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Can Guppies and Betta Fish Live Together?

Aaron Boyd May 31, 2023

Guppies and Betta fish are some of the most popular aquarium pets on the market. Either of these beautiful fish can make great pets and liven up your tank setup.

But the question remains, can these two creatures cohabitant in a tank?

When it comes to betta, many tank owners are hesitant to put other fish species in with them. It’s a sensible question to ask really.

Bettas struggle to live with fish of their own species, let alone other species. Often, it’s more logical to keep them in a tank on their own.

Still, if you are looking to put other fish in with a betta there are options.

In particular, calm guppy fish can be the perfect tank mates for the betta.

The personalities of these fish tend to complement one another well. Bettas are naturally fierce and aggressive, while guppies are more peace-loving.

Between the two of them, common ground is more easily found than with other fish.

You still want to be careful with pet fish you put in with a betta though. Certain combinations of guppy fish and betta can be deadly.

On the whole, though, you are likely to have minimal problems with guppies and betta fish living in the same space!

We’ll get more into the specifics of care and proper cohabitating in this guide.

This way you can set up a tank for both these fish to live in harmony and peace!

Choosing Breeds of Guppy and Betta Fish

Guppies and betta fish can indeed live together, but not all species of betta are suited for your guppy.

So, in this first section, we’ll discuss which breeds of betta are best to put in with your guppy fish!

Size is the first thing to consider when purchasing a betta that will live with your guppy. The bigger the betta you get is, the more aggressive it could be towards your guppy.

Guppies are not large fish, so a bigger betta could end up harming or bullying them. You’ll want to keep this in mind and try to choose a smaller breed of betta fish.

In addition, be mindful of betta personality. Some other types of betta have more aggressive personalities. These include crown tails and plakat type bettas.

If you want a more mellow betta, there are a few options, for instance, the half-moon betta breed is known to be more relaxed.

Delta type betta can also work well with your guppy as well.

Still, any type of betta has the potential to get aggressive with a fish. So watch interactions between your pet fish closely to prevent disaster!

Betta and Guppy Gender and Choosing The Right Combination

It’s no secret, but male bettas can be exceedingly hostile. It can be tempting to just put any guppy in with your betta. But this is a big mistake.

You don’t want to place a guppy in without thinking about the gender of both fish.

In fact, the combination of fish genders in your tank needs to be carefully planned.

This will bring you better outcomes, and create less of a headache in your guppy and betta tank. If you put in the wrong combination of fish, you could end up killing your pet!

Male Guppies and Male Betta

Right off the bat, you should know that male bettas and male guppies do not make a great pair in tanks.

In truth, this is the worst pairing for your guppies. Guppy fish that are male tend to be brightly colored.

Any kind of bright or vibrant fish cannot be placed in with male bettas. It’s unfortunate, but this is the reality you will face.

Betta males were bred to fight other highly pigmented bettas with big tails. So, if they see another colorful fish they will attack. It doesn’t matter if the fish is of another species.

Some male guppies and bettas can get along though. But you will need to have a large tank and plenty of coverage in your tank.

It’s not impossible to house two males but you want to be careful.

If you choose this combination of pets, try to get a guppy without a long flowing tail. And pay attention to the tank tips we will talk about later on in the article!

Male Guppies and Female Betta

There is a chance male bettas and guppies can live together, but you don’t want to put a female betta and a male guppy together.

It’s true that female betta pets have less hostile temperaments.

But they look similar to female guppies. When they are put in with your male guppy, the male will mistakenly try and mate with the betta.

Your female betta isn’t going to be happy with this and will likely fight back.

Female Guppies and Male Betta

On the other hand, a female guppy could live with your male betta pet. This might be better than putting two male fish together.

This is because female guppy fish are less colorful and vibrant. Again, there is always a chance things could go wrong, but they are less likely to go wrong with this pair.

If you want the safest pairing, female guppies and bettas are probably your best bet. Female bettas are a bit more peaceful than the males of their species.

So they will get along just fine with other female guppies!

How Many Betta and Guppies Should Be In Your Tank

Generally speaking, you don’t want to put a ton of bettas in with a guppy, especially with a male betta.

Things could get dicey as bettas fight each other or your guppy.

One male betta and a few guppies is a more ideal setup. Overall, it’s better to have a larger ratio of guppies to bettas.

However, if your planning on having an all-female tank you can have more fish in your aquarium.

You can house a sorority of betta with a few guppies without trouble!

How Should Your Tank Be Setup?

Once you figure out what kind of guppies and betta you want in your tank, you’ll need to prepare the right environment.

Tank size is one of the most important factors for successful guppy and betta interaction!

The bigger your tank setup is for your fish pair, the less likely they are to fight. At a minimum, we recommend getting a ten-gallon tank for guppies and betta.

You can get an even larger aquarium if you want.

Along with this, make sure to upkeep the condition of your tank. Your tank water should be filtered and kept clean enough for both pets.

Bettas and guppies won’t appreciate being in dirty untreated water. In fact, they need specific conditions to thrive.

The tank temperature should be around 77 to 82 degrees ideally. A Ph of 7 will work well for both breeds as well!

If you keep your water within these parameters both fish will be happier and healthier.

Good quality water can also allow you to put plants in your tank! Guppies and betta actually do better when they have more coverage in their water.

We’ll talk about this in the next section!

Putting Plants In Your Guppy and Betta Fish Tank

It may seem like a simple fix, but plants can actually prevent fighting between fish. Bettas can be on the territorial side.

But plants help establish boundaries and give fish space from one another.

With aggressive fish, it’s better to safe, so try to put some living flora in your tank, to offset potential hostility.

And even if your fish do get along, plants will only improve aquarium conditions and health!

There are a lot of great plants out there for your fish so try and do some research!

A variety of plants can actually make your tank look better and more natural.

Food Options For Your Fish

Another thing to consider is food. You want to feed aquatic pets nutritious food. This way they stay in good health throughout their lifespan.

The diets of guppies and betta can differ but they do share some food sources.

But bettas like heartier meals with more meat. They were bred to be meat-eaters so their diet should have a lot more protein in it.

Betta foods can be found in pet stores, and either flakes or pellets will satiate your fish’s hunger.

Usually, they will opt for pellets though, and can be a little picky around flake food.

Dried foods are another option as well. Stuff like brine shrimp and worms are a good choice for your pet betta.

Guppies will like these too. They eat a combo of plants and meats though. So make sure Guppy pets are getting their necessary nutrition with their own fortified flakes or pellets.

Just don’t overload guppies with meat. In fact, sometimes you might want to put some greens in their tank to spice up their meals!

Cut up some vegetables and place them in the tank for your guppy to eat.

Feeding Times and Keeping to a Feeding Routine

Once you have your pet food chosen and bought you can start figuring out how you want to feed your fish. Feeding time can be difficult depending on your fishes’ temperaments.

Bettas and guppies tend to have a similar feeding schedule so this can cause conflict. Guppies will eat around three times a day. While your betta will eat two times.

To prevent any major fight, you should feed your guppy first. Actually, guppies can snatch bettas food from them.

So you want to feed the guppy first to avoid any tension. This also keeps them from overeating protein and keeps them eating the right food. Really, you don’t want your betta mad, so feed them second.

There are a few ways to feed your guppy. But really, the best thing to do is to try luring them to the other side of your aquarium first. Give them their food and let them eat.

They aren’t as likely to go after other fish’s food if they are full. If they still go after the betta food keep them in a net to confine them.

This can seem like a lot of work, but it will keep your tank peaceful!

What If My Pets Fight

Not all tank arrangements work out. You can do everything right, but for some reason, your pets won’t get along.

If you notice that your guppies and betta are fighting the best thing to do is separate your fish. It’s a hassle for sure, but you don’t want your guppy to die or get sick from bites and wounds.

If you can’t put your betta in another tank, a tank divider could be used as well.

In fact, this could actually help your fish get used to each other.

Eventually, you might even be able to lift the divider. But don’t get your hopes up, and watch your fish. Precaution should be taken to keep both pets happy and alive.

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If you want to try and keep them in the same tank though you can do a few things.

Plants, as we mentioned, help lower fish aggression dramatically. You can put a few extra plants in and see what happens.

A big tank is good as well so make sure your tank is large enough.

In addition, you might even want to put your guppies in a tank first so they can establish their space in your tank.

Planning this step before you put your pets in is the best course of action. It should make it safe for your fish to live together.

But if none of this works you will have to separate them!

Conclusion

Overall, guppies and bettas have the potential to be lifelong tank mates. There can absolutely be hiccups along the way.

Maybe you put the wrong combination of guppy and betta in.

Specific betta breeds and genders don’t get along well with a guppy. So be mindful of this as you purchase your pets!

However, if you plan how to set up your tank and care for your fish diligently, you shouldn’t encounter any issues.

Guppies and betta fish can live in harmony when you take the time to prepare your aquarium!