Home » Aquarium » Freshwater Aquarium

Angelfish and Betta Fish – Do They Get Along?

Aaron Boyd June 13, 2023

Both Betta and Angelfish are among the top choices for most aquarists. Bettas are known for their fancy fins and bright color. Also, they are intelligent, and you can train them to do tricks. Angelfish, too, are beautiful and are loved for their pointed, tall fins and sparkling scales.

If you choose to add them to your aquarium, they will definitely help make it look pretty and colorful.

Now, the chances are that you already own a Betta, but now Angelfish has attracted your attention. Or maybe, you own a pretty Angelfish and have longed to introduce a Betta for quite some time.

Either way, a question running in your mind must be can Angelfish and Betta live together. Well, this is exactly what we are now about to discover, so continue reading and find your answer.

Can You Keep Both Bettas And Angelfish In The Same Tank?

Well, the main thing that will help you decide if or not this is possible is the temperament of your fishes. If your Angelfish or Betta is aggressive, then the chances of the surviving happily together are few to none.

However, if your fishes are docile, then you will not likely face any problem while keeping them together, at least in most cases.

But remember, if your Angelfish is hostile, then it can prove to be immensely troublesome for your Betta. And, if they are present in a pair, then things will be all the more difficult.

How Can You Minimize The Chances Of Hostility?

If you desire to keep Angelfish and Betta in the same tank, then there are certain things you can do to minimize the scope of aggression.

By minimizing the scopes of aggression, you also will make your aquarium as friendly and safe as can be for the other fishes. So, let us discover a few ways you can do this.

Bettas, as well as Angelfish, are very territorial by nature. Whenever they notice anything entering their territory, they are most likely to attack it.

One simple way to avoid any such thing from happening will be to opt for an aquarium that is big enough.

You should ideally keep Angelfish in an aquarium that is 29 gallons or more. If you want to introduce a Betta, then the tank needs to be even bigger. Never put them together in an aquarium that is less than 55 gallons.

If your tank is 55 gallons or bigger, then there will be lots of space for your Betta and Angelfish to make their own separate territories, without creating troubles for each other.

Also remember, the bigger an aquarium you opt for fewer will be the chances of the Bettas and Angelfish being territorial and aggressive.

It will also be a good idea to add lots of decorations and plants to your aquarium. They will help make it easier for your fishes to create their territory, and they will not come in the way of each other.

Driftwood and natural rocks are great for decoration. Also, you can use big plants like Anubias and Hornwort to prevent both these fishes from being noticed by one another.

Furthermore, they will offer them enough place to hide. So, even when either of these fishes gets aggressive towards the other, they will have places to hide until you notice it, take them out of the aquarium, and keep them in a safer place.

Video: “Angelfish Aggression”

Angelfish start becoming aggressive and territorial when they begin aging and start breeding. Before they reach this stage, they are comparatively peaceful, and you should not likely have issues keeping them with your Bettas.

This, however, is not a permanent solution. If you later notice your Betta or Angelfish becoming aggressive, you will have to then move them to a separate tank.

Female Bettas too can be aggressive, but less compared to the males. So, if you want to keep Angelfish and Betta together, then it will be a good idea to opt for the female Bettas.

However, they might be nippy. And, if they begin nipping the Angelfish, they may react as well.

When you introduce a Betta and Angelfish in your tank for the first time, you have to be watchful for the initial few hours, at least. Carefully observe how they are interacting with one another.

If you see, they are just slightly aggressive, then that is okay. But, if it is way too serious, then take immediate action.

It is possible for Betta fish and Angelfish to live together peacefully, and many aquarists have done this before. However, if it will be wise to have a spare tank ready, just in case too much aggression is noticed.

If you have to move your Betta fish to another tank, it should at least be of 5 gallons. But, if it is bigger, it will be better.

How To Create A Tank Suitable For Both

If you think both your Angelfish and Betta are docile and can live together, then the next thing you need to do is to set up your aquarium in a way that will be suitable for both.

Thankfully, since both these fishes like similar conditions, there is not much you need to worry about. Yet, there are a few things you need to take care of that have been discussed below.

Betta fishes are carnivorous, but Angelfish like a mix of vegetation and meat in their diet. It is thus important for you to ensure you take the right steps to offer a well-balanced diet.

Some amazing food options for your fishes include live food, vitamin-enriched flakes, frozen food, and freeze-dried food.

It will be a good idea to introduce a combination of different types of food so that your Angelfish get their desired nutrients and also so that they do not get bored.

Also, remember you should even offer both your Bettas and Angelfish enough live food. This is extremely nutritious for them and even helps meet their hunter instinct. So, do not only always offer them the same pellets each day.

As far as your Bettas are concerned, you should feed them only a few pieces of food every day that are not bigger than the size of their eye. Angelfish, on the other hand, can be fed a little more. It will be a good idea to feed them around 3 to 4 times every day, not for more than 60 seconds.

One thing you need to remember here is not to add more food in your tank than they can completely finish off. Else, it will increase the levels of ammonia in your aquarium.

Angelfish can grow quite large, and this is the reason why they should not be kept in a small tank. In fact, if your Angelfish survives for long enough, you can expect them to grow up to 6 inches, and some may even grow nearly 8 inches.

Bettas, on the other hand, have an average length of around 2.25 inches. If the conditions are appropriate, then some Bettas may grow nearly 3 inches in length. You should still make sure the size of your tank is big enough for both these fishes and yet has extra space.

Since your Bettas will most likely be 6 months to 1 year by the time you buy them, they will live for around 2 – 2 1/2 years. Angelfish, on the other hand, can survive for up to 10 years if you take care of them the right way.

Next, you need to give importance to the ideal habitat for both these fishes. You will certainly be glad to learn that both of them like similar conditions, so there is no need for you to worry.

As far as the substrate is concerned, you should consider adding sand rather than gravel. Though Betta fishes will be comfortable with both these substrates, Angelfish prefer sandy substrates more.

The reason behind this is that the sandy substrate is quite like the substrate found in the rivers that they come from. If you also have catfish or any bottom dwellers in your aquarium, then they, too, are going to enjoy the sandy substrate.

Create Hiding Spots

The next thing that you need to do is to create lots of hiding spots in your tank. And an amazing way to do so will be to introduce lots of plants. The plants that will be ideal here are those that are tall and take quite a lot of space like Java Fern, Aponogeton, and Anubias.

Your Angelfish and Betta will feel a lot safer in the presence of these plants, and so will the other fishes that your aquarium also houses. This is because each of them has enough place to hide.

Furthermore, you will notice when the fishes have enough hiding spaces, they become a lot more confident and even swim around freely.

Apart from plants, you should even add enough driftwood and rocks to your aquarium. These, too, will serve as hiding spots for your beautiful fishes. And, they will even help the tank appear more natural to your pets.

Opt For A Tank That Has A Good Heigh

Yet another point, which may not make much of a difference for your Bettas, but for the Angelfish, you need to opt for a tank that has a good height. The reason behind this is that Angelfishes do not grow out but up, so they will need a lot of vertical space to swim.

Last but not least, if you plan to keep Bettas and Angelfish together in the same tank, then it must be a minimum of 55 gallons or more.

This will minimize the scopes of aggression. Since they will have enough space, they will not likely feel much territorial.

When you keep Bettas and Angelfish together, the pH level of the tank should be quite close to 7. This will be the best pH level for your Bettas, and your Angelfish, too, will not have any problems with it. They can easily survive in a pH level of 6 – 7.5.

The temperature of your aquarium must be around 78 degrees Fahrenheit. Even if the temperature stays anywhere between 76-80 degrees Fahrenheit, it will be just fine for both the fishes and they will survive perfectly well.

If you wish to know, the ideal temperature for Angelfish is between 74-84 degrees Fahrenheit.

If you want to keep both Bettas and Angelfish together and happily so, then you must make sure you adopt the healthy ones.

An Angelfish should look perky and active. They should not be acting lethargic or hiding but swimming around in glee. Also, they must not be damaged at all.

If you see they have fins that are bitten, then perhaps other fishes have attacked them. And, in some cases, it may signify a genetic defect. Lastly, ensure all the fins are erect and vertical.

Your Betta’s body should be free of any bumps or lumps. Their scales must be smooth and healthy. If the scales are loose and missing, then it can be because of illness and trauma. White patches on their body can signify a fungal infection.

Also, if their stomach looks swollen, then this shows the Betta is most likely unwell.

Conclusion

If you have always dreamt of keeping Betta and Angelfish together, then your dream can indeed turn into reality. However, you need to understand that this is both difficult and risky.

To increase the chances of them coexisting happily, you should ideally introduce Angelfish when they are young and keep female Bettas along with them. Also, have enough hiding space in your tank, and the tank size must be huge.

Even after you have created an ideal habitat, you still need to be careful and watchful. Just because both these fishes are living happily now does not mean they always will. This is the reason why we suggested you keep a spare tank ready.

And, the moment you notice either of these fish being aggressive towards the other, immediately remove them and place them in your spare tank.

If both these fishes never show any signs of aggression and look happy and healthy together, you have every reason to be happy and proud as well.