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I've had aquariums for some time now, and am labyrinth fish are my personal favorites. Unfortunately, I'm a complete and utter n00b when it comes to bettas. I've had all my aquariums off for a long time now and they are (one by one) being brought back into functioning order. Since I have to get a whole new set of fish, I'm placing them in my 29 gallon. I also plan to get a betta splendens, but am not quite sure if I should put him in there since I will have three dwarf and two thick-lipped gouramies (I'm gonna have a couple of corydoras rabutii and some platies as well, but it's the gouramies I'm worried about). Should I go ahead and add him into the community, or keep him in a separate tank?

I also have a couple of other questions: A friend of mine had a betta in a 55 gal. tank with various other fish (can't remember what they were), but he also had a mirror at the bottom of the tank. The betta would often swim over to the mirror, flare up as if to fight, then swim away. The local pet shop where he got it said that placing a mirror in the tank gives the betta a sence of competition, and will stay healthy and fit (as well as keep fins good) in order to try to out do his 'rival' reflection. Is this true? The second question is that, Is it possible to keep male bettas of DIFFERENT species together, or will the splendens see them as other splendens and attack them?

well the first thing i would like to say is i never like hearing that claim about the mirror. using the mirror occasionaly may be fine. especially as it can tell u a lot about how the fighter feels. but how would u like it if someone forced a picture of ur worst enemy in ur face every second of everyday? i always figure it'd be a bit of stress for him and have never done it.

as for the community tank. well my fighter is in a community tank with black widows and he's fine. as for the gouramis... i doubt he will attack them but they may or may not attack him. would most likely depend on whether they feel over crowded in the tank and on their individual personalities. thats the thing i get with a lot of fish. they often have their own personalities and one is right for one isnt always right for all. try and see i guess.

I suppose you're right in the mirror deal...

As for the community tank, since gouramies and bettas take claim to parts of the tank, is it possible to lower the chances of the Betta (Whom I've already named Reidenso from a book series I'm working on, since Reid's hair and the betta are the exact same color- cobalt and navey blue) Being less aggressive if I were to add him last to the tank, to give the others a chance to take some sort of hold on the areas? If this isn't the case with aggression, I'll just have to think of another way...

the thing i find about fighters is that they are resiliant. even if they are getting picked on a little theyll usually fight back, even with something twice their size. unless u get a particularly aggressive gourami i cant see there being a problem between the two of them. ud be more likely to get fighting between gouramis if they feel that they dont have enough space but even that is unlikely to happen before they mature and usually only with male gouramis anyway.

i say just put them together in no particular order. give them all a bit of space which they can retire to if they feel and see what happens.

Generally it's best not to mix bettas and other labyrinth fish. They occupy the same space in the tank and with the aggressive nature of betta splendens, you're running a risk of fighting.

When contemplating a community tank with a betta, you need to keep a couple things in mind... you want fish that aren't likely to nip at a betta's fins and something that a betta won't attack (long fins are generally a bad idea... male guppies, angels, etc).

Of course, all depends on personalities... some bettas are quite peaceful. Some supposedly nippy fish don't nip. *shrugs* My 12 gallon tank has the unlikely combinations of male guppies, danios, and a male betta. They seem to get along well enough.

The best advice I can give you is to try to get an idea of your fish's personalities before putting them together. Keep a spare tank ready in case the betta doesn't work in your community tank. And don't be afraid to try something out.

~Meow. Thus spoke the cat.~

[font color="#000080"] My male betta had a little mirror in one corner of his 10 gal, and several hiding places elsewhere. He was a very healthy fish and would go puff up by the mirror every day, but I really dont think it stressed him out, he never got sick and was very active, also he never harrassed my tetras or placostamous, so i think a little mirror in your tank shouldnt hurt at all, so long as he has other things to occupy hiself with (mine liked the airstone) and the mirror isn't an ostentatious part of the tank ( I planted a little fluffy plant next to it that hid it from some angles.)[/font]

I have had betas for 25 years. To put it in a nut shell it all depends on the beta. Beta's and all animals are creatues of genetics and environment. I have fortunately had more peaceful betas than agressors but when they are aggressive they are tough to deal with. Fortunately for you if a beta doesn't work out you have several options to remove him and make him a nice home. Most LFS's have 5 and 10 gallon solutions real cheap. I have a beta in my 55 with a 6inch gold gourami and a german ram. I have watched him closely to see if he tries to pick. He has checked the 2 out but not done much. I think the gold gourami freaked him out when he wrapped his feelers around him LOL. I hope to add a school of something soon. My wife asked me what happens if he decides to pick. Im like well we will move him to the 30 gallon. If he picks on the ABF then we will move him to the 10 gallon b y his lonesome and add a few cory's LOL.

FreeBlaze

i wouldn't suggest that u put a male betta in a community tank, unless it is a short finned male, due to swimming problems, also with bettas some are more aggressive and others are less, so tank mates will be hard. i would suggest that u keep ur betta alone. also it is good for a betta to flare at a mirror for alittle while, or until ur betta starts to get stressed. i would guess that a male splenden and an other type of betta such as imbellis would fight, but i would also guess that the splenden would be the more agressive one.

I have my betta in my 75g tank with 2 dwarf gouramis, 2 pearl gouramis, and assorted other top dwelling fish, as well as many others.
Never a problem. He chases a leopard danio female for fun.
The only fish he didnt like was marbled hatchets- when i first put him in my 10g he killed 3 marble hatchets before i found out


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