Noah22

Hello!

I have a 55 gallon aquarium in my garage and I keep thinking about what I could put in it. I read this article:

Does Tank Size Matter?
Recently Natalie, a betta owner, posed an excellent question about tank size.

"I was reading the information that you listed about putting male Bettas in the same tank and that you can only put one in a tank at a time. I have found that this can depend on the size of the tank.

I have a 39 gal tank and on several occasions I have had two males and a female in the same tank. They did seem to chase each other around a little for the first few days, but once they were in the tank after that, they didn't give each other much mind. I have not tried this in a smaller tank so I don't know if it is just because they had enough room that it didn't matter or what.

Since that time I have often wondered if this is a myth or what, Because I am sure that there is more than one male in the rice pond at a time where they original from and they don't kill off all but one. " - Natalie

Territories
Natalie's observation is a good one. In nature more than one male lives in a rice paddy, however rice paddies are quite large, often encompassing miles of space. This allows each male to have his own territory. In small tanks there simply isn't enough room for the establishment of territories, so its not advisable to keep more than one male.

My observation has been that somewhere around 20 gallons is the point at which size becomes a significant issue. Sizes smaller than that are usually a problem. Sizes larger than that provide enough ‘territorial space’ to allow multiple males. However, few people keep Bettas in larger tanks. Traditionally Bettas are kept in very small tanks, hence the common statement of “one male per tank”. A more accurate way of putting it would be one male per territory.

Since reading this article I cant stop thinking about putting 2 males a 2 females in the tank with Plenty of live plants so they would each be able to claim their territories peacefully.

Has anyone tried this and what are your guys' thoughts about it?

Amanda

I wouldn't risk it, my bettas lives mean too much to me to risk it.

Lucy

Hi, First off I'd like to welcome you to Fish Lore

While we appreciate your sharing, please edit your post and give credit to the website where you found the information.
Read this link, it'll give you guidelines:
Referencing books/magazines/other websites

I agree with Amanda, experimenting with lives seems pretty cruel to me.
When we keep fish we always have to keep in mind what is best for them, not what we want.

As pointed out in your copy and pasted information, the area where bettas come from involves miles, not gallons.

agabr123

i dont think it's worth it. you could just as easily put dividers in the tank and not have to constantly be on the lookout for aggression or worry about anyone getting attacked.

Phinny12

I would have agree 100% That it is not recomended to put several male and female Bettas together in a fish tank of any size. You would basically be sacrificing your fish.

Bad Wolf

i have kept two males and a female in the same tank before without a separater and they did great. i think it is risky and it does depend on the two males attitude but it can be done. there is a few videos on youtue that show males together.

i also read that in the wild male bettas will flare and scare the other male away from their territory, but they will never kill unless necessary. male bettas were bread by humans to kill one another. wild bettas looked a lot like the common brown female, they were bread to have colors.