Did you know that Guppies were used in fighting Malaria? Or the fact that Bettas, famous for their fighting spirit, are known for their ability to breathe air like the rest of us?
Guppies and Bettas are both small and extremely colorful fishes, which makes them popular as aquarium pets globally.
However, most moderate to new fish lovers might find it difficult to tell the two apart without a serious look or two.
Both these fishes generally have opposite traits, but if you plan on keeping them together as pets and wondering, “Can Guppies live with bettas?” your search ends here.
While the general answer is yes, there are certain factors that you need to understand before tossing them both into the same aquarium.
Read on.
Understanding Guppies
By definition, Guppies are relatively small tropical fishes native to South America, particularly in the coastal streams.
They are named by Robert John Lechmere Guppy, the man responsible for introducing them to the trade back in the late 1800s.
Scientifically known as Poecilia Reticulata, Guppies have extremely high genetic and phenotypic variability levels.
In simple words, Guppies are known to have unique traits such as the formation of various stripes and colored spots or longer fins, making each Guppies unique in nature.
Today, there are more than 250 different species of Guppies, and they all have different individual characteristics.
Moving on, Guppies are particularly adaptable and peaceful fishes and are fairly low-cost to care for; certain care requirements need to be taken seriously.
While adaptable, Guppies tend to prefer more freshwater tank environments with plantations such as flame moss, wisteria, etc.
, and rocky or sandy bottoms that mimic their natural habitat.
Proper tank cycling should be the bare minimum to keep them healthy and happy.
Understanding Bettas
Bettas, scientific name betta splendens, are fishes seen as a mixture of a bland grayish green with short fins in the wild, but through selective breeding, they are extremely colorful today with long fins and are one of the most popularly kept pets.
Also known as the Siamese fighting fish or the labyrinth fish, these fishes are extremely territorial and have special traits like surviving easily in poor water quality or low oxygen level environments.
It’s been studied that males are more aggressive than their female counterparts, which led to the common misconception that they are unable to survive when two males are put together.
While this may be fairly true, and they are prone to attack each other in a confined space with no escape, such as an aquarium, this can easily be controlled by owning a bigger tank where each male can establish their own territory.
Can Guppies Live With Bettas?
While Guppies are generally very calm and good-natured species, Bettas, on the other hand, can get quite aggressive even with their own kind, so asking this question is ideal before dumping them together.
If you’re just starting out, experts might recommend not keeping them together cause of multiple reasons, but the most common one would be the aggression from the Bettas.
However, in general, the answer would be yes.
Guppies can, in fact, live with Bettas, but certain measures need to be taken seriously.
While the temperature requirements wouldn’t be a big of an issue since they’re identical in this, which is 78°F to 80°F for Bettas and 74°F to 82°F for Guppies, keeping them happy and preventing them from attacking each other might come as a challenge for some.
The best way to avoid this and have them survive together peacefully, according to aquarists with experience, is to have a larger tank, with the minimum being 10 gallons for a group of 1 Betta and 4 Guppies at max.
You must ensure that the tank is filled with proper hiding places, such as plants and ornaments, with perfect spaces providing shelter for both species.
However, even if you’ve carefully prepared the tank with all the essentials for them to survive peacefully, keeping a careful eye out regularly is important.
Since they are prone to be aggressive and agitated with each other’s presence, this might increase their stress levels, weaken their immune systems, and lead to multiple sicknesses and diseases.
If the aggression or compatibility persists after several measures, ensure that you take them out and place them in separate tanks for their safety and well-being.
Compatibility Considerations
Most aquarists who have experience in keeping them together would usually mention the aggression of Bettas first, but other challenges also need to be addressed.
While the Guppies and Bettas both have similar water conditions, the Bettas prefer slightly warmer water.
In contrast, the Guppies are tolerant to most Betta environments but will thrive in slightly cooler conditions.
More challenges would include the differences in feeding since Guppies are natural surface feeders as opposed to Bettas, who might be surface feeders but are born with upturned mouths, which makes it difficult for them to compete with Guppies.
However, plenty of ways to feed your mixed tank to overcome this challenge exist, like offering a range of different food or feeding both fishes separately in the same tank.
That said, you can ensure compatibility by owning a larger tank for each species to create their own territory safely, reducing aggression, and adding more hiding spots and spaces for them to hide or mate.
Other factors, such as gender, are crucial when you pair them together.
Since male Bettas are generally more aggressive than females when you’re opting to have them co-exist together, it’s best to have female Bettas in the tank with Guppies rather than males.
In addition, for both species’ survival, ensure they have stable water conditions, and a proper tank cycle is maintained.
Most seasoned aquarists would also check the compatibility of each fish before putting them in.
Since each Guppies and Bettas have their own individual tolerance and personality level, even though Bettas are known to be aggressive, some are more docile than others, and vice versa for Guppies.
It is important to keep observing them after you place them in the same tank.
Once you have successfully taken all measures and they are living peacefully in your aquarium, you’ll have a gorgeous display of colorful Guppies and Bettas that will soothe anyone’s eyes.
Conclusion
While Guppies and Bettas can co-exist in the same tank together, there are a lot of differences in traits between the two, making it more of a challenge to have them live with each other in the first place.
Regardless, if you’re ambitious enough to have them co-exist, ensure that you’re equipped with a good-sized tank with more than enough space and hiding spots, and establish a proper monitoring session after introducing them in the tank.
Once you’ve properly established a peaceful environment for them, you can admire the beauty of two extremely colorful species co-existing together.
Hope this article helps.
Leave a comment