can beta crash in a ciclid tank?

**Roach** · 03-03-2013, 01:17 AM

I am new to this fish stuff and have a happy 37 gallon tank with 10 little african cichlids in it. A good friend of mine recently is apartmentless so i am watching his beta. The bowl is small and still looks funky after pouring the water out and adding two botlles of bottled water. He seems to like my ciclid food so far. Could I put his beta in the big clean tank or will there be too much war?

**mizzoutank** · 03-03-2013, 01:54 AM

Not a chance,
they'll shred him to pieces.

and convince your good friend to get a proper set up for his/her beta., 10gallon tank w/ heater and filter.

no fish belongs in a bowl without a filter/heat.

**Roach** · 03-03-2013, 02:04 AM

My buddy said his beta isn't the same breed you get from walmart, supposedley its an authentic beta. LOL. He will give me the fish if I want it , I really got my hands full but I guess I could use a quarantine tank.

**madagascariensis** · 03-03-2013, 02:21 AM

Whatever authentic might mean, no betta will stand a chance against African cichlids, including those not debilitated by long, flowing fins. He will be much happier on his own in a five gallon, possibly with some shrimp or snails.

**nikelodeon79** · 03-03-2013, 02:41 AM

If it's a wild betta it has even less of a chance to thrive in a bowl than a Betta splendens.

Definitely no to going in with the cichlids in the 37g. In fact, most mbuna species won't do well long term in that small of a tank.

**Roach** · 03-03-2013, 03:17 AM

How big of a tank do you recommend for my fish? I could probably upgrade off craigslist and use the 37 for the beta.

**CrunchyLeaf** · 03-03-2013, 03:22 AM

Originally Posted by Roach

How big of a tank do you recommend for my fish? I could probably upgrade off craigslist and use the 37 for the beta.

I'm not the one to answer this as I don't know anything about cichlids, but it would really help others if you can tell exactly what kind and how many of each kind you have. If you don't know specifically what they are you can post pics.

**mizzoutank** · 03-03-2013, 05:53 AM

we'll need to know which species of mbuna and the #'s for each.

I also hope you have crazy filtration for that tank.

Mbuna tanks are overstocked on purpose to help the aggression. but in order to keep that, you'll need great filtration to keep up and keep the water clean.

But tell your buddy that "we are really sure he got a native, wild caught beta" lol
Because even in the wild, they have much much much bigger area's to swim than a bowl.

**Lady Hobbs** · 03-03-2013, 01:11 PM

The Betta does not belong in a cichlid tank and frankly, perhaps not even the cichlids. Even starting a 55 gallon mbuna tank takes a lot of planning and careful selection of the different mbuna's that can be together as well as more females per male of each species. No other fish belongs in a mbuna tank.

**Roach** · 04-29-2013, 11:29 PM

A lot has happened since I started this thread. Poor old Liberace " the beta whatever kind he was is no longer with us". I bought him a five gallon tank with everything off craigslist and even a beta leaf to have a place to sleep. He passed after a couple days unfortunately. My cichlid tank has been better. I did loose one of the orange ones after feeding them some freeze dried tubifex worms for a couple days. I think it was Malwari bloat that got him. I have many questions but the first on that is urgent is will adding a big piece of wood that browns the water going to stain my pure white sand?