The Secret to Adding a Betta to Your Community Tank
I will confess a fondness for the betta. The flashy colors, the trailing fins, the attitude. In my twenties, I kept a little blue friend named Moga in a vase topped by a water plant. I soon had two more bettas in their own watery worlds. Hey, they’re collectible.
In my thirties, I set up a freshwater tank for my daughter. Her vision wasn’t great, though, and the schooling fish the rest of us enjoyed so much were hard for her to see.
We looked into goldfish but found out that their temperature requirements make them poor companions for tropical fish. Cichlids can get pretty big and often sport bright colors but are too aggressive to mix in with more peaceful fish. I was stumped.
I didn’t even consider a betta. After all, they’re called Siamese fighting fish for a reason. But one afternoon, while perusing the options at our local aquarium supply store, one of the workers suggested a betta fish. Their colors are vibrant, their fins give them a larger silhouette, and she even said they will take interest in the people who feed them most.
“But you can’t put a betta in with other fish,” I announced, confident in my knowledge of all things fishy. Unfazed by my brilliance, she explained that a single male betta can peacefully co-exist in a community tank under certain conditions. Two males cannot be kept together, as they will fight and may actually kill each other.
“Won’t it tear up our other fish?” I asked.
“Not if they aren’t the same color,” she shrugged. Wait. What? That’s all there is to it? Yep, that and the trailing fins thing. Fish with long, delicate fins remind a betta of another betta male, and they prepare to defend their domain. Fish of a similar color evoke a similar response. A red betta would be more likely to attack a red wagtail platy than a blue one.
At the time, we had a few emerald corys, some black mollies, and a school of brilliant rasboras. Green and red were out. We took the plunge and bought a blue betta.
When the time came to actually put him in the tank, I turned out the light, went through the whole add-tank-water-to-his-water-bit-by-bit procedure, and held my breath. He hung back behind the plants, as fish often do at first, observing and acclimating. As he was adjusting, there were a few moments when he darted after other fish. But no one got hurt, they all got used to each other, and he had a long, illustrious career as the head honcho in our little underwater world.
The best part was his friendship with my daughter. I never fed the fish unless she was in front of them, because I didn’t want her to miss the show. That betta noticed the pattern within a few weeks and would swim over to say hello whenever my daughter was wheeled over to the tank, whether or not it was feeding time. Most of our fish don’t get named, but he earned the right to a moniker. “Sky” was the best part of that aquarium for my girl.
Bettas can learn tricks like jumping or swimming through a hoop! Who knew? They are one of the most interactive fish, are relatively easy to care for, and really give a pop of color to your tank. Check out this care guide to make sure you’re ready to bring a betta home.
To facilitate happy cohabitation with the current residents of your underwater kingdom, make sure you have plenty of room in the tank to accommodate a new fish friend. Lots of decorations and/or plants can help both the betta and his new friends feel safer. Consider the fish you have now. Do any of them have long flowy fins that might provoke a betta? Are any of them known fin-nippers? (barbs, some tetras) Do you have shrimp or very small fish that will become betta snacks? No? Then select a betta that is a different color than your other fish. It is best if he’s the biggest fish in the tank and is introduced after the community is well-established. Let me know if you train him to jump through a hoop!