Is my Betta Hannibal Lecter?!!!!!

I bought a betta about 4 weeks ago and it seemed really shy. It was in a tank with 6 Danios 5 tetras and 5 guppies and I noticed that some of the other fish must have been nibbling its tail. However I did a head count today and he seems to have got his own back cus 3 of the Danio's and a tetra are missing. On further inspection I found the siamese guarding a Danio's corpse. Can anyone tell me if he will carry on killing the other fish or was he just in the wrong place at the right time?!!! My book said he'd be fine in a community tank and lets face it a Danio looks nothing like another male betta does it? so why has he done this?

 

It could just be that he's agressive.

I've had bettas that wouldn't even pay attention to another betta or any other fish for that matter. Then again I've has bettas that would constantly flare and chase community fish.

Some bettas are more aggresive than others (just like different people have different personalities). Right now I have a tank with a red tail shark. I tried to put one of my bettas in with him but the betta just wouldn't leave him alone, so I had to take him out. Lots of flaring and chasing on the bettas part.

If it were me, I would take him out of the community tank.

 

I think your right, looks like he'll have to go back to the shop but I can't go till Saturday. I wonder how many more victims there will be before then though?!!!

 

Back to the shop

Took my lovely betta back to the shop and they gave me 3 neon tetras and insisted I take another betta because they said the same as you he might have been just over agressive. I have put the new blue one (the over was a salmon pink colour) into the tank but i don't hold out much hope as he is already flaring and chasing the guppies about.

 

That's the problem right there. Bettas will always chase guppies because they confuse the guppies for another betta. For keeping a community tank with a betta there are some pretty simple rules that generally HAVE TO be followed:

1) no other fish with flowing fins (guppies, lyretails, sailfins)

2) no fin-nippers (tetras and barbs)

I have 2 10g community tanks, both with bettas. One is with platies and the other is with corydoras. They each also have otos for containing algae.

Your neons are ok, but avoid the Serpae tetras, they'll kill your betta and your guppies.

 

I've kept betta with guppies, but then again he was a pretty relaxed betta to begin with.

You also don't want to do Gouramis with a Betta.

 

Well I took my Betta back to the shop and they swopped it for another because they said he might just be overly aggressive and they also gave me 3 Neon Tetra's to make up for the fish he killed.

I was really dubious about having another Betta but this one seems to have settled in okay. He was flaring at the guppies at first but this seems to have stopped now and he isn't having his fins nipped by the other fish like the last one did, so all is good for the moment.

Thanks for all the advice.