Betta Compatibility

[The Imploding Voice]

Hey,

Well, I'm considering starting a 20 gallon aquarium for my room. As mentioned in a thread called "Guppies" in the general aquarium forum, my uncle "breeds" guppies in his spare time, and he has some really nice ones. He also has a spare 20g tank in his house that I'll probably take from him. I'm wanting to keep about 3-4 guppies, a few cory catfishes, and possibly putting one of my bettas in there, and maybe a goldfish.

I read the Tank Mates article at the website, and it said that bettas are usually okay with cory catfishes, so I plan on putting maybe one or two in the tank. It didn't mention anything about compatibility with guppies, and Google didn't mention anything. I know compatibility has a lot to do with the mannerisms and temper of the individual fish, but in general, Betta + Guppy = Good or Bad? And what about goldfish?

Any help will be appreciated.

[amanichen]

While I wouldn't say there's a definite compatability list for bettas, there are a few things to keep in mind:

1. Bettas can target, or be targeted by other fish.

2. Try to match fish that are the same size as the betta, or have sufficient numbers to not be picked on.

3. Try to do it in the largest possible aquarium with. Even docile fish have fights when they're in cramped quarters. Aquascaping like plants and rocks definitely helps.

4. Make sure the fish are tropical in nature, and will be OK in the betta's target water chemistry.

So with that said, other than cory catfish and the others you mentioned, did you have anything else in mind?