johnkeeler8 asked:


I just got the 2nd beta fish of my life. It’s cute and a bright yellow (unusual, huh?). anyways, i want to spruce up my fish tank by adding some other fish to it. What kinds of fish are compatible with Betta’s?
Also let me know about shrimp, crabs, or plants
Just so you know, the tank can only hold one gallon, but I plan on moving up the scale soon.

DAREN

4 Responses to “What kind of fish or crustaceans can live with betta fish?”

1. TM on September 30th, 2009 10:05 pm

   What size tank do you have? That makes a big difference in what you can add to the tank…

2. maltese on October 3rd, 2009 12:34 pm

   Crabs are generally brackish so I think you’ll have the rule those out. Live plants are the best, just go to your local fish store and ask then what a good plant would be depending on their selection. Remember to wash your plants before you add them to the tank. Mollies, swords, platies and Rasboras will all do fine with your betta. Of course it’s depending on the size of your tank.

   One gallon isn’t enough even for a betta. I would plan of moving up before you add any fish. Bettas need at least 2.5 gallons and that’s alone. Try 10 gallons if you want to add more fish.

   Edit: And while plastic plants may look cooler sometimes, go for live plants. It’ll make your betta happier. Of course wait before you have a bigger tank to add any fish.

3. Thebomb on October 5th, 2009 2:56 am

   depends what size
   ill go for a 10 gallon
   neon tetras because those are less active fish and are less likely to bother your betta
   get plastic plants becaue in my opinion, they look better and are easy to keep
   get ghost shrimp and snails and bammm, awesome tank

4. loupa_carpathian on October 6th, 2009 5:41 pm

   In a one gallon, nothing, your betta won’t even be happy in there : (

   In a larger tank, you can heat it, a one gallon can;t be reliability heated. Betta are tropical fish, they prefer their temps around 76-80 degrees. They can TOLERATE being cold, but don;t WANT to be cold, and just like us, being to cold for too long can lead to a whole host of health issues.

   In a larger tank, with a heater and a filter betta get along fantastically with shrimp, otto cats and most sucker fish, cory cats, rasbora and platy’s. Most bottom feeders do fins with the betta’s.
   Things to avoid are male guppy, molly, tetra, barbs, gourami, angel fish and other semi aggressive fish. The betta will move slower than most fish and their long fins make them a target for aggressive fish. Barbs, tetra and angel fish are fin nippers, a danger for the males fins. Gourami are a close cousin of the betta, and they will often fisht like two male betta. Long fins, like that of the male guppy often incite the male betta’s attack response, resulting in ripped fins.
   Goldfish are a bad idea as well. They produce so much watse they risk the betta’s heath, thier fins will blacken and shrival as they are burned from the goldfishs waste. Also, water temps are too different for them to be truly happy.
   But it can also depend on the individual males personality and temperment, some just don’t do well with other fish while others could care less.

   As for plants, live is always better, as long as you are prepared to handle them. Nothing spoils the water faster than poorly cared for plants.
   Plastic is a bad idea for betta as well, as they can tear thier fins, I found this out the hard way. Instead, look into silk plants, they are safe for the betta and look pretty realistic!

   Best of Luck!