Why Is My Betta Chasing Neon Tetras?

It is well known that Bettas are aggressive, whereas the Neon Tetras are Fin nippers. Although it can be safe to keep Betta and Neon Tetras, many people have complained about Neon Tetras getting attacked by Bettas and Bettas getting attacked by neon tetras. 

So, Why are the Bettas Chasing Neon Tetras? Betta can chase Neon Tetras for many reasons, including being stressed out or ruling over a definite territory. Moreover, when you newly add Neon Tetras in a tank that already had Betta, it can stress out the Betta.  

In this article, I will focus on giving you an overall idea about the companionship between Betta and Neon Tetras. By explaining the reason for Bettas chasing Neon Tetras, I will explain how to make a suitable environment so that both of them live freely. 

Reasons For Bettas Chasing Neon Tetras

Neon Tetras and Betta can live together in the same tank, but only after a few measures are taken. You need first to know the reasons and then take the necessary steps to eradicate those difficulties. 

Your Betta Might Be Chasing Neon Tetras For The Following Reasons:

1. Newly Introduced Tetras

When your tank has Betta in it, and you are planning to add Neon Tetras, then you might find the Betta going after that Neon Tetras.

It might think that it will lose its dominance and chase the Neon Tetras as a threat.

Solution

I would recommend keeping the Betta first in a relatively big tank and letting it get habituated with the tank and define its own territory.

After a certain period of time, you can place some Neon Tetras into the tank. If the betta gets enough space it will not feel the stress of losing its specific territory and stop chasing neon tetras.

However, you might still need to continue the observation until the time when they get accustomed to each other. 

2. Capture A Definite Territory

Bettas have the tendency to rule over a definite territory. When they feel the territory is in threat, they might attack other fish regardless of the type of fish. 

As stated earlier, it mostly offers when the Neon Tetras are introduced in a tank that had Bettas already present in it. However, you will find Bettas attacking the Neon Tetras when they need to impress the female mates. 

Solution

Take adequate time to familiarize your Betta with the sharing process by implementing various techniques. 

3. Not Adequate Number Of Mates

Bettas can get stressed out when they feel there is not enough mate to breed with. They might get aggressive and attack other fish. For that reason, neon Tetras can get chased by or attacked by the Bettas.

Solution:

It is recommended to balance out the proportion of the male and female Betta fish in a particular tank. Just to be safe, try to keep only one male betta and one or more female Bettas.

4. Getting Nipped By Neon Tetras

As you know, Neon Tetras have the habit of nipping other fishes. If your Neon Tetras are constantly nipping the Bettas, it might cause stress to the Bettas, and they might end up chasing the Neon Tetras. 

Solution:

When Neon Tetras are stressed, they often nip the other fishes in the tank. In order to minimize that, you need to keep them in a group of at least 6. The bigger the group, the better the environment gets. 

Are Neon Tetras Safe With Betta?

Neon Tetras are definitely safe with the Betta. However, you need to take certain measures so that all the fish can live in a friendly aquatic environment. 

You need to introduce each type of fish to each other properly. Then you need to make sure each type of fish has enough number of mates present in the tank.

Lastly, stop overpopulating or under-populating the tank so that they have a healthy environment to live in. 

How Do I Introduce My Betta To Neon Tetras?

In order to make Neon Tetras familiar with the Bettas, you need to be extremely careful. And being cautious, you can follow the following steps to make both the fish introduced and accustomed to each other.

Step 1 – Acclimate Properly

First, you need to properly acclimate the neon tetras with aquarium water parameters. Make sure you have 10 to 12 Neon Tetras added all together in the tank.

Then you need to keep Betta so that they get accustomed to having more than one fish in a single territory.

If you put Betta first in the tank, it might enhance the territorial nature of the Betta. 

Step 2 – Observe Them Continuously

Although they might get habituated with the presence of each other, you need to observe them continuously and make sure they do not chase or attack each other. 

This can continue for a day or two. Once you are assured, you can focus on other things. 

Step 3 – Secure The Environment

Please make sure the environment in the tank is suitable and large enough for both the fishes, and they get a friendly environment that gives the fishes every scope to live, eat and breed comfortably. 

The parameters that should be maintained are;

How Do I Stop My Betta From Attacking Tank Mates?

The short answer to this question is to use a large tank where betta can have enough space to  define its territory. And eventually, the Bettas will stop attacking other teammates.  

There are certain things that can cause the Bettas in the tank to get aggressive, which include; a smaller number of female Bettas, the territories of Betta being captured, or when the other teammates get stressed and start to attack the Bettas. 

You need to minimize all these problems to make sure the Bettas have a stress-free and friendly environment to live in. 

Related Questions:

Why Is My Betta Fish Chasing My Other Fish?

Stress can lead Bettas to chase other fish living in the same tank. It will help if you ensure the overall tank environment does not stress the Bettas. Being an aggressive pet, Bettas can chase other fish to attack them.

It can occur when the Bettas feel their territories are being attacked or hijacked by other fish, or when the male Bettas number is higher than the female Bettas, and there is a shortage of mates. 

When you introduce new fish to the tank, the Bettas might find it hard to share the territory with the other fish and end up chasing them. 

Are Three Neon Tetras Enough?

To be honest, Neon Tetras love to stay in a group that consists of 6 or more fish. They need to stay in a group, or else they might get stressed and attack other fish. 

However, when you have other teammates in the tank, I would recommend keeping at least 10 Neon Tetras in a 10 to 15 Gallons tank. My request would be not to overpopulate the tank. 

Final Thoughts:

Bettas and Neon Tetras are a great choice to put together. Moreover, they are compatible with each other. If the proper measures are provided, you can definitely provide an appropriate environment for them. 

Make sure to familiarize them properly and take adequate time to observe them so that any bad occurrence can be avoided. Make sure any of the fishes are not stressed out. 

Make sure to look at the parameters regularly and plant an acceptable amount of plant on the tank with a proper hiding place. 

Most importantly, make sure there are a satisfactory number of Neon Tetras and not multiple number of male bettas.