Tankmate for an agressive betta?

**SunSchein89** · 05-10-2010, 09:15 PM

Finally got the 5.5 gallon set up for my betta yesterday. Water is still a little cloudy from set up, so I'll wait until it clears to post up some pictures. Initial readings on the tank today with my seeded sponge filter were only .25, 0, 0. Not too bad considering the last time I tested my tap it came out to be 1.0 ammonia. Hopefully this small cycle shouldn't take too long.

Anyway, if you haven't seen any of my previous threads, this betta was rehomed for being aggressive towards my other fish. I still would like something else in the tank with him besides plants, though. Are there any possibilities of things I could add to a 5.5 gallon tank that the betta wouldn't pick on or could hold his own against him? I was thinking of trying another dwarf african frog and if he gets aggressive with him, I would just put him in my 10 gallon planted with my other one. He has already been seen picking on platties, balloon mollies, cories, glo light tetras, and a BN pleco.

Anyone have any other ideas?

**Irish2539** · 05-10-2010, 09:19 PM

Well if he picks on your pleco he will prob pick on a ADF... You could always try it out... and as you said move him if i doesnt work out. The only thing i can think of is an ADF... dont think anything else would work in that size tank with overly aggressive betta...

**chrisfraser05** · 05-10-2010, 09:19 PM

sounds like he'd pick on anything tbh.

I rehomed mine into his own 10g as he killed one of my platys, he must have disliked their brightness.

He now has 3 pepper corys in with him and leaves them alone.

If yours has even started on a BN I'd leave him on his own!

**wolf_eyes** · 05-10-2010, 09:34 PM

A lot of bettas should be put in the tank last so that they don't establish territories and think the new fish are invading. If you do want to try something I suggest taking the betta out of the tank, rearrange the decor, put the new fish in, and then put the betta back after several hours.

Snails would really be the only option I would try with an already aggressive betta. Even then, I know sarkazmo has some bettas that even try and kill snails lol.

**HeatherB** · 05-10-2010, 10:34 PM

Snails... they may work.
Shrimp- something cheap like ghost shrimp. He WILL eat them, so you'd have to keep buying them, but they are like, 35 cents a peice here. Entertaining food in this case...

Whatever you decide you can take betta out, move stuff around in the tank, then add your new stuff and THEN lastly add betta. I had one once that killed everything in it's path, so, I got some neons and followed the above and they lived together for a long time!

**Lab_Rat** · 05-10-2010, 11:01 PM

I'd try a nerite snail. Their shells protect most of the body. I've successfully kept them with a CT betta and with various african cichlids without any snail death.

**Lady Hobbs** · 05-11-2010, 12:40 AM

Many betta's are just better off being alone. Their natural habitant is living solitary.

**SunSchein89** · 05-11-2010, 05:27 AM

Yeah, I was afraid of this. I don't know if I even really want another frog in my 10 gallon tank either, so it looks like I'll try to find some snails and/or ghost shrimp, and if all else fails, I guess the greedy little guy got a home all to himself. Thanks for all the advice.