Female betas with other fish?

[HuricaneKatt]

Can you keep a few female betas with other fish? I am considering getting some to go with my dojo loach. Is that ok or will they be too aggressive towards him? If that is ok, what about a few females and one male plus the loach? Or would the male pick on the loach? How many betas in a 20 gallon? Thanks in advance!

 

[Somervell]

Hi! I have unsuccesfully attempted to keep two females in a 20. They fought all of the time. I have heard that this tendency can be reduced by keeping them in trios. I now have them each in her own tank with some mini corys and they do just fine. I would never recommend putting a male in with a harem in a 20 gallon. I think that is probably asking for disaster. I would go with three small females or one male with the loach, depending on the personality of the fish involved.

The bottom line is that it depends largely on the personality of the female betta. You might get lucky and they get on fine. I would just suggest having a back up plan if it doesn't work out. Females can sometimes be just as aggressive with one another as the males. Good luck with the project!!

 

[ODPILOT]

I agree with Somervell above. Female bettas by themselves are peaceful. If you put a male betta in with her -- he will non stop chase her and possibly even kill her unless she's got places to hide and/or until they are ready to mate.

 

[Juice]

No keeping males with females!

I have a community tank and have one female betta in there who is doing great, and the other fish don't seem to be bothered by her at all.
They can be aggressive just like the boy's and if you are going to put 2 or more female's together then I suggest keeping your tank heavily planted with plenty of hiding spots so they can escape each other if any bullying occurs.

I think the females are just as fun as the males =] Good luck.

 

[HuricaneKatt]

So not females together, but they can be ok with other species of fish potentially? I believe that you cannot put a male with other types of fish, correct?
What about having 2 near each other? I saw a little beta tank in the store that was a rectangle with a glass divider in the middle. I have heard of males hurting or killing themselves trying to get at each other when their bowls are too close. Would the same thing apply to say a male/female or female/female pair kept close (but separate) like that? I am toying with the idea of putting a beta in the tank with my dojo, but I am also toying with the idea of putting a beta bowl in my iguana's cage (where it will be safe from being knocked over or pooped on of course) as they love watching colorful things move. lol If I do that it would be fun to have at least 2 but would do little good if the fish killed themselves. lol

 

[Juice]

So not females together, but they can be ok with other species of fish potentially? Females CAN be kept together but like I said need to be provided with plenty of hiding spots and should be kept in a heavily planted tank.


I believe that you cannot put a male with other types of fish, correct?
Yes you can, if your male is docile (which isn't always the case) and plays nice with others. You also need to be sure that the fish he will be residing with don't have long flowy fins (because a male betta might see this as a threat) and they aren't fin nippers because we don't want any shredding fins going on. I really wouldn't attempt this unless you know what you are doing.


What about having 2 near each other? I saw a little beta tank in the store that was a rectangle with a glass divider in the middle.
Betta's need to be provided with a minimal of 2-3gallons per fish the more the better. Those small bowls are inhumane and don't give the these fish the quality of life that they deserve. You can however purchase a 10g tank and fit a divider in the middle and safely and humanely keep one betta on either side.


I have heard of males hurting or killing themselves trying to get at each other when their bowls are too close. Would the same thing apply to say a male/female or female/female pair kept close (but separate) like that? If you are going to attempt this then you need to make sure there is no possible way they can get through to each other or jump over.


I am toying with the idea of putting a beta in the tank with my dojo, but I am also toying with the idea of putting a beta bowl in my iguana's cage (where it will be safe from being knocked over or pooped on of course) as they love watching colorful things move. lol If I do that it would be fun to have at least 2 but would do little good if the fish killed themselves. lol

If your not willing to provide your betta with a heated and filtered tank and just want to put him in a small bowl for the "entertainment" of your iguana, your best bet is to erase this idea all together.

 

[Ara]

I agree with Juice... bowls are not really a suitable home for a betta, they need to be kept in a heated, filtered tank. I would say no less than 2.5 gallons for sure, and personally, i would never put one in less than 5 gallons.. male OR female.

I don't think putting a betta in the inguana tank is really a good idea.. too many risks, and too much chance the betta would lead a very stressed life.

Males and females cannot be put together at all, unless you are breeding and have done your research and set up OPTIMAL breeding conditions.

You CAN, however, mix male bettas with other community fish.. you can also mix female bettas with other community fish.. I have had no problem with either. (See my signature line for my crazy fish mixes.. I have no inter-fish issues..). But, if you go with more than one female betta, it is best to get 4 or more to eleviate aggression.. having only 2 or 3 could mean one gets picked on, but once you have more it "spreads it out" and they can live quite happily together.

Good luck! Personally I adore bettas...

 

[HuricaneKatt]

I do have a small 5 gallon thank with a filter and what not. It would be simple to get a little heater for it. To Juice - please do not jump on me, I am just speculating at the moment and trying to get the facts, collecting all of my info, thank you for the advice. Thank you everyone for the good input.

 

[Juice]

I do have a small 5 gallon thank with a filter and what not. It would be simple to get a little heater for it. To Juice - please do not jump on me, I am just speculating at the moment and trying to get the facts, collecting all of my info, thank you for the advice. Thank you everyone for the good input.

Not jumping on you by any means. I think it's great you are getting all your info together. A lot of people don't take the time to do the research and it usually doesn't turn out too well. Just wanted to stress that bettas deserve a good quality of life just as any other fish and it wouldn't be the best idea to put them in a iguana tank. I'm happy to hear you have a 5g tank, and I think it would make a betta out there really really happy.

 

[Somervell]

I have kept a male betta with corys with no problems. He kind of ignores them, and they kind of run over him. He flares and gets over it. As long as you give an even tempered male enough space, he should be fine. My cory/betta tank is one of my favorites.