Can bettas live with swordtails?

Verdict

Yes, with care

Yes, with care. Bettas and swordtails can share a tank, but watch one thing. Swordtails are much bigger and pushier than bettas, which are slow and easy to bully at feeding time.

Betta76–82°F · pH 6.5–7.5

Swordtail72–79°F · pH 7–8.3

What to watch

Watch outSwordtails are much bigger and pushier than bettas, which are slow and easy to bully at feeding time.

What works

Both are fine at 76–79°F.
pH 7–7.5 suits both.
They use different parts of the tank: bettas the top, swordtails the mid.

Water side by side

The green band is the temperature range both can live in.

The green band is the pH both tolerate.

Size to scale

Adult length in an aquarium. A fish can swallow anything that fits in its mouth, roughly a third to half its own length for predators.

Care at a glance

	Betta	Swordtail
Temperature	76–82 °F	72–79 °F
pH	6.5–7.5	7–8.3
Adult size	2.5 in	5.0 in
Minimum tank	5 gal	30 gal
Temperament	Semi-aggressive	Semi-aggressive
Swims at	Top	Middle
Group	One per tank	Groups of 3+
Diet	Carnivore	Omnivore

Better tank mates for bettas

All betta tank mates

Better tank mates for swordtails