Male and female Betta in community

I done something stupid, I decided to buy a male Betta fish named Max to add to my planted community tank.

I've read lots of accounts having disasters but also some successes, it's not advised but it's not something impossible that others havn't done before.

This was not an overnight process, this took almost two months!

The community had cherry barbs, bronze and albino cory, GBR and a male and female Honey gourami pair.

These fish are fairly peaceful if kept in their right schools but mixing anabantoideI labyrinths together are usually a bad idea, but being stupid, I did it anyways.

The male was fine for a while but the next day, he had some rips to his fins from the male Gourami so I moved him to my breeder box to heal. After two weeks, I stupidly added some female bettas to the community. Male and female bettas together = big NO NO!!!

The male betta suddenly stopped flaring at my long finned GBR and Honey gouramis so I decided to set him free from his cruel cage and they've been swimming peacefully for almost a month now!

Now I would never recommend anyone to do this, it's cruel for the fish and it hugely depends on their personality, regardless of that, it's not impossible.

My male Betta max somehow had a personality change along with the Honey Gourami Bully and happily sharing the tank with the female bettas, the male and female bettas never had a problem to begin with.

The female bettas kept a pecking order to themselves, and so do the cherry barbs and the honey gourami.

Max's fins are is still healing but hapilly swimming along with everybody and no problems since.

here they are eating an algae wafer.

edit:
I have 3 females in the community, I also have a backup/QT tank if things suddenly goes south.

Species of fish is one thing, but personality of the fish comes on top of that! There are lots of fish that are considered "compatible" but you still get that rouge fish that will terrorise others.

"If it ain't broke, It doesn't need fixing."

 

Gouramis and Bettas are related, Bettas are lone fish (not community material) Male Bettas are loners as well as Females are loners unless you with to have a sorority of females (8 or more) and that's a whole different issue, I would suggest removing the male Betta to his own 5 gallon heated and filtered tank and return the females, unless they are in a sorority tank they don't do well in community tanks either

Things may look fine for a while but eventually that male Betta is gonna snap and you will find dead fish

 

To put it bluntly - this is a recipe for disaster.

I suggest you remove all the Bettas, and give them their own individual tanks.

 

Lol females don't need individual tanks

 

That is true - to an extent.

Females can be kept in sororities of around 8. However, it is extremely difficult, requiring a lot of patience, time, and to a certain extent, luck. You also need a large tank - a good 40 gallons with plenty of hiding spots should any tensions arise.

For example, you cannot put 4 female Bettas in a 10 gallon and expect everything to go swimmingly. Pun intended.

 

Lol females don't need individual tanks

Females have been known to be sometimes more aggressive than males actually.

 

The name gaaammeee~

 

Depending on the fish, females can be great community fish or the worst thing that ever happened to your community. The only fish I would put with males are cories.

 

Wrong, look up Betta sorority guides on YouTube and you'll see them even suggesting up to 6 females in a 10 gallon with no problems.

True, all depends on personalities, and sometimes a male plakat Betta could sometimes end up mixed with the females.

Judy! Judy judy fafudie banana fana fafurie fI fa fo moody!

 

You basically just said the online equivalent of "but the guy at the pet store said it was fine!"

I wouldn't trust three quarters of the "information" presented on youtube. Were there any reliable sources credited by this video?

 

Oh well, when I start having problems, I'll let you know.

 

Wrong, look up Betta sorority guides on YouTube and you'll see them even suggesting up to 6 females in a 10 gallon with no problems.

Bettas in sororities are hit or miss. Sometimes they work out, other times its all out war. Same goes for male betta in a community tank with other fish. Could be fine for months, then wake up to a bunch of dead or beaten up fish one day. Now adding a male and female into a community tank, along with another pair of fish, you have potential for a lot of aggression especially if they decide they want to breed. I'm sure this isn't what you want to hear, but take it for what it is, advice and my personal opinion.

 

Hopefully, you might get lucky and not have any issues - I do wish you luck in that respect. It's curious though. In your original post you repeatedly say that what you are doing is cruel for the fish, you know you shouldn't have done it, male and female Betta's together are big no no's etc etc...

And yet, as soon as i've given you advise regarding the situation, you've gotten quite defensive. Why is that?

This isn't me attacking anyone over anything before anyone suggests I am - it's mere curiosity.

 

It's certainly not suggested, but that doesn't mean it can't be done.

Here's the vid guide

 

He describes them as "water hole" fish, that likely don't prefer vibrant sunlight. I tried the link in the description too - it was blocked.

This is why 90% of the time I treat Youtube advice exactly the same as LFS advice - with a nice big pinch of salt.

 

I personally think it could work, I mean people keep female bettas in sorority tanks all the time, right? I might be a little concerned about breeding, as well as the fact that the male betta and gourami were showing some aggressive behaviors toward each other. IMO, just keep an eye on them very closely, and have a backup ready if one attacks. I think it's normal for the fish to chase each other around a bit, but if they start biting, that's when you may have a problem. A lot of places online say you can keep bettas with other fish, neons and cory cats in particular. If you looked up "betta fish tankmates" you would find a ton of places saying that you can keep a betta with other fish. Like you said, it all depends on personality. My betta has done fine (so far) with two guppies, which is not usually recommended. He might snap, or he might not, but I've got a backup either way. The main place that tells me I shouldn't keep bettas with any other fish (other than on here), is Petco. Good luck and congrats!

 

Wrong, look up Betta sorority guides on YouTube and you'll see them even suggesting up to 6 females in a 10 gallon with no problems.

True, all depends on personalities, and sometimes a male plakat Betta could sometimes end up mixed with the females.

Judy! Judy judy fafudie banana fana fafurie fI fa fo moody!

Frankly, a ten gallon is not sufficient space for the hiding places required to keep multiple females together long term. You really need at least a 20 gallon tank and at least 3 hides per fish and the more fish, the better. It's really not possible to keep fewer than 5 girls together without one of them eventually pecking the other to death. As you can see, 3 hides per fish for 5 fish in a 10 gallon tank - won't work. The footprint is not big enough.

If there is any question about what happens when a male and female betta are in a tank together, have a look at the videos and photos all over this site on betta breeding. It WILL happen and you WILL regret having housed them together.

While it's possible to keep a true harem tank, it requires a lot more space than this tank provides. It also requires the same type of setup as a sorority and a large number of females. So sure, this looks like it's working in the video. The fish are all conveniently distracted by an algae wafer and not bothering each other. But this is a new setup. Things are not going to stay how they are now.

For reference, here is a video I took of one of my m/f pairings (I am intentionally trying to breed, which is why my fish are being housed together)


And here is a before/after photo of what one of my females did to one of my males in the breeding tank (albeit a bad photo). He ended up dying shortly after the damage.




For the sake of the fish, I sincerely hope you'll separate them into appropriate housing. The male at least. If the females are doing okay (one of yours has really bad stress stripes so I would think this is not the case) you could potentially get more and keep the sorority in your community tank. But I wouldn't recommend it.

 

Frankly, a ten gallon is not sufficient space for the hiding places required to keep multiple females together long term. You really need at least a 20 gallon tank and at least 3 hides per fish and the more fish, the better. It's really not possible to keep fewer than 5 girls together without one of them eventually pecking the other to death. As you can see, 3 hides per fish for 5 fish in a 10 gallon tank - won't work. The footprint is not big enough.

If there is any question about what happens when a male and female betta are in a tank together, have a look at the videos and photos all over this site on betta breeding. It WILL happen and you WILL regret having housed them together.

While it's possible to keep a true harem tank, it requires a lot more space than this tank provides. It also requires the same type of setup as a sorority and a large number of females. So sure, this looks like it's working in the video. The fish are all conveniently distracted by an algae wafer and not bothering each other. But this is a new setup. Things are not going to stay how they are now.

For reference, here is a video I took of one of my m/f pairings (I am intentionally trying to breed, which is why my fish are being housed together)


And here is a before/after photo of what one of my females did to one of my males in the breeding tank (albeit a bad photo). He ended up dying shortly after the damage.
View attachment 165639View attachment 165640

For the sake of the fish, I sincerely hope you'll separate them into appropriate housing. The male at least. If the females are doing okay (one of yours has really bad stress stripes so I would think this is not the case) you could potentially get more and keep the sorority in your community tank. But I wouldn't recommend it.

So the male is being housed with the entire sorority? I've heard that more fish in the tank can lower aggression levels, because it would even out the attention given to each fish from each fish. Which makes sense, because I suppose it would make the more "aggressive" fish less likely to single out an individual and stress that one fish out exclusively.

 

I don't know how the OP's fish are housed. I only saw two female bettas in the video, though.

Regardless, no amount of females should be housed permanently with a male in a tank this size. If he doesn't kill one of the females, they will probably turn on and kill him.

 

^This exact scenario occured in the video the OP linked - Some more proof it's generally a bad idea/why Youtube is generally a bad source of information.

 

You mean the video where the user says there's a 10% chance of a female betta being aggressive, and that bettas are carnivores, and calls it "schooling them up?".

That guy clearly knows very little about bettas. Female bettas are 100% as aggressive as males. The difference is they exhibit submissive behavior occasionally, particularly towards each other and male bettas, and are short-finned so they can get away from enemies, therefore are not forced to attack. They do not school. Ever. With anything or anyone, especially each other. And they are not carnivores, they are primarily insectivores that will also feed on small crustaceans in the wild.

 

I don't know how the OP's fish are housed. I only saw two female bettas in the video, though.

Regardless, no amount of females should be housed permanently with a male in a tank this size. If he doesn't kill one of the females, they will probably turn on and kill him.

I mean, how were your fish housed when you bred them? Did you put the male in with other females, or was it just the two of them?

 

I mean, how were your fish housed when you bred them? Did you put the male in with other females, or was it just the two of them?

Betta breeding is a long, complicated process with specific parameters and not appropriate to this thread. If you want to know more about how one sets up a breeding tank for bettas and how one entices them to breed, I'd check out the stickies at the top of the betta forum

I posted those photos and video to illustrate what generally happens when a female betta is with a male betta.

 

It kind of drives me crazy when people say "blah blah is a bad idea but I tried it anyway" But its a bad idea so don't you try it!! I'd like to also point out that I can think up some stupid idea right now, and then find information on the internet backing up that idea. However, its no less of a stupid idea.

 

From what I've read online (Lol I'm always researching something online!), male bettas can be housed in sorority tanks, but it is risky. If you like to play it risk-free, then it wouldn't be such a good idea. But if you are prepared to take care of things if something goes wrong, and you accept that you might have to deal with frustration and heart-break, well then, go for it! Technically, there is no written guarantee on this, so this might go up in flames, or you might end up with one of the most interesting tanks ever. We'll be here to help you even if it does go wrong, but in the end, you must the make the decisions because you, not me or anyone else on here, but you will be the one living with your fish and whatever decision you make. Some people like to play it safe, and some prefer to take risks. You are only one that truly knows your fish best, so you'll make the right decision.

It kind of drives me crazy when people say "blah blah is a bad idea but I tried it anyway" But its a bad idea so don't you try it!! I'd like to also point out that I can think up some stupid idea right now, and then find information on the internet backing up that idea. However, its no less of a stupid idea.

You try it, and receive whatever consequences come with it, be they good or bad. If someone tried a bad idea and got bad consequences, then they will most likely make a better decision next time. Besides, what may be a bad idea for some people might not be a bad idea for someone else, it really depends on the situation and details.

 

From what I've read online (Lol I'm always researching something online!), male bettas can be housed in sorority tanks, but it is risky. If you like to play it risk-free, then it wouldn't be such a good idea. But if you are prepared to take care of things if something goes wrong, and you accept that you might have to deal with frustration and heart-break, well then, go for it! Technically, there is no written guarantee on this, so this might go up in flames, or you might end up with one of the most interesting tanks ever. We'll be here to help you even if it does go wrong, but in the end, you must the make the decisions because you, not me or anyone else on here, but you will be the one living with your fish and whatever decision you make. Some people like to play it safe, and some prefer to take risks. You are only one that truly knows your fish best, so you'll make the right decision.

In a 55 gallon tank or something with a similar footprint, sure, you can have a harem. As I mentioned, it's possible, but not in a tank this size. Somebody is going to get hurt.

 

My Experience with Bettas in community tank is mixed, I had a male Betta that peacefully lived with Tetras (neons) and some barbs for 5 years, when he passed, I stupidly got another Betta, after he was introduced my neons and barbs started vanishing, so as with people personalities fish to have their preferences and each time you try its like playing Russian roulette, but instead of gambling with money its lives your playing with

 

My Experience with Bettas in community tank is mixed, I had a male Betta that peacefully lived with Tetras (neons) and some barbs for 5 years, when he passed, I stupidly got another Betta, after he was introduced my neons and barbs started vanishing, so as with people personalities fish to have their preferences and each time you try its like playing Russian roulette, but instead of gambling with money its lives your playing with

I'm not going to get another betta either for my community tank either once the one I have dies. I might get another one, but not for the community tank.

 

This thread is getting out of hand lol. This process almost took two months of careful experimentation, it didn't just happen overnight.

I have a spare cycled tank if things go wrong, but so far, Max decided he wants to be peaceful and the rest of his fish family agrees with him.

Fish Species compatibility is one thing, but personality comes on top of that straight after!

 

Personalities can work out for a while yes, but fish can decide they don't like each other for whatever reason. They are as unpredictable as people.
So if it's working out for you that's great. Just be wary and remember having a plan B in case it ends up going wrong later isn't a bad thing.

 

Always always always check your sources

 

This thread is getting out of hand lol. This process almost took two months of careful experimentation, it didn't just happen overnight.

I have a spare cycled tank if things go wrong, but so far, Max decided he wants to be peaceful and the rest of his fish family agrees with him.

Fish Species compatibility is one thing, but personality comes on top of that straight after!

Where there are people there will be drama and different opinions. It is the unbendable law of the jungle.

 

This thread is getting out of hand lol. This process almost took two months of careful experimentation, it didn't just happen overnight.

I have a spare cycled tank if things go wrong, but so far, Max decided he wants to be peaceful and the rest of his fish family agrees with him.

Fish Species compatibility is one thing, but personality comes on top of that straight after!

If you are going to be upset when we try to help you then don't ask. Sorry if that came off as rude but someone had to say it.

 

If you are going to be upset when we try to help you then don't ask. Sorry if that came off as rude but someone had to say it.

I think ARTPOP may've meant with all the debating that it was getting out of hand.

 

This thread is getting out of hand

Agreed.
Thread closed