I have a 10 gallon with a female betta ( i got her 2 weeks ago) and some other fish. I want to put the other fish in other tanks of mine and start a fem. betta serority in the 10 gal. I need as much information as possible, like how many fish to add and how to go about doing this. Links, advice and personal experience would be appreciated. Thank you.
female betta serority: I need info
- Thread starter sugarloves
- Start date
This link is a great betta resource, http://bettatalk.com/
I have three bettas in 20 gallon tank and they get along just fine. However, they have been together almost since there birth, so they know each other. However, females bettas will develop a pecking order after a while, espeically if they were introducted at different times.
I have three bettas in 20 gallon tank and they get along just fine. However, they have been together almost since there birth, so they know each other. However, females bettas will develop a pecking order after a while, espeically if they were introducted at different times.
aggressive female bettas
Actually, I'm having a female betta pecking order problem, myself. I'm rommel39's girlfriend, and all our other female bettas (I think we've had 6 so far, usually in combos of 3) have always got along fine, with the occasional guarding of certain hiding places.
But tonight I got three female bettas to add to my newly set up (and cycled) 55 gallon tank, and as soon as the three were set loose they went for each other. At first one wandered off and two fought, but after I seperated one, the other two went at it. This was beyond the small-scale gill flaring I've seen before. This was full-fledged betta dance of death.
The only thing that seemed different between these females and the ones rommel39 and I have bought in the past are that these three were seperated into cups at the pet store, whereas our old LFS sold them together in a tank.
For the moment I've got two each separated into clear plastic cups floating in the corners of the tank (anchored to the sides, not floating around). The third has reign of the whole tank. There is still gill flaring if the free one gets near the cups.
What should I do!?!
If I slowly introduce each betta to the tank, will they chill out with each other and find a power structure?
Should I get betta boxes for them?
Or should I try to return them to the store, saying that they are just too aggressive?
Oh, although my five diamond tetras were terrified of the drama of the dueling bettas (they disappeared for about 2 hours), the one betta in the tank has not even taken notice of them - so there does not seem to be aggression to other fish. (My 8 inch pleco was, as usual, oblivious.)
Any advice? Thanks.
Actually, I'm having a female betta pecking order problem, myself. I'm rommel39's girlfriend, and all our other female bettas (I think we've had 6 so far, usually in combos of 3) have always got along fine, with the occasional guarding of certain hiding places.
But tonight I got three female bettas to add to my newly set up (and cycled) 55 gallon tank, and as soon as the three were set loose they went for each other. At first one wandered off and two fought, but after I seperated one, the other two went at it. This was beyond the small-scale gill flaring I've seen before. This was full-fledged betta dance of death.
The only thing that seemed different between these females and the ones rommel39 and I have bought in the past are that these three were seperated into cups at the pet store, whereas our old LFS sold them together in a tank.
For the moment I've got two each separated into clear plastic cups floating in the corners of the tank (anchored to the sides, not floating around). The third has reign of the whole tank. There is still gill flaring if the free one gets near the cups.
What should I do!?!
If I slowly introduce each betta to the tank, will they chill out with each other and find a power structure?
Should I get betta boxes for them?
Or should I try to return them to the store, saying that they are just too aggressive?
Oh, although my five diamond tetras were terrified of the drama of the dueling bettas (they disappeared for about 2 hours), the one betta in the tank has not even taken notice of them - so there does not seem to be aggression to other fish. (My 8 inch pleco was, as usual, oblivious.)
Any advice? Thanks.
female bettas good tankmates?
It's weird, from the experience that rommel39 and I have had with female bettas, I've never seen them have a problem with each other or other fish. (Well, sometimes our blue ram feels a little cranky and doesn't like it if they get near his "area".) But now that I'm reading around here I get the sense that a lot of people have had problems keeping them in community tanks. It's a shame, because I really love how graceful the female bettas are.
It's weird, from the experience that rommel39 and I have had with female bettas, I've never seen them have a problem with each other or other fish. (Well, sometimes our blue ram feels a little cranky and doesn't like it if they get near his "area".) But now that I'm reading around here I get the sense that a lot of people have had problems keeping them in community tanks. It's a shame, because I really love how graceful the female bettas are.
Some female bettas info...
1. Females do fight, they don't like competition (other females), they are not schooling fish. They can blow bubble nests and have been known to even kill males during breeding.
2. If you have females that are from the same spawn, they may still fight if they are not crowded enough. The alpha female is MORE aggressive with less females then when the tank is more crowded. Females also get more aggressive as they age.
3. Females prefer their own space. In nature they DO NOT associate with other females, and would chase each other away. In a tank, there is no place to get far enough away, so they live in constant stress, shortening their lives.
Personal Note:
All my females are seperated before the become adults. They are side-by-side in tanks/jars, but do not have to live in fear of being attacked.
I don't suggest having more than 1 female per community tank.
I think females are as beautiful as males, certainly as colorful if they are not stressed (striping). I have more females than males because they seem to be hardier.
1. Females do fight, they don't like competition (other females), they are not schooling fish. They can blow bubble nests and have been known to even kill males during breeding.
2. If you have females that are from the same spawn, they may still fight if they are not crowded enough. The alpha female is MORE aggressive with less females then when the tank is more crowded. Females also get more aggressive as they age.
3. Females prefer their own space. In nature they DO NOT associate with other females, and would chase each other away. In a tank, there is no place to get far enough away, so they live in constant stress, shortening their lives.
Personal Note:
All my females are seperated before the become adults. They are side-by-side in tanks/jars, but do not have to live in fear of being attacked.
I don't suggest having more than 1 female per community tank.
I think females are as beautiful as males, certainly as colorful if they are not stressed (striping). I have more females than males because they seem to be hardier.
should I return the bettas?
Well it's true that our other female bettas were in smaller tanks with more fish.
I'm not sure what to do with the ones I got last night, though. Right now I don't have the time or the money to set up and maintain betta bowls in addition to my 55 gallon.
I've seen these kind of acrylic boxes that you can suction cup to the inside of your larger tank that confine the bettas. Is this a humane option, or are those boxes too cramped? Would they still leave the bettas stressed from being near the other fish?
Or should I just try to return them to the store, explaining that the three bettas are not compatible with my tank?
By the way, the diamond tetras have regained their composure and are definitely keeping the one loose female betta from entering the lower part of the tank. The female bettas I've had in the past sometimes liked to rest on the bottom under leaves, so I'm sure this is stressing her out.
Ah! I know life is one experimentation after another, but I hate to experiment with other creatures' lives if it isn't necessary.
Thanks for the advice, Iggy.
Well it's true that our other female bettas were in smaller tanks with more fish.
I'm not sure what to do with the ones I got last night, though. Right now I don't have the time or the money to set up and maintain betta bowls in addition to my 55 gallon.
I've seen these kind of acrylic boxes that you can suction cup to the inside of your larger tank that confine the bettas. Is this a humane option, or are those boxes too cramped? Would they still leave the bettas stressed from being near the other fish?
Or should I just try to return them to the store, explaining that the three bettas are not compatible with my tank?
By the way, the diamond tetras have regained their composure and are definitely keeping the one loose female betta from entering the lower part of the tank. The female bettas I've had in the past sometimes liked to rest on the bottom under leaves, so I'm sure this is stressing her out.
Ah! I know life is one experimentation after another, but I hate to experiment with other creatures' lives if it isn't necessary.
Thanks for the advice, Iggy.
You could keep 1 female in your 55, and return the others.
I had return mine the first time I got a pair of females and stuck them in a 3 gallon tank - they fought like crazy.
I tried again with 3 females in a 3 gallon (stupid I know) and there was less fighting but still a lot of chasing. So instead of returning them, I made-up dividers to keep them apart. One of the dividers had a 1/4" x 1/2" slot shaped gap (food slot), and one female jumped (above water line) into the others side and beat the ever-living crap out of the other female. Needless to say, I filled the gap.
Those suction-cup things are notorious for falling down, and I don't like them personally. If you want, use a 5 gallon tank with acrylic or plastic dividers to make 3 compartments.
I had return mine the first time I got a pair of females and stuck them in a 3 gallon tank - they fought like crazy.
I tried again with 3 females in a 3 gallon (stupid I know) and there was less fighting but still a lot of chasing. So instead of returning them, I made-up dividers to keep them apart. One of the dividers had a 1/4" x 1/2" slot shaped gap (food slot), and one female jumped (above water line) into the others side and beat the ever-living crap out of the other female. Needless to say, I filled the gap.
Those suction-cup things are notorious for falling down, and I don't like them personally. If you want, use a 5 gallon tank with acrylic or plastic dividers to make 3 compartments.
My betta issue seems to be somewhat resolved.
I went out of town for the holiday, leaving the three female bettas in their plastic cups - I just didn't have time to do anything about them before I left.
I asked my neighbors to feed my fish, which was a distaster. (I'll start a new thread about that.)
When I got home last night, two of the bettas were out of their cups and in the tank. They seemed to be doing fine with each other. The third was being *poisoned* and *suffocated* by the gross amount of food my neighbors had put in her cup. For a period of five days they must have put over a tablespoon of food in that cup. It was rotting and molding on the top. I had to get her out of there, so I just quickly picked her out of the cup and plunked her in the tank.
She also seemed to not bother with the other two bettas. There was a little gill flaring, but not the fighting that they were all doing before.
So I did a partial water change, vacuuming out all the excess food that the neighbors had dumped in the tank, put some stress coat in, cleaned the entire filter mechanism, and changed the filter pouches. After all that, everyone in the tank picked up steam, and the bettas seemed more interested in each other - but still no fighting.
This morning everyone seemed to be fine. There is an acceptable amount of fin shredage, but no body injuries. Everybody seems to be getting a fair share of food. Things look like they are going to work out. I guess they had to go the hard road to establish their pecking order.
I went out of town for the holiday, leaving the three female bettas in their plastic cups - I just didn't have time to do anything about them before I left.
I asked my neighbors to feed my fish, which was a distaster. (I'll start a new thread about that.)
When I got home last night, two of the bettas were out of their cups and in the tank. They seemed to be doing fine with each other. The third was being *poisoned* and *suffocated* by the gross amount of food my neighbors had put in her cup. For a period of five days they must have put over a tablespoon of food in that cup. It was rotting and molding on the top. I had to get her out of there, so I just quickly picked her out of the cup and plunked her in the tank.
She also seemed to not bother with the other two bettas. There was a little gill flaring, but not the fighting that they were all doing before.
So I did a partial water change, vacuuming out all the excess food that the neighbors had dumped in the tank, put some stress coat in, cleaned the entire filter mechanism, and changed the filter pouches. After all that, everyone in the tank picked up steam, and the bettas seemed more interested in each other - but still no fighting.
This morning everyone seemed to be fine. There is an acceptable amount of fin shredage, but no body injuries. Everybody seems to be getting a fair share of food. Things look like they are going to work out. I guess they had to go the hard road to establish their pecking order.