How many fish in a 5gal??

[mhewitt7118]

I bought a female betta last week after falling in love with her at walmart and she's in a pretty small betta bowl right now. Yesterday after reading all the posts on this forum I decided Lucy needed a bigger&better home, and a few friends. I came home with a 5 gallon tank, a dwarf guorami, and two platies. I've set the aquarium up and put the other fish in, but haven't added lucy yet. Are these fish compatible, and do I have room for any others? I kinda wanted a few guppies too, but I decided to wait. I'm new to having multiple fish. I've always had male bettas that lived alone.

[doggyhog]

Oy.

that is way too much for a 5g tank. In a 5g tank, I'd only put one betta and a few ghost shrimp or snails.

Gourami's are not compatible with bettas also. the platies would do fine if you got a 10g tank.

[1fish2fish]

yeah thats WAY too much. I don't like to see bettas in anything less than a 10 gal with other fish.. they are extremely territorial and having even one other fish in a 5 gal would be seriously stressful on a betta.. not to mention 3 fish!

If you want tank mates go with a small snail (not a mystery snail) or a few ghost shrimp.

Your betta doesn't actually want or need any friends.. that is something us humans do because we think they want friends.. a betta will be MUCH happier by his/her self than in a community tank.

[dramaqueen]

Gouramis and bettas are from the same family and do not do well together because they are both territorial.

[mhewitt7118]

Ohhhh the girl at the store said it would be good, that's what fish were recommended to live with bettas! My little Lucy looks a lot like the fish in your pic, dramaqueen :)

[CodeRed]

Unfortunately, pet store employees usually don't know what they're saying, and are only saying it to get more money. By putting in that many fish, you'll end up with deaths, and maybe you would want more, so you'd try again, resulting in the same. In the end, the pet store comes out with more money than if you'd simply put one betta in there, and everything had worked out, forgive the pun, swimmingly. Bettas are, as others have stated, solitary fish, and do much better on their own. If, however, you do want your little girl to have "friends", you could try a 10 gallon sorority. If you were to go that route, you must have a ten gallon tank, plenty of hiding spots and plants, and at LEAST 4 females (I've heard an odd number works best, though), and less than, say, 7 females. And no males whatsoever. Males and female bettas must not be housed together unless breeding.
Hope this helps a bit! Welcome to the forum, by the way!