If you’re a fish enthusiast or just beginning on your fish keeping journey, you may be wondering if it’s possible to keep guppies and bettas in the same aquarium. The good news is that it is possible to keep these two types of fish together as long as you create a suitable environment and provide enough space.
Bettas are known for being aggressive and territorial can be towards other fish. To help reduce the risk of conflicts, it’s important to give bettas plenty of space and provide plenty of hiding places.
Guppies, on the other hand, are generally peaceful and can coexist with bettas if given enough room to swim and hide.
To ensure a smooth transition, it’s important to properly acclimate the fish to each other and the aquarium environment before introducing them. Make sure to give both types of fish enough space to establish their own territories and swim freely.
Proper care is also essential for keeping both bettas and guppies happy and healthy. This includes regular water changes and a suitable diet. By following these guidelines and keeping an eye on the behavior of the fish, you can create a harmonious environment for both bettas and guppies to coexist in a community tank.
Care Guide at a glance
| Care Requirement | Betta Fish | Guppies |
|---|---|---|
| Tank Size | 5-10 gallons | 10+ gallons |
| Water Temperature | 76-82°F | 72-82°F |
| Water pH | 6.5-7.5 | 7.0-8.0 |
| Water Hardness | Soft to moderately hard | Moderately hard to hard |
| Water Changes | 25-50% every week | 25-50% every week |
| Tank Mates | Solitary, may be aggressive towards other fish | Peaceful, can be kept in groups |
| Diet | High-quality betta pellets, occasional frozen or live food | High-quality flakes or pellets, occasional frozen or live food |
| Lighting | 8-12 hours per day | 8-12 hours per day |
| Decor | Plants and hiding places | Plants, hiding places, and open swimming areas |
| Behavior | Can be territorial see information below for specifics | Active and social, enjoy swimming in groups |
Will a bettas kill guppies?
Male Bettas with guppies
In general, male bettas can live peacefully with guppies as long as the tank is large enough and the fish have sufficient space and resources.
Bettas are territorial fish and may become aggressive towards other fish that they perceive as a threat to their territory.
However, if the tank is adequately sized and there are plenty of hiding places and other forms of visual barriers, such as plants or decorations, the betta may not feel the need to defend its territory as aggressively.
If you provide the right type of environment and monitor the fish closely, male bettas should not kill guppies. However, it is always important to be aware of the potential for aggression and to be prepared to remove the fish if necessary.
Female bettas with guppies
Under the right conditions, female bettas can live with guppies. However, it is important to keep in mind that bettas are territorial fish and may become aggressive towards other fish that they perceive as intruders in their territory but female bettas are less territorial than male bettas so there is usually less of a risk.
To ensure that female bettas and guppies can live together, it is important to provide plenty of space and hiding places for the guppies. This can help to reduce the risk of the betta feeling threatened or viewing the guppies as prey.
It is also important to monitor the behavior of the betta carefully and to intervene if necessary to prevent any aggression or harm to the guppies.
Can male bettas live with male guppies?
Most of the time I would say that combining male betta fish and male guppies is a bad idea. With how big some guppy tails get male beta fish to view them as a threat and fight with them.
But there are so many types of guppies and many of them have different tail designs that bettas find non-threatening. Like endler guppies, swordtail guppies, or pintail guppies for example.
Even if you pick some of these other types of guppies aggression can still happen. To help with this I would suggest at least 10 gallons tank and a 20 gallon tank would be even better.
This added tank space will help them live in more harmony.
One thing also to look out for is to make sure your guppies aren’t picking at your betta’s tails too much. This can cause harm and stress to your betta’s fish life.
Will bettas eat baby guppies?
Bettas are predatory by nature and will likely attempt to eat smaller fish, including baby guppies. It is generally not a good idea to keep bettas and baby guppies together because they are the perfect size of food for a betta fish but if you keep your betta fish well fed and full then they are usually too lazy to hunt down the baby guppies after a certain size.
Can guppies live with female bettas or a betta sorority?
It is much easier to keep guppies with female bettas or a betta fish sorority. Female bettas are way less aggressive than males so they are less likely to pick on or kill your guppies.
While female bettas are aggressive they are most aggressive with other bettas and not other species of fish.
One big factor for making sure your guppies are ok living with your betta fish is the size of your tank and how many hiding spaces there are.
I would suggest a minimum of a 10 gallon with plenty of decorations and hiding spaces so your guppies and bettas can hide from one another if anyone is being aggressive that day.
Bettas are bullying guppies. How to fix it.
Everyone is concerned about their bettas bullying their guppies because of how aggressive bettas are to other bettas. For the most part, this isn’t something you need to worry about because bettas only fight other bettas for territories to breed in.
If your betta is bullying your guppies then I would add extra hiding spaces and decorations so your guppies can escape from your betta fish.
Also, make sure to keep your betta fish full so it has less of a reason to fight or bully your guppies. Full fish are lazy fish.
Then the last thing to do is check to make sure you have a big enough tank for them. The smaller the space the more aggression you will experience. That’s why I wouldn’t suggest anything under 10 gallons.
Can bettas breed with guppies?
No guppies and betta fish can’t breed. They are a completely different family of fish. So they can’t cross-breed.
Also, guppies and bettas reproduce differently. Guppies are livebearers so the female has to be bred and then the babies grow inside of her much like how dogs or cats reproduce.
Whereas betta fish are either bubble nesters or mouth brooders so the male and female betta do a courting dance and hug (the male and female betta wrap themselves around each other). Then the female releases or lays the eggs and the male fertilizes them. After the male fertilized them he either places them in his bubble nest or keeps them in his mouth to protect them.
So this difference in breeding styles is also a barrier to them being able to cross-breed.
Can guppies kill a bettas?
It is not likely that guppies would kill a betta fish. However, betta fish and guppies can sometimes be incompatible tank mates, and it is important to consider the specific needs and behavior of each species when deciding whether to keep them together.
In conclusion, keeping bettas and guppies together can be a successful and enjoyable experience for both the fish and the owner. With proper tank size, water conditions, and appropriate numbers, bettas and guppies can live peacefully and harmoniously. These fish have unique and vibrant personalities, and when kept in the right conditions, they can provide hours of entertainment and joy. So, if you’re looking for a colorful and low-maintenance setup, consider combining bettas and guppies for a stunning and peaceful aquatic community.
