Can pencil fish live with Betta fish?
Generally, Pencil fish is aggressive fish and tends to attack other fishes. Betta fish is also violent fish, and if any fish is ready to harm, then betta fish is also prepared to counter-attack.
Can pencil fish live with Betta fish? No. The pencil is not compatible fish for the betta fish tank. It would be harmful to house the fish with the betta fish. The reason for that is the pencil fish have to deal with the aggression of male Betta.
The Betta will repeal the fish from their territory as the fish encounter a close.
Table of Contents
- What to do if your Betta is chasing pencil fish?
- Can Betta fish eat pencil fish food?
- What Size Tank is best for Betta with pencil fish?
- Can betta fish kill pencil fish?
- How many pencil fish can you keep with your Betta?
- What temperature do Betta and pencil fish need?
- Can pencil fish live with female Bettas?
What to do if your Betta is chasing pencil fish?
Betta fish become aggressive when they are kept in the open water. House them in the densely planted tank. Give them sufficient space to hide.
When the fish feel safe, the condition will become suitable for them. In this case, the fish will not think of attacking any other fish in the tank.
Can Betta fish eat pencil fish food?
Pencil fish are omnivorous species. They are fed with small chunks of food that easily fits in their mouth. Thus, use the food that comes in tiny pieces.
List of food pencil fish prefers to eat and healthy for their growth.
- Small crustaceans
- Bloodworms
- Daphnia
- Tubifex
Pencil fish need nutritional food to support healthy growth. Mix the food to ensure the fish receives adequate nourishment.
Betta fish is carnivores species. They eat anything that fits in their mouth. You can offer them live food as well as green vegetables.
List of the food item that betta fish eats.
- Insects
- Mosquito larvae
- Pellets food
- Flakes
- Fish meat
- Frozen or freeze-dried food.
- Bloodworms
- Live brine shrimp
- Live plant leaves
- Lettuce leaves
With the betta fish, the food will never be a problem for the fish. You can mix the food with the supplementary food. Use the vegetables and a live food diet at the same time to maintain the nutrition supply. Betta fish also require proper care to keep them healthy.
When the food supply is limited, the fish will develop anxiety and attack any other fish swimming near their territory.
Thus, control their diet plant and feed them on time to keep them calm. When the water condition is maintained with proper food arrangement, the fish will never have any problem staying with other fish in the tank.
Read More About :- https://www.tinyfishtank.com/why-is-my-betta-fish-not-eating-pellets/
What Size Tank is best for Betta with pencil fish?
The 30 gallons of water tank is needed to house the pencil fish betta together. They both are schooling fish. Hence, you may need pairs of them to keep them happy. Also, the agility of the pencil fish makes them swim quickly in the water.
They will more often penetrate the territory of the Betta and reach close to the fish. A large tank will allow pencil fish to run quickly if the Betta follows them and finds the way out.
Give them proper care by offering sufficient space for swimming. Please increase the size of the tank depending on the number of fish and their size. Also, consider the space that decorative and live plants will occupy.
Some people make mistakes when adding too many things to the tank, such as decoratives, caves, driftwood, etc. The Thumb rule keeps the front area open for the swimming and covers the backside with the decoratives and live plants.
Plenty of space makes the fish freely move and explore the region. In the wild, fish are commonly found in the entire region. They move around in search of food. When you limit their swimming area, they suddenly become aggressive.
Such aggression will affect the other species in the tank. So take care of their natural habitat. Please provide them with needed support and make them live a better life.
Can betta fish kill pencil fish?
Yes. When the betta fish become aggressive, they start attacking any fish that comes close to them. Being territorial fish, they are always in the mood to fight. Betta cannot tolerate other fish in the tank to have close encounters with them.
Also, they start attacking during feeding time. Hence, it is advisable to control the betta fish aggression with standard practices such as separating their food dispensary so the other will never reach close to the Betta during the feeding time.
Betta fish attack the fins of other fish. Once the fins are damaged, the fish will lose the ability to swim. Slowly the health of the pencil fish will compromise, and they will become vulnerable to the disease attack.
Pencil fish will die due to lack of food supply, anxiety, and growing health problems.
When you house the pencil fish with the Betta, ensure the Betta is kept away from the fish. Also, take different measures to prevent the fish from getting close and attacking the pencil fish. You can have betta males with females, so their aggression is balanced.
Read More About :- https://www.tinyfishtank.com/can-angelfish-live-with-bettas/
How many pencil fish can you keep with your Betta?
Pencil fish are schooling fish. You can keep 6 to 7 pencil fish in the group with the betta fish. When you house them in the tank with other fish, you should ensure they are kept in the group.
Ensure that the fish is kept in a large tank where their ability to swim is not restricted. Also, place the live plant in the tank so that they will live comfortably with the companion fish.
What temperature do Betta and pencil fish need?
Pencil fish can tolerate the growing temperature for a limited time. The temperature in the tank should be in the range of 22° to 28°C (72° to 82°F). Control the pH level between 6.0 to 7.4 (6.5 is optimal),
The rising temperature immediately affects the pencil fish’s health. It will irritate the fish. The fish will look at the colder area in the tank, which is generally found near the surface. As a result, the fish will start staying close to the surface, consuming oxygen from the air.
Similarly, the cold temperature will hurt the pencil fish. It reduces their activities. You will see the fish hiding behind the plants and substrates in the corner.
Normally, betta fish need water warmth between 75-80 degrees Fahrenheit. Water temperature too cold could kill the betta fish.
It affects their immune system and makes them vulnerable to their surrounding. In contrast, the hot water makes the fish age quickly.
Read More About :- https://www.tinyfishtank.com/can-raphael-catfish-live-with-betta-fish/
Can pencil fish live with female Bettas?
Yes. Pencil fish and female betta will live happily as they both share peaceful nature. Female betta fish go along with any fish in the tank. Thus, it is always recommended to have a female betta instead of the male betta fish when you have compatibility issues.
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