I'm just looking for thoughts on bettas in tropical community tanks. One of my friend's at school has a betta in his tank with several other fish, just wanted to hear what the experts had to say about it.

I'm looking into balloon mollies and black neon tetras.

I'd say try it but have a back up plan which can be really simple for a betta. As long as the other tropicals don't have long tails like male gupppies to confuse the betta. The other thing is making sure there is not a large current in there so the betta can move easily. I also would provide some floating plants (plastic) so he can rest at the surface if he wants too. Mine like that very much!

OOOOh so that's why mine likes rest ontop of the filter in his tank!
I always wondered

Yep Peanuts, it's not so far to go to swim back up!

Bettas do wonderfully in a community tank as long as the other fish are not long-finned. They can and will attack any other fish that reminds them of another betta. Males are very territorial. Provide plenty of resting areas for hi and make sure that you introduce the betta last. If you introduce him first he will most certainly attack any other fish that you put in the tank. Also, do not introduce the betta until the tank is fully cycled. Use a filter with flow control, they are not very powerful swimmers. Stock your tank using the rule 'one inch of (adult sized) fish per gallon of water' and you will be fine. Good luck!!

Some tetras are nippy but most tetras and mollies do well with betta.

I sold some female bettas to someone and he says they are bullying his discus!

LOL! My female bullies me!

mine too, i've never had my males attack me, but my females do one of my girls was biting me while i was doing a water change last weekend.

i have a 29 gal, with female guppies, female platies, cories, and 2 female bettas. I haven't had any problems with them. i haven't seen them flare or fuss with anyone. i even have some pics with them all in a pile eating together. i use to just have one female in there, but then i came home from work to some suprise goldfish that i had to qt (they died) so i had to put my cories and female betta somewhere so i put them in my 29 gal. the next morning one of my males did have half his tail fin missing so I did take my males out and everyone else is gets along fine. i'm not sure if one of the bettas did it or not though.

Yeah, I have a betta in a 2.5 gallon tank and was thinking I could get another in my community tank now that it is going to be tropical community and not a goldfish tank.

But if that doesn't work out, I'll get another little tank. They're fun to keep.

My other betta left me a bubble nest today.

I didn't mention, I cycled my tank and got three fish... two balloon mollies and a solid red betta.

I haven't decided yet if I even want tetras because these three fish are gorgeous.

So far the betta gets along with the mollies, except at dinner, when they like to try and steal his Hikari betta bites instead of their flakes.