# Betta Friends in a 29 Gallon?



## roarsirroar

Hi! I was wondering what you would reccomend for a stocking list in my 29 gallon. I haven't cycled it yet because I want to know exactly what I want to do first. I already have a male betta in a 3.5 gal and I was hoping if I could put him in there. My dad wants cardinal tetras...but I know that doesn't work out with bettas.

And if I decide not to put the betta in...what are some colorful, beginner fish for my setting? I don't want any livebearers, for I don't want to deal with 100babies . German Blue Rams and Bolivian Rams are beautiful, but I'm afraid I am not experienced enough to care for them.

Thanks so much!


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## MissPisces

With livebearers, you'll only end up with babies if you have males and females. An all-female platy or molly tank would be good. Actually, platies and mollies are usually recommended for beginners. I'd just get all females if I were you. They're not like guppies when it comes to coloring; the females are just as colorful as the males, and they're so cute, too! 

Still, there are several other kinds of fish you could get. If you want my opinion, you shouldn't put the betta into the bigger tank. I have a betta and two platies, and I'm already having to separate them because the betta is just too vicious. Other people have kept bettas in a community tank, but I've been told and have found out that it's not a good idea...

Cardinal tetras are a good choice, as well as neon tetras (as long as you don't have any fish that will try to eat them!). You could have some of those with black skirt tetras, or if you want larger fish you could go with gouramis. Just be careful what other fish you have if you decide on gouramis! You could mix tetras and platies, but I suggest you don't add any mollies. Mollies are more aggressive than platies, and they're best kept with other mollies, platies, or gouramis. 

That's about all I know on the subject... I'm a beginner, but I hope this advice helps you anyway. Good luck!


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## Pigeonfish

MissPisces said:


> or if you want larger fish you could go with gouramis.


Gouramis and bettas will fight.


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## MissPisces

Pigeonfish said:


> Gouramis and bettas will fight.


Sorry, wasn't too clear on that! I meant that all these fish would be good without the betta in the tank. I really don't recommend keeping a betta with other fish, though I know some people do keep them like that successfully.


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## NeonShark666

Any of the Corys, small Tetras and small Rasboras would be fine. Stay away from most fish with Cichlid in their name. Male Bettas are favorite targets for fin nippers which Cichlids like to do. Rams are a little delicate and need a lot of care. Kribs are tough and would do fine. Make sure there are plenty of floating plants for your Betta to hide in. Remember that Female Bettas don't fight and your can keep several of them together.


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## majerah1

Many times a betta will work for most other types of fish if the others are smaller and dont have the flowy fins like a betta.the main issue with tank mates is a betta is slower and is considered a target to fin nipping fish like tetras.However,if you have a nice school,the nipping will stay within the school and Mr betta should be ok.You still have to watch the temperment of the betta however.Some do not mind a few fish swimming with them,while others will see them as a nuisance,and try to get rid of them.


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## roarsirroar

darn...theres no multiquote!


MissPisces said:


> With livebearers, you'll only end up with babies if you have males and females. An all-female platy or molly tank would be good. Actually, platies and mollies are usually recommended for beginners. I'd just get all females if I were you. They're not like guppies when it comes to coloring; the females are just as colorful as the males, and they're so cute, too! do i have to get a certain quantity of platies? or can about three be ok?
> 
> Still, there are several other kinds of fish you could get. If you want my opinion, you shouldn't put the betta into the bigger tank. I have a betta and two platies, and I'm already having to separate them because the betta is just too vicious. Other people have kept bettas in a community tank, but I've been told and have found out that it's not a good idea...it's okay if it doesn't work out...Rocco can just go back in his tank  He's been flaring alot at me lately ever since i showed him his reflection so i'm already doubting he'll be peaceful.
> 
> Cardinal tetras are a good choice, as well as neon tetras (as long as you don't have any fish that will try to eat them!). You could have some of those with black skirt tetras, or if you want larger fish you could go with gouramis. Just be careful what other fish you have if you decide on gouramis! You could mix tetras and platies, but I suggest you don't add any mollies. Mollies are more aggressive than platies, and they're best kept with other mollies, platies, or gouramis. gouramis are cute but i've heard they're quite shy...
> 
> That's about all I know on the subject... I'm a beginner, but I hope this advice helps you anyway. Good luck!  thanks!






NeonShark666 said:


> Any of the Corys, small Tetras and small Rasboras would be fine. Stay away from most fish with Cichlid in their name. Male Bettas are favorite targets for fin nippers which Cichlids like to do. Rams are a little delicate and need a lot of care. Kribs are tough and would do fine. Make sure there are plenty of floating plants for your Betta to hide in. Remember that Female Bettas don't fight and your can keep several of them together.


1) yep. most definitely getting cories! what are the hardiest kind?
2) kribs are pretty. i'll keep them in consideration...also do you mean i can keep kribs with a betta?
3) i considered a betta sorority. but i scrapped it cause they have a high failure rate lol. and i'm not a very lucky person! 


majerah1 said:


> Many times a betta will work for most other types of fish if the others are smaller and dont have the flowy fins like a betta.the main issue with tank mates is a betta is slower and is considered a target to fin nipping fish like tetras.However,if you have a nice school,the nipping will stay within the school and Mr betta should be ok.You still have to watch the temperment of the betta however.Some do not mind a few fish swimming with them,while others will see them as a nuisance,and try to get rid of them.


so should i keep one big school for my 29? should a group of 12 be ok? or is that too much?

btw...what do you guys think of rummy nose tetras?
thanks so much for the help!


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## MissPisces

Three platies is perfect! You can get more if you want to, but two or three should do very well if you decide to get them. They should get along fine with most other fish you get. Just remember that mollies are more aggressive! 

lol And it sounds like your little guy is spirited!


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## susankat

A word of warning, don't get females, as they can be pregnant when you get them and they can give you babies for 6 to 8 months without a male around as they will hold sperm.


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## Sweetgreenleaf1369

majerah1 said:


> Many times a betta will work for most other types of fish if the others are smaller and dont have the flowy fins like a betta.the main issue with tank mates is a betta is slower and is considered a target to fin nipping fish like tetras.However,if you have a nice school,the nipping will stay within the school and Mr betta should be ok.You still have to watch the temperment of the betta however.Some do not mind a few fish swimming with them,while others will see them as a nuisance,and try to get rid of them.





susankat said:


> A word of warning, don't get females, as they can be pregnant when you get them and they can give you babies for 6 to 8 months without a male around as they will hold sperm.


*i/a*

I have a 29 gal with platies and mollies with my Betta and they do just fine also have a 10 gal with a Betta and a bn and shrimp just make sure shrimp have hiding space and are of the larger variety 
.


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## roarsirroar

well after some thinking, i've decided to keep my mr. betta in his happy 3.5 
with that said....
could i still have some platies? i've realized that they come in a variety so can i have 4 of them all in different varieties?
and if i could...could i have a type of gourami with them as well? 
also...i was planning on having this tank in the family room where we have a tv and some surround sound speakers. will the fish be okay with that amount of noise?
so overall i was thinking of 4 platies, 5-6 cories, 1 dwarf gourami, and 9 tetras/schooling fish. is that too much?

sorry! so many questions!


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## roarsirroar

oh and do you think i can get a nerite snail? i think they are cute


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## MissPisces

I think that sounds good, IMHO. I can't tell you anything about gouramis, but having different kinds of platies should do fine. The snail would be OK too, I think. Again, I'm a beginner, but I can at least share some of the things I've learned on this forum!


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## roarsirroar

is it ok if i replace the dwarf with one female opaline gourami? or is that too large? dwarfs are too small for my liking and i'm afraid of their poor health...
maybe i can down the tetra number to 6...


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## Pigeonfish

You need to know if the Nerites came from freshwater or saltwater... if they came from saltwater, you'd have to drip acclimate them. Also make sure to feed them properly since they need algae.


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## roarsirroar

i know i am changing my mind alot but i will take my previous stocking list in consideration if my recent plan fails.
i know i said i didn't want to have a betta sorority cause of high failure rate but i just can't seem to get the idea out of my mind. i have research a whole lot about them for a while now and i have decided i want to set one up.
so i was thinking maybe 7 females...i know i can fit more but i also want some other fish and the females will have plenty of room to get away from eachother with just 7.

so with this new plan, what do you suggest i stock?
thank you so much for all of your help and i'm sorry i keep changing my mind!

and @Pigeonfish i will keep in mind of that!


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## Pigeonfish

roarsirroar said:


> i know i am changing my mind alot but i will take my previous stocking list in consideration if my recent plan fails.
> i know i said i didn't want to have a betta sorority cause of high failure rate but i just can't seem to get the idea out of my mind. i have research a whole lot about them for a while now and i have decided i want to set one up.
> so i was thinking maybe 7 females...i know i can fit more but i also want some other fish and the females will have plenty of room to get away from eachother with just 7.
> 
> so with this new plan, what do you suggest i stock?
> thank you so much for all of your help and i'm sorry i keep changing my mind!
> 
> and @Pigeonfish i will keep in mind of that!


If you have a soft substrate, you can go with a group of Corys at the bottom (like 5) and then just worry about the sorority.


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## roarsirroar

i might use eco-complete...not sure yet though cause i'm a bit indimidated by substrate plants (or whatever they're called xD)
do you think i could do
7 female bettas
8 harlequin rasboras
6 cories/kuhlis/??

i have a feeling thats overstocked but i'm no expert. i don't know if i want bottom dwellers. but i think if i didn't, it would unbalance the tank (cause its top, middle, bottom, yeah?). i could reduce the betta number to 5 if that helps...

lol i asked this on another forum but i want a second opinion 

thanks!


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## Pigeonfish

roarsirroar said:


> i might use eco-complete...not sure yet though cause i'm a bit indimidated by substrate plants (or whatever they're called xD)
> do you think i could do
> 7 female bettas
> 8 harlequin rasboras
> 6 cories/kuhlis/??
> 
> i have a feeling thats overstocked but i'm no expert. i don't know if i want bottom dwellers. but i think if i didn't, it would unbalance the tank (cause its top, middle, bottom, yeah?). i could reduce the betta number to 5 if that helps...
> 
> lol i asked this on another forum but i want a second opinion
> 
> thanks!


You will be overstocked if you want to keep both 6 Corys and 6 Kuhlis... I think you should keep the 7 female bettas because that will let the dominant female spread her aggression more. As for the other fish, it really depends on how you want the tank to look, ex. If you want a big school of the Harlequin Rasboras or not. You can keep 5 or 6 together instead of 8... and keep 5 Corys or Kuhlis.

I like Eco-Complete, it looks good and it's letting my plants grow amazingly.


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## roarsirroar

oh yeah i don't want both! i just don't know which one i'd want. cories are kind of expensive...
i'm going back and forth on the idea of harlequins or cardinals...harlequins are hardier but cardinals look so much cooler...
how many bags do you think i'll need of it? i'm hoping not many cause its quite expensive. and what are some easy low light plants? i know java fern/moss, anachris, and anubias are.


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## Pigeonfish

roarsirroar said:


> oh yeah i don't want both! i just don't know which one i'd want. cories are kind of expensive...
> i'm going back and forth on the idea of harlequins or cardinals...harlequins are hardier but cardinals look so much cooler...
> how many bags do you think i'll need of it? i'm hoping not many cause its quite expensive. and what are some easy low light plants? i know java fern/moss, anachris, and anubias are.


I know the user Gizmo posted an algorithm which calculates how many bags you'd need... I'm just gonna guess and say you need either 2-3 bags... Petco.com has a sale right now, 16.99, shipping is 4.99 or 5.99, and if you spend over a certain amount (can't remember) you get free shipping.

The plants you mentioned do not need to be planted, and can be kept floating or anchored to a rock/wood. Cryptocorynes are also really easy to take care, they just need to be planted. Some Vals would look nice if they're planted in the back of the tank too.


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## roarsirroar

do you think crypts and vals will be ok with LED lighting? i have a marineland 29 led starter kit.
and i have a penguin 200 bio wheel filter. do you think the plants will be okay? i'm probably going to baffle it anyways for the sake of the bettas.
instead of cories i've decided on otos.
soooooo:
7 female bettas
7 cardinal tetra
3 otos
y/n?


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## Sweetgreenleaf1369

Just buy some Pigeon-fish they just like glo-fish*r2*r2*r2


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## majerah1

Crypts should be ok with the LED lighting,not sure on the vals.


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## roarsirroar

hmm ok i'll try them out
do you guys know any good breeders i could buy my bettas from? i can't find a store here that houses females together and i really don't want to resort to cupped ones.


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## roarsirroar

nevermind...that question doesn't have to be answered.

instead i have another question 
i am totally confused onto what fish i should put in my tank first. considering that cardinals and otos need really established tanks. and if i put the female bettas in first, they'll call the tank theirs and hound any other fish that are later put in the tank.


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## majerah1

If you put the females in first,then when you get the cardinals,take the girls out while you acclimate the others.Just place them in a bucket of tank water.Then start to add them back,starting with the less dominant one.

There is a breeder,Irchin from another forum.He keeps females of all tail types together.if you want i can contact him and see how much he will charge,shipping and all.How many females do you want?

Otherwise,if you browse AB you may find some.


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## roarsirroar

okay but with the females will i have to rearrange the tank? and for the cardinals should i only put in a few a week or should i just buy all seven of them at the same time?

thats perfect! i was thinking maybe 7...


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## majerah1

It may be a good idea tore arrange the tank,but I dont think itll matter if you are not adding another female.

Ill PM Irchin and ask what he has.Any color preference?


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## roarsirroar

hmmm colors...the only ones i could think of right now would be red, blue, white, yellow, cambodian. i really hope i'm not asking for too much. the main thing that matters to me is that they are the least agressive. and then colors can come to play.

the problem is that i can't cycle my tank until next sunday (going on vacation) so i don't think i'll be ready to buy them right now. maybe he can hold an order...? or maybe it doesn't work that way...

thank you so much!


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## Pigeonfish

majerah1 said:


> If you put the females in first,then when you get the cardinals,take the girls out while you acclimate the others.Just place them in a bucket of tank water.Then start to add them back,starting with the less dominant one.


Hey Bev, Should I do the same for my female betta when trying to add Ghost Shrimp? She's been pretty solitary, with the exception of 2 Zebra Nerites and 2 Red Spot Nerites. She stared them down but ignored them afterwards and now she's in the tank alone. I'm asking since you've probably seen a lot more bettas and their personalities. It seems like she isn't aggressive at all.


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## majerah1

roarsirroar said:


> hmmm colors...the only ones i could think of right now would be red, blue, white, yellow, cambodian. i really hope i'm not asking for too much. the main thing that matters to me is that they are the least agressive. and then colors can come to play.
> 
> the problem is that i can't cycle my tank until next sunday (going on vacation) so i don't think i'll be ready to buy them right now. maybe he can hold an order...? or maybe it doesn't work that way...
> 
> thank you so much!


He has tons of them and usually keeps a good many on hand.Should be ok to wait.i asked him for his email for you,then you can converse to him about specifics.


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## majerah1

Pigeonfish said:


> Hey Bev, Should I do the same for my female betta when trying to add Ghost Shrimp? She's been pretty solitary, with the exception of 2 Zebra Nerites and 2 Red Spot Nerites. She stared them down but ignored them afterwards and now she's in the tank alone. I'm asking since you've probably seen a lot more bettas and their personalities. It seems like she isn't aggressive at all.


You can certainly try it,but I can make no promises.Most bettas see any type of shrimp as an easy and fun meal,and they thrive for the chase in persueing the shrimps.But ghosties are cheap enough it would be worth a try for sure.


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## roarsirroar

ahh, you are amazing! thank you so much!


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