In this article, we will understand the relationship between Guppies and Betta fish. Additionally, we will learn more about their needs and determine if they can coexist in a communal tank.
Can Guppies live with Betta fish?
Yes, guppies and betta fish can live in the same aquarium. Two of the most popular aquarium fish are Betta and Guppies. A vibrantly colored guppy swimming around your tank might be an excellent companion to your majestic betta fish. Together, they may create an awe-inspiring tank environment from which you will be unable to tear your gaze away.
Fish Temperament
Even the most seasoned tank owners are wary to pair the Betta fish with other fish species. As their name implies, bettas (also known as Siamese fighting fish) are aggressive and violent toward other fish. However, Bettas can be housed with Guppies!
Their aggressive character complements the calm, tranquil guppy, and they may quickly find common ground. However, caution should be exercised when first exposing your bettas to the guppies. Certain combinations of each fish’s gender can be lethal.
What are the water requirements for Guppy and Betta Fish?
Two distinct species of fish cannot coexist unless their environmental requirements are compatible. This is meaningless when it comes to guppies and bettas, as their environmental requirements are comparable. Guppies require water temperatures ranging from 75°F to 82°F Bettas flourish at 78°F. Although guppies prefer cooler temperatures, they can adapt to the slightly higher temperatures required by betta fish.
Their pH requirements are also comparable. The recommended pH range for guppies is 7 to 7.2, whereas bettas prefer a pH of 7. Due to the fact that these values overlap, you may easily find a compromise that benefits both fish.
Additionally, guppies and betta fish are ammonia-sensitive fish. Unless there are additional fish that quickly impact negatively on the aquarium, regular water changes are unnecessary. Thus, guppies and bettas can coexist in the same tank if certain requirements are met.
Do betta and guppy share the same behavior?
Guppies are friendly fish that thrive in communal tanks. These tiny dynamos are nearly hyperactive, zipping about the tank at a breakneck pace. Guppies are prolific breeders, and males are frequently observed following females, wriggling their fins in an attempt to win a partner.
Guppies like to reside in the tank’s mid-waters, occasionally moving higher, whilst your betta prefers to live on the surface or in the setup’s top part. Betta fish are very territorial, which is why guppies often migrate to a separate section of the tank, resulting in a healthy connection. While
Guppies engage in active social interactions with their peers and the other fish in the aquarium. They seldom attack or engage in combat. Bettas, on the other hand, have completely distinct personalities. Bettas are aggressive and territorial. They have a difficult time getting along with other fish and have been known to attack other bettas. As a result, you should use caution when pairing your betta fish with tank mates.
Does the betta fish’s and guppy’s gender matter?
Indeed, they do!
Bettas fish and guppies’ genders can have a considerable impact on the possibility of a calm tank environment. Due to the fact that male Betta fish are more aggressive than female Betta fish, it is critical to exercise caution while pairing your fish.
Having said that, if you have a really aggressive betta fish, he may perceive any fish with a dazzling, vividly colored look as a danger. Thus, the male guppies’ vividly colored, flowing tails may provoke your betta to attack them. In this case, the betta will attempt to establish dominance by assaulting the male guppy.
Because guppies are docile fish, they will not fight back. However, frequent betta assaults will create enormous stress, and the betta will perish. Thus, the combination of Bettas and Guppies males is not recommended at all.
Male and female bettas coexist peacefully alongside female guppies, which are significantly duller than their male counterparts and lack their flamboyant tail. Female guppies are bland and lack the vibrancy of males. As a consequence, the betta will be unable to intimidate them.
So how to combine Betta fish and Guppies?
You can combine betta fish and guppies in these ways:
Male Guppy combined with male Betta fish
As we talked about earlier, maintaining male Betta fish with male guppies can be fatal and will result in excessive territorial aggressiveness.
Male guppies are brightly colored and have long, flowy tails, which attract male bettas, which attack the guppies. Separate male Bettas and male Guppies!
Male Betta Fish combined with Female Guppies
Betta fish males may adapt to coexisting with female guppies. This is mostly due to their reduced size, which makes them less likely to seem like a danger to male bettas. However, if your female guppies are exceptionally colorful, they may provoke conflicts and violence from your bettas. Therefore, exercise caution and keep a look out for any danger.
Combining male Bettas with female Guppies can occasionally succeed, but it is fraught with danger. Male Bettas are territorial and aggressive toward other fish, especially female Bettas. If they mistake female Guppies for female or male Bettas, they may chase them relentlessly for breeding purposes or attempt to harm the other fish. Due to the aggressive temperament of male Betta fish, it is generally not suggested to attempt to maintain them with other fish at all.
Female Betta Fish combined with Male Guppies
Female betta fish are far less aggressive than their male. This frequently causes beginner tank owners to believe it is ok to mix male guppies and female bettas However, it most clearly is not! Even if adding female Bettas to a tank containing male Guppies might work, bear in mind that male Guppies are continuously on the lookout for females with which to procreate.
Female bettas are smaller than male guppies, and male guppies sometimes confuse them with female guppies. They attempt to mate with female bettas, which results in female aggressiveness and assaults. Your male guppy is unlikely to survive, so be aware!
Female Guppy combined with female Betta fish
Combining female bettas and female guppies is the safest bet and is very likely to result in a tranquil tank environment. While female bettas may still exhibit mild hostility, they will not be provoked by female guppies, allowing them to coexist in harmony!
Female Bettas and female Guppies are both generally docile fish that are unlikely to display unwarranted violence. Guppies, on the other hand, are rapid swimmers and will consume as much food as possible. This may restrict the amount of food available to your Betta fish, so you’ll need to ensure it gets enough to eat.
What is the ideal tank environment for Betta fish and Guppy Cohabitation?
Now that we have determined the optimal technique to combine Betta and Guppies, let’s examine the tank setting that would suit both fish. To begin, guppies prefer to swim in the tank’s middle layer, frequently drifting to the top. If they enter the Betta area, they risk being attacked and putting themselves in danger. However, after your bettas have established their territory, the guppies are unlikely to return. They will be the ideal, pleasant neighbors. The following factors are crucial to keep both fish safe:
- Tank size
- Tank temperature and pH
- Filtration system
- Feed Bettas and Guppies properly
- Number of Betta fish
- Introduce living plants
Tank Size
The first thing you should do is acquire a tank large enough to house your bettas and guppies. Due to overpopulation, your fish will swim into each other’s areas, resulting in territorial and food battles. It can cause tremendous stress to both your fish and the development of disease. All of these variables dramatically raise your tank’s mortality rate.
As a general guideline, your tank should be at least 10 gallons in capacity, with bigger tanks being preferable. At the very least, guppies need one gallon of water per fish, whereas bettas require somewhat more.
Thus, three to four guppies and one or two bettas are the maximum number of fish that may be kept in a ten-gallon tank. It’s critical to remember that bettas are leaping fish who rely on their natural drive to find food and mates throughout the dry season. Verify that the tank you buy has a lid or a fine-gauge covering to prevent the contents from spilling out.
Tank Temperature and pH
Guppies thrive in water temperatures ranging from 75 to 82 degrees Fahrenheit, whereas bettas prefer 78 degrees Fahrenheit. Thus, fluids that are mutually agreeable for both may easily be attained at a temperature range of 76º F to 80º F. Place your tank heater carefully near the pump to ensure that the heat is distributed evenly throughout the tank. Install a thermometer on the heater’s opposite end to keep an eye on the tank’s temperature. This enables you to maintain an even and constant temperature throughout the water.
Guppies thrive in a wide array of water conditions and pH levels, with 7.0-7.2 being the ideal range. To remain healthy, your Betta fish requires a pH of 7.0. Thus, by maintaining a neutral pH, you can ensure that both your fish have long and happy lives.
Filtration System
All aquarium fish require clean water to flourish. Your fish tank’s optimal ammonia and nitrite levels should be zero parts per million, while the nitrate level should not exceed twenty parts per million. You can monitor the levels with the use of a testing kit. When selecting a filtration system for the tank, keep in mind that bettas cannot withstand extremely rapid currents.
Therefore, choose a system with a variable flow rate and keep to modest currents. Additionally, you may add Amano shrimp to the tank to keep it clean, since they get along well with Betta fish and guppies.
Feed Bettas and Guppies Properly
Betta fish and guppies have unique feeding needs. Betta fish are carnivores and require food that is high in protein. Because guppies are omnivores, they can eat betta food. It will, however, fall short of meeting all of their nutritional requirements.
Feed the guppies first to keep them from devouring the betta food. Bettas are uninterested in guppy food and will create no problems. Thus, Feed your bettas immediately after the guppies are full.
Number of Betta fish
To preserve a peaceful tank environment, strive to keep the ratio of bettas to guppies or vice versa to a minimum. Due to the fact that bettas have limited tolerance for one another, it is best to maintain only one or two in a single tank.
As a result of their hunter nature, betta fish would chew on the guppy’s fins, creating major health concerns. Therefore, for the optimal tank habitat, keep many guppies with a restricted number of bettas.
Introduce living plants
To produce a suitable habitat for the guppy fish and a more natural setting, you must introduce a large number of live plants. Restricting the line of sight with living plants in the tank is enough to disinterest the betta fish in a particular guppy fish. Betta fish will occasionally conceal themselves amid live plants as well. This is the state in which they are born. Thus, introducing live plants benefits not only your guppies but also your betta fish.
Several plant species that you may incorporate into your guppy or betta fish tank include the following:
- Watersprite
- Amazon Swords
- Java Ferns
- Java Moss
- Hornworts
- Guppy grass
What happens if Betta fish and Guppies Fight?
Overall this discussion about how violent Betta fish are, you’re undoubtedly wondering what to do if they attack your guppies despite your precautions.
To be sure, not all tank configurations function. Even if you follow all instructions precisely, it is possible that your fish may refuse to cooperate and cohabit. If you observe bettas attacking your guppies, the first step is to separate them.
While this may be uncomfortable, you definitely do not want to harm or kill any of your fish.
Scoop the guppies carefully into a temporary fishbowl or another tank using a fishnet.
Because guppies can readily coexist with a variety of different fish, it is more prudent to relocate them than it is to relocate the Betta fish. Another possibility is to split the tank using a tank divider. Place it between the two fish to allow them to see and interact but from a safe distance.
It may even help acclimate your bettas to the guppy’s presence and reduce their antagonism. Eventually, you could even eliminate the partition entirely and allow them to coexist together.
Conclusion
In this article, we understood the relationship between Guppy and Betta fish. We also discussed their requirements and explained if they can be set up together in a community tank.
If you have any thoughts or doubts, feel free to drop us a comment below!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs): Can Guppies live with Betta fish?
Are there any risks associated with combining guppies and bettas?
As a matter of fact, Betta fish are hunters. Even when they are in close proximity to guppy females, they may bite and gnaw on the fish’s fins. Truncated fins are detrimental to the health of guppies. The simplest way to avoid this is to keep a large number of guppies beside a single betta fish. This will decrease the likelihood of the betta becoming fixated on a particular fish.
Now, if the guppy is little, the danger factor increases dramatically. Without a doubt, your betta will chase and consume the guppy fry. Therefore, if you intend to keep guppy fry alive, add them to the betta’s tank only when they reach a size that allows them to survive.
However, there is some good news: not all bettas are hostile. Choose less aggressive betta kinds to benefit your guppies. Halfmoon and Deltas Bettas are less aggressive than other bettas They pose little threat to guppies. Female bettas are frequently more docile than males. Therefore, if you desire to keep peace in the tank, pick a female betta.
Why is my betta fish attempting to attack my guppy?
Male guppies are vividly colored and have flowing tails. Both of these factors contribute to bettas’ hostility and territorial nature. Combining a male guppy with a male betta is a recipe for disaster, and will almost certainly end in the death of your guppies.
Will young guppies be eaten by betta fish?
Betta Fish may be housed alongside guppies if there is sufficient space in the tank; they normally do not get hostile against the guppies but will eat their young. A betta fish can be used for population control.
What could possibly go wrong when Guppies Are Introduced to Betta fish?
If your Betta starts fighting your Guppie, you should quickly use the tank divider to separate them. Alternatively, you might use a fish net to remove your Guppies and reintroduce them to their individual tank.
In ideal circumstances, you should wait several days before attempting to reintroduce both fish. If the second attempt also fails, it is possible that your Betta is incompatible with Guppies. Additionally, your Betta may be fearful of the Guppies added to its aquarium. When this occurs, your Betta may flee into a corner immediately upon spotting the other fish. Prolonged stress reduces the lifespan of fish and makes them more prone to disease. Ensure that both fish are comfortable in each other’s presence prior to keeping them together.
References
Guppies and Betta: Compatible Colorful Company? https://bettasource.com/guppies-and-betta
Can Betta Fish Live With Guppies? https://aquariumsphere.com/can-betta-fish-live-with-guppies/
Can Betta Fish Live with Guppies in the Same Tank? https://www.itsafishthing.com/can-betta-fish-live-with-guppies/
Can Guppies Live With Bettas? + How To Keep Them Together https://jaljeev.com/can-guppies-eat-goldfish-food/
Can Betta Fish Live With Guppies? (Do’s & Don’ts) https://www.bettacarefishguide.com/can-betta-fish-live-with-guppies/
Guppy Fish and Betta Fish – Can You Keep Them in Same Aquarium? https://guppyexpert.com/guppies-betta-fish/
