PleAsE HeLP! Betta Fish 10 gal. Sorority Tank

[Ava-Kay]

Hey,
I have a 10-gallon fish tank that I don't know what to do with exactly. I think that I want to have a betta fish sorority tank. Let me know if you have any ideas or any objections to this idea. I have several questions, it would be amazing if you could help me out by answering questions below.

1. How many (female) bettas should go into a 10-gallon tank?
2. Will I need a filter? If so, what kind?
3. What are the requirements for a sorority tank?
4. Where should I get the bettas? (I'm in North FL)

 

[FreshyFresh]

A 10g isn't going to offer a ton of space, but I'd think 3 female bettas would be a safe bet. I've got 3 in a 29g with some other fish. It's important to keep decor so they can get out of one another's way and hide if needed. It's pretty common for them to shove each other around. Soft plants, or preferably, live plants is best for them given the way they like to shove themselves in/around decor. They love plants for this reason.

 

[Ava-Kay]

A 10g isn't going to offer a ton of space, but I'd think 3 female bettas would be a safe bet. I've got 3 in a 29g with some other fish. It's important to keep decor so they can get out of one another's way and hide if needed. It's pretty common for them to shove each other around. Soft plants, or preferably, live plants is best for them given the way they like to shove themselves in/around decor. They love plants for this reason.

Thanks, what filter do you recommend?

 

[Ava-Kay]

What filter would you suggest?

 

[authmal]

Aquaclear AC 20 is a good bet.

 

[OrionGirl]

JMO, but a 10 is too small for a group of female bettas. It would fine in terms of bioload, but it is not enough space to let each girl claim space, or retreat from a confrontation. You're going to end up with injuries.

 

[dougall]

I would also have a plan-b any time you are trying to create a 'sorority'

many times the fish will not all get along, irrespective of what you do to introduce them to your aquarium... They are the same fish as the 'Siamese fighting fish' after all.

Having a second tank to use, in case of problems is always a good thing, having lots of hardscape/plants to break the line of sight would be another.

 

[FreshyFresh]

Excellent points above. Sometimes no matter what you do, one or more female bettas will be in hiding most of the time...Or worse.

With the 3 in my 29g, one is only out to grab food because the other two don't tolerate it. This one is much smaller than the other two.

I originally had 4. They were an unplanned PetSmart purchase. I was in for something else and they happened to have some female bettas marked at ~$2/ea, so I bought them. One didn't make it but a few days.

As authmal suggested, a small AquaClear hang-on-back filter would be my choice if you want a HOB. These wont take up any interior space aside from the little pickup tube which is important for a tank as small as a 10g IMO. There's all kinds of no name, mail order HOBs on eBay if you wish. Some nifty hang on back mini canister style too.

 

[Ava-Kay]

Thanks, Everyone! I went out and bought 3 female bettas around the same size. I haven't put them in the tank yet because I read that you should float them a bit every day for about a week and I also read you should cycle the tank for about 10 days before putting them in. I'm gonna be getting a 20g or bigger tank eventually. The 10 gallon is temporary. I have a plan B if I need it but I'm optimistic. If anyone has any tips for this, that'd be great!

 

[FreshyFresh]

You'll have to read up on drip acclimation if that's something you want/need to do. Floating them a bit for a week? As far as I know, that's not a thing.

Establishing a nitrogen cycle from scratch takes 4-6 weeks, not 10 days. Read up on cycling or nitrogen cycle, get yourself a water parameter test kit like the API master test kit and a bottle of Seachem Prime or other quality tap water conditioner.

An easy way through the nitrogen cycle process would be to use a well established filter on your 10g that came from a healthy, long established tank, or use a sock of gravel out of an established tank.