ss60w@sdcc7.ucsd.EDU (ss60w) (01/30/88)
Pardon me if this has been discussed before, but is it possible to have Bettas together in a tank with other freshwater tropical fish? I know they can't coexist with each other, but do they go after guppies, mollies, etc.?
csg@pyramid.pyramid.com (Carl S. Gutekunst) (02/02/88)
In article <986@sdcc7.ucsd.EDU> ss60w@sdcc7.ucsd.EDU (ss60w) writes: >...is it possible to have Bettas together in a tank with other freshwater >tropical fish? A qualified "yes." Most people I know who have kept one male betta in their community tank have been happy with it, and my books all say that they work out just fine. Others I know have reported disaster; in particular bettas seem to attack mollies consistently. On the other hand, the community tank may be harmful to the betta. They like water much warmer than most other popular fish; cold water makes them sluggish and less able to defend themselves. And their elaborate finnage and coloration makes them a target for other carnivores, particularly angelfish; they tend to get their fins shreaded, which invites desease. I've been keeping a small albino catfish with my betta, a relationship that worked out well after the initial pecking order was established (literally). <csg>
richard@gryphon.CTS.COM (Richard Sexton) (02/03/88)
In article <986@sdcc7.ucsd.EDU> ss60w@sdcc7.ucsd.EDU (ss60w) writes: > >Pardon me if this has been discussed before, but is it >possible to have Bettas together in a tank with other >freshwater tropical fish? I know they can't coexist with >each other, but do they go after guppies, mollies, etc.? Bettas are so slow and placid (except to each other) that they almost always get their fins chewed off. Especially by livebearers, barbs, tetras, cichlids, gobies.... Come to think of it, I cant think of too many fish that can resist the sight of a tasty morsal like a betta tail. -- "... Look out momma, 'cause I'm coming home tonight." richard@gryphon.CTS.COM {ihnp4!scgvaxd!cadovax, philabs!cadovax, codas!ddsw1} gryphon!richard
halo@cognos.uucp (Hal O'Connell) (02/08/88)
In article <986@sdcc7.ucsd.EDU> ss60w@sdcc7.ucsd.EDU (ss60w) writes: > >Pardon me if this has been discussed before, but is it >possible to have Bettas together in a tank with other >freshwater tropical fish? I know they can't coexist with >each other, but do they go after guppies, mollies, etc.? I don't remember seeing it, and I've been an avid reader since the newsgroups inception (although I don't date back to the rec.* days). Besides, I can't see any reason for you to not ask, even if it had been previously discussed. This seems to be a newsgroup which does a very good job of sharing, rather than getting into vituperant discussions and nitpicking. Hat's off to everyone... I usually maintain a male (and I assume you mean male) Betta in my community aquarium, side by side with everything from angel fish, to neons, to guppies (in abundance, I was breeding them for a local club). Usually it was the Betta that came out on the short end of a confrontation, since it is a VERY slow swimmer. Other fish would occassionally nip fins, and Betta fins are an attractive target. You can keep multiple female Bettas in the same tank, even with a male Betta, but the male will tend to harrass the females, so if you aren't trying to breed them it isn't a good idea. And if you are trying to breed them keeping the females apart until they are ready to breed is a good plan. Please don't ask me to expand on this, Bettas are one of the few Anabantids I haven't seen bred successfully. -- Hal O'Connell decvax!utzoo!dciem!nrcaer!cognos!halo Cognos Incorporated P.O. Box 9707 (613) 738-1440 3755 Riverside Dr. Ottawa, Ontario, CANADA, K1G 3Z4