kept with bettas.

I keep my tank at 78F ... is that not compatible in your opinion for both neons and betta? Bettas prefer 78-82F and tetras go anywhere from 70F to just about 80F

 

[Fanatic]

I keep my tank at 78F ... is that not compatible in your opinion for both neons and betta? Bettas prefer 78-82F and tetras go anywhere from 70F to just about 80F

Many people are going to tell you that neons are absolutely fine with bettas, and some are going to say the complete opposite.
I do not suggest neons only because they are best when kept at lower temperatures below 78F.

 

[david1978]

Typically you try to stay in the middle of a fish's temperature range.

 

[CanadianFishFan]

Ive done KuhlI Loaches and Guppys with both male and female bettas. My most aggressive male to other bettas didn't even chase or touch the guppies. But my female bettas can nip the guppies but ignore the kuhlis.

 

[RyanC14]

I've kept neon tetras, panda corys, ghost shrimp, amano shrimp, otos, and ADFs with them before.

 

[Platylover]

I've successfully kept some snails with bettas, but haven't gone beyond that. Never had the want to use a 20 long for a betta community when you can have fish just as enjoyable with more stocking options. So never tried any fish with a betta personally.

 

[Momgoose56]

Swordtails, Platys, Molly's, Otos, plecos, Loaches.

 

[CanadianFishFan]

Shrimp, snails, guppies and kuhlI loaches and other bettas (Female sorority )

 

[greengoddess]

Betta sorority in a planted 29 gal tall, with nerite snails, neons, s&p corys, albino corys. I keep it at the low end of betta temp to accommodate for the corys and neons. My male betta in a 10gal coexists peacefully with two nerites, and my remaining cherry shrimp (I've had amanos and ghosts, but I fear they escaped.) As many have said on here, key to putting anything in with bettas is lots of plants and other decor to break up lines of sight and to provide hiding places. An observation on snails with betta: any snail I've tried that has long eye tentacles gets blinded in short order by both my male and female bettas. They're either jealous of the snails' long flowy bits, or those bits are super tasty... Nerites have been fine though.

 

[Cazrea]

I have two bettas. Morrie has his own 10 gallon because he's very aggressive. He eats feeder shrimp if I put them, irregardless if they're adults. Clears them up within a day or two. I've also tried to put him in a cup to see if he'll get angry at guppies, and he did. Flared at them too much for me to be comfortable to try. He hasn't attacked the snails, so he has a few pond and ramshorns with him. Don't think I'll be putting any other fish with him, and moving him to a 7g soon as 12 x 12 x 12 tanks are perfect for what I want in the new house.

Charles is in a 35g with Corydoras, Guppies, Guppy Fry, RCS, and RCS Fry. No aggression, only to his reflection. He likes to follow guppies and cories, and sometimes poke at the RCS but even the RCS don't jump away from him anymore unless he's in their face. The RCS babies are big enough to fit in his mouth, and even when the guppies try (and sometimes successfully, the tank is heavily planted) to eat them, the betta hasn't. At least, not when I'm watching. He seems more interested in the guppy fry, but I have them in a small tub floating in the tank. I see him scope the tub, IDK if he's just curious or wants to eat them.