Guppies or platies

[Willyleigh]

Should I get guppies or platies in my 7.5 gallon tank to go aling with a betta?

I keep changing my mind as to which one I want and I know that whichever I get I will want the other.

[cocoa_pleco]

platys, since bettas often mistake guppys for other bettas and may fight

[jweintraub]

I'd definately go with Platties... personally i've never been a guppy fan myself!

[bettaboy691]

both can be iffy with a betta, even more so in smaller tanks like 7.5g.if you are really wanting one or thew other, platies are they have shorted fins and are less likely to be nipped

[cocoa_pleco]

me either. I just put guppys in shows

[*Sarah*]

I prefer guppies. However, Cocoa is right, and they might bet mistaken for another Betta. Another option is Mollies :)

[cocoa_pleco]

still dont know why my platys attacked my betta in my 20g. They were all co-existing for a few hours, and i looked and a platy was nipping him.

[LD_Sorel]

Hi there,

I have my older betta with 3 guppies, 2 mollies and 2 tetras right now...and he is great with them all.
He lived in a tank by himself for 1 1/2 years before he moved in with friends and he is happier than ever believe it or not! lol
I have heard that really fancy guppies with lots of long colourful fins can be mistaken for small betta males by another betta and be attacked so to be safe I would go for the platies, but my guy proves guppies can work as well. :)
Good luck!!

[roulfi004]

From what i read and heard, since i have a Betta in my community tank:

-Bettas will attack everything they mistake for competition (such as similar looking fish)
-Bettas have been known to destroy Guppies
-Although beautiful, Guppies are worse than sitting Ducks even in high hunting season... they get turn into fresh meals easy
-Platies are better equipped to defend themselves (run mostly), when the need arises, and they are hardier than Guppies

SO there goes, i would get a few different colored Platies (a red, a black, a white, and some sprinkled color ones would be nice)

OH... hehe, i forgot im a Guppy myself... (look at my title: Junior Member... Guppy!!)

...Why do you think they would put Guppies as the lowest rank? ... hmmm...

Ah! i got it! That means some Oscar or Angelfish is gona turn me into an afternoon snack... I hope not

[sushant]

i agree with roulfi004 ,its better to avoid guppies.

[fishy_sarah]

Here's some advice, Willy.

Bettas can be very territorial. Once they are introduced into an empty tank, they claim it as 'their territory.' I had a betta who was really sweet with other fish in my 29 gallon, but when I put him in the five gallon, left him in for a few weeks, then tried to add another fish (same kind as in the other tank), he attacked it.

What you need to do- take out your betta and put him in a bowl. Re-arrange the decor of the tank as best you can. If that isn't feasible, add a few plastic plants. Do something to make the tank different. Then add the platies. You really shouldn't have more than two in such a small tank, and make sure they are both of the same sex (males will harass a single female too much, the general rule is one male to two or three females) Then give it a day. Then add the betta.

This will (hopefully) make it so that the betta no longer regards the seven gallon as his territory. He will (we hope) be more likely to accept the new fish.

Every betta is different, and these steps may not be needed for some. But this advice is based on personal experience as well as what other people have told me, and it seems to work.

Good luck!