Betta fish

Question
Hello.
I have a 10 gallon aquarium, with filter, heater, etc.
I was thinking of purchasing a divider and getting two male betta fish, one for each 5 gallon section. The divider at my local pet shop is a clear mesh. I was wondering if this would be a good set up, or if it is not since they will be able to see each other through the mesh. If not, do you have any suggestions for a better divider.
On second note, I also had a thought about putting one betta on one side of the divider, and a couple small freshwater fish on the other side. Would this be an ok setup?

Thanks alot
Crystal

Answer
Hi Crystal!

Getting a divider for 2 male betta is a good thing to do since it will prevent them from fighting. But since it's clear, they will still see each other. They won't attempt to fight each other against the divider though. They will probably just flare at each other from time to time. However, they might need time to adjust to the new area so during the first few days, it will not be surprising to find them trying to attack each other.

Male bettas only attack those with the same gender of their species so you won't necessarily need a divider if you want other types of fish with your betta. If you are still concerned about fights, you may add one to your tank.

A helpful tip is that I recommend you to add some algae control because when algae grows onto the divider, cleaning it can be a big hassle. Some good tank mates would be ghost shrimp, because they are easy to care for and they help maintain the tank's cleanliness.

~Sam