[JelloBetta]

Well, I'm hoping to get a couple of neon tetras for my new 5 gallon tank. The tank is filtered and large, provides enough space for several fish. However, Chip is in the tank (I put him in last night) and I am wondering, what happens when tetras and bettas mix?

Here's a bit about the tetras I'm going to get.

-Their coming from PetCetera or Petland

-I'm hoping to get 2-3 tetras for my tank

Will it work? I know people are concerned about the tetras biting the bettas fins, but my friend has several tetras along with a betta and they never seem to fight. This is the tank:

 

[Larthan]

I have a small school of seven neon tetras in the ten gallon with Sputnik. They hang out in one or two groups (one group of four, one group of three), and Sputnik usually ignores them. When he's not ignoring them, he's only half-heartedly chasing them. He can swim much faster than he does when chasing them, so I know he's not really meaning it

 

[rylovesriska]

Tetras really would like to be in a bigger group of 5+
IMO they are more active and happy in bigger group but I do not honk that 6 fish or more can fit in your aquarium. How big is it?

 

[Sathori]

Tetras typically are stressed out if in groups less than 5. A small school of tetras would not likely do well in a 5 gallon tank with a betta. Bettas like to have their own space and may become aggressive towards any fish that invade his territory. Plus your tank is rather bare - when my neons are feeling threatened, they always tuck themselves into the silk plants to feel more secure. With all the open space - there's no where to run and hide if the betta becomes aggressive.

Keep in mind, the fish may "fit", you have to keep behaviour and the bioload in mind. If you exceed your bioload, you will have a large ammonia spike in your tank which will harm all fish in the tank.
Check with aqadvisor.com if you are unsure if your tank is overstocked. IMO, 1 betta and 5 neons would be overstocking the tank.

 

[jaysee]

In a larger tank? Nothing. In a tank that's too small, stress happens and stress leads to sickness and death. What you want to do is extremely stressful for the neons - school size is too small, tank size is too small and then to have to share it with a betta? If you have to compromise school size in order to fit a fish in a tank, they don't belong in that tank.

 

[LittleBettaFish]

Neon tetras are rather sensitive fish. It sounds like your tank is newly set-up and I am assuming, uncycled. I personally would never recommend neon tetras go into anything but a cycled tank.

I also feel a 5 gallon tank is too small for a quite active schooling fish. These sorts of fish need to be kept in groups and have the space to move about freely.