Do Multiple Female Bettas In Same Tank (Sorority Tanks) Work?

I know we've had multiple threads on this subject in the past, but wanted to get a current poll posted. So, can multiple female bettas in the same tank (sorority tanks) work long term?

 

My daughter-in-law has had 5 or 6 in a heavily planted 39 gallon tank for 6 months or so, and I don't remember her mentioning any problems.

 

If provided the proper environment, I believe it would work.

 

I think there should be an option for, maybe/sometimes. Sometimes it does, many times it won't. Depends on the circumstances, tank setup, bettas and luck. Mine went well for the most part - still don't usually like to recommend them personally

 

I think there should be an option for, maybe/sometimes. Sometimes it does, many times it won't. Depends on the circumstances, tank setup, bettas and luck. Mine went well for the most part - still don't usually like to recommend them personally

Good idea - added "maybe, with caution" choice.

 

Okay, just let me prepare myself for virtual judgement....

In June, I tried doing a Sorority in a... 10 gallon.... Some articles online said it would be okay, some said 20 gallons or larger but I thought lets go ahead and do it. It worked for around 3 months or so and then I learned I had males. I'm now stuck with housing them individually. I'm sorry Fishlore, I'm truly sorry .

I'd say 20 long or 30-37 gallon tank would work the best.

 

P.S. I'm also liking these (seem to be daily) polls. Not sure if you did this in the past and it didn't show on the side like with the new design, but I like them, please continue with them.

 

I have little experience with sororities, but I had a friend who did one in a 55 gallon planted tank. It ran well for about half a year, and then suddenly one turned aggressive and killed two others. I think there's always a risk, even if things seem like they're going well, so I don't like to recommend them. But I think as long as you have backup plans ready in case things go wrong, or you're willing to accept the risks, it's totally up to you what you want to do.

 

I find that the idea of 'dither fish' that I got from someone on here seems to work really well for me. That is, active, totally unaggressive fish that swim through bettas and break their focus on each other much like heavy planting does. It helps break up unhealthy obsessive behaviour when that sometimes occurs.
Also starting with related bettas really helps. And indeed, there are always those girls that just won't play nice. In my (limited) experience so far, around 20-30% of girls I've tried had to be removed even after several time-outs because they just were not suited for that type of set-up. I had to remove one female for being so much of an underdog that none of the other girls would leave her alone, even the totally peaceful ones. Apparently something about her just screamed "bully me". Or maybe she was provoking it. She is on the small side, that might have something to do with it.

 

My caution is sizing.

My blue veil tail Bonnie Blue & white/red crown tail lived next to each other for 6 weeks in 1 gallon bowls. I had 1 baby boy betta in a 2 gallon. It was depressing so I tried them in a 10 gallon. I am a newbie and I over fed them. They got huge. I added a orange veil tale and she settled in nicely ( Sunkist). ( I had 2 other females that died for other reasons.)
No fights or real aggression.

I got itchy and tried a 2nd sorority tank. 4 girl in there currently.

I posted before about the female Koi betta. man, the 1 female just locked in like a laser & was chasing a small female betta. I had to remove her immediately. I figure, okay cool. 1 koi in each tank.. nope, 2nd Betta started to Bully as soon as other one left.

Now both Koi females are with larger sorority and act 'shy' (practice avoidance)

smaller tank is generally peaceful, no fights, a few chase & disengage at times.

Btw, fully broke down and cleaned larger sorority tank last Saturday. no dominance issues or attacks.

slightly off topic, my 1 male betta (full moon) locked in like a missle on my cory cats when I tried to introduce him to my 38 gallon in August, I think. It lasted 5 minutes. IMO, he was hunting ( same behavior I saw when I mistakenly introduced Apollo my rose gold Betta to an upside down catfish *not a featherfin, it was all black* last May that he killed within 12 hours. totally sizing him up. I was very green & the death was not intended. I still feel bad about it.)

Kitty cats ( cories) have barely any defenses and I am not willing to risk their safety to serve as a distraction for Bettas.

bettas are lions, cories are baby seals. JMO

 

I wonder in nature ,how the bunch of males and females betta live in same pond. How they mate ?

 

I wonder in nature ,how the bunch of males and females betta live in same pond. How they mate ?

It isn't quite a small pond but a huge region of connected and nearby waterways. The 'bettas living in footprints/ponds' part is from the dry season, when the waterways they normally live in dry up and they can end up in a shut off pond of water that can shrink to the size of an actual aquarium. The breeding takes place during the wet season, when the new influx of water brings food flushing down the waterways, which promotes colonies of the critters that bettas normally eat. It is here that they, travelling along these waterways, run into each other - males holding down territories in places they favour and blow bubbles nests, females passing by, taking a fancy to the nest and mating, then making off while the male tends to the nest and disappearing.
Or so I reckon.

Also most wild bettas are nowhere near as aggresive as the siamese "fighting" fish that were bred for such qualities before they turned into show bettas.

 

Thanks!.I have a pair ,good type and nice color. Expense to get food for keeping the fry.So I put them in community tank just for the show.Several time they lay eggs,hatch fry and all dye after.Alot of my friend in my country,they are very success with koi betta and fries food is not a problem there with plenty of kind of live food they can catch in nature and bloodworm is kind of selling right next door on cheap price too..

 

I love my sorority. It's lots of color and activity. I still have had no problems with aggression so long as I maintain enough fish. I have had SERIOUS aggression problems when I don't have enough fish in the sorority though.

Also - they get along fine with other fish such as cory cats and danios.

The only down side for me is that disease just spreads so fast with captive bred bettas vs wild caught everything else.... So the corys and danios are fine while problems rip through the bettas. That's a problem with anything captive bred though.

Now I 100% quarantine medicate all new fish/snails before going in the main tank.

 

I know we've had multiple threads on this subject in the past, but wanted to get a current poll posted. So, can multiple female bettas in the same tank (sorority tanks) work long term?

Well, it depends on the situation. I have 3 female Bettas that look almost identical in a divided 10 Gallon (into 2, so they live in a 5 gallon space) and they have no problems at all. The tank has more than enough hiding spots so they can escape from each other if needed, and some plants (artificial) to make the tank look nice and to act as additional hiding as well. I've read in many cases that when keeping female sorority tanks that it is important to house them in odd numbers (3,5,7,9). If this is your first sorority, I recommend a 10 Gallon or larger. I've had as many as five in a 10 gallon, but I had some aggression with that set up, so I would get 3. Never keep just 2 females together, it won't work because they'll be focused on each other. Always have lots of hiding places because they can be aggressive towards each other. Another piece of advice would be to get them all at the same time and introduce them to each other and the tank at the same time. This prevents aggression and helps the Bettas figure out their natural hierarchy. If you get one female, put her in the tank for a while, then decide to get another one, they will rip each other a part. Fish sometimes don't like new things just like people. Kind of like those videos of the parents announcing the arrival of a new baby and the kid cries or gets mad . The existing fish already has an established territory, and will defend it, so I think it's best to get them all at the same time. I know that I've seen Petco house females together before, and if you like them all (color wise and healthy wise) get them all or just three, depending on tank size. This option will definitely help with aggression. This is actually how I got my first Betta sorority, and I haven't had any aggression problems. If that isn't an option, pick Bettas that are roughly the same size, and hold them up next to each other so that they can see one another. If any Betta shows noticeable aggression (flaring, pacing, attacking the container, etc.) or they all do, you should probably pick a different one because that could cause aggression problems. The Bettas just kind of chilling in the cup without being bothered by the others is a very good sign. If the Betta just looks curious, that's ok too, they might not always be looking for a fight Keeping a sorority is so much fun, and it's one of the best tanks I have in my house. However, sorority tanks are definitely a challenge, and I would advise caution to any new fish keeper because this tank can be difficult at times. Always have a backup plan because you might decide out that the Bettas you picked just don't work together. Hope this helps, and if you have any questions just message me back, if not you can too, I love talking to fellow Betta lovers! Hope this helps, and keep us updated

 

Since everyone seems to disagree about this: what do you guys recommend the minimum tank size for a sorority is? And how many bettas can you keep there?

 

Since everyone seems to disagree about this: what do you guys recommend the minimum tank size for a sorority is? And how many bettas can you keep there?

Minimum tank size I think is a five gallon for three Bettas by themselves (you could maybe add one or two snails later on though). I would not recommend starting out with a five gallon though because the Bettas need to get used to each other and that sometimes requires space. I started my three in a 10 gallon and then after about a month or two I moved them to a divided ten. I haven't had any problems, but that sometimes depends on the "squad" of Bettas you have. Each fish has their own personality, and sometimes they don't mix well right away. I would start with 3 Bettas in a 10 gallon.

 

Since everyone seems to disagree about this: what do you guys recommend the minimum tank size for a sorority is? And how many bettas can you keep there?

Anything regarding sororities in controversial, because people tend to disregard how evidence and advice work. There are always exceptions to any rule. The fact that one person can have a controversial set-up work even long-term is no proof that it works in general. Moreover when giving advice such as minimum requirements what is actually recommended is the requirements for a set-up reasonably likely to work. That doesn't mean it is impossible to do a set-up successfully that falls short of the guidelines, but for every person that makes it work they might be three that can't get it to. Something everyone should keep in mind when reading or giving advice.

I would say the minimum tank size depends *very heavily* on how your tank is set-up. If you have it stuffed to the brI'm with plants that reach all the way to the surface, hardscape that blocks the line of sight across the tank, surface vegetation with trailing roots and many hiding places, even a 10 or 15 gallon will probably do. If you have it moderately planted, I would say 20 gallons is a better minimum. For those who want to play it on the safe size, I'd say get a 3ft tank and create several separate open spaces in the tank with large decorations, walls of plants or hardscape.

As for the minimum number of bettas, 5 is the consensus from most I've read and that about strokes with my experience, though bigger tank with more hiding spaces = less issues if you have fewer bettas. If you have a smaller tank without a lot of hiding space it would be best to crowd the tank with bettas (so 8+). If you have sisters you may get away with 2-3 if they like and are familiar with each other.


I appreciate the person posting above me with their positive experience but it is really a terrible idea to do a 5 gallon sorority. No matter how heavily you plant it, if two bettas get into a fight there is nowhere to flee. They just have been lucky with their fish which happened to like one another or be extremely peaceful, but this experience is an absolute minority. Most people who try this will end up with dead or extremely stressed fish. Same for doing any number of girls less than 5 in a tank smaller than 15 gallons.
Edit: Let me supplement this with the anecdote posted in a thread on here months ago, where a person kept two male bettas in an undivided 10 gallon for a month without either getting hurt. Sure, great for them, but I can't count on two hands the stories of male bettas ended up dead when put in the same situation (usually accidentally, but not always). One positive story isn't proof that something works.

 

Minimum tank size I think is a five gallon for three Bettas by themselves (you could maybe add one or two snails later on though). I would not recommend starting out with a five gallon though because the Bettas need to get used to each other and that sometimes requires space. I started my three in a 10 gallon and then after about a month or two I moved them to a divided ten. I haven't had any problems, but that sometimes depends on the "squad" of Bettas you have. Each fish has their own personality, and sometimes they don't mix well right away. I would start with 3 Bettas in a 10 gallon.

I don't recommend three bettas at all. With three the same thing can happen as with two. The least dominant gets picked on quite often. It can work for some, but more is recommended as minimum. Generally 5 is a good number to start with. I also wouldn't do more than 1 betta in a 5 gallon. Far too small. I kept my 5 in a 24 gallon. I wouldn't say that I'd do it again despite the fact that it went well. 10 gallons is also too small for me. I think a 30g+ tank would be the smallest I would consider personally. A 20 long would do fine too as a minimum, but I prefer bigger myself. Though if I were to do it again (which I likely won't) I would go for a 50+.

I would do around 8 in a community 30g. More in a 50+. Heavily planted.

 

5 gallon is way too small JMO.

to me that's like putting a pack of wolves in small cave with no means to get out.

When my Koi female targeted the smaller betta, she crossed that 10 gallon in 2 seconds. there was no way the smaller Betta could retreat in a 5 gallon.

It's a 10 gallon I got at walmart and the small fish went immediately to the filter to hide as there's a flow current that is right there.

my 4 small fish are okay in a 10 gallon, but I will be moving the larger sorority sooner than later. Even though they are peaceful, it just isn't right to have a them in such a small tank now. I'm just working out logistics of where to put the 15 or 20 gallon tank I will get them. I will likely need to buy a tank & stand , then find room in the greatroom somewhere, lol

 

5 gallon is way too small JMO.

to me that's like putting a pack of wolves in small cave with no means to get out.

When my Koi female targeted the smaller betta, she crossed that 10 gallon in 2 seconds. there was no way the smaller Betta could retreat in a 5 gallon.

It's a 10 gallon I got at walmart and the small fish went immediately to the filter to hide as there's a flow current that is right there.

my 4 small fish are okay in a 10 gallon, but I will be moving the larger sorority sooner than later. Even though they are peaceful, it just isn't right to have a them in such a small tank now. I'm just working out logistics of where to put the 15 or 20 gallon tank I will get them. I will likely need to buy a tank & stand , then find room in the greatroom somewhere, lol

What works for me may not work for some people, and I'm just trying to help others with their questions. Also, I cautioned in my note that smaller and larger Bettas are likely not to get along. That was part of my point. I understand this is a very controversial topic, but I'm trying to give people as much information as possible because this is such a controversial topic. I understand my comment may make you or others frustrated or angry at me, but it works for me. Every Betta is different, and I think that's the main reason sororities don't work out for some people. In the other hand, it sounds like you have a wonderful setup, and I'm sure you do a nice job taking care of your Bettas have a nice day, good luck with your sorority, and please stop attacking one another in the comments, it doesn't help the person who's asking for advice or help

 

[QUOTE="please stop attacking one another in the comments
[/QUOTE]
No 1 is attacking anyone. what a weird comment. Everyone here is expressing their opinion & experience.

You can be as defensive as you like, but that means nothing when I'm sharing my opinion and experience.

5 gallon tank is very small.
Bettas were bred for fighting.
Any Fish in confined space fight for resources.


None of these comments construes itself an attack.

Animals work off instinct, not reason. Fish are not nice, so the best thing we can do is make their environment physically supportive & stable. You cannot train a dog to be a cat nor a betta to be a neon tetra. You (general use) have to respect the generations of selective breeding your fish was bred for and their traits.

If you understand lizard brain ( subconscious/primal drive mode, humans can consciously experience in high stress), that is how fish live.

 

I know we've had multiple threads on this subject in the past, but wanted to get a current poll posted. So, can multiple female bettas in the same tank (sorority tanks) work long term?

It depends on the conditions and the level of stress and aggressiveness that is genrated.