Guppies tend to nip betta fins for several reasons. If you are thinking about keeping guppies and bettas together then there are many factors that you must observe about both these fish types, before you go and set up a tank for them.
Many times fish owners have either of the species already and they think of adding one of the missing species as addition to the already present stock. Both guppy and betta nip fins of other fish and when kept together will most likely nip fins as well.
Before you go ahead and set up a tank for betta and guppy together you must answer this important question first.
Why do you want keep guppies and bettas together?
Yes, this is an important question to ask. Many people do this because both these fish look beautiful and the tank looks extremely alive when fish are added.
However there are things that both these fish do not share in common and this is where the conflict begins in the tank. This conflict can be deadly for some fish with weak immunity and must be considered a serious issue.
Reasons to avoid guppies and bettas together
- 1) Guppies are extremely fast and energetic fish. They love to move and occupy the entire tank when they swim and are swift. On the other hand bettas are slow and love to enjoy their “stay” in the tank. The truth is, even when guppies are fast moving, they are peaceful and bettas are considered more aggressive than guppy fish. Fast moving guppies can really annoy slow moving bettas and this can be big reason, bettas can nip fins of guppies.
- Bettas are very beautiful with long silky fins. This can annoy fast and energetic guppies making them or encouraging them to nip fins of betta tank mates.
- If you want to still keep bettas and guppies together you must choose different and peaceful breeds of bettas that will not attack smaller sized guppies. Halfmoon betta fish is slightly less aggressive and peaceful than other bettas.
- Betta fish are “carnivores” which means they eat meat and flesh of other animals. On the other hand guppies are “omnivores” which mean they eat plant and animal based food both. While feeding a betta and guppies tank it is possible that the whole feeding time turns into a fight because of territorial encroachments.
How to avoid guppy fish nipping betta fins and vice versa?
Betta fish have beautiful fins that are long and silky. To avoid guppies nipping on fins and vice versa what you can do is limit number of betta in your tank.
Start with just one betta fish that is less aggressive and observe behavior. If you see either of the fish nipping fins get alerted and do the necessary modifications in the set up. By modifications I mean either reduce number of guppies that are more aggressive towards betta or if the attacks are physically hurting the betta, completely shift him from the tank. Nipping fins can be a serious issue for fish if physical injury is happening. This can lead to a disease called “fin rot” if not treated well.
Now the thing is betta loves to eat meat and non-veg food but guppies love both types of food, so you must feed your guppy a plant based food first. Because the betta will not try to touch it. Once guppies are done with their “lunch” you can feed your betta.
You can create lots of hiding spaces for both types’ fish. One way to do this is to create smaller spaces using live plants and decorating items. Guppies love to hide and create their own territory in case the betta gets too aggressive.
By creating hiding spaces, occasionally your guppy will restore to it’s own space and this can definitely save fights, if they are happening very often. Same is true with bettas as well. By creating hiding spaces for bettas, you can have control over their aggression especially they are being alerted to attack very often by guppies. Guppies would prefer to live with more guppies than other fish of different species.
Possible guppy and betta combinations
If you are still keen of keeping these two together then there are four possibilities that must be considered in a fish tank. First of all have a big tank so that each individual can have his own territory. A fish tank less than 10 gallons will create problems and occasional fights.
Male betta with male guppy
This is the most deadly combination because obvious aggressive behaviors of both the species. If you want to keep this combination then have more guppies and less bettas so that fights can be avoided.
Male betta and female guppies
This can be setup and the only issue is female guppies are really attractive. Male bettas can nip fins of female guppies quite often and this can be really annoying for females.
Female betta and male guppy
Female bettas being attractive with long silky fins, male guppies will get distorted and nip fins occasionally. To avoid this you can create lots of hiding spaces and give female battas to restore to their own spaces occasionally to avoid fights.
Female bettas and female guppeis.
This is obviously the safest combination and even look attractive since both these fish are colorful and in different sizes.
Ideal number of bettas and guppies in a tank
Before you decide the number of guppies and bettas in a tank it is necessary understand which should be more or both should be equal or not. To decide on this it is necessary to study nature of both fish.
As a general observation bettas look calm but when they attack they are more aggressive. On the other hand guppies look swift and energetic but are peaceful than bettas.
So by this rules you must have 1 betta for 6-7 guppies in a tank. One betta attacking all the guppies will be a rarest scenario in a tank. That is why start with just one betta fish that is les aggressive in nature (Half moon betta) so that he will have less of a triggering nature even if guppies are moving rapidly in a tank.
What triggers aggressive behavior in fish?
Most aquarium fish are not aggressive all the time. Even species that are termed as aggressive like bettas don’t fight with every other fish in the tank. But there are certainly are some properties or events in the tank that can trigger aggression in the fish tank and if you can minimize or avoid these events, fights can be controlled.
When fish become aggressive they fight and this can be seen from their behavior such as
- Nipping fins of other fish
- Chasing each other
- Biting other fish
- Bullying by trying to occupy their territory
Stress
Stress is the number one destroyer of happiness in not just humans but even aquarium fish. There are multiple reasons why fish go under stress and as a tank owner it is your number one priority to find out reasons and ways to eliminate conditions from your tank that are responsible for stress. When fish are under stress they can attack other fish or become lethargic depending upon their immunity system.
Wrong tank mates
Many new beginners in fish keeping ignore this important aspect. Not every fish can live with other fish. There are rules that you must follow when you pick fish for your fish tank. If this is your first time picking up fish for a new aquarium then study carefully several factors such as tank mates and compatibility, water conditions in which they thrive etc. Picking up wrong tank mates can trigger stress in fish and that can lead to
fights or nipping fins etc.
Wrong male to female ratio
When there are fewer females in a tank all the males are tended to fight for mating for just a few females. This is true no matter which fish species you select. That’s why make sure you keep and follow
the rules of male to female ratio in a tank. When fights happen in an aquarium nipping fins is a frequent activity.
Poor water quality
Maintaining water quality is not an option but a necessity in an aquarium because that’s what makes a tank healthy and fish happy. Following a strict maintenance and cleaning schedule is a great habit and every
tank owner must follow it without delays.
Maintaining water quality requires purchasing water testing kits and installing all the necessary equipment in a tank so that the right kind of habitat is established.
Badly maintained tank is the number one reason of stress in fish. Fish under stress lose their immunity and tend to attract several diseases. Once they become sick other stronger fish will try to attack them in the tank by biting or nipping fins. Sick fish either surrender themselves to stronger fish or die because of diseases. Many times such diseases can destroy the entire tank if the disease is a contagious one.