Questions About Starting A Female Betta Tank

[SUDDS]

Hello All!

I currently have one cambodian (whih/opaque body, red fins) living alone in a bowl. Her name is Shirley.

I've read up and visited many pet stores looking for all the components of my dream tank

I'd like to try a long 20 gal sorority tank.

But I have a some questions...

1) In a long 20 gal tank, how many should I have? Everyone seems to have mixed views on that special number. I've heard anywhere from 3-8. No matter what, there will by plenty of plants and hiding spaces, that info has been constant. What is your guys' personal experience with x number of fish in a sorority tank?

2) Are there any signs I should be looking for concerning a single aggressive female? I'm afraid to buy more bettas and have this project TOTALLY bomb. I made a total mistake within the first week of having my betta. I put a African Dwarf Frog in the 1 gal tank with my betta. The frog picked on/nipped her and she picked on/nipped him. I separated them immediately and called my sister, who thankfully took in the frog the next day. Is this a sign that she's REALLY aggressive? Or was she just upset to have an intruder in her already small space? Either scenario I'd understand. I just don't want to blow off that whole deal and buy 2-6 more bettas.

3) If it so happens that the community tank is a go, does it matter what size betta I buy to add to the tank? As I said, Shirley is pretty small. Well under 2-3 inches. Would throwing larger bettas in with her just get her hurt or killed? Sadly Wal-Mart is the only store I've seen that has had female bettas this small. All the other local stores have larger (and healthier) looking bettas. I don't mind saving these sad little bettas! But I was just wondering if size matters. Shirley may be small and possibly tough... but a bigger betta can throw their weight around, I'm sure. Also, does color matter? I know each fish is different... but have you generally noticed something about size/color?

and lastly 4) How do I go about introducing them to this new tank? Would it be best to introduce all three of them to the new tank at once? Or put Shirley in first then add the other two later? Or... other?

Thanks much!

 

[Bubblenester]

The bigger the group is, the better they get along. 6+ is good and there is no "upper limit" other than the size of your tank. 1 inch of fish per gallon, and I recently found out that this doesn't include their tail, so a female betta counts as just a little over an inch. You could house maybe 15-18 female bettas in your tank if that's all you had in there!

I haven't found any reliable signs of an aggressive or nonaggressive female- you just have to put them in and see what happens. I have had a few that terrorized the others and had to be separated. Luckily it's not too hard to find housing for a single betta... you just need a bowl! And if you don't want to keep her, chances are you have a friend that will take her in. A local pet shop may also be willing to take her.

In my experience, size doesn't matter as far as aggression. Just as often, it's the tiny girls that bully the big ones! Color doesn't matter either.

I would probably add the females a few at a time... 3 maybe? That way you don't overload the tank while it's cycling, and adding one at a time would probably just be asking for the others to gang up on her.

 

[dmarie04]

I have a 25 gallon sorority and have had as many as 12 females in there at one time. Size doesn't matter when it comes to who is going to be the alpha. Sometimes the little girls whip the big girls into shape! The best thing to do is do a fishless cycle and then add all the fish at once (adding them at different times upsets whatever hierarchy is being established). Make sure there is plenty of plants and caves and hidey holes and then sit on your hands for a couple days. Don't pull out anyone unless they are severely injured. They will fight and nip and establish who is the boss. Once they get that figured out they will be fine (hopefully). If you see one fish being picked on relentlessly and she's getting pretty badly injured, then pull her (not the bully). If you pull the bully fish out then all the other girls will begin to fight to see who gets to fill in for the alpha fish that left.
Good luck I honestly beleive that sorority tanks are the most beautiful tanks there are.

 

[devon_charm]

I agree get you tank cycled then add all at once - if you can only do it a few at a time then you must remove all of the girls re-arange the tank them add them all at once. Make sure that first time round you add 4+ fish and no less as the odd one will get picked on. Good luck and i can't wait to see some pics

 

[merry78]

i am very interested in this too as i am looking for something to replace around 2,387,235,328,556 (maybe not quite that many) growout guppy fry in my 35G when they go out in the next few weeks (been discussing it in a thread in tropical chat, had many different ideas- natives, angels, etc, etc).

one idea that keeps coming back is betta sorority, so i will be very interested in the advice offered in this thread.

 

[SUDDS]

Oh yes, I'm most definitely going to cycle my tank first before any fish go in.

Also, I've heard that you should "quarantine" your fish before you put them in the tank to make sure they aren't going to spread disease and what-not. How long should they be quarantined?

Also, do the quarantine tanks have to be at least 1 gal? or can I do a bit smaller? It's just hard because I have really limited space in my place. I would like to have the 20 gal tank in the living room and that requires a major furniture move.

So if I'm going to buy 7-9 more bettas... I gotta put em somewhere! Would keeping them in something like this or this be totally cruel and unacceptable for that quarantine time?

 

[girl4God81]

I would suggest a tall clear plastic candy type dish with a lid for quarantine. They are bigger and much cheaper than those betta bowls. You can find these at walmart in the tupperware or dish isle. They are clear plastic, and maybe about 9 inches tall and 7 inches wide with a lid that screws on. Gives them a little more room! You can even get a 2.5 gallon glass, rectangular tank with a lid at walmart for about $10.

 

[merry78]

i went to a lfs today that i rarely go to (they are very expensive, but have lots of imported products that you hardly ever see anywhere else), and was checking out their females.

i had tentatively selected five that were quite nice (but very pricey!!) and asked the lfs owner to come and talk to me. I mentioned i was starting a sorority tank, and he gave me an evil look, and said 'you can't keep them together, they'll kill each other'. I thanked him for his concern, explained that i knew what i was doing, had lots of room and hiding places, and would monitor them while pecking order was established, had researched how to keep groups of girls, and was familiar with betta behaviour. he gave me another evil look, told me i was full of crap, and refused to sell them to me.

i can understand his concern and appreciate his morals for not selling fish that he did not believe would be well kept, but man i was annoyed!!! I hate that lfs (third or fourth bad experience in a row at that store), and now will have to drive over an hour to the (great) lfs that is the only other one in my city that i know of that has decent females.

GGGGRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!

 

[lili70]

I have a 25 gallon sorority and have had as many as 12 females in there at one time.
........
I honestly beleive that sorority tanks are the most beautiful tanks there are.

Bravo ! Good job! Could you post a pic ?
I am happy to see succes. I am fighting fin rot in my male betta for .... ever.
L

 

[devon_charm]

You want to print this thread out hun, take it too him and tell him he's full of crap. Ok so yes its great to see an lfs paying concern to its fish but the right information would be better still- yer i think i am asking way to much here lol. Any how i hope you find some nice ones at the other lfs

 

[jourdy288]

Just wondering what other fish can live in an all female tank? Cory cats? Shell dwellers?