Bringing Betta Buddies By

[Bettacouple]

Hey all. The wife and I have slowly been cobbling together a little home for the Betta fish. We just can't seem to leave him alone and keep adding things. We went from a 1.5 gallon tank almost immediately to a 10 gallon tank. We've added some fake plants here and there, and a large rock or two.

After about a week, he was looking lonesome in the tank so we thought about getting Neon Tetras. We were a bit concerned about how he'd do with other fish. A number of people here recommended snails, so we hit up the local store and purchased three. We thought they were Zebra Snails (they had stripes!) but on getting home and doing the diligence we probably should've done BEFORE buying them, we discovered we were the proud owner of three adult Ramshorn Snails.

Our Betta (the Highlander) darted around them a few times like he was inspecting them, then promptly ignored them from then on and ever since. The snails climb all over the place and haven't seemed to prove a nuisance, even when they climb very close to the Highlander.

Today we decided to go ahead on the Neon Tetra. We hit up our pet store and bought eight of them. We adjusted the fake plants in the tank so there'd be ample hiding spots and introduced them. The Highlander chases them off if they swim too close to him but otherwise has picked random corners to go sulk in. The Tetras are dancing around the whole tank excitedly, and it's exciting to see them so active. I confess feeling a little bad for the Highlander, but I think he'll acclimate okay.

Something odd happened though. We'd been watching the Neon Tetra nonstop when my wife pointed out she could only see seven. We both searched around the tank and couldn't find the eighth. My suspicion is that the Betta killed it, but... it's too big for him to have gobbled down. Especially since we were watching the entire time. And he couldn't have just killed him and left him there, there's no body. We checked the water filter, through the plants... I'm at a loss. Well, whatever the case, he may just show up later.

From here, we've decided our next step is replacing the blue gravel and fake plants with soil, sand and saw Dwarf Grass and some Amazon ... Swords? Blades? The taller ones. Maybe some other plantlife too.

Again, we have trouble leaving him and his home alone.

So, we'll post again if there's an issue between the Highlander and the Neon Tetra. He gets along fine with the Ramshorn, so I don't think that there'll be any issue, but teeny fish are a very different thing from giant shelled behemoths.

~Michael and Lashelle

Postscript: We named the Ramshorn Snails "The Borg" on account of them all looking the same and the slow, tireless persistence that they move with (Resistance is Futile). The Neon Tetra we're called "The Zerg" with how they swarm and dart so quickly. They're both nerdy sci-fi references, probably cluing into what sorts we are. :D

[lelei]

Oh, wow.. too funny, sounds like you enjoy very much taking care of your betta, and you are good betta parents, I hope you find the missing tetra, and I hope Highlander adjusts, if he hasn't already..Would love to see pix of that tank, sounds very nice, I love real plants:) You are doing a great job!!

[Bettacouple]

So, we noticed another Tetra was missing the following morning. We came to the conclusion it had to be him (unless Ramshorn snails developed a secret set of jaws and a taste for fish). We separated him temporarily into the one gallon tank we'd bought for him initially, and then went and bought a screen divider for the tank. We tried to make it as tight across as possible, but I guess there was still the thinnest of areas that the littlest Tetra managed to get through.

We saw the Betta chasing and cornering him. We tried to get the net in to separate them but weren't quick enough. He actually swallowed the Tetra. After that he spent a few minutes belching up chunks of the other fish.

We were both horrified.

We're thinking we may not be Betta keepers after all. We'll call the local pet store and see if they're interested in him because we don't want to just flush him. But... knowing that we've been terrorizing these Tetra and that he's been hunting and eating them alive the entire time they were together makes us feel horrible.

[emeraldmaster]

I too had a tetra disapear, two of the actually. I started out with five at first. When i did a tank reorganization, i am like you since i compulsivly mess with the tank, i couldn't find one of the tetras. I thought that i cruched it with one of my many large rocks but still couldn't find the sucker. so i continued on with life. the one day i noticed another was gone, i was now down to three. I blamed the betta. He had made a nest and the tetras were exploring this new thing. And Red, the betta, does not tolerate anyone but me messing with HIS nest. so i assumed that the betta killed it. Come to find out... i found the body of the tetra. I have two apple snails in there and they were all over the body, i assumed that they were eating it. So i took the body out. Now i remove all of the nests that Red makes, he also killed 5 guppies during this stint. I do not sugest that you get rid of the betta, maybe a new small tank for him? Good luck, and make a wise decision for him. I know that you will.

[Kytkattin]

Please do not flush the betta for engaging in natural behaviors. You gave him prey, he ate it. A tiger would do the same if you put a deer (or person) in easy range. Don't feel bad about it, nature happens and a good majority of neons are probably killed by water poisoned with amoniona. This was at least quick! Look at the ingredients on almost any fish food, what is the first ingredient? Fish. I am not sure why people recommend putting neons and bettas together in anything less than a good 40 gallons, and even then, it is strongly subject to the personality of the betta. Some might do fine in 10 gallons, but unless you have multiple tanks, it isn't a risk most people can take, especially for people just learning. It honestly sounds like you got really tiny neons, or you have a huge betta because full sized neons are not going to fit in a normal betta's mouth. Might this have worked if you were able to grow out the neons in a separate tank before adding the betta? It still depends on the personality of the betta.

[Friendlyfishies]

My old betta made a meal out of my neons, but it was only after one died and he got the taste for blood :/ ...If it were me id just make the investment for a seperate tank, like a cheap kit from walmart for the neons. No offense to neons lol, but bettas are much more personable, id be sad without my betta :)

[Viva]

Originally Posted by Bettacouple

We're thinking we may not be Betta keepers after all. We'll call the local pet store and see if they're interested in him because we don't want to just flush him. But... knowing that we've been terrorizing these Tetra and that he's been hunting and eating them alive the entire time they were together makes us feel horrible.

You could just put him back in the smaller tank and leave the tetras in the 10 gallon tank. After all, it is your fault the tetras died. Its like feeding a mouse to a snake.

[Perseusmom]

Please dont blame the Betta its just in his nature to do what he did. Find him a new home if you dont want to keep him or take him back to the pet shop if they will take him. The Betta cant help what he did , he doesnt know right from wrong but you do and if you flush him that would be wrong !

[Eggbert]

Are you seriiously contemplating flushing your betta over some tetra!!?? You gave a carnivor live bait. He was probably stressed out with all those tetra in just a 10g. Dude! FLUSHING A LIVE BETTA!? I think you should adopt out your betta to someone you knows how to properly care for one.