# New Betta in my 29 gallon tank. With Angels. Good or Bad?



## DarkRevoultions (Sep 5, 2008)

Hi

I finally bought a male Betta Fish today  for $4!! so it's doing fine. Before my paradise gourami was picking on it but then I put it in a fairly large breeder net for live bearer fishes  but then at feeding time a few hrs later, I took it out from the breeder net and then I fed the entire tank LOTS of food so then they won't be bothered to go after my new Betta. I just hope that it will do well with my other fishes 

Sometimes when my Angel or Gouramis go near it, he does try and bump them or chase them away from himself. Since he hates other fishes in his "bubble"

Hopefully he will be blowing bubbles soon  I wish I could put him in my 10 gallon tank, but I have 2 South American Puffer fishes  so they might as well eat my betta as breakfast, but I would never do that to my friend Betta  He has very colorful dark blue and streaks of red, and swims a lot near my HUGE Echinodorus bleheri 

Although my angelfish hangs out there all the time so they might get into a little fight, but other than that he just swimming around happily. Breathes the surface air a lot and doesn't bother my fishes too much. He likes to mind his own business.

He didn't eat any of my tropical fish flakes today, so maybe tomorrow morning or so... he might eat. I have a lot of fishes with long fins, like my black skirt and albino tetra. He doesn't care really xD

I just did a 10% water change today, and then another 10% of gravel washing (siphoning the gravel) and now the tank gravel is very very shiny  so now the light can reflect off the gravel again.

What do you people recommend me to do with my Betta for the future?? like move it into a new tank or move it into my 10 gallon when my puffers go to the big tank in Heaven?


----------



## cottoncandy946 (Apr 2, 2009)

ok this is what cickadee told me she said no angel fish becouse they are fin nippers


----------



## DarkRevoultions (Sep 5, 2008)

cottoncandy946 said:


> ok this is what cickadee told me she said no angel fish becouse they are fin nippers


Yikes, thanks for telling me  I'll put it in a breeder net if things get very bad. But right now, things are calm.


----------



## cottoncandy946 (Apr 2, 2009)

oo thats good i might keep the betta in if they get along


----------



## DarkRevoultions (Sep 5, 2008)

cottoncandy946 said:


> oo thats good i might keep the betta in if they get along


Mhm  but when I turn off the lights at night they all shut down except for my Oto catfish and plecos.


----------



## Chickadee (Nov 15, 2008)

Really bettas are not community fish but if they have to have tankmates cories, otos, and other peaceful bottom feeders are the only types I would put with them. A partial list of those not recommended are:

GOURAMIS (related and will kill each other)

Fin nippers
Angels
Guppies
Tetras (only one that I know is safe are the Cardinals)
Platies
Mollies
Swordfish
ANY of the other Bettas

Any fish with flowing or long fins that the betta could possibly mistake for one of its own species.

Shrimp of any kind (YUMMY..says the betta)

Most crustaceans like crabs or lobsters...Apple snails are okay but not small ones.

We have to remember that male bettas are not raised in community settings and do not learn how to get along with other fish and do not have company manners or can be unsure of who their enemies are. I have seen them not be aware of fin nippers because they were small fish and simply allow them to nosh on the fins until they were so infected that they finally were so sick they died. (not at my home but a friend's who I could not talk out of having neons with her betta) Other fish with long fins may not be a threat to the betta but they may see them as one as they may be mistaken for one because of their similarity to other bettas by having long flowing fins. Platies in particular are sometimes mistaken for female bettas and attacked savagely.

When I say that bettas really have very few fish they truly get along with that is found through knowing many betta owners who have tried other fish and found to their trouble that others either caused trauma to the betta or the betta was horrid to the other fish. 

Rose


----------



## COBettaCouple (Mar 24, 2009)

It's definitely best to have a Betta in his or her own tank, but if you do have tankmates - they need to be peaceful fish like corys or dwarf plecos. Angels and Gourami don't mix with each other very well or with Bettas. Unfortunately, when the peace is broken things descend so fast that a lot of fish can be lost.


----------



## DarkRevoultions (Sep 5, 2008)

Chickadee said:


> GOURAMIS (related and will kill each other)


Really?? they are enemies? Never knew about that... My Betta does chase my paradise gourami around frequently, but since I have so many plants the paradise gourami and the Betta will go into the plants and just eat them or take a break there... then they usually come up for surface air.




Chickadee said:


> Tetras


I have albino and black skirt tetras. They have long fins, and they don't go near my Betta though O_O. Where did you get this information from?? I've been having my Betta for a few days now, and nothing bad happened. No fins being ripped off, and no deaths... the only thing spooky in my tank is my two plecos. They are chasing each other all the time, and one is bigger than the other.




Chickadee said:


> Angels


I doubt angels are fin nippers... well my one angel isn't at all. She minds her own business all the time, she might get territorial when I bring in a male angel.... but that's far away I don't plan on getting her a male or a "hubby" yet because I have a bunch of fishes in my 29 gallon... but whenever I get a new tank like possibly a 100 gallon or even a 55 gallon, i could put my female angel in there along with probably her "betrothal"  



Chickadee said:


> bettas really have very few fish they truly get along with that is found through knowing many betta owners who have tried other fish and found to their trouble that others either caused trauma to the betta or the betta was horrid to the other fish.


Very Few Fishes?? yikes! I thought Betta fishes go with any tetras that don't have long wavy fins, or very colorful since they are attracted to color and all... although it does depend on the Betta's mood right? I give a lot of food, and have a lot of hiding places and they don't bother each other after feeding... 

My Betta usually bugs my Paradise Gourami when he is hungry.... or when my Paradise Gourami is swimming near the Betta... "Tenzo" doesn't like his personal bubble being invaded by another fish xD




Chickadee said:


> Platies in particular are sometimes mistaken for female bettas and attacked savagely.


WOW!!! I never knew platies could be mistaken for Female Bettas... won't male Betta's want to mate with Female Bettas?


----------



## cottoncandy946 (Apr 2, 2009)

thats cool!!


----------



## Chickadee (Nov 15, 2008)

I got the information from books and compatibility charts and from others I know that have tried and had disasters. The reason that Gouramis and Bettas do not mix is that they are in the same family and it is just like putting two bettas or two gouramis in the tank together. You will probably NOT note that there is a big problem until you have an injured or dead fish, one or the other.

The angels are not fin nippers until they get into their territorial mode and this is generally around their breeding time. If you did not buy a breeding pair, I would not try to just introduce a male into the tank as they pair with the ones they choose, not the ones you choose for them. They have been known to be quite violent with a mismatch.

The platies would not be in danger of being attacked with the intent of trying to breed them, Betta breeding is something that is a very long and complex process. It is not like just introducing a female and male to each other like guppies or mollies. There is a long periold of conditioning of both fish and then introductions with the fish seperated so they cannot get to each other. You would not want to leave the two of them together during their mating and just go away or you may lose them both. Betta mating is an exhausting and sometimes fatal process for one or both fish if they are unattended. It is not only time consuming but consumes cash as well. The amount of equipment and work needed is enough to keep most folks from taking it on.

If your betta felt he was in the tank with female bettas (whether they be actual female bettas or platies) there is the very real possibility they would be attacked and injured or killed. They do not coexist with other bettas of either sex except for the very brief time of the spawning unless you have very unusual bettas. I have only known of two sets of males who coexisted in the same tank without a divider and they were indeed very unusual. It is usualy death for one or both to do this.

This is why I complained to YouTube for allowing films of college students taking 4 or 5 betta males and throwing them together in a fish bowl to watch them kill each other or rip each other up for the "fun" of it. It is not only cruel but sickening and I do not know what anyone gets out of watching something so beautiful being ripped to shreds.

While it is not relevant here, I have moderated and created a betta forum and answered questions about bettas for years. While I am a firm believer that the only experts about the fish are the fish themselves, I do know from knowing hundreds of other betta owners in that time that the course you are taking is chancy. It is your fish, but I needed to let you know that the fish may have a problem with the gourami or vice versa. They (bettas) truly are not community type fish and it does not usually work out well.

Rose


----------



## comler (Mar 10, 2009)

I know nothing of Bettas, but I want to add something in support of Rose's statement, because I think it's important to consider.

This forum is about sharing experiences in fish-keeping. We can read all over the Web what *can *happen, but what this forum offers is real life experience. Experience counts more to me than what *can *or *might *happen.

Words are cheap, the real value is in the experience. Thanks for offering your experience, Rose, and it is obvious you really care about your fish as well as others'.

Please, don't anyone take this comment in any negative way. I'm not trying to put anyone in his or her place. I just am very appreciative of those who offer experience on this forum. Everyday is a learning experience.


----------



## DarkRevoultions (Sep 5, 2008)

Chickadee said:


> allowing films of college students taking 4 or 5 betta males and throwing them together in a fish bowl to watch them kill each other or rip each other up for the "fun" of it. It is not only cruel but sickening and I do not know what anyone gets out of watching something so beautiful being ripped to shreds.


I understand why you think it's cruel. But I usually stay away from looking at those videos. It probably won't be able to go away... Youtube doesn't do much. Although I do know that they don't allow Copyrighted Videos to be posted up.

Animal Abuse isn't allowed either along with Porn. But people upload it as a video that people have to be 18 and older to view... although I have found hundreds of thousands of people who are under 18 posing as they are 18 when they are like 10 or 13...

If you feel strongly about this. You can always report the videos or leave a comment. Although I doubt that they will listen... I gave a long lecture of someone chasing ducks... turns out they did listen to me and they explained why they were chasing ducks is because they have no parents to teach them how to fly... (no idea if that is true)



Chickadee said:


> If your betta felt he was in the tank with female bettas (whether they be actual female bettas or platies) there is the very real possibility they would be attacked and injured or killed. They do not coexist with other bettas of either sex except for the very brief time of the spawning unless you have very unusual bettas. I have only known of two sets of males who coexisted in the same tank without a divider and they were indeed very unusual. It is usualy death for one or both to do this.


I don't use dividers mainly because they are too much of a hassle for me.. I would use it on my 10 gallon maybe if I could find one... so then I can keep puffers and community tropicals together. I never had an experience with Betta fishes chasing others before...

I had a Betta before and I kept it with my Angel and other gouramis. The other gouramis and/or angels didn't do anything, but when I introduced the "rare" Yellow Gourami into my tank, it damaged the fins of the Betta so badly, I had to put the Betta in a different tank. Then I put stress relief medicine, and fin repairing medicine and then after that the fins grew back.

Although my Paradise Gourami in my current 29 gallon tank is always sparring against my Betta. I definitely don't want to get rid of my Betta, he's SO beautiful, but I might get rid of my Paradise Fish.. I don't want to kill it or give it to anyone because I paid $5 and something cents for it at Pet Cetera. I know  they are rip offs.

Also I don't have Platys. They have never really caught my interest -_-

I have also tried reading books. I've studied a lot of fishes including gouramis, but not too much on Betta fishes. I only know about that they like to be in a tank or bowl/vase by themselves or in a planted tank with cardinal tetras, or tetras that have short finds and aren't aggressive.

I also know that they live up to 3 years just like my Dwarf Gouramis. Although I didn't know that Gouramis and Bettas are from the same family or species O_O


----------

