New Betta Fish and aquarist   04/17/2006
We just got my daughter her first fish, a male crowntail, and a female betta. The lady at the pet store said this would be fine.
<Male and female Bettas cannot be kept together.  The male will terrorize the female literally to death.>
I did all of the water conditioning and put them in a 6.3 liter tank with a filter. I noticed right away she was being very aggressive. She would puff up and chase him around the tank. I turned off the light and did a few house chores, when I came back his beautiful fins were chewed all up!!!!
<To be expected.  Defending herself from the male's advances.>
I pulled her out. My questions are: will his fins grow back, and if yes how long will it take, and two, is this normal behavior, or are they not compatible? Thanks-Kristyl
<They can never live together.  Please do some reading on Bettas:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/bettasysart.htm
...And since it sounds like you're new to fishkeeping, on cycling an aquarium, too.  If you don't know, cycling is the single most important part of setting up a new aquarium, if it is skipped it will very likely lead to the death of your pet:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/fwestcycling.htm
Good luck!
Jason N.>

Bubble Eyes and Bettas    3/31/06
Hi, I'm having problems with my two bubble eye goldfish, X and  Deepthroat. We got them a week ago and they live in a 10 gallon tank  with an Oranda and a Calico (fantail? I'm not sure).
I am upgrading  their tank to 20 gallons tomorrow.
<Better... but will need much more room than this in time>
Anyway, one of X's eye bubbles has  become clouded and it's been suggested to be that he might have an infection.
<Possible, but much more likely this is resultant from environmental insult, stress>
What's the best way to cure it and what can I do to prevent  it from happening again?
<Salt use... detailed on WWM, and good environment, maintenance and nutrition will prevent>
The other bubble eye seems to have injured one  of his eyes - it's looks a bit bloody.
<Yes, not uncommon... just from water quality difference/s, being netted...>
Both fish are active and eat  well, though they do like to spend time resting on the bottom. Any  advice?
  <Yes... posted on WWM>
  Also, when I get the 20 gallon tank I'm moving my Betta from his 1.77  tank to the 10 gallon. Since he'll have so much room I'd like to get  him some tankmates, and was thinking of five danios or tetras. Would  that make for a good community?
<Depending on the species chosen, yes... there are some too large and aggressive of both groups...>
Regardless of what fish I get, would it  be ok to add them to the tank at the same time as the Betta? Or should  I get the tank, move the Betta, and the wait for him to become adjusted  to his new home first?
  <Much better to wait, do the latter. Bob Fenner>
  Thank you!  
  ~Torey

Cherry barbs and Betta comp.
Dear Bob [or whoever happens to get this email :)], Thanks for the advice on adding the extra charcoal to my filter. A few
weeks after I added it my Betta's tail seemed to be growing back quite nicely!
<Ah, good>
Now that my tank is cycled and I know that my water is fine I added a few more fish. My tank is 5 gallons with a bio-wheel filter,
79-80 degrees and all of my water parameters are zero. 2 weeks ago I added one rummy nose tetra and two male cherry barbs. At first everything was going well then after about a week the barbs started nipping my Betta's tail.
<Very common in such a small volume>
Now his tail is beginning to look shredded. He has not been aggressive towards them at all and the tetra ignores them all and happily and actively swims all over the tank and his nose is blood red so I think he must be very happy! I had read many different things on your site saying that cherry barbs would be ok with a Betta so now I'm kind of confused as to what type of fish won't be aggressive
towards him.
<More than "species A and B" to this equation... particularly environmental size, make-up...>
The fish store I bought the barbs from just went out of business so I'm hoping I can find another store that will let me trade
them in since they are very healthy. Do you have any other suggestions as to one or two other fish (other than Corys) I can put in with my Betta and rummy nose tetra?
Thanks!
Catherine
<Please read here: http://wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/betcompfaqs.htm
Bob Fenner>

Platy vs. Betta   3/25/06
Hi, I have a male Betta in a 10 gallon tank and I just bought 2 platys 2 weeks ago, a male (he's yellow) and a female (a Mickey mouse). The guy who sold me the fish didn't tell me they could have so many babies, now my female platy looks pregnant but the thing is, I don't really want the babies because I don't have time to take care of them. Also, I've read that Bettas will eat the babies plays, is that true?
<Yes... all he can catch...>
My second problem is that my Betta is being very aggressive with my male platy and the male platy is being very aggressive with my female platy. What should I do?
Mel
<Mmm, maybe try adding some decor items... live and faux plants, a castle perhaps... Things to visually break up the environment... If no obvious damage is being done, I would not be overly concerned otherwise. Bob Fenner>

Chinese Algae Eaters Eating Bettas Fins. - 03/18/2006
Hello ,I have a 5 gallon eclipse system cycled tank (3 months old), cycled with Bio-Spira. All the levels in the tank are great (ammonia, nitrites) ph 6.8 constant temp. of 70 degrees. To my problem, I started with a Male Betta, love these beautiful fish and built the tank for him. Tank has been doing great fish have been doing great, till today.
Came home from work and the male Bettas' fins are mostly missing. The spines are still there for the most part but the "fleshy" part of the fins are gone.  I have him isolated and using melafix on him. He comes up for air but is pretty hurt, lays/floats sideways.
In the tank I have him his tankmates are, a female he has been with for 3 months (they get along well, no flaring), a julii eye catfish, 2 medium Neons, a small American frog and a shrimp. Last week I picked up 2 inch algae eaters with sucker mouths. I thought they would be good for the algae growing on the glass. I would like to know what you think  the culprit is. I am very sad that this happened to my buddy and am hoping to nurse him back to health , but would not like something to attack him again (if it was an attack). It does not look like fin rot, no discoloration at all, just as if the  flesh was sucked off the spines. Any help would be appreciated. Sincerely Stephanie
< While algae eaters do eat some algae, they will not pass up a meaty meal like the slim on larger slower fish or on the long flowing fins of Bettas. They are the ones who caused the problem.-Chuck>

Tankmates For A 12 FW Set Up   3/15/06
Dear Wet Web Media Crew, I'm new at the whole aquarium business.  My only experience is that I've had a one gallon tank with a male beta and a ghost shrimp for about six months.
They're doing fine.  I was thinking about getting a larger aquarium (12 gallons), and have done all of my research, but I don't know if the number of fish I'm thinking about getting is too much for the tank. I'm considering getting the following in a 12 gallon tank.  If it is too
much, can you please reply with the proper quantities of fish I should have in an aquarium this size?
5 Neon Tetras,3 Fancy Guppies, 4 Dwarf Corydoras Catfish,1 Female Beta,1 Mystery Snail.
Thank you very much for your help!
< All should do fine. The female Betta may push around the smaller fish and nip at the guppies tails. This depends on the temperament of the particular Betta you purchase.-Chuck>

Female Fighter in <small, unfiltered, unheated> Marina <brand> Betta Tank   2/14/06
Hi there,
Recently I saw two beautiful female Siamese Fighting Fish in two separate aquarium shops, and I bought them both. One was bright blue and the other is dark blue (looks more like a crown fish).
I tried to place them both in a Marina Betta kit tank which holds 1.84 Litres. The dark blue female tried to push the light blue female out of the tank. So I placed them each in a separate Marina Betta tank. I thought they only needed to live in a small area like the male fighters.
<... at times>
I was advised that female fighters prefer to live in groups in a larger tank with a filter.
<Actually... can be crowded... but this is not a natural condition>
I cleaned out their Marina Betta tanks each week and conditioned the water. But sadly, my light blue female developed ammonia poisoning and died.
<Better to store water ahead of use for a week or more>
I felt terrible! I had started her on Melafix treatment
<Worthless>
but it was too late. Please tell me more about ammonia poisoning.
<Please read on WWM re>
Since then, I bought an airstone ball for my remaining female. She likes to swim through the rising air bubbles as if she were enjoying a spa. Should I transfer her to a larger tank to prevent stress and illness?
<Yes>
If yes, what would be a healthy tank size for her to live in?
<A few to several gallons or more... heated, filtered...>
I am cautious about placing her in a tank with other fish because she seems quite aggressive for such a tiny fish. She likes her BettaMin Tropical Medley flakes each day and seems quite active - flirting with the large male fighter in the tank next to her. Thanks.
Sharon
<And please read re Betta Feeding as well... Bob Fenner>

Siamese fighting fish mainly comp.   2/2/06
Good Morning
<And to you>
I wonder if you can help i have had a look at your FAQ and probably know the answer to this question
I have a fairly new
<Cycled?>
tank with heater, filter , live plants 2 plastic plants and 2 Neon Tetras, 1 red Platy, 2 orange Platy, 2 Yellow balloon Mollies, 1
moonlight gourami, 2 widow platy and 1 loach and 1 Siamese fighting fish, today i bought 2 more Mollies , 1 black  and 1 Dalmatian and 2 X-ray Tetra
<The mollies are brackish...>
since i have had the last 4 fish my Siamese fighting fish has been going mad chasing just the black and Dalmatian Mollies and occasionally one of the
widow platy who seems to like to wind him up?
<Happens>
because it's the evening and the shop is closed i have attached a mirror to the side of the tank trying to keep him amused and away from the  new Mollies which seems to be working
quite well but the black Molly has got fed up and is hiding under the wood i have in there, would you say this problem may right itself and he's just
making it known that he lives in the tank too or do you think i need to do something else , I have read on another site that they can live in bowl
without a heater as long as the room is kept warm but that doesn't somehow sound right ?
<... please see WWM re: http://wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/bettasysart.htm>
any advice would be greatly appreciated i don't really know what to do i didn't want to get rid of the Siamese fighting fish or return the Mollies
whether the shop would accept them i don't know ?
<Likely can/will get along if the system is large enough, not crowded... in time, though hard to feed Bettas in such mixed communities. Perhaps an inside "hanging" barracks for the Betta... Bob Fenner>
Thanks very much
Alison Vass

Betta, snail, together - 1/30/2006
Hi Crew,
<Mario>
I was thinking of introducing a snail in my 2.5g with heater/filter/java fern and a male betta.
<Okay>
Is this a good idea, what are the pros and cons?
<I think it's a good idea... is posted... on WWM>
Will they eat the java ferns? the waste on the glass/bottom?
<Some will some...>
Do they require a separate food that you buy at the LPS?
<Nope>
I do not have a cover will they crawl outside the tank.
<Unlikely>
Which ones do you recommend that are compatible with a betta?
<An Ampullaria sp.>
Thanks,
Mario D.
<Welcome. Bob Fenner>

Adding fish To A Betta Tank.   1/26/06
Hi, Now that my tank is up to the correct temperature, do you think it's ok
to add two Cory catfish to the 2.5 gallon tank, or would that be too
crowded? Thanks, Elizabeth
< Try adding just one and see how it goes. Neither fish requires much oxygenation but the Cory will help eat food that settles to the bottom.-Chuck>

Betta Tankmates   1/7/06
Hello, I would like to start my own aquarium, and I am very interested in a male Siamese fighting fish. What easily kept fish would you suggest I keep with this fish?
Best regards, Jenna
< There are a couple of problems associated with Bettas. First is that they really don't like company. Bettas come from slow moving streams and small pools. Any fish found with them is considered competition and is chased away. Faster fish, that Bettas can not catch soon nip at the Bettas long flowing fins and pick on the Betta. You are going to have to try a few fish out to see if they work. For the top of the tank you could try some hatchetfish. Watch out as they like to jump. For the middle of the tank you could try a small school of medium sized tetras or rasboras. Try to get fish in the one to two inch range. Bottom fish like algae eaters Cory's and Plecos are pretty much ignored for the most part. Sometimes communities of fish work out and sometimes they don't. Much of the success depends on the individual personality of the Betta you chose. Search the WWM website for articles on keeping Bettas.-Chuck>

Friends for a female Betta  12/22/2005
Hi all,
I have a female Betta that has been on her own for about 6 months and I would like to know what type of fairly cheap (just in case) fish I could put with her.
She is in an about 12L tank that has a filter, heater, light, plastic and live plants and a couple of snails. At first she was with a male, but he died from a very toxic, plastic plant (now in the bin!). Then I tried two white clouds. She chased them and chased them, and after two days, one died. So I took the other one out.
I would now like to put some other fish in with her, but I am worried she will be too territorial and kill them.
Can you suggest a type of fish I could add? Do you recommend guppies?
<Not too super-fancy tailed (male) ones... perhaps some Lender's livebearers... and there's always small Corydoras catfish species... Please read here for more: http://wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/betcompfaqs.htm>
Also, she is full of eggs and I have been told that she needs a male to come and 'squeeze' her, but I don't want to get a male as I don't want to be worried about taking her out when he has done so. Can she get sick or anything from being full of eggs and not getting rid of them?
Thanks for your help,
Rhiannon.
<Good question... not likely a problem. The female will resorb the egg material in time. Bob Fenner>

Housing bettas together - 7/12/05
Hi There,
<Hello Trevor>
My girlfriend has an orb tank with some neon tetras , ruddy nose tetra and some tiny suckers. She also has a female Siamese fighter and here is the problem. She has introduced a male fighter initially followed by the female.
<That is a problem... it is generally a bad idea to house females and males together permanently... the male will usually be (fatally) aggressive toward the female.>
The male was a bit lethargic and then disappeared completely without trace. After a while she got another one which was much more lively and the pair seemed to be getting on well , there were lots of bubbles on the surface and the odd bit of chase me. Then all of a sudden this one has gone without trace too. Could the female really have eaten both males and left nothing. We have emptied the tank both times and NOTHING.
<Mmm this is a strange turn of events! I do not think your females are eating your males. Is the "orb" covered? Bettas are able jumpers -- so do check on the floor around / under the tank. Are you also testing for ammonia, nitrites and nitrates? If not, perhaps the Bettas died due to water quality issues, and had their corpses scavenged... perhaps by the "suckers"? Best regards, John.> 

Our Betta is grumpy? 10/9/05
I have been reading through your very informative site, but cant quite seem to find the answer I am looking for. We have a large community tank - about 200litres, which we have had set up for about 4 months now. We have filters, light, heater, live plants, gravel bottom, under-floor filter tray etc etc. We have the following fish at the moment: Plecostomus, 4 swordtails, 4 platies, a loach (the eel like one that burrows under the stones), a rainbow /red tipped shark and a cobalt blue male Betta. The Betta doesn't get nipped at all, his tail is still beautifully intact and the other fish don't seem to bother him as they seem far more interested in making babies of their own (we currently have 3 fry (1 got eaten by adult) living in a floating breeding trap that are half swordtail half platy by the look of it!).
<Can happen>
However the Betta and the shark take turns chasing each other, though it is predominantly the Betta that literally stalks the shark! The shark just keeps swimming frantically out of his way, despite being a good half body length bigger than the Betta! The Betta puffs up his gills (by the look of it) and stands all his fins and tail out, and I swear his blue colour gets brighter then he lunges at the shark. He has even gone to the length of hiding in the ship wreck (which USED to be the sharks home) and waiting for the shark to go past, and then racing out and having a go at him!!! Are these two going to damage each other or are they simply males trying to sort out the pecking order in the tank?
<As long as it's the Betta going after the shark, and not the other way around, no problem... the minnow-shark is much faster>
We wonder if getting a female Betta would alleviate the problem, or just give our grumpy Betta another victim?
<Much more likely the latter>
We don't really want to separate him into one of those horrible little bowls, as he otherwise seems quite happy. We feed them flakes, died blood worms, Pleco has large tablets and also have smaller tablets for the loach. Is the problem the shark or the Betta?
<Not a problem... just natural behavior>
Neither bothers any of the other fish, so we are not sure which if either we should separate!
Thanks for your time, worried parents!! ;-)
<I would not change the livestock dynamic here. Bob Fenner>

Probably Another Dumb Betta Question (No, Just a Rude, Not-following- the- directions- to- write- us One) 10/9/05
I have 2 Chinese fighter fish both in their own 10 gal. tanks- were together in one with a partition but thought they would be better in own tanks. Both tanks dirty quickly and I was wondering if a plecasamus (spelling Issue) {plecostomus} or algae sucker would be compatible in their tanks.
<Nope, neither one... as you'd know if you read on WWM>
Both have BEAUTIFUL tails and are purely gorgeous- don't want to hurt them or spend good money for them to just kill another fish in their territory. Any suggestions or should I just continue to clean tanks regularly? Thanks- sorry if it's a repeat question.
<Could use snails, filters... please read on WWM re. Bob Fenner> 

Mystery Shark And Betta Compatibilities - 09/30/2005
I have a black fin shark
<I can only assume you mean one of the fishes here:  http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/minnowshks.htm >
and a Betta, can I have both of them in the same tank?
<Not knowing precisely what your "shark" is, the short answer is "I don't know".  Find out what the fish is, how large it grows, and its compatibilities, then decide.>
I just got my black fin shark what are the best foods to feed it?
<Likely prepared flake, pellet, or frozen foods will be fine.>
can you e-mail me the answers to XXXX
<Done>  
Thank you for taking your time to answer my questions.
<Please read about these fish on our site.  Much of the information you seek is already archived.  Start here:  http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/betta_splendens.htm .  Wishing you well,  -Sabrina>

Betta Bowlmates  9/26/05
Hi,
Could you please advise what type of fish would live happily with my  Beta, I
have  a 30 litre BiOrb which has a capacity of  12/18, I was thinking of 4/5
large fish with a few smaller  ones, I would like a exotic, unusual and
selective display if  possible.
Regards
Lin Hazell
<Please see here re: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/betcompfaqs.htm
Bob Fenner>

Betta Buddies  9/19/05
I work from home and decided that I wanted some company.  Picked up
some (six) stalks of 'lucky bamboo' (which I realize isn't bamboo at
all) and placed it into a large vase.  Yesterday the wife and I picked
up Bob the Blue Betta and placed him in his new home.   Bob is active
and is eating and seems alert and 'happy' (at least as happy as a fish
can be, I guess.
My wife insists that Bob have a buddy or two.  Pet store owner said
one or two females could be added with no problem.  After reading a
bit on your site, I realize that was wrong.
So, can I add one small fish to this 2.5-3 gallon, unfiltered,
unheated 'home'?  I don't have problems doing frequent water changes,
and I could add a small submerged filter, like:
http://www.shopping.com/xPF-Elite_Stingray_Underwater_Filters_by_Hagen
Can I add another fish?  What breed of fish?  Can I add one (or more?)
female Bettas?  Or some other breed?
Can I just add a Blue Shrimp? or a Ghost Shrimp?
http://aquatic-store.com/en-us/dept_307.html
Thanks in advance for your help, George
< Your betta actually does better by himself. In the wild they are found in small ponds that dry up almost to nothing every year. Males fight to the death over territories and resources. You betta is actually doing what he does naturally and is waiting at the surface for some insect to fall into the water. Females would be constantly chased by the male. In your little bowl there is no place to hide so if she is not ready to spawn then he would kill her. Invertebrates would be eaten when they shed their exoskeleton. Other fish would be chased or would be picking on the bettas fins.-Chuck>

Minnows killed Betta 8/25/05
I recently added 5 small minnows to a 15 gal tank with 1 male betta.
<Err>
Some appeared to harass the betta at first and I found 1 dead every day for 4 days (never found the 5th).  On the 6th day the betta was dead.!  Could the betta have died from eating the 5th minnow?
<Mmm, maybe... but more likely from stress, being harassed by the minnows>
I have replaced the betta and wonder how a pair of clown loaches would do?
Thanks
Jim Martin
<Can you find out the species of minnow here? There are many... and a bunch of these species are inappropriate for a tropical fish tank... I would wait on the loaches till we discern the species, requirements of the minnows, their compatibility. Bob Fenner>

Re: Minnows killed Betta  8/30/05
Hi Bob and thanks for your quick reply.
<Welcome>
I went back to Petsmart to check out the species and the tank is now labeled Rosie Red goldfish.
<Mmm, not goldfish, a different species, but both are minnows... family Cyprinidae members>
They look like the minnows I bought and are not red.
<Are red when in good health...>
Having read your comments on goldfish, I'm not going to replace them, so how about a clown loach or two with the betta?
Jim
<A good choice if you have enough room... see fishbase.org re. Bob Fenner>

Cohabitation of Male and Female Bettas? - 08/17/2005
Hi!
<Hello!>
You have some great info on your website.  
<So glad you find it useful.  Thank you for these kind words.>
I just have a question regarding keeping males with females (with a petition)
<A petition?  I infer, from the rest of your email, you mean a "partition", as in a divider of some sort, yes?>
I have two male bettas and one female in the same tank (about 7 litres) but they have they have their space divided with glass partitions (it's designed specifically for bettas)  Looks a bit like this: http://www.petfish.net/bettafry.jpg
<Ah, yes, I'm quite confidant at this point you mean "partitions".  7 liters.... divided by three bettas.... 'bout 0.62 gallon per fish....  smaller than I'd like, but do-able.  You might consider something larger, when/if possible.>
although it's smaller and not in separate pieces, it's all joined (let me know if you're not sure what I mean, you've probably seen them though)
<I have a rough idea.>
My question is, is it ok to keep them together?  They obviously can't breed but they do pay each other a bit of attention and the female is starting to get fat and has that little tube sticking out slightly from her belly.  Is this harmful for her or them?  
<Likely not.>
They seem to get on well and seem happy and healthy but I wondered if this is not good long term?. They do have quite a few live plants in there so they can hide and stuff if they want to though.
<Long term, I would prefer to see them each with a few gallons of their own....  even in a divided tank (with partitions).  But as for them living in such a situation, yeah, they'll not harm each other.  The general caution against keeping males with females is because the male will either harm/kill himself or the female with prolonged contact.  Keeping them in separate compartments in the same tank is fine.>
Thanks in advance for your advice!  -Lauren
<Wishing you well,  -Sabrina>

Cohabitation of Male and Female Bettas? - II - 08/17/2005
Thanks a lot for your quick reply!
<You bet.>
I would like to get a bigger tank for them, I looked in a lot of places but that was the biggest one I could find.  
<Surprising!  Even a standard 10g tank will do; dividers are available at some/most stores separately.  At least in the US....  Not sure where you are, or what's available there.>
I guess I'll have to keep looking.  It was a great deal bigger that other tanks they had (some about as big as a big glass of water) which disgusted me a bit.
<Agreed....  At our local fish club, such containers occasionally come up for sale in our auctions, and almost invariably are referred to as "Betta Torture Chambers" by our auctioneer!  Your current system is FAR better than such a device.>
Anyway, sorry to ask again but back to the female....  I figured if she's getting fat then she must be full of eggs....
<Likely>
so what happens if she doesn't release the eggs?  Can this have some toxic effect., or are they just reabsorbed... or is it just normal for this to happen?
<She will either release them, reabsorb them, or (possibly) become egg-bound, which can be fatal....  I've not seen that happen to any females I've had.  99% of the time, their bellies waxed and waned, presumably the eggs were simply reabsorbed.>
Thanks again!
<And thank you for writing in.>
Lauren
<Wishing you well,  -Sabrina>

Cohabitation of Male and Female Bettas? - III - 08/23/2005
Thanks Sabrina!  
<You bet.>
Fran's not as fat as she was so I presume she's sorted the whole egg thing out.  
<Ah, good.>
I'm in Australia by the way, and I did look around for big betta house but no go - I will eventually buy a big standard tank and get the plates of glass made up for it.  
<Sounds like a plan.  There are also commercially made dividers for standard-sized tanks available online and in some stores; you might look for these.>
Oh, and have you heard of a product which puts natural bacteria into the water, to keep levels of ammonia low?
<Mm, Marineland's Bio-Spira is one such product, perhaps the best....  but it is no cure for water changes....>
Is it safe to add this while the fish are in the tank,
<Yes.>
or should it be put in without them there so it settles?  
<Water changes are really your only good natural defense against the buildup of wastes.  "The Solution to Pollution is Dilution", as it were.>
Thanks again :)
<Glad to be of service!  Wishing you well,  -Sabrina>

Dory and Suckie weren't lovers...
Dory is a male betta or so i have been told by the store. He is dark blue. I am fairly new at having a fish. I have notice a weird behavour from him. For about 2 weeks he lays under the pump on his side and sleeps. It looks like it anyway. I keep tapping the tank to see if he is alive or not. He shares his tank with a bottom feeder. I call him Suckie.
<Keep your eye on this fish... may give Dory a deadly hickie>
They both eat the same food. Dory eats from the top and Suckie from the bottom when the food falls. Sometimes, mostly when i go to feed Dory, he will see me with the food in my hand and he will stay in one spot and shake his head back and forth. I have read that bettas are curious and performers. Should i be worried or not.                             Angie
<Re the Betta's behavior? No... the presence of the CAE? Yes.... please read here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/betcompfaqs.htm
Bob Fenner>

Bettas, Snails, and Glass Cats - 08/04/2005
Hello, WWM Crew!! :)
<Hello, Stella and Jared!>
First off, thanks so much for all the work you put into getting this info. out there! I spend *way* too much time reading things on this webpage.
<And thank you very much for your kind words; this is much appreciated.>
Unfortunately, I wasn't able to find answers to everything I was wondering-- maybe I just didn't look hard enough.
<No worries.>
Currently, my husband and I have two tanks set up.  One is the Eclipse 3-gallon and it houses a happy, fat Betta fish, 3 Ghost Shrimp and various live plants.  
<Sounds perfect.>
I was thinking about adding some Java Fern and getting a Golden or Black Mystery Snail for this tank. The shrimp do a fine job cleaning up, but I think I'd like a snail, too. Would that overload this tank? And how can I make sure that the snail won't come with a bunch of baby snails? (I suppose I could get a male...?)
<Mm, honestly, I would not add a mystery snail to this small system.  Too much potential for pushing out more biological waste than the tank can easily support.  Do-able, though, if you are very meticulous about testing and changing water.  Do please take a look at http://www.applesnail.net , though, for lots of snaily information.>
The other is an Eclipse Hex 7, which has... one Glass Catfish and various live plants. (The other Glass Cat we bought died the morning after it was brought home.)  Normally, there is a Betta in this tank too; unfortunately, he seems to be sick.  I pulled him out, placed him in a vase (I don't have an "official" QT tank yet), tried to get the water temperature a bit warmer than his water (82F) and a little extra salt. I also added a half dose of CopperSafe. The sick Betta has feathery stuff flaking off of him, almost from beneath his scales.  He seems to be doing much better, blowing bubbles and swimming around happily. Maybe he prefers having no tankmates... He's been quarantined for 2 days now-- how much longer should I keep him out of the 7 gallon? 3 weeks?
<A week or two after he has regained health completely is probably sufficient.  A side note - DO NOT add CopperSafe (or ANY other copper-based medication) to aquaria with invertebrates, as it is highly toxic to them.>
As for our lonely Glass Cat (who still won't eat much!!),
<Try offering frozen meaty foods, such as frozen bloodworms, or live foods like mosquito larvae, just after lights-out on the tank.>
how many more Glass Cats can we put in the 7 gallon tank without overloading it? I know they do much better in a shoal/school, but I'd really rather not make them all miserable in a small space.
<This animal is easily capable of reaching six inches in length....  In all honesty, I would plan on a larger tank (20 gallons or more) and aim for at *least* three of these fish; shy schoolers like this really seem to be more "at ease" in numbers.  Please consider the 7g tank a very temporary home.>
By the by, I was also considering getting a Black or Golden Mystery Snail for this particular tank. Would having snails mean less gravel-vaccing?
<No.  Snails, like other animals, produce waste; you'll still need to do the same regular maintenance.  I see no problem adding a snail or two to this tank.>
We're still set on having 10-15% water changes/testings once a week, but we're afraid too much gravel vacuuming is bad for the plants...
<Well, yes, there *is* a happy medium.  Try not to vacuum too much at the plants' roots, but in areas absent of plants, vacuum all the more.>
Lastly (I'm sorry! So many questions...!!),
<Really, no worries!  I'm glad you're asking, rather than not!>
since we have smaller fish, what size tank would be adequate for a QT?
<As above, I would like to encourage you to think about a much larger tank for the glass cat(s)....  They might be "smaller fish" right now, but they won't stay so.  Ahh, in fact, here's the fishbase entry on 'em:  http://www.fishbase.org/Summary/speciesSummary.php?ID=10920&genusname=Kryptopterus&speciesname=bicirrhis .  If you do a much larger system, the 7 would make a fine QT, or a cheap 10g setup would serve just as well.>
It's been difficult finding a heater that works well for such small size tanks.
<A small, 25w heater would be fine for the 7.  I even use a 25w in my own 3g eclipse; works great.>
Thankfully, we live in San Diego, so the temperature of the tank water rarely drops below 77.
<Ahh, very good indeed.>
Thank you so so much in advance! Look eagerly forward to a reply :)
--Stella&Jared
<Thank you again for your kind words!  Wishing you and your fishes (and future snails?) well,  -Sabrina>

Bettas, compatibility 8/2/05
I have a little Betta tank that is split with a piece of glass down the
middle. It didn't have a lid on it, though it does now.
<Yes, jumpers>
Now I had a female,
and male Betta in this little tank, the female managed to jump over the
glass as far as I could tell as she had been in with the male for what I
could tell to may be hours. They didn't hurt each other at all, just kinda
postured at each other showing their gills. Would it be a bad thing to put
these two in together into a bigger tank?
<Can be done... but often results in the female hiding all the time, injury>
I know Bettas are hard to breed,
and I'm not expecting to. Just wondering if its a bad idea.
Polara_Blues
<Not hard to breed... in my estimation... and a lot of fun. Bob Fenner>

Bettas compatibility 7/31/05
Hello,
        I just set up a ten gallon  aquarium about a month ago.  I currently
have three head and tail light tetras, two black mollies, and one Chinese
algae eater occupying it.
<Keep your eye on the last>
I was  wondering if it was ok to put one Betta in with
these fish.
<Should be okay... watch that the CAE doesn't start "riding it" though>
I feel sorry for them when I see them at the pet stores and they
are in those little  tiny cups.  I feel that putting them in those tiny
living  quarters is extremely cruel.  
<Mmm, moving, displaying male Bettas in such is okay, keeping them in small, unheated, unfiltered settings is cruel IMO>
I was hoping I could save one from  a
terrible life. I have heard that Bettas are very aggressive but only  towards their
own kind.  Some people tell me that it would be fine and  others say that a Beta
would kill my other fish.  
<... please read here: http://wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/betcompfaqs.htm
and the linked files above, where you lead yourself>
I know that tiger barbs  are fin nippers and not
to put them in with Betas,
<Ah, yes>
but are any of the fish in my  aquarium fin nippers
as well.
<Not generally... w/ the exception of the CAE>
Could you also tell me which fish are  nippers.  Thanks in advance.                                                                 
   Catlady
<Meow! Bob Fenner>

Betta tankmates 7/10/05
Hello.  I believe I have a 15 gallon tank it's either 10 or 15.  In it I have 2 gold dust mollies and 2 female bettas.  I was wondering if this was a good combination or are the two fish not compatible.
<The female bettas the mollies should get along fine>
I watch them regularly to make sure the bettas don't bite the mollies and so far they seem to be getting along fine. My female molly had babies, but sadly they died.  She had them a day after I bought her and I was not expecting them.  When will she have her babies again?
<If you have a female and male molly, quite soon (a few weeks most likely) but if not, then not at all>
Thank you for your help!
<Anytime.  In the future, please use proper spelling, punctuation, capitalization, and grammar, as these emails are archived for future viewing>
-Kylie
<M. Maddox>

Snails & Bettas
Hi, highly informational site. I've learned a lot more than I originally
intended to from sifting through the site.
<Ahh, our intention>
Though, I either missed or have a
new question that I haven't really been able to find a specific answer to...
I have a healthy and very active Betta in a 10 gallon tank, he's been there
for about 6 months and he loves it. He's always spicy. Anyways, I recently
bought a gold mystery snail for the tank and the Betta has been nipping at
the poor guy every time he comes out of his shell. My question is... Will
Betta's normally get tired of the snail and leave it alone?
<Usually, yes... you may want to add another "dither" organism... something else it can chase about>
If not/so, will
one of the larger baseball sized apple snails be less prone to being nipped
at by the Betta?
<Perhaps>
My thinking was that the Betta is picking on the little
snail because he (the Betta) is bigger and feels like something is invading
his territory, but he'd leave a bigger snail alone.... So, those are the
questions that have been plaguing me for days. Anyways, thanks again for the
site.
<Thank you for being part of, adding to it. Bob Fenner>

Betta, Ghost Shrimp, and Corys
Hello, I hope this is the right place to ask. I recently got a male Betta in a 2 gallon tank + filter. I've added a
total of 4 small ghost shrimp and within a couple weeks, one by one, they all started to disappear. The only conclusion is that my Betta ate them! I read that Corys are compatible with bettas. So I went to the pet store and bought 2 albino Corys (very entertaining fish). They all seemed to get along. One day, I came home and one of the Corys was laying
sideways at the bottom of the tank and barely moving at all. One side looked raw and pinkish red. Then I noticed
that one of his eyes is missing! Again, I think my Betta was the culprit. Should I have my Betta live by himself?  Or should I get some other types of fish that is more compatible?
Thank you for your time.
Sheila
<If you are sure the damage you see is from a fight and not infection then this is a Betta that needs to be alone. Most will accept other fish in their tank, but not all. Seems you have one of the more aggressive Bettas. Enjoy him for what he is. It's just the nature of the beast. Most likely they did a tag team on the shrimp. The Betta may have killed them, but I bet the Corys took care of the remains. They love shrimp but will not usually kill them. Don>

Betta In a Community Tank (Chuck's go)
Dear Mr. Fenner,
< Chuck with you this time.>
My son started a tropical aquarium in January this year which has been mainly successful  with a temporary outbreak of whitespot in the initial stages.
This was successfully treated and things have been fine since until
recently. The fish which were introduced to the tank initially were  male
and female guppies,5 neon tetras, and the blue male Siamese fighter. The guppies
provided 'live' food for the Siamese fighter soon after. As the guppies hung
around together so much we decided to buy a female for the Siamese fighter
to keep him happy. A month or so after we bought an algae eater which was
roughly the same size as the male fighter and this lived harmoniously in the
tank for ages. The problem is that the algae eater has disappeared without
trace, presumably fallen victim to the fighter. The male fighter is without
doubt the boss of the whole tank and the other fish seem to be fast enough
to keep out of the way as he chases them frequently. The male guppy has now
disappeared and a tetra was found dead half eaten at the bottom of the tank.
Strangely the male seems to dislike the female even more than the other fish
as he chases her more violently than the others. Is it purely territorial
behaviour from the male fighter or is it that we are not feeding the fish
enough. He didn't seem to be nearly so aggressive at first and now we are
wondering if he has a blood lust and is going to finish off the others one
by one. Your advice would be gratefully received Yours sincerely Mark Fraser
< Betta in a community tank can be very difficult. As you have already found out that they prey on smaller fish and really don't like anybody else around. The male Betta is trying to get the females attention so she will spawn. This is pretty unlikely to happen in this tank so she should be removed before she jumps out or is killed.-Chuck>

Male Siamese Fighter really living up to his name (Bob's go)
Dear Mr. Fenner,
                           my son started a tropical aquarium in January
this year which has been mainly successful, with a temporary outbreak of
whitespot in the initial stages.
This was successfully treated and things have been fine since until
recently. The fish which were introduced to the tank initially were a male
and female guppy, 5 neon tetras, and the blue male Siamese fighter. The guppies
provided 'live' food for the Siamese fighter soon after. As the guppies hung
around together so much we decided to buy a female for the Siamese fighter
to keep him happy.
<Mmm, not necessary...>
A month or so after we bought an algae eater which was
roughly the same size as the male fighter and this lived harmoniously in the
tank for ages. The problem is that the algae eater has disappeared without
trace, presumably fallen victim to the fighter.
<Mmm, unlikely... they're quick and tough... probably "jumped out"...>
The male fighter is without
doubt the boss of the whole tank and the other fish seem to be fast enough
to keep out of the way as he chases them frequently. The male guppy has now
disappeared and a tetra was found dead half eaten at the bottom of the tank.
Strangely the male seems to dislike the female even more than the other fish
as he chases her more violently than the others. Is it purely territorial
behaviour from the male fighter or is it that we are not feeding the fish
enough.
<Likely mostly the former>
He didn't seem to be nearly so aggressive at first and now we are
wondering if he has a blood lust and is going to finish off the others one
by one. Your advice would be gratefully received
  Yours sincerely
  Mark Fraser
<It does read like this particular one is indeed overly agonistic. Fancy tailed guppies do have troubles with male Bettas at times, and females can be pursued to exhaustion, death in small systems. Perhaps a "time out", hanging in a net in the corner or a floating plastic colander will  knock this specimen down a notch. Bob Fenner>

Antisocial Betta
After months of keeping my Betta Butch in a small glass bowl, I’ve recently gotten a 10 gallon set-up with a heater, filter and bio-filter. Butch seems much happier, less lethargic, and content.
<As he should! Bowls are not exactly the best habitats for bettas. They are often-misunderstood fishes.>
I bought four black skirt tetras and a catfish today (at the pet stores’ recommendation) and Butch is being VERY aggressive towards them.  
<Bettas are certainly individuals. Sounds like you have an aggressive one. This is exactly the reason why Bettas are not often recommended for the community tank setting: they a re either too aggressive or too peaceful. Rarely do you find a perfectly sociable Betta.>
He is chasing them non-stop and bumping against them with his mouth.  
<In others words, attacking and biting them?>
He leaves the catfish alone unless he happens to move into his line of sight.  The tetras don’t seem to be provoking the aggression or instigating further aggression.
I previously had three swordtails and four neon tetras in the tank with him and he never displayed aggressiveness towards those fish.
<Again, bettas are individuals. It is hard to predict how one will behave, or why he/she does what he does.>
Unfortunately, one of the neon was sick and it ended up affecting the other fish (with the exception of Butch).
Do the black skirt tetras exhibit some characteristic that would provoke a Betta (i.e., size, speed, color, fin shape, body shape, etc.)?  
<Seems as if they provoke yours, though it could also be that they swim at a strata he defines as his territory.>
Should I give them a little while to get used to each other and the situation will likely improve or is it a hopeless cause?  
<I would remove one party. If you do remove Butch, however, I pray you do not sentence him to another bowl.>
I was very upset at the loss of my other fish.  I just don’t want any more deaths on my watch.  :-)  
<Glad to hear it. Good luck, Mike G>
Thank you in advance for your help.
Diana

New fish With Betta
Hello, I have a 22L (10 gallons I think) tank, with a filter, light (which is on 10 hours a day), and heater (keeping the tank at a comfortable 78F).  Which currently houses my Betta (Skitz) and his 2 mates which are Siamese flying foxes (Cheech and Chong) to help with the house keeping, all get along grad.  Would it be OK to add a few glass fish or will they end up being lunch for Skitz.  As I was going to add a few neon tetras until I read on your site that they wouldn't last long.  Also, my plants in the tank (which are all live) are starting to get red freckles on them, is this due to having not enough iron in the tank or having too much light. Thanks for your knowledge.
Andrew
< Glass fish would be fine. If they are painted glass fish the paint will soon wear off and the will be clear glass fish. It may be iron. Try a plant fertilizer with iron and see it makes any difference. I use Fluorite by SeaChem as it is high in iron.-Chuck>

Prom Night Betta pt 2
Me again. I got Fishy a new tank, and gravel, and a live plant that he loves. He's in a tank with a light and filter, got a dechlorinator, gravel. It came in a starter kit. I'm excited. Another question. Another fish came with my live plant that we had no clue about until we got home, it looks like a catfish, but much smaller. It's ugly. Would be okay with my Betta? Thanks.
<That would depend on the species of catfish. Most, such as Corys, make great tankmates. There are others that get huge and will eat anything that will fit in their mouths. You'll need to do a little research. Make sure he gets his share of the food. You may need to feed him a sinking food after lights out. Glad to hear up upgraded him, thank you. You did not mention a heater. If one was not included, that's your next purchase. And please read the link in my last answer. This new tank will need to cycle before it is fish safe. Bio filtration is the single most important thing you must learn to keep your fish alive and thriving. You should get tests for ammonia, nitrite and nitrate. Then do water changes to correct spikes. No chemicals, except dechlorinator. Good luck with him. Don> 

Betta Sex/Tankmates
Hello. I have recently checked out your website and found it very informative. I do have a couple of questions. How can I tell if my Betta is male or female? Can my Betta be put in an aquarium with 2 mollies, 1 dwarf gourami, and 2 tetras? Thank you for your help.
Erin D
<Male Bettas have much longer fins and brighter colors. Some Bettas are too aggressive to be kept with smaller fish. And some small fish will nip your Betta's fins. You can give it a try, but be prepared to remove him if problems develop. Don>