I am planning to get some Aphyosemion killifish in about 3 months. Wondering if I can put them in my 29G planted community tank. In it I have Cherry barbs, Whiteskirts and 1 peaceful male Betta. I am thinking of getting rid of the Whiteskirts, for they hide most of the time. If it is not possible I have an extra 10G I can put them in. I just prefer to have my fish in 1 tank, for otherwise I sometimes forget to feed 1 group.

Most Aphyosemions might not bother the betta (flowing fins are attractive to nip) but if you think some of your other fish hide wait till you try to find the Aphyosemions. They are food fish in the wild and know it! Remember the tank must be completely and I mean completely covered-no little openings like for a hang on heater or worse yet a hang on filter or they will be on the floor within a day!
If raised in a tank or with loads of plants after acclimated to surroundings for a few months, jumping (except for squabbles) is not a major concern but I have had some Aphyosemions leap from an inch of water out of an uncovered 5 gallon tank.

Forgetting to feed a fish is not a sin, but a blessing, unless you forget for a week or more. The worst sin is to overfeed. Aphyosemions will jump, if stressed. I never cover my ranks, unlike my friend, Bill. However the tanks all have Java Moss and are about 2 inches below the top with water.

Actually Eric B really laughs at me for NOT covering kilie tanks. I cover breeder tanks and new acquisitions totally as the fish are likely to jump as they are stressed. If there is plenty of cover and if the fish have grown in the tank it may be optional as they feel right at home. New fish and breeder pairs are best covered.

Aphyosemions and several similar sized killies are a lot smaller than your whiteskirt tetras. Sometimes behavior is different when there is a considerable size differential between fish.

I am impressed though that the white skirts get along with the Betta. Maybe they are more benign than their blackskirt kin. Your cherry barbs are also less aggressive than many barbs, so obviously you've sorted through some of these issues.

That peaceful scene probably also owes a lot to your planting pattern, installation of the tetras and barbs in schools. Probably a good regime of partial water changes also leaves them better behaved.

It may be that Aphyosemion would get along in that tank, but they also might hide even more than the white skirts are. There is also the possibility that no killie fry would survive in there.

One reason that there might be a problem with males killies is that two males will display at one another, not an uncommon way for many species to settle rivalries hopefully without anyone getting very chewed up. Bettas recognize that behavior as flaring.

Are you going to breed those killies at some time or other? I can see just leaving them in there to condition if you are slipping them live foods or defrosted and rinsed meaty foods.

If you just want to enjoy them, getting just some killie males might be a lot cheaper. Males are often available for a dollar or two at the end of auctions. Sometimes killinuts will just give an extra half dozen males away to make space. And if only male killies are in the aquarium and there are no females (and associated hormones or pheromones) they tend to be better behaved.

On the other hand, your Betta (male?) might be in trouble there. I say that recalling when I sold a bunch of gardneri pairs to a shop that was in the habit of putting a male Betta in each tank. When I sold them there was not Betta in the aquarium and I asked them to leave it that way. Dropping by the next day, I noticed that they had indeed still placed a male Betta in there. A day later my curiosity got the better of me and I stopped by again. The males Betta was still there, but his fins where significant trimmed.

Given the size of your aquarium's residents, I was going to suggest that you look for male killies that are larger than Aphyosemion - Fundulopanchax, many Epiplatys or many Aplocheilus. But that Betta is undoubtedly an old friend and might clash with Fundulopanchax.

Yeh, I think I will just get 3 male killifish. Just get those that live longer than a year. Want something that is colorful to view from the end of the living room. Betta may have to go to 10 gallon tank in kitchen.

Just getting fish in groups of 5 is all I have done. When I get a Betta I pick one that does not stare at me.Quote: