Species · Betta splendens

Betta (male): tank size, water and tank mates

Not recommended for standard communities (SF); avoid fin nippers and lookalike long-finned fish. [TankScore edit 2026-11-09: temperament set to semi-aggressive; aggression is mainly toward other bettas and long-finned fish, which the conspecific limit and fin rules already cover.]

Adult size7 cm (2.8 in)
Minimum tank10 US gal
Temperature24–30 °C (75–86 °F)
pH6–8
Temperamentsemi-aggressive
Keep in groups ofAlone or pairs
Swimstop
Shrimp & snailsCaution

Limit: no more than 1 per tank. Only one male per tank. Females are less aggressive but still territorial; sororities need large, well-planted tanks and are not reliably peaceful (FKW). Keep sexes apart unless breeding (SF).

Long fins: avoid known fin nippers such as tiger barbs and serpae tetras.

Check a tank with Betta (male)

Good tank mates for Betta (male)

These species share its temperature range and temperament, with no fin-nipping or predation risk under our rules. Still check your tank size and bioload in the checker.

African butterflyfish · African dwarf frog · Agassiz's dwarf cichlid · Angelfish · Banjo catfish · Black phantom tetra · Black ruby barb · Bleeding heart tetra · Blue acara · Boeseman's rainbowfish · Bristlenose pleco · Bronze corydoras · Bumblebee goby · Cherry barb · Clown killifish · Clown pleco · Cockatoo dwarf cichlid · Colombian tetra · Congo tetra · Convict cichlid · Dwarf gourami · Dwarf neon rainbowfish · Emperor tetra · Firemouth cichlid

Avoid with Betta (male)

Black ghost knifefish (predation) · Common / comet goldfish (temperature) · Dojo loach (temperature) · Fancy goldfish (temperature) · Gold barb (temperature) · Medaka (temperature) · Oscar (predation) · Paradise fish (temperature) · Rosy barb (temperature) · Senegal bichir (predation) · White cloud mountain minnow (temperature)

Sources

Checked 2026-11-09 · confidence: high. These are cautious community guidelines, not guarantees. Not veterinary advice. Report an error.