Creating A Betta Soroity Help Required

[nortonmad213]

hi. so i currently have a 170l tank which i plan on closing and starting again with bettas.
i was wondering how difficult it will be to do this and if i will be able to etc.
i know i have to have less flow?
lots of little hide aways seperate terrotories?
is sand substrate ok?
do they eat a special kind of food?
how many would i be able to have in this size tank?
thanks
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[henningc]

Most of the time female bettas are not too aggressive with eachother.  You should be aware there are some females that act more like males as they are very territorial.  I think you could safely put 10-14 in that size tank.  I would highly recommend that you add a lot of floating debris such as live or plastic plants.  Driftwood that can be arranged vertically is also used and they seem to feel secure around it.
 
One more suggestion, I would look into getting a few Endlers females to provide a source of live food-fry.  If you want the females to really color up and be robust this is the key.  I'd also get some cory cats or small loaches for the bottom.  Mine live with several marbled crayfish and there has never been a problem.  The crayfish are my clean up crew.

 

[nortonmad213]

thanks for your reply.
i thought it would be around that number but i have read that it is better to overstock than to understock setting up a soroity?
i already have a few amazon frogbit and that number fluctuates as i give some away.
im in the process of building some 'floating' platforms that attach to the side of the tank.
i already have dwarf chain loaches.
can they live in harmony?
thanks again

 

[Wildbetta]

With a tank of that size which is aprox 45US gallons, I would go with at the least 25 female bettas.  You would need quite a bit more plant cover and decor/caves than what is in the picture.  Betta sororities work out better when they are a bit "crowded" rather than understocked.  The mentality is like some cichlids in that the aggression is leveled out with the more females you have in there.  Female bettas are aggressive and actually can be more so than males.  They do not form "territories" like a male which is why they can be kept in groups but they do form a hierarchy that does keep alot of the aggression down once it is figured out.  Like with all domestic bettas, I suggest a good all around pellet food for bettas with treats of frozen brine shrimp/bloodworms on occasion.

 

[majerah1]

Agree with Wild Betta on the setup and number of females. 

 

[nortonmad213]

ok i will buy lots more plants
i was thinking of building some floating platforms that stick to the side of the tank/rock
is that a good plan or not?
and i will stock on those foods thanks a lot

 

[majerah1]

Sure, it will give the girls more places to explore. I have found you can take the plastic soap dishes with the suction cups and place them in there for several planted platforms or cave like dwellings. 

 

[nortonmad213]

the plastic soap dishes are a great idea wouldnt of thought of that thanks a lot
will definatley look into it

 

[tunagirll]

In regards to the actual adding of females, try to add the most placid behaving ones first and work your way up to the most agressive - this has been reported to work best. They do need to be added in one 'hit' with some time between additions. If you stop and then add more later, the first ones introduced will be territorial towards the newcomers.
 
Lots of plants to break up line of sight, plenty of caves and hidey holes, will help reduce bickering. You should also be aware that once established it's a bad idea to disturb the status quo.
 
Consider getting a group of young sisters from a breeder, that way they have grown up together and you are less likely to have problems.
 
25 platinum dumbo half moon females would look pretty amazing!

 

[nortonmad213]

how much time would you say would be best to give each one some time to herself?
buying plants the weekend hope it goes well
unsure what he has at the minute.

 

[tunagirll]

About half an hour between additions is what I've been told

 

[nortonmad213]

ok thanks