(08-29-2013, 03:01 PM)TheBrit Wrote: It's a misconception that Betta fish have to be kept alone they don't, although what they are kept with is of prime importance.
You must not keep two male siamese fighters together as they will fight to the death. They will live quite happily in a tank with mixed small tetras and various corydoras cats. A few females can be kept with them and if the conditions are right they will start to build bubblenests.
It's not a good idea to try to keep them with members of the barb or large danio species who will enjoy nipping their flowing tails until they are shredded.
I wouldn't recommend to host betta fish with other fish in the same tank with the exception of bottom feeders like corydoras catfish. It is not just because betta might be territorial and aggressive toward other fish... It is often the other way around.
Tetra for example, it is a big no because many of them are nippy. Betta has such long fin which makes them the perfect target for fast moving Tetra fish.
While some betta fish might be "peaceful" enough to be in a community tank, it is no guarantee they will stay "peaceful" forever. All it takes is to have one incident for it become "not ok" from "ok". There are cases where female betta fish killed the male after spawning. So don't count on the female to be "peaceful" either.
Better be safe than sorry. I would never recommend anyone to put a betta in a community tank. They are like time bombs in there except you do not have a clue about the timer.
