Female Betta Fish Aquarium...

Question
Hey, thanks for your answer to my question about the Male Betta and tank setup! It has been very helpful.

One thing that has been interesting me, and I would like to research is keeping a Female Betta Aquarium. Reading that they can be just as flashy as the males and be kept in the same tank with each other (females with females, not males) makes it even more enticing. I have read on sites that you should not keep less than 3 or 4 together because they create a hierarchy and without that, they will fight just as the males do. I also have read on some sites that its not good to keep females together? So I guess that is my main question, but if they can be kept together I have some other questions;

-What size tank should I get if I choose to get a group of Female betta fish? I have heard 1 gallon per 1 inch of fish, but also have heard betta fare just fine in small containers (I don't want to be inhumane =( ), and you have said you don't like keeping any fish in anything less than 10 gallons.

-How many female bettas should you start off with?

-Is there any special way you should introduce the females to each other so that they do not fight right from the start or is that to be expected until the pecking order is worked out?

-Is there anything special I must look into if I want to start a Female Betta aquarium that is different from Male Betta? Do you have any informational sites on keeping Female Betta fish, I am having a hard time finding online sources for this.

Trust me, I have only had my betta for 1 day, and I don't plan on rushing anything, just some thoughts and intrigues I have been having lately. Sorry for all the questions, but I have really been hyped about Betta fish lately! Thanks for all your help, and Zip thanks you too!

Answer
Hey Stephen,

Betta are not particularly hard to keep fish. With females, you CAN mix them with makes. Just bear in mind a male can get confused and attack a female as if she were a male. Generally, females are not as showy as males. They may be colored similar, but their fins are smaller, and less flashy.

In 10 gallons, I could see 5 or 6 females getting along well, so long as there are plenty of hiding places, plants, rocks, and other decor to keep some space between them. Females will create a pecking order, but not as aggressively as males. There is ALWAYS an alpha in a tank. to avoid problems, having hiding places, room, good water, and lots of food when introducing new fish is important. Remember, with semi-aggressive fish, an alpha has more choice then you over whom gets to stay, and who has to leave. Barbs are very similar in this. When introducing a new fish to a barb tank, the new fish is a low level fish. He's picked on by everyone. nipped at, harassed, and excluded, the new fish has to either fight his way in, or be left to die. It's best to go slow and see where the balance point is. You may find one female who wont take any tank mates, you may find a group who will take a hundred. Its all a matter of testing to see what works for your setup.

Introduction is simple, if you start out with a handful. At the pet store, pick out 10 or so and set the cups next to each other. If one female starts to flare up and become angry, don't buy her. after sorting through a dozen cups, pick 4. 4 medium sized fish are harder to take care of, so before you get that far, put your male in the 10 gallon tank for a month or two. this helps reduce the need to cycle, and when you remove him and put in your 4 females, the tank will adjust and balance faster. If you notice one female causing a lot of trouble, get a tank divider and isolate her. you can divide a 10 gallon tank into 5 or 6 sections and keep 6 betta (male or female) safely. adding the male in once a month for a day or two will induce spawning as well! baby betta are fun to keep and raise, but don't go breeding until you have experience first.

Bettatalk.com seems to have a reasonable "learn about" section that i refer people to often. It's worded simple, and covers the important basics. However, sometimes experience is better then research! 20 minutes of googling betta breeding will usually result in a far superior collection of general betta info then googling "betta info" plus you learn how to breed!

Sometimes it's what you search for, not where you search.

Best of luck, and happy fishing!