What fish can live with bettas?

[Mushu]

I'm a new betta owner, and have only had a betta for about a month. I'd like my single male betta to have someone else around to swim with. I have a few questions, please help me by trying to answer them:

1) What are some other fish that can live with bettas?

2) Can the fish you answered for number one also eat bloodworms?

3) Can the fish you answered for number one also have the betta solution in their water?

Thanks!

P.s: I'm just trying to find fish my betta won't eat.

Thanks!

~ Mushu

[dramaqueen]

Hello and welcome to FishForum. It really depends on the betta's personality whether or not they can tolerate tankmates. They are really solitary fish and are better off alone but they do well most of the time with otos or cories. All fish need dechlorinator in their water.I'm not sure what cories and otos eat except I know that otos eat some vegetables like blanched zucchini.

[dr2b]

My otos nibble on the plants if there isn't enough algae for them. But that doesn't happen to often.

[Crowntail Queen]

When i had my betta(Mr.Fish) i had him in with a goldfish and a few neon tetras and they seemed to just leave eachother alone. I thought for sure my betta would tear the other ones up but he didnt he just swam around and left them alone. But i could tell he would have rather been alone like he was for years because he would go up to the top to eat and when the other fish did too, he swam away real fast like he was annoyed, so i put him back in his own tank and he did just fine that way. He was also very aggressive and i was suprised to see that he didnt try to mess with the other ones. I guess his "bark" was bigger than his "bite"

[Cerulean02]

Mine lives with Kuhlis, otos, and a albino bristlenose. If you have a large enough tank I recommend a few kuhlis. More than 3 if you want to see them though. I would recommend any small tropical bottom feeder, they seem to leave each other alone.

Goldfish are an extremely bad idea, gold fish like cold, highly filtered water. Bettas like warm, still water. Also, neons have a bad habit of being nippy, or the bettas will attack them. I also heard platys work but my betta attacked one so bad that he killed one so it really depends on your fish.

[Crowntail Queen]

They tend to say that goldfish like cold water, and im sure they do...but they live just fine in warmer water. I had a goldfish in tropical temp water for a very long time and he was perfectly fine. Also on the neons, i havve never had a nippy neon tetra, they are usually very docile and my were just like they always have been. They just stayed grouped together and minded their own business.

[Cerulean02]

Well I'm not here to argue with anyone but I'm just trying to suggest tank mates that would work. I found this chart on another betta forum that may help you out when picking out fish that are compatible.

[Cerulean02]

Also, credits to RandomWiktor - must say this to use their work.

[PenninInk]

Originally Posted by Crowntail Queen

They tend to say that goldfish like cold water, and im sure they do...but they live just fine in warmer water. I had a goldfish in tropical temp water for a very long time and he was perfectly fine. Also on the neons, i havve never had a nippy neon tetra, they are usually very docile and my were just like they always have been. They just stayed grouped together and minded their own business.

Hee! That sounds like my mum. When she started keeping fish, she followed rules about compatibility to the letter, but as she became more and more experienced with her tanks, she started taking more chances. She got very, very good at keeping supposedly incompatible species in the same tank for years without incident. I hope someday I can be as good at knowing my fish and their environment as she is, but for now I'm happy with my single male Betta and his little 2 gallon (which will be a 5 gallon just as soon as I can afford the upgrade).

[CharH]

Great thread - I would love to add more fish but I'm scared to death I'll upset my Betta and he'll kill his new little friends and I would be devasted if they hurt him. This is such an interesting subject.