Who Gives A Fish Forums

Tank setup is 75 gallons, lightly planted with stones and wood pieces for decoration. I've got one male betta and four females. Thinking of adding some community fish, maybe a dozen ember tetras since they're not fin nippers. Plan is to add enough so no single fish gets bullied. What are your thoughts on this?

Honestly, I'm not sure that's the best idea. The tank is large, I'll give you that, but personally, I'd remove the male betta at the very least.

I run a 55 gallon tank with a mix of tetras - ember, neon, glow light, and red eyed. Wouldn't dream of adding a male or female betta to it. Betta fish just aren't suited for community living, in my experience.

juicebox wrote: ↑Wed Apr 09, 2025 11:05 am Honestly, I'm not sure that's the best idea. The tank is large, I'll give you that, but personally, I'd remove the male betta at the very least.

I usually agree, bettas can be pretty aggressive and territorial. But I've seen videos, like Aquarium Coop, that list ember tetras and rasboras as potential tank mates. There are other videos out there too that suggest compatible fish. The thing is, I've got a male betta and I'm not looking to get rid of him - my kids named him and, well, you know how that goes.

Honestly, I'd consider it if I had a solid backup plan in place.

cipherist wrote: ↑Wed Apr 09, 2025 1:07 pm Honestly, I'd consider it if I had a solid backup plan in place.

I'd have a separate setup ready in case things go south. Having another tank on standby would allow me to rehome either the tetras or the male betta if needed, rather than scrambling for a solution mid-crisis.

Considering your tank setup, I'd suggest sticking with a large number of shrimp instead. They're generally peaceful and can thrive in a lightly planted tank with stones and wood pieces.

juicebox wrote: ↑Wed Apr 09, 2025 11:05 am Honestly, I'm not sure that's the best idea. The tank is large, I'll give you that, but personally, I'd remove the male betta at the very least.

fluxx no, I was thinking more like amano or cherry shrimp.

brewista wrote: ↑Wed Apr 09, 2025 9:55 am Tank setup is 75 gallons, lightly planted with stones and wood pieces for decoration. I've got one male betta and four females. Thinking of adding some community fish, maybe a dozen ember tetras since they're not fin nippers. Plan is to add enough so no single fish gets bullied. What are your thoughts on this?

Having a backup plan means having an extra tank for either the tetras or the male betta, just in case things don't work out. Or, having a friend or a local fish store that can take them in if needed.

Can we get a tank pic, please. It's massive, relatively speaking, and lightly planted so I'm curious to see the setup.