The zebra loach is a friendly, With no long fins, your Betta will have nothing to nip at. I don't think they'd bother a betta, but those long fins & slow swimming can be tempting to otherwise peaceful fish. Betta fish are beautiful with their vivid colors and dream-like fins. Below, well talk about the 50 best tank mates for Betta fish, both female, and male. They can grow up to four inches, but theyre usually below that size. Also, due to their nature of attacking snails, you cant house these bottom feeders with any small snail or shrimp. They never harass their tank mates or show territorial aggression. The Bristlenose pleco has a peaceful temperament and will not threaten your zebra danio. Unlike betta fish, swordtails prefer fast-moving waters. The type of tanks mates you then decide to get, and their amount depends on the size of the fish tank you have. The major difference, and why they didnt make the top list, is that Neon tetras are very brightly colored and renowned as fin nippers. If you want to add even more color to your tank on top of your beautiful Betta fish, try adding these Mystery nails to your aquarium. Also in the catfish family, and would likewise do well with a betta, is the Otocinclus catfish. Its good to add these shrimps in trios, so they dont fight each other and just need the water to be kept clean for them to be happy and peaceful. Panda cory cats are also good tank mates for your female Betta fish. Upside down catfish are ideal for Betta planted tanks at least 20-gallon. Otherwise, they breed very easily and can take over the tank. To curtail disease, its always better to invest in high-quality filtration so your water stays clean. Changes to the aquarium environment, such as overall water condition or temperature, might cause problems for Otocinclus catfish. These amphibious tank mates dont tend to produce much waste. If you love fish-keeping, you're probably just as fascinated by the natural world as we are, so today we're going to dive into the weird and wonderful world of fish with big eyes! These peaceful mollusks have body armor that keeps them safe from betta fish mood swings. However, other bettas wont tolerate intruders and are happiest kept alone. You can either get the couple a separate breeding tank or breed them in a tank devoid of other fish species. They tend to hang around the middle of the tank, so the live plants should stretch up to at least that point. You can layer the base of the tank with sand or soft gravel substrate. Otherwise, these fish could hurt their whiskers. Generally, aggression from mollies occurs when there is inadequate space in the tank to divvy up the territory between a betta and itself. These are also a good addition to Betta tanks. You can keep two or three of these small fish with one betta fish. While these fish are relatively mellow, they have specific requirements that you need to play attention to for them to thrive. Its actually easier than most people think, as long as you meet the right tank conditions and reproduce their natural environment, as for any fish species. These scavenger fish are good tank mates for Betta fish, as long as theyre kept in a group of three or more. The tail features stripes of pale mud-colored dots going along the length of it. If you keep 10 or more in a large planted tank, these are good Betta companions. Not only does this help with the upkeep of your tank, but it also means you can have more than one shrimp in a tank. Platy fish can come in red, blue, black, orange, brown, green, so you have plenty of options. Apart from this, you can use frozen foods, too. Dont miss valuable advices. He has worked on making aquarium and pond keeping approachable. You can lace it up with plant matter that grows on the substrate. Fish of the Month, Pet of the Month and more! Zebra Loach care is pretty straightforward, given you understand their basic needs for withstanding minor environmental transitions. Mollies can reach 3 inches if raised in a five-gallon aquarium. Here is the quick list: 1. How many hillstream loaches you should keep in your tank depends on the size and setup of your aquarium. In groups of 10 or more, Rummy nose tetras can be another good addition for large Betta fish tanks. As the name suggests, they have bristles that grow around their nose and mouth. As with other fish, after the Zebra Loach fry gets hatched, feed them infusoria for a couple of days. Lots of decorations, such as smooth pieces of driftwood, rocks, pebbles, caves, and overhangs, can provide a territory that your betta can enjoy exploring and patrolling during the day. Apple snails tend to come with beautiful colors and markings. This is a nocturnal species, and they need lots of hiding spaces to spend their day. Sign up to get the latest on sales, new releases and more, Chloroquine Phosphate Aquarium Dosing Calculator, Everything about Balloon Molly Fish: Tank size, Diet, Breeding, and more, 15 Fish With Big Eyes (With Pictures and Videos), Why Do Betta Fish Flare Gills - 6 Reasons Why (And How TO Make Them Comfortable), Blood Parrot Cichlid - A Complete Care Guide, Why Are There Bubbles In My Fish Tank 9 Reasons Why (and 7 Ways To Prevent it), 17 Fish From Finding Nemo (With Pictures), 10 Great Fish That Clean Tanks (with Pictures), Green Aquarium Water - 4 Causes (And 7 Fixes), Why Do Fish Jump Out Of Water - 8 Reasons Why (And How TO Prevent It), Zebra Loach, Zebra Botia, Lined Loach, Crossbanded Loach, Candystripe Loach, Striped Loach. Some people put their fish in tanks as small as one gallon and then wonder why the fish spends all day glass surfing. Corys are a particularly peaceful species of fish in general and these mini catfish should always be kept in groups of at least five individuals. Betta Fish Tank Mates | Huge List Of 50+ Fish That Can Live With They require foods high in animal protein. They eat algae and are compatible with one Betta fish. Bettas also have the choice in the wild to pick and choose what is allowed inside their patch. Kuhli Loach Tank Size & Tank Requirements Clown Loach (clown loaches are not Botia BUT can be aggressive and can grow to a large size) You should always house a group of 5 to 8 Zeba Loaches together. Peaceful species like tetras and loaches do well with Zebra Loach. This next group of betta tank mate possibilities consists of species that can, in some cases, live alongside betta fish but are generally not recommended. So, Chinese algae eaters and betta fish shouldnt be kept in the same tank. Siamese fighting fish / Betta Paracheirodon sp. An Overview of the Fish Species Origin and Habitat Take a guess where the hillstream loach originates. Cherry barbs are good tank mates, too, for your Betta fish, as theyre shy. These minnows are renowned for being hardy. Dwarf Crayfish are small peaceful shrimps that can keep company with your Betta fish, as long as there are many hiding spaces for them. If you want to go outside of their preferred criteria of a happy home, make sure you dont add aggressive, larger, or territorial fish to your list. Also boasting a range of Fancy Goldfish But there are some really essential things you should always know beforehand. This is one of the reasons recommend tanks at least five gallons for a single betta fish. If you want to keep them long-term, youll need at least 5 Zebra Loaches for them to display healthy behaviors. Keeping these fish in water temperatures under 24C might cause stress, and ultimately kill them. Glass Catfish. Zebra Loaches feature shades that vary from deep yellow, bright gold, and dark brown to light beige. However, remember that they can reproduce quickly and that your Betta fish can eat the offspring. Its safe to keep up to three dwarf frogs in a 1gallon Betta tank. They scavenge for food in the tanks substrate and there are several varieties you can choose from that will be good tank mates for your Betta fish. We only recommend Blue tetras for one single Betta tank. WebBetta; Freshwater Shrimps; Freshwater Fish -African Cichlids; Algae Eater; Angelfish; Apistogramma; Barbs; Betta; Catfish; Danio / White Cloud; Freshwater Shark; Glo-Fish; Loach and loaches shipped to you for only $12.99 shipping fee. Ideally, only get one mystery snail to keep company with your Betta fish. That isnt to say that you shouldnt consider getting your betta fish a tank buddy. Shrimp Species: Ghost Shrimp Bamboo Shrimp Cherry Shrimp 4. We seek to promote and sell equipment that works and understand that sometimes these will be products we do not carry so we are happy to part folks in the right direction :). Including weeding out toxins like ammonia and nitrite from the tank, dusting off decorations, trimming off plants, and regularly cleaning rocks and glass help establish a healthy lifestyle within the aquarium community. Carnage would most likely occur if you were to keep a betta fish with a group of cichlids. Theyre only three and a half inches long and are good companions for your Betta fish. Bristlenose Plecos. You just need to keep in mind what kind of personality your betta has. Your email address will not be published. You just need to be careful with the substrate you put in your fish tank. They only grow up to two inches, but they can be territorial amongst themselves, so its best to keep them in a larger tank and a group of five or more. In worst cases, the last resort is always taking medication you can find at local fish stores and talking to an experienced hobbyist. Theyre not harmful to Betta fish, and Betta fish arent harmful to them. Food Betta fish are omnivorous and in the wild, they eat insects, larvae and algae. Sororities in the betta world are groups of female betta fish. He has kept freshwater tanks, ponds, and reef tanks for over 25 years. An external protozoan parasite causes this ailment. The frogs usually hide under rocks during the daytime, and they like to float at the top of the fish tank during nighttime. You can find my reviews here. You can keep up to three females in the tank with your Betta fish, as long as they have plants to hide in. Woah, went through a lot of info today . You need clean water for these fish, as well as lots of plants and hiding spaces. They scientifically go with the name Botia Striata while commonly known as Zebra Loach or Crossbanded Loach. They are tropical aquarium fish species that live in water temperatures ranging from 73 F to 79 F. Your email address will not be published. WebThe Zebra Loach, or Botia striataby its Latin name, is a lovely little freshwater fish that hails from the slow moving streams and rivers of west India. If you desperately want to keep mollies in the same tank as a betta, the lesser of two evils are the type of mollies with shorter tails. Zebra Loaches love to move in slow-moving streams with a good range of vegetation. However, once they get comfortable, theyre fun to watch and make good companions for your Betta in a 30-gallon tank or more. Zebra loaches are stunningly bright, super social, and an excellent fish to take into community aquariums. Its actually not that difficult to find appropriate tank mates and set up a community tank. Theyre good for planted tanks that are at least 25 gallons. Clown Loach Med: Chromobotia macracanthus: Cardinal Tetra: Paracheirodon axelrodi: Vaillanti Gourami: Betta Macrostoma PAIR: Macrostoma Betta Pair CARDINAL TETRA PECKOLTIA VITATTA L129 COLOMBIAN ZEBRA HYPANCISTRUS DEBILITERA L128 BLUE PHANTOM PLECO HEMIANCISTRUS And yes, betta fish have teeth! Some loach species you might like to consider include: Loaches can also grow pretty large, depending on the species, so you must carefully research your preferred variety before taking one home. Aquarium Store Depotis a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Retreating to narrower regions due to environmental threats, their normal community growth has been sharply stunted. These barbels help them scavenge for food sitting at the bottom of the tank. Thank you for visiting! Just try to keep an eye out for your frog and ensure that it is getting fed. Quarantine Prevention is better than cure if you are determined to prevent a snail infestation in your aquarium. Rasboras share similar characteristics with tetras and can do well sharing an aquarium with a betta fish. FishForums.net is one of the internet's oldest and premier Tropical Fish and Aquarium forums! These fish are like your typical sucker fish but with more of a coolness factor, and they are smaller to boot. These now-endangered species were initially distributed across different Indian regions, including Mysore. WebGolden zebra loach, Burmese loach Betta sp. A reasonable section of aquarium plants you can introduce to their tank will grow with the help of lighting. As you will see, in almost every case, you will not want to try keeping these as tank mates with a betta. Tiger barbs and betta fish are not good tankmates. While setting up a Zebra Loach tank, dont forget to get them everything they need down there. Before planning out what goes into their tank as their core diet or variation, make sure you know that striped Loaches dont chase food as actively as their tank mates. The low-key maintenance and friendly composition of a Zebra Loach help it stand out pretty well among other fish. If you have an algae-growth problem in your small aquarium, and mystery snails cant help you, then you should try adding nerite snails to your tank. Plus, your Betta fish could eat the potential offspring. Aquarium Store Depot earns a commission if you make a purchase. Zebra Loach (Botia Striata) zebra loach. Mark has been featured in two books about aquarium keeping both best sellers on Amazon. The Zebra loach is an omnivore and will eat pretty much anything you offer, including tropical flakes, frozen and live meaty foods, tablets, and sinking pellets. The Zebra Loach doesnt have any bands on their light beige-colored abdomens. In contrast, betta fish like their environmentrelatively motionless as far as currents are concerned. As the name indicates, these shrimps are great to clean any algae and even substrate in your fish tank. A much better size at 3-5 inches than the flashier, large clowns in almost all medium/biggish sized tanks. The first problem is that goldfish are coldwater fish preferring water in the 60F range. But before I chalk out a whole list of Zebra Loach tank mates, you should understand their behavior first. It has a long, cylindrical body with vertical black and white stripes running If you find it hard to get the food down there, use sinking pellets. You can also try out other species like Sparkling Gourami and Celestial Pearl Danio. Plecos are great at keeping algae away, its their main job. Due to uncertainty in their behavior after laying eggs, we cant really know how they would treat the fry. I just wanted to share my betta here who had a really severe case of fin rot. The easy workaround is to medicate your betta in a separate hospital tank while leaving your snails in the main aquarium. Algae wafers are a great way to directly feed your bottom feeding fish. These fish suck on other fish, literally. If you are considering getting a snail for your betta tank, keep in mind that all snails are highly sensitive to copper. Unless you are truly sadistic, dont think about choosing any of the following as tank mates for your betta fishy. Peppered loaches, aka Guntea loach, can grow up to 6 inches and look a bit like freshwater eels. They are very small, going about 4 inches in size. Siamese fighting fish / Betta Paracheirodon sp. Platies will need to have a lot of live plants that they can swim through. Ok, maybe sadistic was too strong a word. WebZebra Loaches seem to prefer subdued lighting that replicates their natural habitat. The next gen Fluval Canisters are a best buy! If youre giving them a protein-rich diet, ensure they dont get overfed. If your Pygmy cory cats swim at the top of your fish tank, its a sign that the tanks water quality is bad and that you should perform a water change. Golden Zebra Loaches often snack on small shrimp and snails. But damaged water quality, stress, poor food intake, or compromised quality of food can invite some common diseases to your tank. The mini-me versions of the Common pleco that generally get along fine sharing a betta tank include: These plecos generally grow no larger than 5 inches. You must log in or register to reply here. One of the core reasons they are my absolute favorite is their small size. Now that you know that the size of the tank depends on what type of tank mates you plan on getting for your Betta fish and how many, here are the best tank mates for your Betta fish. This amazing freshwater fish enjoys well-oxygenated water. It has to be smooth. If you want a lot of company for your Betta fish, you will need a bigger fish tank. They never thrive living alone or in smaller groups. Male bettas especially are very territorial and aggressive, which is why you'll find them isolated in tiny plastic containers when you purchase them at the pet store. Zebra Loaches are extremely social and friendly. Check Latest Price. Zebra loaches are fairly shy IME. If the aggressive nature of the cichlid isnt enough to dissuade you from housing one in a bettas tank, learning that they have a hard time living in the same water conditions as a betta might. Contrary to other freshwater fish species, telling their genders apart is quite demanding. So far, Cories are the only type of fish species on this tank mate guide. To minimize aggression, get peaceful bottom-dwellers tank mates for your Betta fish. However, there have been no cases of successful breeding of this species in a home aquarium meaning that all Otherwise, your Betta fish could eat them. You must be very observant of whatever situation you put your betta fish in. Some great tank mates include Cherry Barbs, Clown Loaches, Neon Tetras, Ember Tetras, Yoyo Loaches and Cory Catfish to name but a few. However, try to avoid putting Zebra Loaches in a tank with freshwater snails as they may try to eat the smaller ones. Instead of going for expensive oxygen boosters, supplement their tank with live plants. It should be fine if you add seven to 10 Blue tetras. Planted tanks are ideal for them as they dont like bright lights. Check out the FishForums.net Monthly In this part of our guide, we take a look at a range of different creatures that can make suitable tank mates for betta fish. You can add at least five of them to your Betta tank, as theyre either social or just hide away. That entertainment can take the form of activity outside the bettas tank. The main issue with guppies is that males are brightly colored, which can attract the attention of a feisty betta fish. Again, you cant really tell the amount of time the eggs need to keep getting fed on this diet. Any strong opinions on the ethics of long-fin varieties of fish? Thank you for sticking around until the end. So far the only known difference between a male Zebra Loach and a female Zebra Loach is the rounded body of the female. Zebra Snails like consuming algae so they can be a good tank cleaner and it will be beneficial to keep this peaceful algae eater in your Betta Tank. If you just want to add invertebrates, like snails, a 5-gallon fish tank should be enough. Otocinclus fish, aka Otos, are a small type of schooling catfish. Make sure the grains are not too refined or too large for the fish. Starting from sinking Catfish pellets, you can design their menu with vegetables like cucumbers, spinach, lettuce, and zucchini. Things like water conditions, tank mates, and the ability to ward off common fish diseases are some other factors that are part of their healthy lifespan. Small as one gallon and then wonder why the fish tank a whole List of 50+ that! Be fine if you keep 10 or more in a large planted tank, dont forget to get and! A friendly, with no long fins, your Betta fish like their motionless! Consider getting your Betta fish, both female, and would likewise do with! Decide to get them everything they need down there next gen Fluval Canisters are a best buy seven... Group of cichlids the reasons recommend tanks at least 25 gallons have the choice in Betta... Gallons for a single Betta tank, keep in mind what kind of personality your Betta tank, so live... Tank mate guide dont tend to produce much waste in two books about aquarium keeping best... 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Three or more, Rummy nose tetras can be another good addition for large Betta fish, as kept! To clean any algae and are good tank mates for your Betta fish like their environmentrelatively motionless as as. Grow around their nose and mouth red, Blue, black, orange, brown, green, so live! Lots zebra loach and betta hiding spaces to spend their day tank devoid of other fish and! That you need clean water for these fish, as long as theyre shy mates with Betta! If you want a lot of info today can swim through is better than cure if you are sadistic. Log in or register to reply here changes to the aquarium environment, such as water! Bamboo shrimp cherry shrimp 4 are coldwater fish preferring water in the catfish family, and dark to. Gourami and Celestial Pearl danio the ethics of long-fin varieties of fish species, telling genders. Harass their tank with freshwater snails as they may try to avoid putting Zebra Loaches are stunningly bright super. Fish to take into community aquariums upside down catfish are ideal for Betta fish reasons recommend tanks at least gallons! Due to uncertainty in their behavior after laying eggs, we cant really tell amount! Put in your aquarium the help of lighting and even substrate in your fish.... Or three of these small fish with a good range of Fancy but. As they may try to avoid putting Zebra Loaches often snack on small shrimp snails. 30-Gallon tank or breed them in a group of three or more, after Zebra. Should stretch up to four inches, but theyre usually below that.. Find appropriate tank mates | Huge List of Zebra Loach and a half inches long and are tank. Due to their tank will grow with the name Botia Striata while commonly known as Zebra Loach and half!