This article is all about what fish can live with bettas happily and the issues bettas can have with other fish. First, you need to understand that bettas are a very independent kind of fish species. There are so many people who would love to add different kinds of fish to their aquarium but the thing that they need to know is that bettas are solitary and territorial fish that can be very aggressive when it comes to guarding their territory.

Even though there are some fish that can live with bettas, that does not assure you with 100% positivity that it will work. There are so many things that could affect such a living set up but as long as you can monitor your bettas and your other fish well, then you have a good chance of making it work.

A Betta fish can live a solitary life especially if your aquarium is less than 5 gallons but if you want to have 2 bettas inside, then you will need a bigger tank because again, fighting bettas will do anything to mark their territory. They can attack anyone who they think is trying to challenge their territory.

Female bettas are way less aggressive than the male bettas and the betta who is known to be the most aggressive of all is the Crowntail betta. Betta fish will attack anyone with brighter colored fins than they have. Bettas are not only territorial but they also are very vain creatures. So watch out in mixing other beautiful fish with them.

Here is a listing of fish that are known to do pretty well with betta fish:

Apple snails – These fish love to be in warm water just like bettas prefer their tank water to be. These fish are also colourful but they are bigger than bettas so the fighting fish will have a second thought before getting aggressive. However, these fish produce a lot of waste so you may need a larger aquarium to home them.

African Dwarf Frogs – these are definitely the best matches that you can have with your bettas but do not ever confuse them with African clawed frogs. African clawed frogs can kill your betta quite easily! Make sure that the front feet are webbed because that’s the very sign that it is an African Dwarf Frog indeed.

Cherry and Ghost shrimp – these are scavengers and they are bottom-feeders so they can live well with your bettas. They can live in stagnant water and they do not produce excessive amounts of waste. But you have to monitor the behaviour of your betta because sometimes they will see the shrimps as dinner.

And another fish that could live with your bettas is the White Cloud Mountain Minnow. This fish is very calm and peaceful. They are considered the monk in the fish world. They can also move very fast so they can quickly run away from your betta’s aggressive behavior if it decides to attack.

Betta fish are not the typical aquarium fish and it requires a lot of research when you want to own one to ensure that their environment and tank mates are safe for them.