What Can I Put in My Betta Tank?

Male betta, or Siamese Fighting fish, are popular aquarium fish due to their ease of care and their vibrant colors. True to the name, bettas are fairly aggressive fish and tank mates must be chosen with care. Never should male bettas be housed together--they will fight to the death.

  1. Tank Size

    • Bettas can breathe air when the dissolved oxygen in the water becomes low. This means they can be kept in small containers without filters. However, this is not ideal. The International Betta Congress recommends at least a half-gallon tank for one fish when the water in the tank is changed weekly. If adding other fish to a betta tank, aquatic experts recommend 1 gallon per 1 inch of fish.

    Suitable Tank Mates

    • Bettas generally can co-exist peacefully with many other fish, according to the International Betta Congress. Tetras make excellent tank mates, as do bottom feeders like Corydoras or Otocinclus. Snails, dwarf frogs and ghost shrimp add variety and tend to do well with a betta.

    Fish to Avoid

    • Since bettas are slow-moving, they can become the target of aggression so housing them with quick, nippy fish is not recommended. Barbs and danios, for example, are fast moving fish that can gang up on a betta. Fish from the same family as bettas, such as Gouramis, should also be avoided. Any aggressive fish should not be placed with a betta.

    Plants & Bettas

    • In general, bettas are not destructive to aquarium plants. Live plants like java ferns and java moss are good for bettas because the plants require little care and the betta can hide among the leaves. Any plastic plants you add must not have sharp edges that might tear the betta's flowing fins.

    Tank Decorations

    • Tank decorations can easily share the tank with a betta as long as there are no sharp edges and enough room for the fish to easily move around in the water without getting trapped. Bettas appreciate a place where they can hide, such as a resin cave or a heavily planted corner.

    Considerations

    • Since bettas are tropical fish, the water temperature should be kept around 74 to 86 degrees Fahrenheit. When selecting tank mates, the temperature requirements for the other fish species should be in the same temperature range. They should not share the tank with cold water fish like goldfish, which prefer water under 72 degrees Fahrenheit.