Quote:
conniefish wrote:
I know there is a lot of experienced people on here, but in my very humble experience for every rule there are exceptions and the best advice I've been given is to see what works for yourself. Clearly you have a proplem that doesn't work and perhaps you need to choose between the two species you have, but swapping the betta may change the parameters too - they're living creatures with their own personalities and it would be wrong to generalise with total conviction the way some do.
Betta and tetra relationships can go either way. Tetras can fin nip bettas' fins, but, as this case has proven, bettas can also attack and kill other fish too. I don't think anyone will categorically declare that betta/tetra aggression is
always one-sided. There have been cases where both fish have lived side-by-side quite happily, too, but it would be highly irresponsible of us to just suggest that anyone put any fish together just to see "what works for them", without first pre-warning them of possible outcomes.
If the OP were to swap the betta for a less aggressive one, the tetras may well decide to turn on that betta, and the unfortunate victim could become definned!!
I suspect many of us on here have (or have had) fish that break the norm - as you state, connie, they're all individuals, but some generalisations can be made - HAVE to be made, in fact.
For example, if we were to start using the "what works for the individual" rule, we'd have to stop advising people to keep the fish that naturally thrive in their water params because "fish can adapt to different pH/temperature ranges". This will most likely result in SOME keepers having LIMITED success with keeping tetras in harder water, or livebearers in acidic conditions - but WOULD they reach their natural longevity? This is, IMHO, a backward step in fishkeeping advice.
Then perhaps we should start suggesting that Angels be kept with Neons in a 55gal tank, because suggesting a keeper keeps them seperate is a generalisation and we should promote "what works for the individual". We'd have a HUGE increase in the number of posters asking why their neons have vanished overnight! How do you think any of us (not to mention the keeper) would feel if we then had to tell them that we knew all along that angels and neons share a natural predator/prey relationship, but instead of promoting "what's best for the fish", we promote "what works for the keeper".
Sorry, but I for one prefer to use the "what's best for the fish" method - even if it means a little "generalisation".
My apologies to the OP that this thread has gone slightly off-topic, but I still recommend the betta and tetras be seperated.
T.L