Is Tihis Even Possible?

[sandie66]

Is it possible to keep 1 male and maybe 5 or 6 females in a tank together either alone or with other tropicals?? I am talking like a 29 gallon tank or bigger.

 

[Cazgar]

No, it has been done, but only in very big heavily planted tanks.
I wouldn't risk it as you may end up with one or more dead fish

 

[Bleuet]

You cannot keep the females together with the male in the same tank. The male and females will fight, it's a bad idea. Other compatible tropical fish are fine though with either the male or the group of females.

 

[OldMan47]

A 29 gallon is far too small for a mixed gender betta splendens tank. Other than splendens, most betta species can be kept together in as little as 10 gallons. For splendens the real question is when is a tank big enough. In the wild, sooner or later a male and female will find each other, so we need to start comparing our tanks to a wild habitat. In the wild, a pond may be 50 feet across and contain a few B. splendens of both sexes. he males only fight when they encounter each other and one or the other soon limps off in defeat. Likewise a non-receptive female may be subjected to serious aggression and need to escape. What we really do not know is how far a male will chase another male or a female that ventures into his territory. A 29 gallon tank is far too small for it to work, but maybe a 6 to 8 foot long tank might work with very small numbers of males and females who seldom find each other. I cannot say from experience because I simply do not experiment that way with my fish, they are my pets.

 

[IdahoAquariumKid]

While it has been accomplished, keeping male and female bettas together for any purpose other than breeding is a bad idea, especially for beginners.

Females can be housed together in groups of 4 or more in heavily planted tanks. These groups are called sororities.
I've managed 4 females in a 10 gallon, so maybe 5-6 in your 29 gallon would make a good sorority... or maybe 4-5 and a few cory cats and other community fish.

If you do decide to do a sorority or a sorority/community tank, make sure it is well planted with lots of hiding spots for the females.