Can Experienced Betta Sorority Owners Help Me?

Another member posted questions about betta sorority’s and the consensus was that horrible tragedies can occur. This concerns me but didn’t want to hyjack the posters post. So I made my own post. Some of you know that I myself set my sorority up 2 months ago after asking lots of questions and researching. Most of the feedback I received was positive and encouraging so I moved forward with my decision to set up a sorority. I did have my extra tanks set up and ready to go. Only had a couple of hiccups and things now seem fine. I spent a small fortune but now questioning if I made the right choice. I was even accused basically of abuse. Those of you that know me know I care very much about my fish. I am actually a little scared now. Is my peaceful tank just a time bomb waiting to go off? Do the females get more aggressive as time goes on and am I just naive about how well it’s going? If so, I’d rather find homes for my ladies before tragedy occurs. I love them and have been so pleased with the outcome but now so worried. Can anyone share positive stories with me? Has anyone had longtime luck with them?

 

Ok I have yet to start mine but have been doing research for 2 years. The point of buying my 20 gallon was actually for a sorority. I'm so glad I didnt do one right away. The people sayings they are stressed its different when you have a 10 gallon sorority and the females are pale and scared. A do feel like 20longs even then are too small. Once I start my 55 gallon that's when I will add my females . Bettas territory's are only 4 feet squared I heard so if they still say your abusing with a 2000 gallon with bettas then they got an issue. ANYWAY, You are not a abuser and we all know it! From my 2 years of research female sorority do best in bigger tanks thickly planted with other fish to help with aggression. Also heard female sisters work best who have been with each other ever since born. You think you have an issue, come over to the #BetaFish section on Instagram with 2 female bettas in a vase. Now that's abuse! (As I check now there is already 2 photos with female bettas in a vase) Always have a back up plan though, I have heard that even years after the girls can become aggressive all of a sudden from age. Dont get discouraged by the haters who have done no research and have no actual evidence in that's it messes up their brain. Just keep doing what your doing GoldieQueen!

 

Keep in mind that person had a 10 gallon sorority. You have a 20 gallon that's 10 more gallons. I think you will be fine. (Also that person had some size differences I believe.)

 

I am getting another 55G for Christmas for my male Goldie’s who are outgrowing their 29G. I could at least move my sorrority into the 29G to give them a little more room.

 

I am getting another 55G for Christmas for my male Goldie’s who are outgrowing their 29G. I could at least move my sorrority into the 29G to give them a little more room.

Awesome, Id say don't change the number of bettas but get some loachs ( Not needed xD) and some other fish to even out aggression towards each other. I like your idea, I want my 55 gallon for xmas! Last year I got one big present. My giant exo terra for my crestie! And year before my 20 gallon... lol.

 

I have a nursery tank with a bunch of platies in it. They are not fry anymore... close to 3 months old. I’m taking them to LFS this weekend. Could I put a few of them in with the sorority to even out aggression a little?

 

I have a nursery tank with a bunch of platies in it. They are not fry anymore... close to 3 months old. I’m taking them to LFS this weekend. Could I put a few of them in with the sorority to even out aggression a little?

As long as they don't pick on bettas back. The fish should also be able to with stand the females to. But i'm not experienced with platies so idk.

 

Wouldn't call myself experienced but I have a small sorority that is doing well now. 3 females with 3 platys in a 10 gallon and the only "bullying" is when the platys rush for the food, they will simply push the bettas out of the way, but they don't seem to mind.

If I were you, I wouldn't rush to change things up just because people are saying you should do so. If what you are doing works for you then that's fantastic. Maybe your fish have a better temperament than the fish in the tanks where the sorority failed, maybe one or more of those fish was sick and therefore picked on, maybe the conditions in your tank are more favorable than in those tanks where it failed. There are just so many variables that we don't know, and there is just not one cookie-cutter way of keeping fish.

I plan to move the platys into a 70g tank I recently acquired (once it's cycled and stable) and I worry when I do so, that it will stir up the balance that seems to be going on in the 10 gallon and might start a pecking-order-war among the bettas, but we'll see.

 

luckdown david1978

 

Yeah as seen above she has a successful sorority in a 10 gallon saying any will work, It was just that one person who failed in a 10 gallon makeing them think soroitys are just bad over all. Soroitys are scary for the reason, people see one nip and then freak out. I'm sure bettas fins in the wild are nipped too.

 

Yeah as seen above she has a successful sorority in a 10 gallon saying any will work, It was just that one person who failed in a 10 gallon makeing them think soroitys are just bad over all. Soroitys are scary for the reason, people see one nip and then freak out. I'm sure bettas fins in the wild are nipped too.

I agree!

Thanks, Gang. You have made me feel better about my decision. I did remove one girl who hides in the plants a lot. Her tail was nipped pretty bad in the beginning and I think she may be better alone. The others seem just feisty enough to defend themselves. Again, all I ever see is one chasing another away but never even any nips. The tank is very peaceful most of the time and the ladies seem to hang out fine with each other. I had read that well fed ladies are happy ladies so I feed well too.

 

I've had many issues when I began my sorority (about 2ish years ago). Most the problems seemed to be the result of not quarantining new girls, because how can I not get more females on the rare occasions I go the the fish store? I've really only had one failed addition of a new female due to aggression. She has her own tank now. I started out in a 10gal, then a 20 long, and finally a 29gal. The best combinations of females were probably the ones I've bred and then raised in with the adult females when they were about an inch long. Most of them were pretty mellow when raised in a sorority setting.

If I were to redo everything knowing what I do now, I'd of started in the 29gal, had many more plants, quarantined all new fish, and chosen females either from a sorority tank or used "baby" bettas after confirming they were indeed females.

Also, always have a few breeder baskets on hand. Always.

 

Yea I don't have too much getting baby girls. Lol. 5 have been males but 1 pasted, my daughter has 1 in her room and I still have 3 males with 16 girls. Honestly I had more aggressive guppies. When they are still little they seem to hang around the glolight tetras but once they grow they pay no attention to them. Tank has been running like this for well over 2 years with zero issues other then an occasional nipped tail.

 

My females live in divided tanks so when I add them to a soroity they should be fine. I heard keep them in the cups and switch them around every hour for 2 days so they know each other.

 

Yea I don't have too much getting baby girls. Lol. 5 have been males but 1 pasted, my daughter has 1 in her room and I still have 3 males with 16 girls. Honestly I had more aggressive guppies. When they are still little they seem to hang around the glolight tetras but once they grow they pay no attention to them. Tank has been running like this for well over 2 years with zero issues other then an occasional nipped tail.

Funny, I have said the same thing about my own guppies. They are much more aggressive than my female bettas. Thanks so much for your info.

Learned that Gypsy13’s vet has a sorority with over 20 females in it. Makes me feel less like “an abuser”. Lol!

 

Learned that Gypsy13’s vet has a sorority with over 20 females in it. Makes me feel less like “an abuser”. Lol!

Read that as she had one! Ill be mad if you two both have one before me!