Can Guppies Live With Bettas? (15 Interesting Facts)

If you are considering starting to keep guppies and bettas together in your aquarium, you will probably have to first figure out whether they can co-exist. Read on, for answers.

Can guppies live with bettas? The answer is ‘yes’. But you will have to ensure that there are plenty of live plants in the aquarium. And you will have to make separate feeding arrangements for the respective fish.

It is also important to appreciate that guppies are highly peaceable fish. Bettas, on the other hand, are somewhat aggressive fish.

Therefore to ensure successful guppy betta cohabitation, you will need to do quite a bit of work.

You will need to ensure that you select the right type of betta fish. And you will need to ensure that you have a big enough aquarium, with plenty of plants.

You will also need to ensure that you get the right gender combinations.

If you do all these things right, you may just manage to get guppies and betta fish to coexist in the same tank.

Can Guppies And Bettas Live Together?

Guppies and bettas have been known to coexist. There are people who have managed to keep them together. So it is something that can be done.

But it is worth understanding that the personalities of guppies and bettas are radically different. Guppies are highly peaceful omnivorous fish. Bettas, on the other hand, are somewhat aggressive carnivorous fish.

So the real question is: can guppies live with bettas peacefully? Or to put it differently, can guppies live with bettas without having the bettas constantly attacking the guppies?

It is possible to get guppies to live with bettas without constant fights. For instance, if you opt for a female betta to live with guppies of female gender, there may not be constant attacks.

Similarly, if you put a female betta with male guppies, there may not be constant attacks. But the male guppies may at some point try mating with the female betta, leading to some conflict.

Besides gender considerations, you need to ensure that you have a big enough tank. Most experts recommend having at least a 10 gallon tank, before trying this sort of thing.

Can guppies live with bettas in a 5 gallon tank? It may be possible, but chances are that it won’t be a very peaceful coexistence.

But with a big enough tank, the respective types of fish can create their own territories, keep to those spaces, and avoid conflicts.

Another thing you need is to ensure that there are plenty of live plants in the tank.

Can betta fish live with guppies in a tank that has no plants? It is a possibility, but it probably won’t be very nice living.

But with plants to distract the fish (and provide hiding spaces), chances of conflict become lower.

Do Betta Fish Eat Guppies?

In exploring the can guppies live with bettas question, we need to find out whether the bettas can eat the guppies.

So far, we have said that the problem in keeping guppies with betta fish is in the fact that the betta fish are somewhat aggressive.

This then leads to the question as to whether the betta fish eat guppies.

The truth of the matter is that betta fish only tend to attack guppies – mainly because they are fascinated with their colors.

The attacks typically entail the bettas nipping on the fins and tails of the guppies. These attacks may not be directly fatal. But they do leave the guppies with wounds – including truncated fins – that can be fatal.

Among the betta fish, it is the males that tend to be more aggressive. The sight of a female betta attacking male guppy may be rather rare. But a male betta attacking a male guppy is a more common sight.

So whereas the betta fish may not kill guppies for food, they nonetheless attack them, sometimes leaving them with nasty wounds. That is what you want to avoid, while running a guppy betta fish tank.

To be sure, betta’s aggressiveness is not reserved for guppies alone. It applies for other fish as well. And it often leads to difficult questions: like the one on what kind of fish can live with a Betta in a truly peaceful manner?

And answering that question (on what fish can live with betta in a truly peaceful manner) is always hard to answer.

They are even known to be aggressive towards one another. That even leads to the question on how do betta fish mate without killing each other!

Or how do betta fish get pregnant in spite of their aggressive nature.

Can Guppies Eat Betta Fish?

Further, in exploring the can guppies live with bettas question, we need to consider the aspect of whether the guppies can eat the bettas.

So the can guppies live with bettas question (in this context) has two facets. The first is what we have explored above: of whether bettas can eat guppies.

And the second aspect of the can guppies live with bettas question (in this context) is the one we are dealing with now. That is on whether guppies can eat bettas.

All along, the basic tenet has been that guppies are peaceable fish. But when it comes to dealing with fry (small baby fish) guppies are not so peaceful.

Will guppies eat baby bettas? The answer is yes – if they happen to come across them, they will definitely eat them.

This has implications, when it comes to introducing the betta fish to the tank with the guppies. You need to ensure that you only do it when the bettas are reasonably mature.

If you introduce the bettas when they are too young, the guppies may just go ahead and eat them.

So it is not always the bettas that are the bad guys. There are cases in which the guppies can turn out to be the bad guys.

Nonetheless, in most guppy vs betta conflicts, you find that it is the betta fish that are the aggressors.

All in all, there is only one situation in which guppies will eat betta fish. That is where the guppies happen to chance upon betta fry (that is, baby betta fish).

Guppy vs Betta PH Requirement

In tackling the can guppies live with bettas question, we need to deal with the aspect of the respective fish’s PH requirements.

This will help us in understanding whether the two fish can live in the same tank. In other words, it will help us in answering the can guppies live with bettas question.

It emerges that guppies require a PH in the 6.8 to 7.6 range. So that is the proper PH for guppies.

On the other hand, betta fish require a PH of 7.

Considering those PH requirements, can guppies live with bettas in the same tank? The answer is ‘yes’.

The PH of 7, which betta fish require, is within the 6.8-7.8 range that guppies also require. So they can coexist.

Guppy Vs Betta Temperature Requirements

Another issue we need to tackle, while exploring the can guppies live with bettas question, is that of their respective temperature requirements.

For guppies, the ideal temperature range is 74 to 85 degrees (Fahrenheit).

And for bettas, the ideal temperature range is 78 to 80 degrees (Fahrenheit). This is both the proper betta adult temperature and proper betta fry water temperature.

So, can bettas live together with guppies – considering their temperature requirements? The answer, again, is yes.

The 74 to 85 degrees that guppies require is still within the 78 to 80 degrees range that bettas require.

Therefore temperature requirements shouldn’t be a hindrance to you establishing a guppy betta tank.

After all, betta fish and guppy fish temperature requirements are within the same range.

Guppy Vs Betta Food Requirements

Further on in our endeavor to answer the can guppies live with bettas question, we need to consider their food requirements.

In determining whether you can keep betta fish with guppies, you can’t afford to ignore their respective dietary needs.

As it turns out, guppy food requirements are not really in conflict with those of bettas.

Granted, guppies are omnivores. Bettas, on the other hand, are carnivores.

But as a matter of fact, guppy and betta tank mates can feed on the same food. This is because guppies can eat betta food (though bettas may not like eating guppy food).

Earlier, we dealt with the aspects of whether the two types of fish can eat each other. That is where we asked, will bettas eat guppies (and vice versa)?

In that regard, we saw that these are not the sort of fish that can kill each other for food. That is with the exception of a scenario where guppies may eat betta fry (betta babies).

While at it, it is important to note that whereas guppies routinely eat their own fry, bettas generally don’t do it.

So if you have been having the do betta fish eat their babies, now you have the answer…

All in all, guppy and betta food requirements are not really in conflict. If, at feeding time, you give the guppies their food first, then you feed the bettas later, you are unlikely to have problems.

Even if you try to research on how long can betta fry survive without food and compare it with how long guppy fry can survive without food, you will find that the answer is roughly the same.

So betta fish and guppies food requirements are not in conflict.

What Kind Of Guppies Can Live With Bettas?

Often, right after the can guppies live with bettas question comes this one: on what kind of guppies can live with bettas.

We have to start by asking, at a general level, what fish do bettas get along with? The fish that bettas get along with are generally those with dull colors (or not extremely bright colors).

This being the case, can endler guppies live with bettas?

There are two things that make it possible for endler guppies to coexist with bettas. First is the fact that their colors are not too bright. And second is the fact that they swim reasonably fast.

On the other hand, can yin yang guppies live with bettas? Yin Yang guppies are another breed that is not too colorful. Therefore it should be able to coexist quite well with bettas, if other conditions are right.

And can cobra guppies live with bettas? Cobra guppies are rather colorful, and trying to get them to live with bettas may lead to constant tail and fin nipping.

It is worth remembering that the cobra guppy is in the category of fancy guppies. Therefore asking whether cobra guppies can live with bettas is akin to asking: can fancy guppies live with bettas?

And the answer is mostly no: fancy guppies and betta fish don’t tend to get along well. That is on account of the fancy guppies’ bright colors, which tend to constantly provoke the bettas.

One may also ask, can feeder guppies live with bettas? There are two things that make feeder guppies suitable tank mates for bettas. First is the fact that they are not too colorful.

And second is the fact that their fins are quite short. This means that they don’t provoke the fin biting behavior in the betta fish.

What Gender Of Guppies Can Live With Bettas?

In dealing with the can guppies live with bettas question, we also need to explore the gender angle.

The basis for this is in the fact that male bettas tend to be much more aggressive than females.

So, can guppies live with male bettas? When you attempt to get male bettas to live with guppies, you tend to have problems. This is because the male bettas will tend to keep on attacking the tails and fins of the guppies.

But this leads to another interesting question: will female bettas attack guppies? Whereas the females are less aggressive than the males, they are not entirely docile.

Nonetheless, the probability of a female betta attacking guppies is much lower. It is much lower than the probability of a male betta attacking guppies.

The aggressive nature of betta fish sometimes even leads to the (strange) question: can two betta fish live together!

Other related questions that can spring in your mind are: can 2 betta fish live together, can you keep betta fish together, can 2 bettas live together, can you put 2 bettas in the same tank and can you keep bettas together? The answer is the same.

…So that is how ‘nasty’ bettas can be.

Therefore most fish that go with bettas in the same tanks tend to have to endure at least some fin nipping at some point.

In actual fact, betta killing other fish for food is not common. But they are generally nasty, with a tendency to nip at other fish, often leading to bad injuries.

Reverting to the gender considerations: can female bettas live with guppies? The answer is usually yes.

Can female guppies live with male bettas? If the guppies are brightly colored, there may be lots of conflict.  That is really why guppy betta breeding is almost impossible.

How Many Guppies Can Live With A Betta?

Most experts recommend having just a single betta for, say, 3-5 guppies in a 10 gallon tank.

Of course, before getting to this point, you first have to work out: can guppies live with bettas peacefully?

Only after that will you get to the point of establishing how many guppies can live with a betta.

Again, much depends on the gender of the respective fish.

For instance, if yours is a male betta, you need to first establish, can male bettas live with guppies?

And if yours is a female betta, you need to first establish, can guppies live with female bettas?

Only after this can you proceed to work out how many guppies to place in the same tank with a betta.

How Do I Introduce My Betta To Guppies?

After finding the answer to the can guppies live with bettas question, we can proceed to the mechanics of how to introduce the betta to the guppies.

One approach that seems to work well is that of first putting the betta into a clear bag. Then you get that bag on top of the tank, and watch how the betta reacts to the guppies.

If it doesn’t seem to be fiercely aggressive, get it out of the bag, and now put it into the water directly. But remain around, and observe how it reacts to the other fish after a while.

If it immediately goes after other fish, in a bid to nip at them, you probably will need to abandon the idea of introducing it to the guppies.

But if it seems to be tolerant of the guppies –or to just mind its own business – you can let it stay.

Before introducing the betta to the guppies, you will need to examine it first. For instance, if it is a female, you will need to figure out how to tell if your betta is pregnant.

This is because introducing a pregnant female betta to guppies may pose certain challenges.

For instance, you could end up with the betta fighting fish pregnant suffering a great deal in the new environment.

And there are more complications, when you consider how betta fish give birth.

Once you introduce the betta, at feeding time, you will need to be feeding the guppies first. Then thereafter, you can spot feed the betta.

And before introducing the betta, remember to have introduced plenty of live plants into the tank.

That is the best approach, when it comes to how to keep betta fish together with guppies in one aquarium.

Betta Vs Guppy Conflicts – How To Avoid Them

In the course of answering the can guppies live with bettas question, it is always pointed out that them living together is a possibility: but with potential for major conflicts.

So the question that arises is on how to avoid the betta vs guppy conflicts.

One way to avoid such conflicts is by ensuring that you have a big enough tank. This way, the fish won’t keep on getting onto each other’s faces.

Secondly, you need to ensure that you only have one betta fish. Remember, even if you have guppy fighter fish, they probably won’t be fierce enough to tackle several bettas.

But if you have one betta in a tank with, say, 3-5 guppies, there may be less conflict.

Further, ensure that the betta fish you opt for is of the right gender. Remember, betta fish are quite fierce: sometimes to the extent of people asking, can female and male betta fish live together with guppies?

Another variation is where people ask, can you keep a male and female betta together with guppies?

So in figuring out how to keep bettas together with guppies, gender is an important consideration.

You may avoid conflict by, say, setting up female betta fish with guppies that are also female. Alternatively, you can a female betta with male guppies (though this still has some little potential for mating-related conflict).

You want to avoid, say, finding yourself trying to find out why is my male betta attacking the female guppies at some point down the line.

Continually try to figure out, how can betta fish live together with guppies, on the basis of your personal experiences. The act on the discoveries you make, as you go along.

Are Guppies OK With Bettas?

Ultimately, in answering the can guppies live with bettas question, we need to ask ourselves, are guppies ok with bettas?

This may help you in deciding, should I get guppies or a betta or both guppies and bettas.

Perhaps a good place to start is by finding out what fish can live with bettas?

Even before you get to guppies, you can try to establish, can betta fish live with goldfish? And can mollies live with bettas?

At a more general level, you can try to establish, will betta fish attack other fish (like guppies)? Or, in other words, do betta fish kill other fish like guppies?

Generally, you want to be sure that fish are OK with each other, before putting them in the same tank.

Therefore, even if you were launching a tequila sunrise guppy breeding program, those would still be the questions to ask.

So, on the whole, can bettas be with other fish in the same tank? The answer is yes – including with the guppies in question here.

But there is great potential for conflict. The guppies may be able to tolerate the bettas, but it is questionable if they would be entirely OK with them.

That is the case even for the least aggressive betta breeds: delta betta fish and halfmoon betta fish.

So, in a nutshell, can guppies live with bettas? This they can do.

But would guppies be OK with bettas? Chances are that guppies in a tank with bettas may always be on the lookout, lest their fins or tails be nipped.

It may not, at least in some cases, be a very happy coexistence. But, as explained earlier, there are measures you can put in place to reduce the potential conflict.

Final Verdict – Can Guppies Live With Bettas

It is possible for guppies to live with bettas. If, for instance, you introduce one female betta into a 10 gallon tank with 3-5 female guppies, they may coexist just fine.

The most important thing is to ensure that you have plenty of live plants in the tank, before trying to get guppies and bettas to live together.

Odds of success are higher if you get the less brightly-colored guppies to live with the bettas.

You are also more likely to be successful if you get the less aggressive betta breeds – like the delta and halfmoon betta breeds – to live with the guppies.

As a pet lover, make sure to learn about pet more and give your pet fish a good and comfortable life!

Rajkumar Ravichandran

Welcome to Learn About Pet. My name is Rajkumar Ravichandran and I love all pets, travel, and amazing food. I write about my passion and personal experience caring for multiple pets in this blog! ❤️