A betta, or two.. or three?

I have a little 5 gallon up in my room and my cats are waiting rather impatiently for something to move in there. I was originally thinking of a male betta but after seeing the females at the store, they need a nice home too! I kind of feel bad about having a tank with only one inhabitant. I've seen larger shrimp suggested as well as cories and otos for tank mates but would two female bettas get along in a 5g? It was a suggestion one of the girls from the lfs gave but she said she wasn't very familiar with bettas yet. edit Just dawned on me that I do still have an extra 10 gallon in the garage. It does need a filter, heater and light but there will be plenty of room for the two decorations I have and even more room if two females would work as well as some room for a few otos? But then what will I do with the 5g?!

Also, after I get to redo my 22g would a female betta go well with some cories and tetras?

 

You can have a female betta in 10 gallon with some tetra or WC minnows (some say they are nippy) I haven't had problems with them being nippy. Corydora like to swim on the bottom so I personally wouldn't have them in a 10g. The 22g should be fine for a female betta, some corys & tetra.

I have my Betta in 10g, 5 gallon and 4 females in a 10g...I wouldn't recommend trying an all female betta tank unless you have the time to sit around to make sure all is well the first while. I am on day 3 of my sorority betta tank. No fight so far...just swimming together and the odd chase but no fin nipping.

 

I've just been goin over some things. I tend to get a little carried away with excitement when I find another hobby. Basically I've decided that its probably best if I stick with just the 22g and 10 gallon for now and then once things start running smoothly and I've gotten more of a hang on things I'll start the others. But it won't hurt to know who's going into what now so I can plan accordingly.

I'm glad to hear that a female might work in the 22g, I can't say I'm familiar with betta behavior (I've been trying to read up on them as much as possible) but I can see her quietly reigning over her little kingdom.

A sorority tank does sound nice. I'm very interested in seeing how your observations go. Once I feel comfortable with what I've already taken on and have dedicated a little more time to studing up on bettas I might just have to look into it more.

Thanks a lot. I've kind of been all over the place trying to figure things out so I really do appreciate not only your help but everyone's on the site ;D

 

Well it depends if the female bettas have established a "pecking order".... i've seen female bettas like 30-50, (couldnt count them all) they were just swimming around. Basicly what this means is in a group, they establish a order where they don't mess with the tough, and the tough don't mess with the weak. But I'm not sure how to help them establish this. Also I have a male betta with 3 corys, they do preety well. But it depends on the bettas personality. :;a hoped I helped you

 

some people that have 10 gal. tanks buy a divider, and keep a betta on each side of it...depending on your bettas personality, you might be able to keep otos/corys with it...if they are really peaceful, you could try shrimp

 

Otos and Corys make excellent tank mates for bettas and are pretty fun fish themselves. ;D

 

I keep one of my two females in with lots of corys, and she seems to totally ignore them, it's really funny. Sometimes, she'll steal their algae wafer (looking VERY bloated afterwards, silly mare), and she won't attack them to get it or anything (I give them food in a bowl). She'll just go to the bowl where they're busy eating, and she'll take a bit at the wafer.

 

yea, those bettas are stinkers.. I read of them taking food they don't even want, just to take it.

I keep one of my two females in with lots of corys, and she seems to totally ignore them, it's really funny. Sometimes, she'll steal their algae wafer (looking VERY bloated afterwards, silly mare), and she won't attack them to get it or anything (I give them food in a bowl). She'll just go to the bowl where they're busy eating, and she'll take a bit at the wafer.

 

Heh, I've heard such wonderful things about betta, I really can't wait to get some of my own. The other day at Petsmart my friend asked if I wanted them to hold onto a white one for me (she was all white and its like she knew we were talking about her because she started swimming around) but I had to say no since I won't have a place for her for a few more weeks. I'm going to be getting a 10 gallon starter so I'll have an extra tank if anything goes wrong.

Other than being able to feel safe is there anything I can do when I redo my tank that would make a betta feel more at home?

 

oh wow.. it's hard to find the all-white ones.. our Angel is all white with cellophane/translucent fins. she's such a smart little beauty! I wish we could breed her. I wasn't able to pick her up when I saw her and she looked at me like that one did you.. but miraculously she was there 2 days later and she came home with us. ;D

 

Wow, just looked at the photo of your tank. It looks awesome. I love the lighting. I wonder if it's better/worse than brighter lighting for the betta. All I know is it looks awesome.

I love your asian decoration too. They sell them at my LFS. I have too many decos, so I had to resist. I love the fish air fountain too!

 

I would stick with ONE betta per tank unless you want to divide the tanks to have more per tank. They do okay with otos, cories, the Dwarf Loaches (Botia sidthimunki) that I have are very active and fun to watch and they get along with Bettas very well and they get about the size of otos. I love having cories and otos also with my bettas and they all get along very well.

The sorority tanks are very rarely successful and heartbreaking when they do not work. Even if the very, very young females get along; the chances of them surviving the process of establishing the dominant female is very slim. They usually start out picking on the weakest one and keeping them from eating and starve her to death and it keeps working up the food chain until only two are left and they attack and kill each other by literally ripping each other up. The bullying and mean treatment is too hard to take and eventually the tank is left with one little bully who kills any other fish that is put in with them. (that is a description of MY sorority tank)

Rose

 

Saddly when I went to get some ghost shrimp my friend told me one of the cashiers bought her and is keeping her in one of those little betta bowls Really kicking myself for taking down the 5g.

Awe, thanks. The lighting is just the incandescent that came with the kit so I plan on getting a fluorescent - going to go with live plants for the little dwarf puffer I'd like to eventually get. Hopefully the lighting I get for the 10 gallon will look nice with the same decorations, more of the same plants and a smaller tower. I've told myself as soon as I have the tanks set up I'm somehow going to get rid of all the extra decorations I've collected.

I'm waiting til I have everything I need so if there are any problems I will beable to separate them in a matter of minutes. That won't be for at least another month but I'm also waiting until I finish my other tanks (another 2-3 months) so I can pay more attention to the bettas and watch for any signs of aggression. Right now it is mostly a hopeful idea - if when I'm ready to fill the tank and I don't feel that I'm up to taking on the responsibility of 2-3 females I'll probablly just go with either 1 male or 1 female with a few cories or otos.

 

Please don't keep females together. You can't be home 24/7 to watch them and if they start fighting while you are away you will come back to dead or seriously injured girls. Two females especially should NEVER be attempted. One will bully the other relentlessly until she kills her.
One female with cories and otos would be great and possibly even some cardinal tetras (they are the only tetras that are not fin nippers)

 

I definitely agree with the others. I would only leave it to very experienced aquarists to attempt several bettas per tank, and then again that would never be two bettas, but more. And they're watching them 24/7 pretty much and their tanks are bigger and set up for that cohabitation.

Please don't get yourself set up for real heart ache and resist the temptation to get another one for that tnak.

I heard female bettas cohabiting with mystery snails and corys and otos.

 

yea, that stinks.. too bad you can't offer her something for that betta.

Saddly when I went to get some ghost shrimp my friend told me one of the cashiers bought her and is keeping her in one of those little betta bowls Really kicking myself for taking down the 5g.