Fire Belly Newts with Betta

[amber]

I am totally new at all this. I have 2 fire belly newts and 1 betta in a 55 gal tank. Is that ok?? i don't want my little newts to get hurt, so and suggestions??

 

[ali]

Hi Amber. Betta's are interesting, but I wouldn't say that's impossible. First and foremost, I will just say that I wouldn't recommend it. I've heard of cases where it worked out okay, and cases where it doesn't. Bettas are so strange because they have a ton of personality, and they are all different.

I tried to keep a ghost shrimp in the bottom of my betta tank, and the betta constantly attacked it until I (quickly) got the shrimp out. I'll note that I don't mind feeding ghost shrimp, but being picked to death by a tiny betta mouth is a long painful death.

So I took the shrimp out.

I had a betta before that left the shrimp alone.

So, monitor the betta. Does the betta seek out the newts and pick on them? Or, do your newts seem stressed? Are they *always* hiding somewhere?

If the newts and the betta are active, you might be okay. It's important the remember that the betta could change its mind one day when you aren't home and decide to pick on the newts. It's a risk you will be taking.

I'll also mention here, that 55 gallons is HUGE for 2 fire bellies. Are you sure that's what kind they are? That's totally awesome! Just so you know, you can feel free to add more of the same species of newt if you wanted to. How is your tank designed?

 

[jennifer]

The following is one of the incidents posted in our mixing disasters page
http://www.caudata.org/cc/articles/Mixing_disasters.shtml

Newts and betta fish
Posted by Jennewt on November 08, 2001at 09:18:48:

I put a male betta fish in with my 4 eastern newts. The betta seemed to be a beautiful addition to the tank. The arrangement worked fine for several months. Then one day I noticed the betta take a peck at one of the newts. I didn’t think much about it, but the next day the betta was pecking viciously at the head/eyes of the newt again and the newt was swimming to get away. I removed the newt, which, over the next few days developed a bruise-colored head, but did survive. Then the betta started picking on another of the newts, so I immediately removed the betta.

 

[amber]

The tank is just a basic 55 gal with about 7 or so large rocks all stacked up so the newts can hide. There are also fake plants all over for them to hide in also. So far the newts and the fish are hiding in the same spots but leaving eachother alone........ for the time being anyway. Thanks for the imput.

 

[amber]

Oh and yes they are fire belly, i just felt bad with them in the 20 gal tank. I figured that they might want more room to swim, even though the ones really fat and lazy and does nothing all day.