Can I put a betta in my aquarium with other fish?

Can I put a betta in my aquarium with other fish?

Marc Grover (Professional Aquarist) gives expert video advice on: Why aren't male bettas kept in the same tank?; Can I put a betta in my aquarium with other fish?; Where is the best place to put my betta? and more...

People ask about bettas and other fish quite frequently and the answer is yes and no. We put them in a lot of times but the pat answer, the old school answer is no. Typically because, as mean as they are towards one another, they're kind of wimpy towards any other fish and they have a lot of fins, and they're easy targets, and they're really slow and most of the time they have bad vision so they have bad defense mechanisms. If you don't have a lot of aggressive fish and you don't have a lot of really finny fish, or flamboyant fish most of the time you'll get away with doing it. And that does go kind of against the grain of what's been taught over time but for me the proof is in the pudding, we do it quite often and we get away with it.