You can have guppies and betta fish in a tank together. These two species make great tank mates so long as you set yourself up for success.
I’ve owned multiple guppies and bettas, having them live together and apart. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t, but I’m here to let you know what I found to be the most successful.
This article will cover a little about both of these species, how to choose ones that will get along, what kind of tank setup you need, and what you need to do if there ever is a fight.
Keep reading if you’re interested in having guppies and bettas as tank mates.
What To Consider Before Putting Them Together
The following sections will go through things you need to think about before putting guppies and bettas into a tank together.
Betta and Guppy Species To Choose
Not every species of betta will be suitable for tank mates, just as every species of guppy won’t be either. This section will discuss what to look for in betta and guppy fish.
Betta
It’s generally recommended that you go with a Halfmoon or a Delta betta for your betta. Both are relatively docile species. Halfmoon betta is luckily one of the most beautiful species of betta, thanks to their fanned tail that covers 180 degrees. They come in various colors, from pure white to tropical blue with bright yellow fins. They also come in pinks, blacks, reds, and purples.
The Delta betta has a stunning tail shape that gets narrow first before fanning out. They are less showy than the Halfmoon, usually in some shade of blue or red.
One species to absolutely avoid is the Plakats betta. These bettas have thicker bodies and shorter tails than the Halfmoon or Delta. The Plakats are very aggressive and will try to attack any tank mates you put them with.
No matter what species you go with, you’ll want to choose a betta that’s smaller with a smaller fin. As a general rule of thumb, the smaller the betta, the less aggressive they’ll be to tank mates.
Another thing to note is that you want to try and get a female betta. Females are always less aggressive than male bettas and do better with tank mates overall. Males are also much more territorial and will go after guppies in their homes.
Guppies
The main thing to note about guppies is that they need to live in a group. For a small tank, at least four is the minimum recommended amount.
As with bettas, female guppies work better as tank mates with a betta for one primary reason. A male guppy may think that a female betta is another guppy. This male guppy may try to mate with the female betta, which a female betta will not appreciate. The male guppy may also try to nip a betta’s fins, leading to the chance for a fight.
Female guppies are also less colorful, making them less of a target for an aggressive betta.
All About Tanks
Despite being small fish, bettas alone need a lot of tank space. At a minimum, you need a 10-gallon tank.
As betta and guppies are both tropical fish, they can live comfortably at the same temperature. Both bettas and guppies do best between 75 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit.
Another factor to consider is the pH of the water. The purest water has a pH of 7. These fish are not saltwater fish, so they prefer water near that reading. If you’re checking your pH regularly, aim for 6.5 to 8. A far deviation from that would mean it’s time to clean your fish tank.
You may want to keep an eye on other readings for a healthy tank: ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate. You want ammonia to be at 0ppm, nitrite to be at 0ppm, and nitrate to be less than 20ppm.
Your tank will need a filter. Since these are small fish, keeping the flow rate on your filter low is recommended. It helps keep them from getting tossed around in the current if they happen to swim under it. If you’re starting a brand new tank, it’s a good idea to allow the water to circulate for at least a week without any fish first.
Tank Decor
Guppies and betta both like to have places to hide in their tanks. Betta is also a reasonably sedentary fish who enjoy having a home in a lounge.
Artificial decorations of all sorts give a tank character. My current betta tank has a glow-in-the-dark fake anemone, for instance. This area is where you can find things that best suit you and your decorating tastes. Just remember to make sure your decorations are tank safe.
Another option to consider is live plants. Live aquarium plants bring an aquarium to life, and your fish will love them. Not only do they give natural places to hide, but guppies can eat them.
Some live plants you may want to consider include:
- Watersprite
- Amazon swords
- Java ferns
- Java moss
- Hornworts
- Guppy grass
Introducing Your Fish
So your tank is ready and decorated, and your fish are sitting in plastic bags, ready to enter their new home. Now what?
When it comes time to introduce the fish to the tank, there is a particular order you’ll want to do it. For best results, always introduce the guppies to the tank first. You can keep the betta in a smaller quarantine tank while the guppies become familiar with their new home.
Once the guppy is settled down, add the betta fish. To them, they will be entering a tank where they have no established territory. This factor will help keep them docile and from fighting with the guppies.
If you did this the other way around, the betta would establish a territory in the empty tank before you added the guppies. When the guppies inevitably wander into the betta’s territory, they would get attacked.
Alternatively, you can use a tank divider. Put the guppies on one side, the betta on the other, and give them a little time to get acquainted with the tank before lifting the divider.
As a general tip, keeping a divider on hand or a spare tank is always good. This option will let you split up fights quickly if one happens to break out. Fish are a bit like people in that they all have their own personalities and dislikes.
Feeding Your Fish
After establishing your tank, you need to consider the regular maintenance of keeping them fed.
Both betta and guppies eat meat, though guppies are omnivores who can eat plants as well.
Bettas can be fed betta pellets as well as:
- Blood worms
- Baby brine shrimp
- Daphnia
- Mosquito larvae
Guppies love most betta food, and if you’re not careful, they will try to eat all of it.
You’ll want to also have vegetable pellets for your guppies to ensure they get a varied diet. It’s essential not to let them eat just the betta food, as all that protein will make them sick. To avoid overfeeding your guppies by accident, follow the simple procedure below to feed your fish.
Feeding Method
First, feed your guppies on one side of the tank. Maybe start with the vegetable pellets as the betta won’t be attracted to those, and add the protein later.
A few seconds later, add the betta food to the other side of the tank.
While the fish are eating, you can use a fish net to keep the guppies from approaching your betta fish.
Once again, it’s essential to avoid overfeeding your fish. For both the betta and guppies, you can remove any excess food that they haven’t eaten after a while. In both cases, the fish can get very sick if they are overfed.
Signs and What To Do If They Fight
Bettas and guppies in the best situations will mostly avoid each other. They prefer to swim in different parts of the tank and have different energy levels. On the off chance a fight does break out, they can be pretty easy to spot.
The first sign of a fight is that your betta will start swimming close to the guppies. The second sign is that the betta will start actively attacking the guppies.
The moment you notice a fight, it’s essential that you separate the fish. Either use a tank divider or remove the guppies and put them in another tank for the time being.
You may think it would be easier to remove the betta, but guppies can handle being moved to other tanks easier and experience less stress from being out of their territory.
The Verdict
Guppies and bettas make great tank mates, so long as they are placed in an environment designed for them. Remember to opt for an entirely female tank and to stick with the more docile Halfmoon or delta bettas.
If a fight does break out, separate them quickly and reintroduce them slowly at a later date.
Do you have bettas with tank mates? Let us know your tank setup in the comments.
Learn more if you want to put Goldfish and Betta fish together.
