What, if anything, can I house with my male betta?

I have a male veil tail. I think he is more on the aggressive side. He flares at my nail polished finger and will attack anything I dip in the tank. He jumps at me when feeding. When I first got snails, he nipped at their antennae for a few days but then left them alone. I'm wondering if there are any other fish I can house with him so he's not so bored. He's in a 10 gallon tank.

 

I would definitely avoid putting any other fish or invertebrates with him. He won’t get bored, bettas quite enjoy their solitary lives

 

White cloud mountain minnows. They are really fast so he shouldn't be able to attack them

 

White cloud mountain minnows. They are really fast so he shouldn't be able to attack them

Their temperature needs are different though, and just because they are fast they would always be in a state of stress and that’s not good.

 

I would not put anything with him with how you describe him. Some bettas just aren't cut out for friends.

With a 10g tank tho you could divide the tank and get a second betta!

 

Nothing. The fact that your betta is aggressive and has even attacked snails shows that he shouldn't have any tank mates. He won't be bored if he is in a proper set up. You can do things that enrich him without risking another animal's life.

 

Despite their aggressive reputation Bettas are more likely to be bullied than to bully other fish so avoid anything that nip fins or gets to boisterous. I have a male betta in a 10G with 6 x-ray tetras. When I first added them he hid for a couple of weeks but now he's OK with them. Occasionally he flares at them but mainly he leaves them alone. Bettas are solitary fish so don't need company, adding more fish is for your benefit not his. I have found I have to feed Arnold ( my betta ) by hand because if I just sprinkle the food in the tank the tetras get it all first. Most small tetras would make good tankmates, a lot of people use neons or similar. Nerite snails are also a popular choice as they clean up any leftover food.

 

My betta Joey lives with 8 pygmy cories in a 10 gallon... but if yours is an aggressive type, I would be very cautious. I picked out a betta that was likely to be okay with other fish- I held him up to the guppy tank at the store and he was interested but not angry. However, he is SO HATEFUL to the thermometer and the filter, so if he didn't live so happily with the catfish I would definitely have called him an aggressive one. Maybe show him a video of fish and see how he reacts? And if you do decide to get him tankmates, take him out, rearrange the tank as much as possible, add the new fish, and then add him back in. That way it will feel less like they are invading his territory!

 

I personally wouldn't add anything. I agree if you want a second betta to do a divider and add a second one though.