# Betta fish and something else...?



## wised (Oct 25, 2010)

Hi everyone i just got myself a 54 liter tank so far with 1 betta, no gravel , i have heater and no plants as of yet. I would like to get more colorful fish that work with the Betta or i will take the betta out and put him in my back in the 3 liter tank, or get a devider and leave the betta on one side and have what i want on the otherside.

I was thinking about ghost shrimp, Danio's, corie's, platies, tetras, apistos, barbs , Endlers and German blue rams..

I would like some help on if these are good choices or any good advice ..Thanks


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## redchigh (Jan 20, 2010)

Well, of the ones you listed, your best bet is the corys. The only other one that might work are the endlers... 

Everything else would have the possibility of picking on the betta or becoming food. If you go with the cories, use sand. The cories will sift through it.


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## small fry (Oct 14, 2010)

I recommend you take the betta and put it in the 3L tank. They do fine in smaller tanks and they like to live alone.

GBR is not a good idea for beginers (at all). They are very sensitive to fluctuating condtions and prefer relatively high tempretures.

Remember that danios, tetras, cories, and barbs are school fish, which means you need at least six of them (or 5 for the cories).

Apistos are expensive and they will attack any other fish you put in the tank, possibly to death. They are cichlid, and most cichlids don't play nicely.

Hope this helps!


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## Mrs Wise (Dec 4, 2010)

Putting the Betta in a 3 liter tank I dont think is a very good advice!!! Yes they can survice in small containers.. but they surly arent happy!!!!!

Coreys I think is the best bet...unlell you put in a devider and add guramies in the other end ;-)


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## small fry (Oct 14, 2010)

Make sure that you don't have the betta in the tank when/if you add a gourami! Bettas and Gouramis hate each other, being very closely related.

Bettas are perfectly happy in contains 1g+. They are happier with there own small space then with other fish, they like to live alone. They can breathe air directly from the surface, and in there natrual habitat, the didn't have that much space, either (or at least from what I have read).

i promise you, my betta was WAY happier when I took him out of my 10g with 3 other small fish and put him in his own 1g bowl. The bigger the better, but bettas do fine in 1 gallon of water if you keep up with the WC.


_(edit: I wouldn't recomend putting endlers with bettas. Bettas often kill guppies mistakeing them for other males. Endlers are smaller but I still wouldn't try it IMO)_


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## DanMarion (Apr 13, 2010)

I've had Ghost Shrimp and African Dwarf Frogs in with a male Betta before, and everyone got along famously.


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## small fry (Oct 14, 2010)

African Dwarf frogs and Bettas? You have never had problems? What size tank do you have? I might have to get me a ADF (BTW I just learned while I was typing what the common abr. ADF stands for)!


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## DanMarion (Apr 13, 2010)

I never had a problem. I had a male Betta, 5 ADF, and 10 or so Ghost Shrimp in a 10 Gallon. Keep in mind though, that the unique personality of the Betta will be the determining factor. Some of them are more tolerant of tankmates than others. I have found that the less the tankmate looks like a fish, the better your chances are.


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## Byron (Mar 7, 2009)

Agree, the individual Betta personality is quite variable from fish to fish. I always think it best to take the safest course of action, and a Betta is deserving of its own environment. Putting any fish (aside perhaps from substrate fish) in with a Betta can cause trouble, stress for the Betta or the other fish or both.

I agree that a 3 litre container [note smallfry, it was litre, not gallon as I suspect you were thinking] is inadequate. A small 2 gallon tank isn't very expensive, and this would serve the Betta nicely.

Dividing the other tank means creating less space for whatever else you put in the tank, which is a dis=service. Best to remove the Betta if other fish are added. And you have a lot of options in small fish that would be lovely and colourful in a planted aquarium.

Byron.


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