Question
I had a male betta fish for a long time, and was told by the people at the pet store that I could put in a pleco fish (aka an algae eater) because it would stay near the bottom. Since, he claimed, the betta would spend all his time near the top, the betta wouldn't notice the pleco and they would get along fine.
This worked out for a while, but one day I came home and they had attacked each other and both had died. This leaves me wondering - was it really okay to put the pleco in there? Should I have left the betta by himself? Was there a better type of fish to add to that tank?
Answer
Most male bettas will fight with anything that even remotely resembles another male in finnage or coloration. Some will attack any fish indiscriminately, regardless of its appearance. It is inherently risky to house bettas with other fish. Some bettas are too aggressive to be kept with any species, and many community species will damage the finnage of a betta. This species does best when kept solitarily due to its special environmental and social needs.
However, community keeping is possible with careful monitoring and appropriate tank-mates if the betta's personality permits. Communal housing should always be approached on a case by case, individual basis!
Placid males and females can often be housed in a well-planted community tank with mellow, dully-colored fish, as well as some aquatic invertebrates or amphibians. Careful monitoring is demanded, and the positives and negatives of the housing situation should be thoroughly evaluated prior to mixing species, but the community betta is not an impossibility.
Alternately, or in conjunction with other fish, consider offering a mirror as a safe companion.
Answered By - Don Larynx