Compatible Fish

Question
QUESTION: I have recently received a 45 gallon tank. I have a Siamese fighting fish(beta)that I got about a year ago. I want to make sure my beta will get along with the other fish I plan to put in the tank. I have been on the Internet and at the library for almost a week now and everything/everyone has different answers about the fish compatibility. I am looking for any fish that will be compatible and at least one bottom feeder,as many people have told me that having a bottom feeder helps keep the tank cleaner. Thank you so much.

ANSWER: Naomi, as you have probably read on the internet and gathered from others experience, Beta CAN be a very territorial and aggressive fish around others. I say can, because I myself have had this mixture of fish go both ways. I remember a time when I had a Beta, Archer's, which are one of my favorite fish, and other non-aggressive community fish in a 40 gallon tank together with no problems at all. On the other hand, I have had Beta's in tanks before with the same types of community fish and the result was costly and disturbing! Im sure you get different answers from different people as I said before, this is because like humans, fish have different personalities of their own so to speak. For instance, if you go to a pet store which have fish identified as very aggressive, semi-aggressive and non-aggressive, sometimes this doesn't always tend to be true. It all depends on very many factors, one big one i believe is whether or not the fish are bred and kept in captive or not. Back to your specific issue, If I were in your shoes, I would keep it simple and stick with slow moving community fish such as PLATIES, plural for PLATY if you're not familiar.. or MOLLIES, SWORDTAIL, something along those lines. These fish are peaceful, keep to themselves and add color to your tank. I would stay away from fast moving active fish, and semi-aggressive fish. I have found that a lot of action and movement tends to heighten their aggression as with dogs per say. Also other fish with long fins such as angelfish, are not a good candidate. About a bottom feeder, any pleco (algae eater) will be fine). I myself use the smallest pleco I can find and a few ghost shrimp, which are normally used for feeders for bigger fish. They keep the bottom very clean!
I will say, beware that the Beta may or may not react how you want it to, so bewarned ahead of time. I always feel sorry for those little guys in the pet stores all cooped up in a little plastic jar with no where to go. By the way, the ones with the long fins are the males, ones with the smaller fins, females. Good luck with your tank and I hope it works for the best. If you have any more questions, do not hesitate to reply back. Make sure there are plenty of plants real or fake, and hiding places, even on the top of the water.

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QUESTION: Thank you so much.This was a huge help to me.Just on question.When you say hiding places on the top of the water,what do you mean?  

Answer
Hey there, I'm glad you found it helpful. What I meant by hiding places on the top is, Beta are like angelfish in a sense that they like plants. Beta are at the top of the tank a lot. Therefore, I suggest that you buy floating plants or PetSmart makes an item I saw yesterday, that imitates a floating log which was specifically designed for Beta. I'm sure you can find those anywhere. A trick to savings a little money at the register with floating plants is, go to the reptile sections and browse their selection of plants for reptile tanks. Most of those plants are way cheaper than aquatic plants and are made of similar silk material as the fake plants for fish tanks, they also have a suction cup on them so you can literally stick the floating plant anywhere inside the tank, especially once you find out where in the tank your fish like to hide the most. I have a couple myself in my 55 gal. for my angelfish, works great. If you are not experienced enough to go with live plantings, don't do it just yet, stick with fake plants. Once again, if you have anymore questions, feel free to ask. Good Luck!