Many times we feel that having only one betta fish in our fish tank is too empty. But betta fish are extremely territorial, so our concern is which fish can we keep with betta fish? Or about betta fish tank mates.
It is possible to keep Betta fish with certain fish and it is very important to adopt some proper methods. That’s because if we keep any fish with betta fish then the beta fish will show aggression towards them. As a result of which there may be a fight between them. Because of that, Betta fish are called fighter fish or Siamese fighting fish.
Which fish can be kept as betta fish tank mates?
There is one thing we always need to look out for before placing other fish in the tank as beta fish mates. It is very important to know the health of the fish before we put them together.
That’s because if a fish’s health is poor, other fish will show aggression towards it, which may result in some fish in our fish tank getting sick or dying.
Ideal Mates for Betta Fish:
Catfish :
Along with Betta fish we can generally keep two types of catfish such as Cory Catfish and Suckermouth Catfish.
Suckermouth Catfish mostly stick to our aquarium glass, and suck the algae in the aquarium glass with its mouth. As a result, our aquarium glass is much cleaner.
Cory Catfish are mostly at the bottom of our tanks. So Cory Catfish survive by eating or ingesting excess food and algae accumulated at the bottom of our tank.
As a result, the chance of excessive ammonia in our aquarium is greatly reduced and our fish are much healthier.
Not only that, these fish are not aggressive at all, so the chances of fighting betta fish with them is very low.
Tetra fish:
Tetra fish are the most common aquarium fish. Tetra fish are found in Africa, Central America and South America.
There are different types of tetra fish to keep in aquariums like neon tetra, cardinal tetra, diamond tetra, lemon tetra etc.
The ideal water temperature for tetra fish is 75° to 80°F, and the ideal pH is 6.5 to 7.5.
Not only that, tetra fish require a slightly bigger tank. Because tetra fish move very fast. They can hide easily among aquarium plants and ornaments even if they get the slightest hint. So we can keep tetra fish in the same tank with our betta fish.
Rasbora Fish:
Rasbora fish is found in various countries of Southeast Asia. These fish usually like to stay in groups, and they swim very fast. For this reason alone, rasbora fish require a slightly larger tank.
The ideal pH for this fish should be 6.8 to 7.8 and temperature 75° to 80° F. Not only this, the rasbora fish is very calm, so there is very little chance of fighting with other fish.
These fish are 1 to 1.5 inches in size and have an average lifespan of four to five years.
Shrimp Fish:
There are many types of shrimp that are generally suitable for keeping in an aquarium. Among them, the most beautiful looking and easy to care for shrimps are Ghost Shrimp, Crystal Shrimp, Blue bolt Shrimp, Cherry Shriram and Snowball Shrimp etc.
However, plant-based aquariums are ideal for shrimp. That’s because shrimp are much healthier and more active by feeding on the plants in the tank.
The ideal water pH for aquarium shrimp is 6.5 to 7.5 and the temperature needs to be above 70° F.
They are usually so small in size that they cannot be seen unless you look closely and like to stay at the bottom of the tank most of the time. So shrimp is an ideal companion fish for betta fish.
Kuhli Loach:
Kuhli Loach is one of our most attractive fishes. This fish is native to the Indonesian island of Java. The fish is very beautiful to look at and the fish belongs to the Eel Loach species.
These fish usually survive by feeding on food waste, various types of small larvae, and small plants found on the bottom of our aquarium.
The fish looks like a small snake that is why the fish is so attractive to us. Not only this, this fish indirectly helps to reduce ammonia in our fish tank. That’s because these fish consume the waste food left at the bottom of our tank, which greatly reduces the chance of ammonia build-up in our tank.
Not only this, this fish is mostly found at the bottom of the tank and does not get into much of a fight with other fish. So Kuhli Loach is an ideal fish that we can keep with betta fish.
Snail:
Snails are the most attractive creatures in plant-based aquariums. There are different types of snails to keep in aquariums such as, Apple Snail, Pomacea Snail, Red-rimmed melania Snail, Anentome Helena, etc.
These snails are very small in size. Not only that, they can be seen on various surfaces in our fish tanks (various plants, aquarium ornaments, pebbles).
Snails usually feed on a variety of algae, plants and discarded food in the aquarium. They easily adapt themselves to any environment, and their immunity is greatly improved. So they don’t need much care to keep them in the aquarium.
Snails are usually very slow moving and are very placid so they usually do not harm other fish. So we can keep snails in the same tank with betta fish
African Dwarf frogs:
This frog is native to Central Africa. The size of this frog is usually 2 to 2.5 inches. If we keep this frog in our aquarium then the frog will increase the beauty of our aquarium more.
There are different types of pellet food available for these frogs, which easily settle at the bottom of our tank and these frogs live on that food. However, brine shrimp, bloodworms and frozen food should be given to them occasionally.
The ideal water temperature for African Dwarf frogs is 68° to 75° Fahrenheit. Not only that, a slightly larger aquarium is ideal for these frogs. These frogs are not aggressive at all, so they can be safely kept with any other fish.
The right pH for African Dwarf frogs should be between 6.5 to 7.5 and TDS between 100 and 250.
Guppies:
Guppies are very hardy aquarium fish. They can adapt very well in any environment. These fish love to stay in groups all the time. Guppy fish come in many different colors, so they are sometimes called rainbow fish.
A variety of pellet foods are available for guppy fish. But occasionally blood worms and frozen food should be given to them.
Guppies are native to South America and the ideal water temperature for them is 70° to 82°F. The ideal water pH for guppies is 7 to 8, as guppies like slightly alkaline water.
Guppy fish are amazing to look at, so guppy fish add a lot of beauty to our aquarium. Guppies always like to live in groups and have no aggression towards other fish, so guppies can be ideal companions for our betta fish.
Proper environment for keeping Betta fish with other fish:
We usually see Betta fish kept in a very small glass bowl, which is a completely wrong practice. We can keep betta fish in such a tank with a minimum of 5 gallons of water. But if we want to keep betta fish with other fish in the same tank, then we should use a tank that can hold 8 to 20 gallons of water.
We have previously discussed that betta fish are very territorial, especially male betta fish. If we keep a female Betta fish with another fish, there will be a chance of fighting as much as if we keep a male fish the chances of fighting will be much higher.
For that we should always use some plants, aquarium ornaments and pebbles in our tank. If our betta fish attack other fish in the aquarium, those fish can easily hide themselves among the aquarium plants and aquarium ornaments.
We should always have an aquarium divider glass with us. That’s because if our betta fish is too aggressive with other fish, we should use aquarium divider glass to separate our betta fish from other fish.
We should provide enough food in the fish tank. That’s because if we put too little food in our fish tank, then betta fish may fight with other fish for food. Again, if we use too much food in the fish tank, then later that food will come to the bottom of the fish tank and create ammonia, which is very harmful to our fish. So we should use the right amount of food in our fish tank.
We should also keep the water temperature between 75° and 80° Fahrenheit. The pH (Potential of hydrogen) level of the water should be kept at 6.8 to 7.5 and the ideal TDS for aquarium fish is 100 to 250 PPM (Parts per million).
Keeping Betta Fish Tank Mates By Practicing Proper Procedures:
Our aquarium should be fully prepared two to three days before placing betta fish and other fish.
- We should place the aquarium in a place where a small amount of sunlight reaches.
- We should always put the betta fish in the tank first, and then the other fish.
- We have seen many times that many female Betta fish do not have much problem keeping together or keeping female Betta fish with other fish.
- We have seen many times that Betta fish become stressed after being placed with other fish, but this is very common and our Betta fish are completely fine within a few days.
But if for some reason the betta fish is fighting with other fish then we should use aquarium divider glass to keep the betta only separate from other fish. After a few days, the aquarium divider glass should be opened again.
Which fish should not be kept with betta fish?
Fish that have much longer fins, are much brighter in color, and are slightly larger in size than betta should generally not be kept with betta fish.
Not only that, fish that are very aggressive and large in size should not be kept with betta fish.
That’s because betta fish are extremely territorial and are more likely to get into fights with other fish. As a result our fish can be injured and even killed.
Some fish that should not be kept in the same tank as betta fish. as such,
- Goldfish
- Angelfish
- Oscar Fish
- Shark fish
- Flowerhorn Fish
- Gouramis
Summary: We can keep other fish with betta fish by following the method mentioned above. But some things we’ve seen is that if you put other fish with the betta fish, the stress on the betta fish increases a lot. As a result, the possibility of physical illness in our betta fish increases a lot.
So before keeping Betta fish at home, you should think about these things once. However, there is a strange beauty in betta fish that makes betta fish so attractive to us. Keeping a betta fish in a tank is ideal.
Welcome to our website Aquarium Fish Zone. My name is Sagar Ghosh and I live in Kolkata. I am a science graduate.
I have kept fish in aquariums since I was very young. I loved seeing the colorful fish in the aquarium.
I have always tried to maintain and care for the fish properly. So me and my team members have created this website.As a result, we can provide you with accurate information about how aquarium fish are kept.