While betta fish are often perceived as solo living fish, they can often have other tank mates living in the aquarium. There are actually quite a few betta tank mates that live together peacefully.
If you are considering creating a community tank with betta fish, it may be preferrable to keep female betta fish with tank mates. Female bettas are generally less aggressive than males, and can make better companions in a tank. When considering compatible betta fish tank mates.
It is important to thoroughly research tank mates to ensure your betta fish and other fish are living comfortably in their community tank.
Different Tank Mates for the Betta Fish
Betta fish and Goldfish
Goldfish and betta fish are both popular fish among aquarists. Because of this, people may be wondering if these two fish can live together in a community tank. Goldfish and siamese fighting fish should not live together, however, due to many differences in their living conditions.
These two fish prefer different water temperatures, with goldfish favoring a cooler tank than what betta fish require. Betta fish are tropical fish, and need to be kept in a slightly warmer environment to replicate their natural habitat.
Betta fish and goldfish have different diet needs. Goldfish are omnivores, while betta fish are carnivores. Goldfish are known to eat anything that is put in front of them, which could lead them to eat the bettas food. This could cause aggression in the tank.
Goldfish also can become nippy at other fish’s fins, which can be detrimental to a betta fish. Fin nipping from the goldfish, coupled with the fact that bettas tend to be more aggressive, could lead to fights within the aquarium.
Goldfish also produce a lot of waste and create large amounts of ammonia. Without frequent water changes, the ammonia can cause ammonia poisoning in betta fish. However, frequent water changes can stress out a betta fish.
Betta fish and Neon Tetra
Neon tetras can be potential tank mates with betta fish, but there are a few things to consider before putting these fish together.
Having neon tetras and betta fish in a community tank would require a larger tank, preferably a twenty gallon tank.
Neon tetras are schooling fish, and prefer to live in groups of at least ten.
Both of these fish can live together with a temperature of around 78-80°F and a pH of 7.
While neon tetras can be fin nippers, they typically prefer to swim around the middle of the tank. Betta fish tend to swim more around the top. With adequate space in the tank, betta fish and neon tetra can happily be good tank mates.
Neon tetras don’t have any special tank requirements, and can live happily in similar environments to betta fish. It is important to have a larger tank for the two types of fish to be tank mates – ideally 15 to 20 gallons.
All things considered, neon tetras can be a good choice for a community tank mates to live with betta fish.
Betta fish and Shrimp
Betta fish can generally live with shrimp! This does depend on how peaceful of a betta fish you have, and which shrimp you include in the aquarium.
Betta fish can be aggressive fish, so it is important to have the tank set up for shrimp and betta fish to be tank mates. This would include having many hiding places for the fish. Include real plants in the tank – this serves as both a hiding place, as well as a snack for the shrimp.
It is also important to consider the water temperature and pH levels in your tank when introducing new tank mates.
Ghost shrimp
Ghost shrimp and betta fish can be great tank mates. Ghost shrimp grow to be about one inch in length, and live for about one year.
Ghost shrimp tend to keep to themselves in the tank. This is important when considering betta fish tank mates.
Betta fish will likely not eat ghost shrimp because of their size. Betta fish may, however, eat the smaller ghost shrimp babies. There aren’t any prevention methods for this, but it is safe for the betta fish to eat the baby shrimp.
Ghost shrimp can live in a range of pH levels and temperatures, so generally they are okay with the same tank parameters as your betta fish.
Cherry shrimp
Cherry shrimp are also good tank mates for a betta fish. Females grow up to one inch, while males are usually smaller. Because of this, it is preferred to keep the females as tank mates with your betta fish.
Cherry shrimp are a great addition to your tank for many reasons. They are algae eaters and help keep the tank environment clean.
Even though cherry shrimp are a bit smaller than ghost shrimp, the bettas will typically leave them alone. Bettas can sometimes go for the males and babies, but having a bigger tank will ensure there is adequate space for all fish to live together.
To keep betta fish and cherry shrimp as tank mates, it is recommended to have a pH of about 6.8 – 7.
Betta fish and Cory Catfish
Cory catfish can be betta fish tank mates. Cory catfish are a peaceful fish that get along in a community tank quite well. It is recommend, however, that you ensure your betta is a peaceful fish before introducing a cory catfish as a tank mate.
Cory catfish are generally very hardy, robust fish. They grow to be one to four inches in length, and are bottom dwellers in the tank.
They can live in a range of pH levels and temperatures, and usually live healthy lives for about five years. Cory catfish require low nitrate levels in order to remain healthy.
To keep cory catfish and betta fish together, a pH level of 7 is ideal. Cory catfish like a temperature of 70-78°F, and betta fish prefer 78-80°F, so a temperature of 78°F will be great for both tank mates.
Betta fish and Guppies
Betta fish and guppies can be tank mates, but there are a few things to consider before creating a community betta tank with these two fish.
Guppies grow to be about two inches in length, and live for around one to three years.
Pairing female bettas with female guppies is the best chance of having these fish as tank mates. Female bettas are less agressive than males bettas, and get along best with female guppies.
Pairing male bettas with male guppies would likely result in aggressive behaviour from the betta, and could end in death for the guppies. This is because the bright colors and flowing tails of the male guppies cause the male bettas to feel territorial.
Male bettas with female guppies could be an okay combination in a community tank, but if the female guppies are too brightly colored, it could trigger agreesion from your male betta fish.
Female bettas and male guppies should not be together in the same tank because the guppies may try to breed with the female bettas, resulting in the female bettas attacking the male guppies.
Guppies can live in a range of pH levels and temperature that fit with the needs of a betta fish. Guppies like to swim around the middle to the top of the tank. They prefer planted tanks, so they have many spaces to hide.
Betta fish and Snails
Snails can be good tank mates with your betta fish! As long as the snails are big enough, your siamese fighting fish likely won’t even realize the snails are there.
Most snails are great for keeping your tank clean. Snails like mystery snails, apple snails, and turret snails are a great addition to your larger tank.
Mystery snails are one of the most popular snails to keep in your community tank. This is because they are great algae eaters, but do not eat the live plants in the tank. Mystery snails grow to be about two inches in length, and live for around one year.
Apple snails grow to about two to three inches. They can start to feed on real plants in the tank, so it may be best to have fake plants if this starts to happen.
Turret snails grow to be about half an inch in length, which is on the smaller side, but still large enough that they are not going to be eaten by your betta fish. These snails have a tendency to reproduce rather quickly, especially in an environment where there is a lot to eat. If this happens, there may be an overpopulation problem with not enough food available for them. This could cause an increase in ammonia in the tank and be detrimental to the other fish in the tank.
There are many other types of snails that can be kept as betta fish tank mates, such as Japanese trapdoor snails, pond snails, and ramshore snails.
Betta fish and African Dwarf Frogs
An African dwarf frog can be a good addition to a betta tank, as long as your betta fish is a relatively peaceful fish.
African dwarf frogs are fairly small frogs, growing to be around three inches maximum. They like to live with company, so make sure to get at least two of these frogs for your tank.
Both of these creatures can live in similar tank conditions, and make for playful tank mates. It is important to keep an eye when you first introduce these two, to make sure they get along.
If your betta fish is more aggressive, they may not be the best tank mates with an African Dwarf frog. You could consider using a tank divider if this is the case.
Conclusion
Many different tank mates are able to be part of a community tank with a betta fish. Ensuring you pick the right tank mates to add to your betta tank is crucial for the health of all fish in the tank.
