# Betta w/ Guppies?



## Giddy012 (Feb 16, 2007)

Has anyone had any luck keeping Guppies and a Betta together? All experiences are welcome, good or bad.


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## bscman (Mar 23, 2007)

Ages ago we had a 10 gallon with a beta...after a few months we got over-run with guppies so put a few of the adult guppies in with the Beta...

The beta did NOT like the company...he didn't attach the guppies, and the guppies weren't picking on him either, but the added company pretty much sent the beta into hiding. He was very antisocial!


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## mousey (Jan 18, 2005)

Depends on the betta. My red loves company. he is in with guppies and platy fry. Mr Blue hates other fish except he likes the goldfish he is in with. Mr Pink tries to kill anything around.
Guppies can really annoy bettas and vice versa.
I have had guppies that think the betta tail is food.


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## manda (Feb 9, 2006)

so far i have never had a betta that didnt get along with peaceful tank mates. however guppies are bright and coud be mistaken as another betta.


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## anasfire23 (Jan 19, 2005)

About 6 months ago when I set up my community tank with guppys I put my CT betta in there to see what he would do and at first he was fine, until he spotted a male guppy then it was all on. He chased him around the tank for a good 10 minutes before giving up on that one and spotting another male guppy!! He never caught the guppy, they were just too fast for him and he had an enormous amount of finnage to carry behind him so it made him slow. But I have no doubt that a shorter finned Betta like a plakat could catch a guppy easily. So in my opinion it's not a great idea to put an adult betta into a tank with guppys. By all means give it a go, but be on hand to observe with a net ready just in case he gets all territorial.

Betta fry on the other hand are a different story. I gave a 3 month old fry to my friend a few months ago and she placed him into her guppy tank and he grew up thinking he was a guppy. Would school with the males and try to get it on with the females like he's seen his guppy mentor do and NEVER tried to attack them at all until she made the mistake of removing him for 2 weeks into a smaller tank alone and his Betta mentality kicked in. Now if put in the guppy tank he'll attack any fish that comes near him and even search out ones to attack.

Anyway good luck, you might find that your guy is fine with them, it does depend on their temperament a lot.


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## anasfire23 (Jan 19, 2005)

Ok, I'm reviving an old thread coz I have some new info about the whole Bettas with guppys thing! I've been placing my fry into a tank with all guppys to grow for the past few months and it seems that if thy are raised with guppys they don't show any aggression towards them at all. It's probably only the males that have been raised on their own that perceive them as a threat. I've placed my adult male in a tank with guppys (he was petstore bought) and he went after them instantly, but settled down after about an hour and never bothered them again. He lived in the community tank for about a month before I got my barracks set up. I believe it can be done, but you have to have the right temperament fish.


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