How to Add a Betta to a Community Tank

A male betta fish is a remarkable and beautiful creature. Highly territorial, the male betta can be difficult to introduce to a community tank. For this reason, many people choose to keep male bettas in small, solitary quarters. This is not only cruel; it's also a shame, because a betta can make a beautiful addition to a community tank.

Instructions

1. Decide if a betta is the right type of fish for your community tank. Female bettas are normally less aggressive and adapt more easily to community aquariums. (Although they're not nearly as pretty.) However, all bettas are proud, dominant fish. They require their own territory within the tank, and can kill other fish in pursuit of their own space. If your aquarium is a new hobby, you might consider less aggressive fish.

2. Set up a secondary home for your betta fish in case you must remove it from the tank. If it won't adapt, leaving it in the tank can only lead to fighting, dying fish. Be prepared for the possibility. If you aren't willing to set up a second aquarium, then a betta may not be a suitable choice for your home.

3. Prepare to lose fish. Any addition to an aquarium can cause loss of fish, but adding a volatile betta increases the odds. Be certain you and your family are ready to take that risk.

4. Be certain your tank is ready. It must be of sufficient size for the number of fish, properly heated, aerated and cycled. If you already own aggressive fish, rearrange the tank. This new atmosphere discourages current fish from aggressively defending their places within the tank.

5. Place the betta, plastic carrying bag and all, into the tank. Allow it to float there for 15 minutes. This bit of betta care allows the new fish to acclimate slowly to the aquarium's water temperature. A sudden difference in temperature can stun or even kill your new betta.

6. Allow the aquarium fish to observe the newcomer and vice versa. The bag keeps them from harming one other. If after 15 minutes the betta is still behaving aggressively, there is a good chance it will never settle down. Consider other tank arrangements.

Tips & Warnings

• Aggressive, brightly colored fish are often targets of male bettas. You will have better luck bringing in a male betta if your current fish are non-aggressive, bland in color, or much larger than the betta you intend to add.

• Due to their territorial nature, two male bettas will often fight to the death. If you decide to add a male betta to your tank, buy only one. You can add females successfully in larger numbers, but they are still likely to pick on other fish.