Bad Betta Buddies: These Fish Don't Mix Well With Bettas!

[@jenniferkeeponfighting7561]

In a perfect world.... a 100 gallon tank full of bright bettas just swimming around and being best friends.

[@sandrabattye8689]

I have found bettas work very well as teachers - putting baby live bearers (a week old) or very very tiny angelfish in with the betta resulted in the babies growing up and not being eaten, when they are big enough to survive they go where the parents live. As soon as the babies are big enough to irritate the betta they are big enough to go in with the adults (angels must be moved by the time their bodies are the same length as the betta (not counting tail). I had one betta who would even herd the babies into a net to get rid of them!

[@jamesgreen9372]

All good points, I wish we had seen this when my son got his first tank. For the fist 3 months, all was okay. Then the 3 shrimp, Hogan, LeBeau, and Kinchlow, vanished. Next Schultz, the Nerite snail, was no longer in the Stalag. With only the male Betta, Justinian, left, it was assumed that everyone else escaped the hard way. Thanks for your insights, Jim

[@apss5736]

not sure about the shrimp but the nerite snail might have escaped out of the tank and dried out

[@jawjagrrl]

Had two betta nano tanks and they both killed shrimp just to do it. Shrimp are by themselves now. Betta 1 is tolerating chili rasboras while Betta 2 is marginally overwhelmed by his 5 kuhli loach tankmates. They even hang out in his log now 😂

[@k.iskandar]

Awesome! I was worried the fish I'm getting tomorrow might not get along with my betta. Glad it's not on this list. So excited to see my betta be friends with my new arowana!

[@imagine791]

Lol

[@DebzAquaPetz]

🤣🤣

[@fishandfloral]

😆😂🤣Absolutely wonderful combo.

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

Too funny!

[@kaden.slone04_biology]

Can't wait to see how my betta does with my oscar! 😂

[@MissCaylen]

Great video guys! I have danios in a 20 gallon community with my male betta, but I added them in two groups spaced apart after seeing that the betta and danios didn't interact. Seeing how active they are, I can completely see why a betta might not like danios. In my tank, the danios aren't nippy, and they will not disrupt the betta when it eats. I happen to have danios that really keep to themselves, and I find a heavily planted tank with floating plants helps me feed my betta separately and secretly while the danios mow down elsewhere. Definitely agree you need to know your fish before you put them together and keep an eye!

[@philcarlino6942]

I just realized I was not subscribed to your channel. I have been a longtime viewer and always have your channel in my recommended videos. You both do a great job with explaining stuff. Another great topic today. I kept a female betta in a 75 gallon community tank with gold barbs, a blue gourami, and an angel plus tetras and cories. For the most part they all left each other alone. The tank is very big though, I would never do it in a small tank. She lived a full happy life in that tank. In a ten gallon tank, my male betta happily coexisted with Von Rio tetras. I had another in a twenty gallon with cories and black neons. Have a great day!

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

Thank you for being here!

[@johnwood738]

Nice job guys as always! The only hard and fast rule I find with a Betta is it depends on the Betta i’ve had some I swear I couldn’t put in with a great white shark and others that are just I’m happy to be here put me with anything but this is a good list of things that could potentially hurt your Betta!

[@davidreeves644]

I do for the most part agree with your choices as for how I have seen my fish in my community tank interact my bettas I think the dynamic would fall apart without the duckweed and stem plants at the top of the tank along with the size of the tank.

[@bonnieeden228]

Thank you Joanna & Jason. I do have a 10 gallon with two honey gouramis and 4 golden white clouds. They seem okay but the honeys are very shy abs they always hide. Whtn feeding time comes, they do get their food quickly but I feed the betta first and I feed the others in the other side of the tank. Great video. Thank you. Have a great week

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

You have a good system :-)

[@SpencerJ289]

Glad you two are back. I hope you had fun in Dallas

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

Thank you!

[@hardybryan]

I buy feeder ghost shrimp for my betta tank. He does kill one once in awhile, but most of them live out however much time they have left unharmed (these are feeders, so not well kept at the store and some die quickly while the youngest and healthiest will live for up to a year). I feel like I'm giving them a much better shot at survival than people who buy them as feeders. And at 6 for $1, I can afford to replace them as needed without worrying about it. Plus they're a solid clean up crew.

[@McGD4]

I’ve got a male betta with 2 angelfish and 4 discus. They do great

[@EzioAssassin9279]

I have a super peaceful betta that got all his fins torn up by platies, they were in a 40 gallon breeder and I ended up putting the betta into a Fluval Flex 9 gallon and he’s doing better now.

[@markvonwisco7369]

Plecos are another potential bad buddy for bettas. One of may bettas HATED super red plecos. He would chase the plecos whenever he saw them. In this betta's case, I think it was because the plecos were roughly the same size. He never hurt the plecos, but it stressed them out unnecessarily.

[@RaptorPwnage]

I would also include larger tetra species such as serpaes and black skirts. They are overactive and possibly fin nip.

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

For sure!

[@ACCE_wor]

I used to keep and angel fish with a betta fish, luckily my angel was chill but I totally understand why they can’t always be good buddies for bettas

[@MimicNature]

In regards to active fish, I have a community tank that I plan to introduce a new platinum half moon dumbo Betta to in the coming weeks. I currently have an 8 inch dojo Loach in that tank. He will have to go. He is certainly the tank boss and moves around with little regard for other fish. While he isn't a fin nipper, he would definitely stress out our new Betta.

[@markhunter2244]

Happy misty Monday. Excellent a video highlighting fish you shouldn’t keep with a Betta, a nice refreshing change 👌

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

Thank you!

[@braelynheltne6328]

I have a female halfmoon betta with mickey platies and male guppies in a 20 and they all get along great!! That is to say, they entirely pretend each other doesn't exist lol

[@joewwilliams]

0:56 - was gonna be me (literally 20 hundred thousand years)🤣my boy doesn't seem to spot them all. But I have a lot of small crypts on the bottom, probably helping hide shrimplets.

[@littlemidwestrebornsdolls]

Monet (betta) was even mean to his snail friend. Of course, I made the mistake of adding the snail two months after Monet was home. But, then I put the snail in a different tank and a month later I put Monet in his upsized tank, where the snail was living. Monet would have none of it! He nipped at the snail, knocked the snail of the side of tank. Monet lives all alone. His best friends are a big Anbuis leaf and his floating log.

[@apss5736]

mine hates fish but he tolerates snails

[@apss5736]

These betta buddy videos are great for deciding which fish to put with bettas

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

Thank you 😀

[@redcherries93x2]

Porkchop rasporas harassed and nipped my plakat betta till they had to be separated! I have had success with shrimp with LOTS of java moss in the tank

[@davidreeves644]

I would say that you could always keep angelfish with bettas if you provide hiding spots for the bettas towards the top of the tank and towards the bottom.

[@cherylbelott]

Happy Monday! Helpful video. Thx!

[@___________________1]

very educational and informative , I recently purchased a baby betta girl , thanks you !

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

Good luck!

[@marymatthews1134]

Love the tank behind you all!!

[@WorldAquariumSingapore]

super cool video again, and lots of important info for those betta lovers out there cheers and thanks, and totally agree, shrimps need to hide and i also saw betta with shrimps but baby shrimps will be hunted down, unless the tank is really huge and there are lots of plants e.g. dutch style or with lots of wood and caves or hiding spots betta is going have shrimp lunch and dinner and maybe breakfast too cheers

[@danielc9282]

Thanks.

[@graffic13]

I had good luck with emerald eyed rasboras and bettas Glass catfish worked well too

[@Prone2Thrill]

Well shoot - now I need to find some alternatives for my Beta bc before watching this I was set on Dalmation molly's. I also had shrimp plans but not when they are over $3 and a meal...

[@paulkruger491]

Good information. Thanks.

[@GenRN]

I love my betta with dwarf corys. I also keep shrimp but he is definitely picking off babies. My population just never seems to proliferate with my betta, Bluebonnet. Also I love my betta with all types of snails. He gets big mad at the nerites but ignores the mysterys, rabbits, and ramshorns.

[@GenRN]

@@jimmycorper wow! That is one mean betta. He gets solitary confinement now.

[@jimmycorper]

Mine killed 4 pygmy corys before I figured out what was happening and rescued the rest. He also bit the eye stalks off of my mystery snails. So yeah, the cute little jerk lives by himself now.

[@jimmycorper]

@@GenRN I've got the surviving pygmys and snails in a tank with ember and rummy-nose tetras. They are much happier with their new tankmates. 😁

[@NEi206]

In my 10 gallon I have 5 rummy nose tetras, 2 mystery snails, and 5 shrimp with my galaxy betta, sushi. For the most part they all stay away from each other and the tetras just swim to the other side or away from him. But every once in a while he’ll check out the snails and will nip at them.

[@cooltank83-UK]

Nice to see you both guys 💯👍😍🤗

[@CarolynnMc01]

Happy Monday! Have a great week!

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

Thank you - You too!

[@kalamancini8189]

I have a 40b with a few platys and a betta i know usually there in smaller tanks & it is planted & ive been dying to get more fish

[@shesellsfish]

Way way back 20 hundred thousand years ago before I knew,anything about fis or shrimp or plants. The kids decided they wanted a fish tank...and our first trip to get the aquarium and fish all at the same time like you do when you're young and totally inexperienced about aquariums...anway we were "those" customers...we'll take one of those and two of those, and oh mommy I want the angel fish,, sure son...mommy I want these 3 pretty betta fishies, sure honey. I think ya'll mentioned all the fish we kept trying with bettas, and of course after we killed off all those fish we bought at the same time we bought the tank. That was back when "the baby" was 5...he's 35 now and boy do I feel like an idiot looking back,🤪 I'm so glad people have KZbin now and you guys to guide people along without being condescending or rude to anybody that asks ya'll questions, cuz the pet stores sure won't tell you...hey you might not want to do that. Happy Tuesday y'all, since I'm playing catch up. Hope ya'll have a great week. P/S To be fair there was no Google or cell phone or home computer to look anything up on back in the day either. So unless you actually knew somebody who successfully kept fish and was knowledgeable and willing to mentor you or share their fishing secrets, you were pretty much on your own trial and error and rainbow colored gravel. 👍❤👍

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

We have all been there probably. The pre-internet days were like that for a lot of people.

[@kingamer1234]

Awesome video idea

[@karenaubrey5737]

Good Afternoon.

[@liladyash0692]

What about African Dwarf Frogs, I read some where they can be tank mates?

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

Possibly - just depends on the betta.

[@iamOTHER44]

What about the neon green rasboras? They’re pretty small too (1/2 inch) so I wanted to make sure

[@apss5736]

smaller individuals could be eaten by a large betta

[@tonymelvin9928]

I have 2 FEMALE betas and 2 mystery snails I just moved them from a 6 gal tank to a 40 tall gal tank are there any big no’s and sorry to hear no cherry shrimp. Any help I would love thank you

[@sandraschwan358]

I tried to put my betta with neon tetras, and it was not good. My betta was so stressed out that he was swimming frantically. The tetras just stayed in one spot and watched the betta. It was strange. As soon as I placed my betta in his own aquarium, everyone was happy.

[@davidreeves644]

I have found that my pearl gouramis work fine with my bettas, they are in a 55 gallon tank though.

[@naegwut]

Love seeing y'all

[@UmarKhan-sq6zo]

I tried Pearl Gourami with two of my female bettas! Did not work out! He was nipping at their fins so i had to move them...

[@emilvanderwatt7555]

I have a community tank, 38 gallon, with various Tetras including ember Tetras, harlequin rasboras including pigmy rasboras, some guppies, white clouds, 2 pigmy gouramis, Corry cats as well as shrimp with my Betta, and they are all doing fine, no bullying, fin nipping etc. Seems sometimes it work, sometimes it don't. I even have guppy fry, and none of them, including the betta are interested...

[@briacarter723]

What about a good size bamboo shrimp? Would they be big/sturdy enough to be with a betta?

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

Probably as long as the betta doesn’t pick at it.

[@ryanwinters9375]

4:40 I made the mistake of putting danios with my beta and they were fine for months but one day I came home looked into the tank and saw them swarming him like freaking piranhas by the time I got to him there was no fins left (and my beautiful white opal betta was dead by morning)

[@ryanwinters9375]

This is just my personal theory but some of the Danios had gotten sick prior to this so I think the school got stressed out and decided to take their stress out on the beta

[@jgvet08]

Great video!

[@teszterke]

Can I keep 7 small rosy tetras, 1 female apisto macmasteri with 1 beta in a 15 gallon tank? thanks!

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

The only thing that might be a question mark is the betta. I could see the tetras possibly fin nipping the betta or even the apisto going after it?

[@teszterke]

@ thanks! I'll have the beta in a seperate tank then :)

[@jaspherpotesagor1986]

My bettas fine with swordtails and gorami fish

[@ScottyAquatty]

Thank you for the video.

[@ADxtismo]

I’m interested in keeping a betta with a pair of German blue rams? I know you said to be cautious but how I can be successful in doing this?

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

I’m not sure there is any specific thing to be done other than making sure it’s a decently large tank (at least 20 gallons) and have a back up plan in case it doesn’t work.

[@ADxtismo]

@@PrimeTimeAquatics hi, just a follow up! I have a 30 gallon. And when we put the betta in there he actually started puffing up and fighting with our black phantom tetra school in there, so we took him out. And replaced him with a more peaceful male betta we have an no problems since.He does mess with our hill stream loaches the most hahahaha

[@addictedtofishchick6279]

Can I put a betta with white clouds and pygmy cories in a 15 gallon ? Great video!

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

Sure - we have done that combo without any issues.

[@danszczerba65]

Hi, thx for this video!!! Any expierience with Rummy Nose Tetras with a Betta, 75 gallon planted tank. Thanks!!!

[@obloj]

No issues at all in 20 long either female or male had an issue

[@fishandfloral]

My betta was slowly taking out the ember tetras in his tank.

[@plushpossum]

Uh oh. Now I know what happened to my Rasboras. I had 5 in a 20 gallon (also 5 Tetras and 3 Corydoras) and added a Betta. I have one left. :'(

[@ticket2space621]

Dang guys 😂 I have shrimpies and chili rasboras with my red dragon plakat 😔 don't worry everything's fine and they're all great together but I don't think you guys are crazy. I can see it going wrong for sure if I didn't have such a sweety boy Betta fish

[@masonlee9423]

How do you feel about a betta with a honey gourami?

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

I’d probably want at least a 20 gallon. We had that combo and it wound up not working.

[@masonlee9423]

@@PrimeTimeAquatics my plan is a 60 gallon, with ember tetras, neon tetras and kuhli loaches. I have the neons, the betta and 3 kuhlis in a 20 gallon right now. I'm hoping it will work out cause my betta has been super chill so far.

[@NihilusTheGreat]

Hey team! What are your thoughts on Seachem Paraguard combined with increased temperature to treat ich? I've watched your video about ich and ich meds and have had no luck with ich-x and I'm in search of something that will work better. Thanks!

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

I'm not sure paraguard is the best med for ich. I'd go with Copper Safe if the fish are ok with it and there are no inverts or plants.

[@NihilusTheGreat]

@@PrimeTimeAquatics I have a ton of plants unfortunately. Coppersafe would've been what I went with hands down if I didn't have any. Thanks for your input!

[@iamkaynan3456]

i have a 60 gallon tank with 2 angel fish, 10 platys, 3 rainbow, 6 cherry barbs, 6 glo fish tetras. could i add a betta to the tank and it be ok with the angels? considering the size of my tank

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

Good question - it’s probably not something I would mix.

[@iamkaynan3456]

@@PrimeTimeAquatics I went and bought it anyway. Expert told me that the betta will be fine since everything in the tank is young. By the time the angel fish gets real aggressive they should be established mates by then, which is about a year

[@bobbymeade2099]

I tried to have my betta with a few shrimp. The shrimp didn't have enough places to hide, and the betta killed (did not eat) 2 of the 3 shrimp on Saturday.

[@surabhivijaya9227]

What about black ghost knife with betta😂?

[@Jevababy25]

Thinking of putting my Betta in with 2 female swordtails and a few orange platies. Would this be a good combination?

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

Possibly, but I would want at least a 20 gallon if I were going to do it.

[@leonardpiittinen9946]

My betta must be an angel, the only endler it touched was one that couldn’t swim right so it killed it off, other than that it hasn’t even touched a fry, my shrimp or so. I also have a 55 gallon with 1 betta female, 2 blue spot gourami, 1 gold gourami and another blue gourami with loads of tetras and they are doing great (I also found out gouramis could be extremely aggressive after I got 4 of them😅)

[@marlonf.naranjo6102]

Where did you guys buy your aquatop 3 gallon long? How much was it?

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

That might have come from a fish store in Ohio? I don't remember how much it cost, but probably way more than it should. Haha

[@marlonf.naranjo6102]

@@PrimeTimeAquatics Thanks

[@Diar-s6v]

i have 1 swordtail female 2 angelfishs can i keep betta with it

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

I probably wouldn't chance it.

[@franciscoo.8656]

We have to keep in mind we are talking about 5 gallon tank or less. I am pretty sure keeping all this kinds of non aggressive tank mate in a 50 or 100 gallon long tank will be like a dream community aquarium. And even then the Betta is not as fast when it comes to feeding. So the fact is the Betta is a loaner, he like being by him self in a shallow edge of a river or lake with no current. He only welcomes a female when is time to repopulate. So enjoy your Betta in a 5gallon aquarium and just make it look like a pice of art with a theme of your liking , this way you will enjoy it more every day. :)

[@apss5736]

at fish stores i always see gouramis with bettas and it always seems to work it could be that they have a large amount of gouramis with them which disperses aggression or the temperment of the bettas but i have seen dwarf,honey,sparkling and chocolate gouramis living peacefully with bettas i would love to hear your opinions on this subject

[@jawjagrrl]

Overstocking like is often done with Mbuna might be why it would work. But Bettas don't typically like other antabantoids that they recognize as competition, which is all gouramis and paradise fish. I probably wouldn't keep any other fish that prefer the upper water column.

[@apss5736]

@@jawjagrrl ya neither would i but this mix seems very common in most uk fish stores and interestingly enough i have seen numbers of gouramis from a single specimen to over 30 and other than some minor chasing the fish seem fine and the bettas are active and have perfect fins

[@gouramiparadise3200]

Not sure about the others, but how big were the dwarf gouramis? A betta with a fully grown dwarf gourami is one combination I would absolutely avoid. it might take a little while for things to ramp up, but chances are they will end up fighting, which won't end well for the betta.

[@apss5736]

@@gouramiparadise3200 about juvenile to subadult

[@na1du]

Does this list go for both male and female beta?

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

I'd say it goes for both.

[@DebzAquaPetz]

I have my betta with green neons and 2 julii Cory's he ate my shrimp. But gets on with everyone else 🙄

[@Zachary360Games]

My female betta hated guppies. I had to remove her sadly after the death of a guppy.

[@OinkmasterSupremeForever]

Happy Monday I'm in class 💕

[@aleksmik9346]

same!

[@nick4281]

Would love to hear your microbiological opinion or maybe even review video tetra lifeguard. Lifeguard and melafix are all wr really have available over the counter in canada 🇨🇦 and the active ingredient is a compound rather than a herbal remedy as antibiotics are banned in 🇨🇦. Was curious how effective it may or may not be and how it may affect water parameters and fish health. Love hearing the scientific side and from someone who knows how things work ! Love the vids

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

Nice idea!

[@Wildman-lc3ur]

Odd I've kept mollies with a betta for 2 years and they did fine

[@whatever9554]

I must say, these recommendations and comments feel wild to me. It seems like people spare little or no thought at all on water parameters?! Yk, if they actually match the needs of a betta. Temperature, pH, light level, flow level etc.... They make a difference to how happy the fish are, and you can't always make everyone happy, if the requirements are too different.

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

Unless the fish are wild caught, trying to match water parameters perfectly is unnecessary and impractical. We have had as many as 80 tanks - all the aquariums have the exact same water parameters.

[@whatever9554]

@@PrimeTimeAquatics Hm yes. Well, my local water would apparently be quite nice for a Malawi tank, but I'll fiddle because as it happens, I really like blackwater species. 😅

[@marlonf.naranjo6102]

Buenos Aires Tetras are not good for bettas. I had it and it fin nipped my betta. My betta died after 2 days of the tetras. R.I.P. Keith

[@jackievarughese3945]

They also eat plants, not a good fish for a planted tank, i learned the hard way😢

[@ngarci8040]

White cloud mountain minnows nipping at my Betta so I switched him to my golden white cloud mountain minnow tank and oddly enough problem solved…

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

That's cool! If that problem happens again try feeding the tank smaller meals more frequently. It worked for us.

[@noah.03]

Shrimp are just Betta food most of the time

[@Bassboy1987]

I can verify that Mollies are a horrible combination with a betta...

[@aleksmik9346]

Please, and I mean PLEASE don't get a Betta and Angelfish together. Also a question, does 6 Angelfish, 8 Rummynose, 7 Albino cory cats, 2 Zebra Botia and 2 Bristlenose Plecos in a 55 gallon seem overstocked?

[@marlonf.naranjo6102]

I think it is over stalked a little. Maybe 3 angelfish instead of 6👍

[@aleksmik9346]

@@marlonf.naranjo6102 its heavily planted though

[@Becks-fi6xl]

The angel fish will get huge, seems overstocked to me.

[@aleksmik9346]

@@Becks-fi6xl alright. But will good filtration help?

[@apss5736]

i would say that the tank would be overstocked if i were you i would only do 3 angelfish,remove 2 of the cories,remove the botias,keep all the rummynose and only have one bristlenose just because a tank with that many fish would need a lot of water changes and lots of work but compatibility wise it should be okay but the stocking would be very high