What Fish Can Live With Bettas?
Edited by Ivan F.
Every fish, shrimp and snail on our list, sorted by how well it suits a betta. Question pages linked here were checked against sources. Other ratings come from our compatibility rules.
See the Betta care guide for water ranges and tank size. A good rating does not make any pairing safe in a small tank, so check each species' own page.
Good matches (4)
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Keep with caution (51)
Betta often does best alone. Only try this in a larger, planted tank, and watch closely.
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Small enough for some bettas to hunt. Only try this in a larger, heavily planted tank, and have a backup plan.
Celestial Pearl Danio is small and shy, and is easily outcompeted for food by Betta.
Endler's Livebearer is small and shy, and is easily outcompeted for food by Betta.
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Pygmy Corydoras is small and shy, and is easily outcompeted for food by Betta.
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Baby shrimp will likely be eaten and some bettas hunt adults too. Add adults only, with dense cover, and accept that you may lose some.
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Big enough that most bettas leave adults alone, though some will nip at the feelers. Give them plants to shelter in.
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True ghost shrimp can work, but bettas may eat them, especially young or freshly molted ones. Similar shrimp sold under this name can grow large enough to attack a betta.
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Large shrimp like Vampire Shrimp are usually safe from Betta, but may be nipped or harassed.
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Large shrimp like Bamboo Shrimp are usually safe from Betta, but may be nipped or harassed.
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Many guides recommend this pairing, but others warn that a small nerite can be knocked loose and eaten. Keep an eye on it after adding one.
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Usually too large to eat, but it feeds by day and bettas may bite its long feelers. Move it if the bites continue.
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It burrows by day and comes out at night, which helps it avoid a betta, but some bettas still eat these small snails.
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A small snail that some bettas will eat, along with its babies. Expect some losses.
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Guides disagree here. Some recommend it, while others warn that a betta may attack it. It will also hunt any other snails in the tank.
Never mix (7)
Betta is big enough to eat or bully a fish as small as Chili Rasbora.
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Bright, trailing fins can look like a rival male and trigger attacks.
A close relative with a similar shape, so the two often fight over territory.
Pea puffers nip slow or long-finned fish like Betta.
Serpae Tetra is a known fin nipper and will shred the long, flowing fins of Betta.
Barbs are known to nip long fins, and a betta cannot escape them.
Goldfish suit cooler water and are not suited to tropical tanks, so Betta is a poor match.