BellaOnline Forums Home and Garden Fish Setting up new community tank

Just bought a 20g tank with a whisper filter, i've got fake plants and some rocks and bridges for bottom dwellers to hid under. I don't have any fish yet, I was wondering if I could put a Betta in there along with some other fish I will be integrating into the tank. I don't have any fish yet...I love Kuhli Loaches!!

Well I'm no expert on community tanks, but anything you put in with a betta has to have two qualities that I know of: 1. it must be a peaceful fish (so it won't attack your bettas fins) and 2. it shouldn't have long flowy fins (so your betta won't attack its fins). I'm going to assume you know a little bit about cycling a tank, so make sure you get that up and running and add your fish slowly, yada yada.

I hope you get something nice going in your tank, though! I'd love to have something that big, but simply don't have the room right now, and I would have to transport things more. Get some pictures when you finally get it set up!

Hi,
I have a 20 Gallong Community tank as well. I'm in the process of researching some new fish for it, but what I have now are

1 - male betta
2 - lyre tail platys
1 - mickey mouse platy - - his tail has the imprint of mickey mouse ears
2 - cory catfish
2 - fancy tail guppys - - one died and the remaining one bothered the lyre tails - then I bought another fancy tail guppy - - now they just hang around with each other.
1 - dwarf angel fish

I know you're now supposed to put lots of fish with showy fins with other fish with long showy fins...but mine all seem to get along swell. I also only have artificial plants..I tried some live plants..they died, gave me an algae problem and snails....So I'm back to my palm trees and Corona Bottle

Corys should be ok with a betta. Make sure there are plenty of places for them to get away from him if they need to.

Otocinclus are usually pretty good with bettas as well and help to keep the algae down. You will have to give them some veggies from time to time though.

don't get any nippy fish or fancy guppies if you put a betta in there. Sometimes bettas confuse fancy guppies with other bettas and will attack them...basically, anything with colorful long flowing fins in with a betta is not a good thing.

Can't think of anything else at the moment and it's time for me to go nite nite...lol....hope this helps a bit Jell

I've had my tank up and running for about a month now. Napoleon (my betta) was the first fish in the tank. Then I got 5 Kuhli's, my next addition were two powder Gouramis, and i have some head/tail light tetras, and blueberry tetras...and one strange small catfish that i bought yesterday that i don't know what it is, and neither did the fish store...oh ya, i got two oto cats as well...

anyway, i checked out the fish this morning, and my betta's tail fins look like they're ripped or something...i haven't noticed any of the other fish nipping at him or anything. Do you think the current from the filter could tear it or something? He loves to hang out at the front of the tank where the current hits the glass...anyway...just thought I'd check and see if he'll be ok.

If he's been in the tank by himself for a month...I wouldn't think the water has anything to do with it unless, after adding all those other fish the cycle is adjusting itself.

Check your ammonia and nitrites to be sure they're ok...and then keep an eye on the gouramis and the tetras. If any of the fish are the culprits, I would bet on either one of them.

Ok, i will keep an eye on the tetras. The gouramis are pretty calm and seem to mind their own business. the tetras can act a little "attention deficit" sometimes, so they could be the ones!