There comes the moment when you decide to introduce a tank mate to your betta pet and it can happen for many reasons. Some betta owners get bored of having just one fish in their tank so they start thinking of introducing another. Another reason may be that you notice your betta become bored, stressed or depressed if kept in solitude. After having a fish of magnificent beauty, you think that there is more you can do to improve your tank or you just want to change something. Here is where you need to be attentive because choosing a tank mate to a betta can be challenging. Well-known for their temperament and aggression as well as territorial behavior it is a bit tricky to pick the right kind as a betta tank mate.
Endlers can be a good choice since they are not flashy and are very fast swimmers. Under the right conditions and with some precaution they will be just fine.
In this article:
Water Conditions for Endlers and Bettas
The most important thing when you want to join two kinds is setting the right habitat that will suit both. You can guess that since we are talking about bettas and Endlers, they need a similar thing to thrive. Let’s check the parameters.
Endlers need PH of the water between 6,7 to 8,5 and bettas need it at 7 so this parameter is a perfect match because Endler`s ideal middle is perfect for bettas. As far as the water temperature is concerned Endler`s borders are between 72 and 82 F and bettas like it between 78 to 82 so the advice is to keep it between 78 and 80 so it fits both kinds. You need to provide efficient filtration to keep the water clean. Water hardness for Endlers should be from 10 to 30 ppm and bettas like it less than 20 so it can be at the ideal middle for Endlers and perfectly suits a betta. The level of nitrite and ammonia for bettas are the same, 0ppm and Endlers like it that way too. Bettas tolerate nitrates levels between 10 and 20 which is a bit lower than with Endlers which tolerate it from 20 to 40 but if this parameter stays at 20 it will be fine for both fish.
If you want to keep Endlers with your betta you should know that Endlers can live in a 5-gallon tank but since you need to put a betta in the account you should provide a 10-gallon tank at least. Both kinds will enjoy the space offered.
Do Endlers Get Along With Bettas?
Endlers come in bright colors from red, yellow, orange, blue, purple, gold and turquoise and with a variety of shades too. Even though bettas are attracted to any brightly colored thing, Endler`s are not endangered because they don’t have floating fins as guppies do, so they do not attract attention. Another advantage is that they are extremely fast swimmers and a betta can hardly get close.
They are unbelievably active fish especially if you keep males and females. Males spend their time chasing females around. That constant chasing causes stress with both sexes and aggression if there are more males. So, the best advice is to keep one male and two or three females which will reduce bullying and aggression with mating behavior.
Females tend to be more aggressive than males so keep an eye on the females and always keep them in a group of at least three. In nature, Endlers are shy fish and love to have many hiding places.
Since bettas tend to show aggression and territorial behavior it is better to let an Endler settle first and later introduce a betta to try to avoid conflict. The other option is to put a tank divider so that a betta can check on Endler and hopefully carry on with its life. If you already have a betta and an Endler needs to be a new mate, try to rearrange the tank and keep your betta pet elsewhere for a while. After rearranging let an Endler settle and only then let your betta back. Hopefully a betta will deal with the new habitat and not with the new mate.
Can Endlers Eat Betta Food?
When we talk about diet the first thing we need to know is that these two kinds differ. Bettas are carnivores and they require a lot of meat, in their diet, it can be live, freeze-dried and frozen and will do fine as long as it contains a lot of proteins.
On the other hand, Endlers are omnivores and they need a bit of a different diet that contains a mixture of meat and plants. So, in this case you need to think of adding plant-based food too. Great choices that we recommend are Zoo Med Spirulina and Hikari Fancy Guppy food. Another thing you can serve as a meal are blanched vegetables such as zucchini, cucumber and peas.
Keep in mind that a good diet is very important and you need to serve a variety of food to both kinds to be healthy and happy.
How to Choose an Endler?
When it comes to choosing a healthy specimen these things you need to pay attention to. First, you need to find a reputable shop. Then pay attention to the water conditions they are kept in; the water needs to be clean. They look a lot like guppies in shape and size. They need to have patches of bright colors most often green, yellow, blue but also many others. They are energetic fish and swim all the time. If you see anything in appearance or behavior that doesn’t look right, avoid that specimen or go to another store.
How Many Endlers Can I Keep With My Betta?
Endlers are peaceful fish by nature and they have a pecking order. They live in schools of 3 to 6. Since females tend to be territorial you should have a male and at least 3 to 4 females in a collection and a betta and you will be just fine.
Final Thoughts
In conclusion, betta and Endlers can live together in peace. If you satisfy certain requirements, they can be a good match. They are very compatible with water requirements and nutrition.
If you want to try to keep them together just pay attention to this:
- Provide a tank of at least 10 gallons
- Arrange the tank with plenty of decorations and plants
- It is advisable to introduce only young betta
- You should keep at least 3 female Endlers and a male with your betta preferable male
- Have a tank divider ready in case you need to separate them
- Bettas are carnivores and Endlers are omnivores so it is essential to provide a balanced diet for both fish
- Keep the water parameters within the range so that it suits both fish
- Introduce a healthy group of Endlers to your betta pet, carefully choose the one with all the positive features paying attention to both appearance and behavior.
After considering all the facts you are now ready to make a change and enrich your tank with something new and as beautiful as your betta pet.