Bettas and community tanks?

[blueturq]

Nope, I don't mean the contreversial "male betta in a community tank" question LOL!

I was wondering....... Can I keep female bettas in a community tank??

I was also wondering, do female bettas fight eachother like the males do???

Are female bettas hardy and easy to keep?

 

[Iggy]

1. Yes, some female bettas do fairly well in community tanks.
2. Yes, females can fight, especially if space it limited.
3. Yes, females are as hardy as males, they are just not shipped properly (bags filled with C02 and they suffocate) to LFS. I don't have any trouble selling my female fry locally because stores cannot seem to keep the shipped females alive.

I love my female bettas. There just as active and have as much attitude as my males. Some even flare.

 

[blueturq]

would the females fight in say...... a 55 gal or a 75 gal??

 

[Iggy]

I would think 4 or 5 females would be fine in a tank that size. I know a breeder that has about 20 in a 29 gallon. They squabble, but once the pecking order is set, they tend to tolerate each other.

I would not, say... put 3 females in a 3 or 5 gallon tank. One would be dominant, the others would be forced to hide all the time.

The thing to remember will bettas, they are naturally territorial and solitary, only together for breeding. So they really don't like other fish in their space.

 

[Leopardess]

I keep a female betta in my 55g. And I've got to say she is one of my favorite, most peaceful fish

Some dont have the same temperment though. I'd probably only try keeping one, personally, but I bet it'd work.....just keep your eye on it when you add them and make sure you don't have a very aggressive one.

Shameless plug for my cutie :

 

[blueturq]

thanks for the info everyone!

so I guess the temperament varies based on the indvidual fish....

Leopardess that's a beautiful female betta!