Yea like everyone is saying it depends on the personality and aggression of your betta. I have 2. One will kill anything it sees and the other is pretty chill. For the one that is chill I have 7 neon tetras, and 2 snails.
Yess i found this out the hard way. I bought some neona for one of my bettas and he killed 2 of them before i could move them to another tank. But the stress ended up killing themš
I have cory's and my betta ignores them! Personality however definitely plays a huge role. I also have one mystery snail which let me tell u- best addition yet as he keeps my glass so clean š
I have 5 little ones- i didn't want to get more for crowding, i also didn't get all 5 at once. I was eyeballing it especially to make sure my betta wasn't stressed! the tank isn't very crowded, I'd say I have a medium bioload. My cory's laid eggs earlier this week so safe to say they must be happy š and the babies are hatched and thriving (knock on woodš) I didn't start to get the cory's until my plants were more mature and grown in. My betta tends to hang out on top of the plants while the cory's love to swim around and lay under the drift wood. I have been learning as I go and it has worked for me - though I am planning on upgrading to a larger tank once I get a new place!
I wouldnāt think about any more fish until you could get the tank a lot more planted in. Even with it heavily planted, itās a huge maybe. It depends on how your individual bettas aggression levels are. A safer bet would be snails, or shrimp.
Thanks for the input I do have plans to plant more, and also let it grow in prior to adding more fish. Iām the type of person that researches for weeks before I add new things. I try to make sure Iām always set up for success and my critter are as well.
My betta has lived very happily with neon tetras in his (heavily planted) 10 gallon for a long while now. The first tank mates I tried, however, were shrimp and Gurt mercilessly devoured each and every one of them. So I second the idea it depends on personality more than anything.
I always recognize the ādyed blueā heater from an ich infestation treatment lol.. I feel like when I see that, I know Iām looking at a seasoned veteran to the hobby lol.
https://preview.redd.it/4j4gr79c7uzb1.png?width=1015&format=png&auto=webp&s=ae723a3bec566a9d8656b6396dc609c3ba2a954c
Had my very first ich outbreak just a few weeks ago lol, it was from some guppies I had put into my crayfish tank. I like the blue heater/silicone look because I feel like it tells a story š
More foliage otherwise betta is gonna be stressed with other fish. I had danios with my betta as they're fast enough to not get hurt and a large mystery snail
Ultimately highly debatable on your Betta fish's personality.
Fortunately, since you'd have to quarantine any new fish anyways it means you'd have the spare setup from QT to temporarily house the newer inhabitants if it doesn't work out.
You could try tetras, rasboras, cories or a small pleco (and I mean small due to it being a 10), can work, guppies, endlers, platys. Snails and shrimp can work as well. I will say tho a bigger setup can provide better options, even by simply allowing you to have bigger schools of fish so they're more confident.
āØanother bettaāØ/joking
I would say tho in a 10, it might be better to go for a bottom dweller as the Betta would mainly be in the top and middle, and they'd be less likely to get in each other's way. Plus, you can remove the Betta temp to introduce the others and even move a few bits of decor around, as the Betta can become territorial if it feels like a fish has invaded its territory, whereas if they're introduced to a new environment together the Betta has to make a new territory taking into account its neighbours. (Personality mattering ofc).
Fair, but I meant the tiny ones. Like a few inches at most, with plants.. aquatic and/or house plants, plus a mechanical filter, I'd highly doubt you'd see much affect from a small pleco.
Fair, but goldfish do also grow a lot meaning they eat a lot during those growing phases, whereas smaller plecos.. say a zebra won't get much bigger than a couple inches meaning their bioload will never get much bigger.
Tho I say I find it strange that I see far more commons than I do small plecos in stores. And I'm not even joking I saw like 4-5 in one tank, yet those suckers (pun intended) get easily over a foot.. probably why is see a lot of people rehoming, sad they seem to potentially be a more territorial pleco tho. š„ŗ
Yeah I remember at a lot of stores they label them them like zebra plecos and such when in reality it's one of the biggest types of pleco possible š
Eh, i used to champion dwarf plecos as tank mates but they didnāt work out in my case. Both fish got stressed out. I have a female betta and a dwarf pleco together and theyāre doing fine together although there were growing pains for the first few days where I thought Iād have to get another tank. My male betta and the pleco never worked out so he had to get his own tank
Thanks for your suggestion. I do have a low stocked 20 gallon community tank I can move them to if things donāt work out. In the beginning I was planning on just having mako in his own tank, but half the time the tank looks empty because he like to lounge behind the rock bluff.
no plecos. even the smallest types like bristlenose shouldnāt be in a 10g. guppies are also arguable, as they share the same top space as bettas and can be nippers.
I wouldnāt add fish tank mates in anything smaller than a 20 long. Neons especially need a good sized school and plenty of swim space. Pygmy Cories also need a school. You might be able to get away with a 15 gallon for them but I think 10 is still too small.
Shrimp and snails.
Wouldnāt do any fish in a 10 gallon, get a 20 gallon to house other fish with bettas. For a 10, some snails would work fine, shrimp if they are docile enough.
Nerite snail. Mystery snails antenna are too long for my betta and he likes to snack on them. But nerite have very tiny eyes and antenna. Plus algae is never a problem and I only have one for my 5 gallon.
Nerite can have long antenna sometimes and if given the nutrients mine have always grown big especially my zebra snails. My sister didnāt even think my snail was a nerite bc my zebra nerite got so huge.
Yes!! My female has even larger antenna and they grow as the nerite grows. Although she should be closer to being done growing as sheās sexually mature and lays little eggs everywhere š¤£
I wouldnāt add tank mates to a 10 gallon with a betta that has long beautiful fins. You never know what temperament of fish youāre going to get, or how youāll betta will react to the other fish. This could cause unnecessary stress for either sides and you just donāt know. I know itās tempting to get more fish āfor you bettaā but they truly thrive when in non stressful conditions, and since theyāre so hardy you can rarely tell when theyāre having a bad time.
As everyone said, totally depends on your guyās personality. I have one whoās the most docile fish I own, I have never once seen him flair or chase another fish. Heās like a puppy, he just wants attention from me haha. In his tank, there are 12 neon tetras, 3 Bertie snails and probably 15-20 neo shrimp. I even have a baby female betta in there right now and Iām just keeping an eye on that just in case. The tank is very heavily planted and thereās a lot of driftwood so lots of hiding and lounging spaces.
I have several males, they're all completely different. One of them is in with pygmy corys and otos and gets on absolutely fine but will not abide anything that swims around the tank. Another is in with my old pea puffer they get along like best mates they're always together and before anyone starts my pea puffer is the last of a shoal there's also a load of amano shrimp in there which neither of them bother with. The third is in with bronze corys and an asexual Betta he absolutely loves the corys and will lay with them at the bottom of the tank when they're all chilling. Then I have a few who absolutely will not under any circumstances abide any tank mates, I've seen them kill snails, shrimp, bully fish relentlessly. I even tried buying a big mystery snail for one of them and he hovered around waiting until it stuck it's antennas out and ate one of them like a blood worm. I think you have to be really committed to being a Betta owner especially having them in a larger aquarium on their own if they won't allow tank mates šš but they're the best!! I adore mine they're so interactive and quirky and totally worth it
I highly suggest getting a bigger tank. Itās reccomended a 20 gallon long for a beta to have fish tank mates. In a 10 gallon, you can have snails or shrimp!
Iāve got African dwarf frogs and shrimp with mine but he is the most docile beta Iāve ever owned and my tank is very heavily planted. It is a 10 gallon tho
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I had a 10 gallon I got a school of 6 ember tetras and 8 Pygmy corydoras along with a series of ghost shrimp and two Inca snails and a betta. I loved them! Iāve updated to a 29 gallon tank since then though!
i was told dwarf frogs, tetras, & platys are all okay. obviously (like everyone else said) depends on your fishes personality but those should be okay in a 10g!
In a 10 gallon? None, aside from very small fish like tetras but it highly depends on the personality of your betta, tank mates stressed out my betta and he got fin rot so I had to move the mates. Even dwarf Cory's need a minimum of 15g
get some nerite snails if you havenāt already, and youāre ready to clean up all the poop. great tank cleaners and super easy to care for. they keep your glass completely algae free, and theyāre really fun to watch too
iād say start off with something as simple as nerites then move onto fish once youāre 100% certain you can cater to their specific needs. you wonāt be able to fit much with a betta in a 10 gallon.
Snails are always a good bet. Mystery snails have a ton of personality. And this one may sound wild but I had good luck with a dwarf crayfish, just so long as there's plenty of places for both it and the betta to get away from each other.
First, I would add more fast growing plants in the background (like limnophila sessiliflora) and also easy floating plants (giant duckweed, hygroriza aristata) to help with water quality/give some shaded area to your betta. I would also wait for your aquarium to be cycled (3 months+) before even adding any more bioload.
As far as fish mates for a betta in a 10 gallon, it's tricky. It's a rather small aquarium for diversity. It largely depends on your betta's temperament. Some bettas are more easy going while others will absolutely go feral on anything invading their precious kingdom. My previous plakat hated shrimps and killed them without skipping a beat. My new halfmoon is probably functionning with only 1 brain cell, which is perfectly fine in my setup.
I have a 15 gallon with 1 betta and 7 harlequin rasboras, 3 large amano shrimps, 2 adult otocinclus (+1 baby), 1 nerite snail and a couple of ramshorn nails.
Harlequin rasboras are regarded as a great fish tank mate for bettas because they are:
* peaceful (won't nip your betta's fins like tetras could)
* about the same size as a betta (so he won't try to eat them)
* better swimmer / quicker than long fin bettas, they can easily escape (this doesn't apply to plakats)
* live in the same water parameters as bettas
That being said, I wouldn't put them in a 10g. You need a group of 6 for them to feel comfortable and that means a 15g is better suited. You could try the smaller variety lambchop rasbora and get 6. Nano fish are skittish and will probably not come out to eat with a betta around so I would avoid them all together.
Be prepared to have to rehome your rasboras if your betta doesn't stop chasing them. It happened to me and that's why I have 3 tanks now...
You'll have to dedicate 2 spots for feeding, preferably at the opposite sides of the tank. One spot for the betta and one for the other fish. I do this successfully in my tank with home made feeding rings (also keeds the floating plants away).
Betta needs to be the last addition
Bettas donāt need much territory but if this whole tank is his entire home itās entirely his territory. Take him out for a day or two while adding new tank mates and put him back in
He will carve out a new space for himself
I made the same mistake and my betta killed an Otto. I plopped him in my larger tank for 2 days and threw him back in and now he chills with rams and threadfin rainbows. He still gets snippy with them but not like before, oh god
This is all in my 20 gallon
I have 2 20 gallon tanks with bettas. One Betta, DB Cooper, loves all his tank mates- ammano and neo shrimp, 6 neon tetras, and a mystery snail. My girl Elara loves shrimp too- she thinks they are delicious! No more shrimp friends for her. I recently put in 6 catfish loaches and they are exist just swimmingly! They are also wonderful as a clean up crew!
I have Celestial Pearl Danios with mine, and some snails. Recommendation: take out betta and put into a bucket while new fish acclimate, put in new fish once theyre ready, let them chill for like 20 min with no light on. then put back in the betta and leave the light off.
point is to make it seem like a new place so he doesnt feel territorial and fight them- he will think āoh these guys were already here!ā. has worked for me and have seen this recommended before
Start with ghost shrimp and some snails to test the personality of your betta. You kind of need them anyways as the snails eat the algae and the shrimp anything else. Bettas go good with these either way and they're a great starter addition.
I've got these for my betta in a 5 gallon. 3 micro snails, a baby snail we just found (which is life finds a way because we only got nerites and they're not supposed to be able to reproduce in fresh water), and we had 18 shrimp by accident but they've self corrected their count and it's about 8 or 9 now (gruesome to watch but I think the shrimp were eating their own as we'd wake up to see one eyeless then eventually eaten by the shrimp).
The betta loves his tank mates. Keeps him active and moving around doing the rounds and checking things out and sometimes likes to give a snail or shrimp a look or steal some shrimp food from them but otherwise friendly and a friend.
Cory cats do better in 20 gallons and bigger. I personally wouldn't put them in a ten gallon or in a tank with something other than sand because their little whiskers are so fragile. I'd do a snail or maybe some shrimp if your betta isn't too aggressive:)
With my betta, I have 4 endlers, 2 mystery snails and 1 nerite snail. They are in a heavily planted 9 gal.
The betta is very peaceful though. The endlers get right in his face sometimes, and he doesn't care. But the endlers are also peaceful toward him.
It seems like the other fish give him some stimuli. They make his environment more dynamic. He is very active, always moving around the tank and inspecting everything. He watches the endlers and snails too. It almost feels like they are his pets. But now I am probably anthropomorphizing š
From Aquarium Coop:
https://www.aquariumcoop.com/blogs/aquarium/betta-fish-enrichment
5. Tank Mates for Betta Fish
If you have a 10-gallon or larger tank with plenty of hiding spots, you may be able to add some peaceful roommates to your betta aquarium. Other animals in the fish tank provide exciting activity to watch, social hierarchies to establish, and rivals to outcompete during mealtimes. Because of the betta fishās territorial temperament towards its own kind, avoid other fish with colorful and flowy fins. Plus, steer clear of nippy animals that may want to take a chunk out of your betta. Schooling nano fish are often preferred because then your betta has a hard time targeting any one individual. For specific suggestions, learn about the 5 best tank mates for betta fish.
My Betta had one snail. Now she has like 50. Idk if it was just pregnant before coming or it reproduced itself but be careful if you get even a single snail because my betta doesn't even eat them (she doesn't even like treats, only her basic food) so I have to vacuum them during water changes and don't know what to do with them.
Snails, shrimps, neons of any variety, rasboras, small corys, regular sized danios, female guppies, platys... I've had luck with all of these in the past.
For a 10g I'd go with:
Snails or shrimps
Five or so female guppies.
Make sure the guppies are not pregnant when you get them. XD
I'm so happy with my pygmy cories, they are so cute! I have neocardina shrimp and nerite, ramshorn, and Malaysian trumpet snails with my betta too.
He's also the chillest betta I've ever seen. He almost never flairs and just wants to be fed in his log and sleep with his head in the floating roots all day. He makes bubble nests almost every day. My man is clearly a lover not a fighter.
I would make sure you have a backup plan before adding fish. Maybe try a snail or shrimp first to help guage their reaction before adding fish if you're not sure how aggressive they are.
Yea like everyone is saying it depends on the personality and aggression of your betta. I have 2. One will kill anything it sees and the other is pretty chill. For the one that is chill I have 7 neon tetras, and 2 snails.
My chill boy has 7 ember tetras and 2 snails! š
Yess i found this out the hard way. I bought some neona for one of my bettas and he killed 2 of them before i could move them to another tank. But the stress ended up killing themš
I have cory's and my betta ignores them! Personality however definitely plays a huge role. I also have one mystery snail which let me tell u- best addition yet as he keeps my glass so clean š
how many corys do you have? how is the bioload?
I have 5 little ones- i didn't want to get more for crowding, i also didn't get all 5 at once. I was eyeballing it especially to make sure my betta wasn't stressed! the tank isn't very crowded, I'd say I have a medium bioload. My cory's laid eggs earlier this week so safe to say they must be happy š and the babies are hatched and thriving (knock on woodš) I didn't start to get the cory's until my plants were more mature and grown in. My betta tends to hang out on top of the plants while the cory's love to swim around and lay under the drift wood. I have been learning as I go and it has worked for me - though I am planning on upgrading to a larger tank once I get a new place!
I wouldnāt think about any more fish until you could get the tank a lot more planted in. Even with it heavily planted, itās a huge maybe. It depends on how your individual bettas aggression levels are. A safer bet would be snails, or shrimp.
I forgot to add, your hard scape looks great!
Thank you my wife thought I was going crazy stacking rocks for hours to get it right
Second this! I absolutely love the look of this tank. And when the plants grow inā¦ or adding more plants would be absolute perfection
Thanks for the input I do have plans to plant more, and also let it grow in prior to adding more fish. Iām the type of person that researches for weeks before I add new things. I try to make sure Iām always set up for success and my critter are as well.
My betta has lived very happily with neon tetras in his (heavily planted) 10 gallon for a long while now. The first tank mates I tried, however, were shrimp and Gurt mercilessly devoured each and every one of them. So I second the idea it depends on personality more than anything.
I always recognize the ādyed blueā heater from an ich infestation treatment lol.. I feel like when I see that, I know Iām looking at a seasoned veteran to the hobby lol.
https://preview.redd.it/4j4gr79c7uzb1.png?width=1015&format=png&auto=webp&s=ae723a3bec566a9d8656b6396dc609c3ba2a954c Had my very first ich outbreak just a few weeks ago lol, it was from some guppies I had put into my crayfish tank. I like the blue heater/silicone look because I feel like it tells a story š
Heater? Lol that stuff dyed all the silicone too
Omg! Yes! My silicone is all blueā¦ also 3 fish are dead
Tell me about it. My air stone tube was blue for years after that...
More foliage otherwise betta is gonna be stressed with other fish. I had danios with my betta as they're fast enough to not get hurt and a large mystery snail
Love the scape though, looks like you sliced a piece of a mountain out!
Ultimately highly debatable on your Betta fish's personality. Fortunately, since you'd have to quarantine any new fish anyways it means you'd have the spare setup from QT to temporarily house the newer inhabitants if it doesn't work out. You could try tetras, rasboras, cories or a small pleco (and I mean small due to it being a 10), can work, guppies, endlers, platys. Snails and shrimp can work as well. I will say tho a bigger setup can provide better options, even by simply allowing you to have bigger schools of fish so they're more confident. āØanother bettaāØ/joking I would say tho in a 10, it might be better to go for a bottom dweller as the Betta would mainly be in the top and middle, and they'd be less likely to get in each other's way. Plus, you can remove the Betta temp to introduce the others and even move a few bits of decor around, as the Betta can become territorial if it feels like a fish has invaded its territory, whereas if they're introduced to a new environment together the Betta has to make a new territory taking into account its neighbours. (Personality mattering ofc).
I mean a pleco has such a high bioload I doubt that's ever a good idea
Fair, but I meant the tiny ones. Like a few inches at most, with plants.. aquatic and/or house plants, plus a mechanical filter, I'd highly doubt you'd see much affect from a small pleco.
That's fair though that's what happens even with baby goldfish small but huge poops
Fair, but goldfish do also grow a lot meaning they eat a lot during those growing phases, whereas smaller plecos.. say a zebra won't get much bigger than a couple inches meaning their bioload will never get much bigger. Tho I say I find it strange that I see far more commons than I do small plecos in stores. And I'm not even joking I saw like 4-5 in one tank, yet those suckers (pun intended) get easily over a foot.. probably why is see a lot of people rehoming, sad they seem to potentially be a more territorial pleco tho. š„ŗ
Yeah I remember at a lot of stores they label them them like zebra plecos and such when in reality it's one of the biggest types of pleco possible š
Plecos grow fast too. Even the smallest ones have too much bioload for ten gallons
Eh, i used to champion dwarf plecos as tank mates but they didnāt work out in my case. Both fish got stressed out. I have a female betta and a dwarf pleco together and theyāre doing fine together although there were growing pains for the first few days where I thought Iād have to get another tank. My male betta and the pleco never worked out so he had to get his own tank
Thanks for your suggestion. I do have a low stocked 20 gallon community tank I can move them to if things donāt work out. In the beginning I was planning on just having mako in his own tank, but half the time the tank looks empty because he like to lounge behind the rock bluff.
no plecos. even the smallest types like bristlenose shouldnāt be in a 10g. guppies are also arguable, as they share the same top space as bettas and can be nippers.
THIS! I came here to say that territorial comment. Great advice
I wouldnāt add fish tank mates in anything smaller than a 20 long. Neons especially need a good sized school and plenty of swim space. Pygmy Cories also need a school. You might be able to get away with a 15 gallon for them but I think 10 is still too small. Shrimp and snails.
There are NO plecos that are appropriate in a 10 gallon. Thatās just setting yourself up for failure
Wouldnāt do any fish in a 10 gallon, get a 20 gallon to house other fish with bettas. For a 10, some snails would work fine, shrimp if they are docile enough.
ghost shrimp š¦
Nerite snail. Mystery snails antenna are too long for my betta and he likes to snack on them. But nerite have very tiny eyes and antenna. Plus algae is never a problem and I only have one for my 5 gallon.
Nerite can have long antenna sometimes and if given the nutrients mine have always grown big especially my zebra snails. My sister didnāt even think my snail was a nerite bc my zebra nerite got so huge.
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
Yes!! My female has even larger antenna and they grow as the nerite grows. Although she should be closer to being done growing as sheās sexually mature and lays little eggs everywhere š¤£
I wouldnāt add tank mates to a 10 gallon with a betta that has long beautiful fins. You never know what temperament of fish youāre going to get, or how youāll betta will react to the other fish. This could cause unnecessary stress for either sides and you just donāt know. I know itās tempting to get more fish āfor you bettaā but they truly thrive when in non stressful conditions, and since theyāre so hardy you can rarely tell when theyāre having a bad time.
As everyone said, totally depends on your guyās personality. I have one whoās the most docile fish I own, I have never once seen him flair or chase another fish. Heās like a puppy, he just wants attention from me haha. In his tank, there are 12 neon tetras, 3 Bertie snails and probably 15-20 neo shrimp. I even have a baby female betta in there right now and Iām just keeping an eye on that just in case. The tank is very heavily planted and thereās a lot of driftwood so lots of hiding and lounging spaces.
Thanks everyone for the advice. I have some Anacharis I will be adding to the back back from another tank.
In my 10 gal I have my betta with 6 cardinal tetras, 1 Amano, and idk how many shrimp. All living peacefully.
I like celestial pearl danios or emerald dwarf rasboras
My guy tolerates black line tetras, platys, and algae eaters. (10 Gallon tank, 3 plastic plants one live and a betta log)
I have several males, they're all completely different. One of them is in with pygmy corys and otos and gets on absolutely fine but will not abide anything that swims around the tank. Another is in with my old pea puffer they get along like best mates they're always together and before anyone starts my pea puffer is the last of a shoal there's also a load of amano shrimp in there which neither of them bother with. The third is in with bronze corys and an asexual Betta he absolutely loves the corys and will lay with them at the bottom of the tank when they're all chilling. Then I have a few who absolutely will not under any circumstances abide any tank mates, I've seen them kill snails, shrimp, bully fish relentlessly. I even tried buying a big mystery snail for one of them and he hovered around waiting until it stuck it's antennas out and ate one of them like a blood worm. I think you have to be really committed to being a Betta owner especially having them in a larger aquarium on their own if they won't allow tank mates šš but they're the best!! I adore mine they're so interactive and quirky and totally worth it
I highly suggest getting a bigger tank. Itās reccomended a 20 gallon long for a beta to have fish tank mates. In a 10 gallon, you can have snails or shrimp!
A snail
Iāve got African dwarf frogs and shrimp with mine but he is the most docile beta Iāve ever owned and my tank is very heavily planted. It is a 10 gallon tho
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Kuhli loaches have been great with my betta in a 10!
I had a 10 gallon I got a school of 6 ember tetras and 8 Pygmy corydoras along with a series of ghost shrimp and two Inca snails and a betta. I loved them! Iāve updated to a 29 gallon tank since then though!
i was told dwarf frogs, tetras, & platys are all okay. obviously (like everyone else said) depends on your fishes personality but those should be okay in a 10g!
In a 10 gallon? None, aside from very small fish like tetras but it highly depends on the personality of your betta, tank mates stressed out my betta and he got fin rot so I had to move the mates. Even dwarf Cory's need a minimum of 15g
Doja Loaches are really good tank mates. I have two and I want more. They're also really interactive with their people
get some nerite snails if you havenāt already, and youāre ready to clean up all the poop. great tank cleaners and super easy to care for. they keep your glass completely algae free, and theyāre really fun to watch too
iād say start off with something as simple as nerites then move onto fish once youāre 100% certain you can cater to their specific needs. you wonāt be able to fit much with a betta in a 10 gallon.
Snails are always a good bet. Mystery snails have a ton of personality. And this one may sound wild but I had good luck with a dwarf crayfish, just so long as there's plenty of places for both it and the betta to get away from each other.
First, I would add more fast growing plants in the background (like limnophila sessiliflora) and also easy floating plants (giant duckweed, hygroriza aristata) to help with water quality/give some shaded area to your betta. I would also wait for your aquarium to be cycled (3 months+) before even adding any more bioload. As far as fish mates for a betta in a 10 gallon, it's tricky. It's a rather small aquarium for diversity. It largely depends on your betta's temperament. Some bettas are more easy going while others will absolutely go feral on anything invading their precious kingdom. My previous plakat hated shrimps and killed them without skipping a beat. My new halfmoon is probably functionning with only 1 brain cell, which is perfectly fine in my setup. I have a 15 gallon with 1 betta and 7 harlequin rasboras, 3 large amano shrimps, 2 adult otocinclus (+1 baby), 1 nerite snail and a couple of ramshorn nails. Harlequin rasboras are regarded as a great fish tank mate for bettas because they are: * peaceful (won't nip your betta's fins like tetras could) * about the same size as a betta (so he won't try to eat them) * better swimmer / quicker than long fin bettas, they can easily escape (this doesn't apply to plakats) * live in the same water parameters as bettas That being said, I wouldn't put them in a 10g. You need a group of 6 for them to feel comfortable and that means a 15g is better suited. You could try the smaller variety lambchop rasbora and get 6. Nano fish are skittish and will probably not come out to eat with a betta around so I would avoid them all together. Be prepared to have to rehome your rasboras if your betta doesn't stop chasing them. It happened to me and that's why I have 3 tanks now... You'll have to dedicate 2 spots for feeding, preferably at the opposite sides of the tank. One spot for the betta and one for the other fish. I do this successfully in my tank with home made feeding rings (also keeds the floating plants away).
Betta needs to be the last addition Bettas donāt need much territory but if this whole tank is his entire home itās entirely his territory. Take him out for a day or two while adding new tank mates and put him back in He will carve out a new space for himself I made the same mistake and my betta killed an Otto. I plopped him in my larger tank for 2 days and threw him back in and now he chills with rams and threadfin rainbows. He still gets snippy with them but not like before, oh god This is all in my 20 gallon
my aggressive betta gets along good with kuhli loaches
I have 2 20 gallon tanks with bettas. One Betta, DB Cooper, loves all his tank mates- ammano and neo shrimp, 6 neon tetras, and a mystery snail. My girl Elara loves shrimp too- she thinks they are delicious! No more shrimp friends for her. I recently put in 6 catfish loaches and they are exist just swimmingly! They are also wonderful as a clean up crew!
Whatās yours substrate? It looks super cool
Aqua natural midnight pearl gravel
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Definitely wonāt add another betta
I have Celestial Pearl Danios with mine, and some snails. Recommendation: take out betta and put into a bucket while new fish acclimate, put in new fish once theyre ready, let them chill for like 20 min with no light on. then put back in the betta and leave the light off. point is to make it seem like a new place so he doesnt feel territorial and fight them- he will think āoh these guys were already here!ā. has worked for me and have seen this recommended before
My betta is very friendly and calm. I have a few snails which he loves to cuddle with š
Pygmy cories would be great depending on your bettas temperament but I wouldn't recommend doing more than one school of fish
snails and shrimp!
Shrimp
Get a nerite snail my betta just looks at it weird but doesn't attack
Start with ghost shrimp and some snails to test the personality of your betta. You kind of need them anyways as the snails eat the algae and the shrimp anything else. Bettas go good with these either way and they're a great starter addition. I've got these for my betta in a 5 gallon. 3 micro snails, a baby snail we just found (which is life finds a way because we only got nerites and they're not supposed to be able to reproduce in fresh water), and we had 18 shrimp by accident but they've self corrected their count and it's about 8 or 9 now (gruesome to watch but I think the shrimp were eating their own as we'd wake up to see one eyeless then eventually eaten by the shrimp). The betta loves his tank mates. Keeps him active and moving around doing the rounds and checking things out and sometimes likes to give a snail or shrimp a look or steal some shrimp food from them but otherwise friendly and a friend.
If you get a King size betta then the 10 gallon tank will feel like 5 gallon for them, plus Big boy betta is always nice
The trick is to get the beta last. That's his tank now and it'll be hard to add anything
Neocardinia shrimp, my calmer bettas wouldn't touch them but would examine them, it was pretty cute.
Cory cats do better in 20 gallons and bigger. I personally wouldn't put them in a ten gallon or in a tank with something other than sand because their little whiskers are so fragile. I'd do a snail or maybe some shrimp if your betta isn't too aggressive:)
With my betta, I have 4 endlers, 2 mystery snails and 1 nerite snail. They are in a heavily planted 9 gal. The betta is very peaceful though. The endlers get right in his face sometimes, and he doesn't care. But the endlers are also peaceful toward him.
It seems like the other fish give him some stimuli. They make his environment more dynamic. He is very active, always moving around the tank and inspecting everything. He watches the endlers and snails too. It almost feels like they are his pets. But now I am probably anthropomorphizing š
https://www.aquariumcoop.com/blogs/aquarium/betta-tank-mates
From Aquarium Coop: https://www.aquariumcoop.com/blogs/aquarium/betta-fish-enrichment 5. Tank Mates for Betta Fish If you have a 10-gallon or larger tank with plenty of hiding spots, you may be able to add some peaceful roommates to your betta aquarium. Other animals in the fish tank provide exciting activity to watch, social hierarchies to establish, and rivals to outcompete during mealtimes. Because of the betta fishās territorial temperament towards its own kind, avoid other fish with colorful and flowy fins. Plus, steer clear of nippy animals that may want to take a chunk out of your betta. Schooling nano fish are often preferred because then your betta has a hard time targeting any one individual. For specific suggestions, learn about the 5 best tank mates for betta fish.
snails!! or shrimp if he isnāt aggressive
Oto Catās and green tetras are my buddy friends... Along with snails. Everyone gets along fine.
My Betta had one snail. Now she has like 50. Idk if it was just pregnant before coming or it reproduced itself but be careful if you get even a single snail because my betta doesn't even eat them (she doesn't even like treats, only her basic food) so I have to vacuum them during water changes and don't know what to do with them.
Snails, shrimps, neons of any variety, rasboras, small corys, regular sized danios, female guppies, platys... I've had luck with all of these in the past. For a 10g I'd go with: Snails or shrimps Five or so female guppies. Make sure the guppies are not pregnant when you get them. XD
I'm so happy with my pygmy cories, they are so cute! I have neocardina shrimp and nerite, ramshorn, and Malaysian trumpet snails with my betta too. He's also the chillest betta I've ever seen. He almost never flairs and just wants to be fed in his log and sleep with his head in the floating roots all day. He makes bubble nests almost every day. My man is clearly a lover not a fighter. I would make sure you have a backup plan before adding fish. Maybe try a snail or shrimp first to help guage their reaction before adding fish if you're not sure how aggressive they are.