my bestas

Question
I recently bought two bettas, male and female, and set up about a 2 gallon aquarium for them. I waited to put fish in and had them in their containers next to each other during the two day period. I have not tested the water or anything... I used bottled spring water, which I was told was OK. The male's  fins are starting to get more ragged and shorter. I am concerned about fin rot. But I wonder if the stress of a new aquarium and being with a fleeing female could be a cause of the problem. He flares at her, but does not attack. Then she swims away and this repeats. Could this be causing stress or illness. Or do you think that she could be shredding his fins? Please help. Thanks for your time.


Answer
Hello Beth-

Your bettas are probably fighting with each other, which is why their fins appear to be shortening. Males and females should not be kept together except for when they are being bred, which should only be a max of 2 days. Otherwise, the female will shred the male's tail, and the male may end up killing her.

You need to either separate them or buy a tank divider ASAP, or you might end up with a very bad situation on your hands. 2 gallons is on the small side for two bettas to share, so I would recommend buying a separate tank or returning one of the bettas.

Hope this is useful...
-Amber Worman