Guppies and betta fish are both stunning fish that are typically wonderful additions to any fish tank and home aquarium. Their vibrant colors, unique characteristics, and general liveliness are all welcome additions to any tank.
What you may be wondering however is whether or not guppies can actually live with betta fish? While guppies are generally easy-going fish, betta fish on the other hand has a more aggressive reputation.
If you want to know just how well these fish can actually live together then I’m going to dive right into that topic in this article!
See Also:
Issues With Keeping Guppies and Bettas Together
Before I go any further, I first wanted to cover some of the issues, misconceptions, and general opinions as to why you shouldn’t keep guppies and bettas together.
One of the main reasons why people do not recommend keeping these two fish together is because the colorful tails on male guppies can resemble that which can be found on male bettas.
This will almost instantly lead to aggression between the two types of fish as male bettas see any type of colorful fish to be a threat and this will lead to territorial and instinctive acts of aggression. In most cases, this will end with the betta usually killing the smaller guppies.
This is not just opinion, multiple owners claiming that the same thing happened when keeping colorful male guppies with a male betta.
In terms of combinations, when it comes to keeping guppies with bettas, there is typically an established hierarchy that ranks from highly unrecommended to the best possible combination. This hierarchy is as follows:
Male Betta & Male Guppies – This is the worst possible combination as the clash of colors and instincts will often lead to the bettas attacking the guppies in 9/10 scenarios.
Male Betta & Female Guppies – As female guppies are typically duller in color than a male, the male betta may be less inclined to become aggressive based on the duller colors. It’s worth noting that females do still have some color in their tails which could still trigger a bettas aggression.
Female Betta & Male Guppies – Female bettas are less aggressive than males so this can be a satisfactory combination. If the guppies mistake the betta for a female guppy though and try to mate, this will usually cause retaliation from the female betta.
Female Betta & Female Guppies – Females of both breeds are typically less colorful and less aggressive so this would be the ideal scenario if you want to keep guppies and bettas together. I’m not saying this is a guaranteed solution or that those above can’t work but this is the most straightforward and less risky combination.
As you can see, keeping males together is likely going to lead to the most issues but there is nothing to say that two females can live peacefully together either!
Can Guppies Live With Bettas
Now that I’ve listed some of the issues you might face when trying to keep guppies and betta together in the same tank, I’ll now directly answer the question.
Yes, guppies and bettas can live together in the same tank provided certain criteria and requirements are met. You’ll want to get a betta that is known to be non-aggressive towards other community fish, have a well-planted tank, and keep only 1 betta per group of guppies.
While guppies can live with bettas, it can be tricky to get to the stage where they will live together peacefully. Some things that make it easier to keep the two types of fish together is the following:
- Guppies and betta are not really aggressive fish (the bettas might be surprising to hear). Guppies are peaceful while bettas are semi-aggressive. While you can certainly get aggressive breeds of betta, semi-aggressive breeds like Delta bettas and Halfmoon bettas are more ideal for community tanks.
- Both types of fish enjoy similar water temperatures which is always the number 1 thing to consider when looking to keep two types of breed together in the same tank. Guppies like water temperatures of 74 – 82 degrees Fahrenheit with a water pH of 6.8 – 7.8. Bettas also like warmer water with temperatures ranging from 78 – 80 degrees Fahrenheit and a water pH of 7.This makes it much more straightforward when you are looking to keep these two types of fish together as 78 – 79 will likely be a sweet spot.
- Both types of fish enjoy a well-planted aquarium for hiding and establishing territory so having a large tank with plenty of plants will allow your betta to establish a territory and once this has been established, guppies will tend not to swim through it.
This is of course an ideal scenario and whilst it is not an instant solution, this kind of tank condition often allows guppies and bettas to live together relatively peacefully.
How to Keep Guppies and Bettas Together
Before looking to introduce a betta to a tank of guppies, or vice versa, I’d definitely recommend checking out the video below which gives some useful tips (whilst dispelling some common myths) so that you too can successfully keep these two fish together.
Video aside, there are certainly some things you can do to keep guppies and bettas together safely (for the guppies) and peacefully. Fortunately, water conditions and tank size should not be an issue as they both have similar needs so here is a list of some of the more specific factors that you’ll need to consider:
Gender
I’ve already created a list earlier in this article that you can reference but depending on your current aquarium set up and fish keeping experience, it will act as a good guide to reference what genders will work best together.
If you are a beginner, I’d certainly be looking to keep females of both species as the easiest and possibly safest option. They are duller in color and less aggressive which eliminates most of the issues between the males from each breed.
You can mix and match the genders but unless you are a very experienced fish keeper with skill and patience, it would never be recommended to keep two males together!
Introduction
The next factor to consider is how you will introduce these fish to each other in order to test compatibility. Established territories, size of the tank, and the number of fish will all influence how you go about this so I’ll give a very basic example.
When adding a betta to any tank (not just guppies), you’ll need to be waiting on hand and fully prepared to save the smaller fish if the bettas get aggressive and start to attack them. Betta Care Guide states that the key thing to initially watch out for is a betta fish flaring as this is used as a warning sign to other fish.
A betta that is feeling threatened, potentially by the colorful guppies in a tank, will flare its gills and open up its fins. This is done as a warning sign when protecting territory or when preparing to fight.
There is nothing you can actually do to stop a betta from becoming aggressive or preparing to attach but it’s best to watch for these signs early and ensure they don’t lead to violence. In which case, it’s best to remove the betta immediately and take it back to the store or place it in a separate tank on its own.
Remember, bettas are territorial, and removing them from an environment that they are comfortable and into a new tank will likely lead to some level of stress and defensive mechanism.
Therefore, don’t be surprised by a betta displaying signs of aggression early but do make sure you keep a watchful eye to ensure it’s nothing serious that leads to attacks.
Individual Characteristics
Finally, you are going to want to take the individual characteristics of the betta into consideration. Japanese Fighting Fish states that in the wild, bettas are highly territorial and this is what often leads to aggression.
In captivity though, it’s not uncommon to find very docile bettas who are happy to stick to their own territory and show few signs of aggression at all. The video I included earlier is a very good example of this.
While you can never know how a betta will react when adding it to a community tank, finding docile bettas from breeders that keep bettas with community fish (in particular guppies) would be the best way to attempt to minimize any conflict when introducing them to your tank.
Final Thoughts
Both guppies and betta are wonderful fish that are not overly difficult to care for. Both make ideal beginner fish and are vibrant and colorful additions to any tank, but that doesn’t mean they are ideal tankmates for each other.
In terms of environment and needs, these two breeds are quite compatible so keeping them together mainly comes down to preventing aggression (from the betta) and ensuring the tank is peaceful.
Sticking to females only is a good plan or simply testing them with a different betta and being prepared to save to fish if the bettas show aggression is usually the best method for seeing if the breeds that you own can live together.
Cool post very informative I just found your blog and read through a few posts although this is my first comment, ill be including it in my favorites and visit again for sure
Hi Socjologia, you’re welcome. Glad to hear that you found it useful.