Do they just fight other Japanese fighting fish or all kinds of fish?
If you're talking about bettas, the males will fight each other and/or fish that make them think of another male betta. They will also fight a female betta if they aren't both ready to breed. Basically, if it has long flowing fins, avoid it. Some are mellower than others, I have had male bettas that would live peacefully with guppies and some that hated everything with fins, but most make good mild community fish.
Don't put them with fin nippers, they'll shave a bettas fins down to nothing with a quickness, most barbs are not good with bettas for this reason.
With the brighter colored females that have been bred up in recent years, a lot of people have taken to keeping "sororities", tanks of female bettas. Generally they go through a period of squabbling until they determine dominance amongst themselves, but then are usually fairly peaceful. If trying a sorority, ten gallons is the absolute minimum tank size and 5 is the recommended minimum (and maximum for a ten) grouping.
Like was said, Siamese Fighting Fish. They come from Thailand (which used to be called Siam), not Japan
pets question and answers,www.5d2d.com But anyway, their aggression is about territory. In the wild they live in drainage ditches, slow moving streams and rice paddys. The males try and stake out a small territory where they can build a bubble nest and rear their offspring. The only other betta they will allow in their territory is a female that's in breeding condition. After they mate the female is chased away again and the male cares for the eggs. So the most aggressive betta get the best breeding spots and are most likely to breed, and have aggressive offspring.
Most betta are pretty relaxed about other fish around them and can live in a community tank, you just can't can't keep more than one male, unless the tank is so big that they have space for individual territories. Same with mixing males and females. (Don't)
Ian
they usually just fight each other, but they can attack other fish that look like a rival male. Ie male guppies. I used to have one betta that could live with any fish, including guppies. He was the most gentle betta ever. never hurt any fish i put in the tank with him. 3 others ive had, had just attacked and killed any other fish ive tried putting in with them
Siamese fighting fish ...
pets question and answers,www.5d2d.com
Anyways
Males fight other males
Males fight females
Females fight females if kept in groups smaller than 5 (at 5 or bigger there will be some fighting about dominance, but once the order is set it'll stop).
Bettas will fight fish that resemble betta (gourami, fancy guppies, et cetera). They will fight back if attacked however they are quite weak fighters.
Bettas can be kept with peaceful community fish.
I think this question revolves around the myth that if they are in the same cage they fight ... although if you go on youtube ... they dont. Its all about space I belive if they arn't in a little vasee im sure they might be fine?
