Whether guppies and betta fish can be kept together needs to be comprehensively judged based on the breeding environment, the condition of the fish, and the characteristics of their species. The specific precautions are as follows:
I. Situations where they can be kept together
Betta fish are raised in groups from a young age
If betta fish are raised in groups with other fish species during their juvenile stage, their aggressiveness will be significantly reduced.
High environmental complexity
The fish tank needs to be large enough (it is recommended to be more than 60 cm in length), and it should be equipped with abundant aquatic plants and hiding places to reduce the frequency of contact between the fish.
A dense aquatic plant environment can distract the betta fish and reduce the probability of attacks.
Select guppies with strong adaptability
Give priority to choosing short-tailed varieties (such as mosaic guppies) because they are more agile in movement and can avoid attacks.
Avoid long-tailed varieties (such as ribbon guppies) because their tails are easily regarded as attack targets by betta fish.
II. Situations where they are prohibited from being kept together
Adult betta fish that are kept alone
If betta fish have been kept alone for a long time, they are extremely aggressive, and there will definitely be conflicts if they are kept together with guppies.
Small or simple environment fish tanks
When the fish tank is less than 40 cm in length and lacks hiding places, the contact frequency between the two types of fish is too high, and the probability of betta fish attacking exceeds 90%.
Significant differences in water quality
Guppies prefer weakly alkaline water (pH 7.2-7.5), while betta fish are adapted to neutral water quality (pH 6.5-7.0). For long-term co-breeding, the water quality needs to be balanced by adjusting the frequency of water changes.
If Indian almond leaves or driftwood are used to acidify the water, it may cause the condition of guppies to decline.
III. Suggestions for alternative solutions
If you want to keep small tropical fish together, you can consider fish species with lower aggressiveness, such as tetras, cardinal tetras, etc., or choose zebrafish, which belong to the mild type.