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I'd like to set up a small (probably 5 gallon) tank with a few female bettas for my office.

From what I've read they can be pretty agressive with each other when first introduced. What is the best way to avoid this? Or is there any way?

I'm interested in any info about housing females together.

i have 3 females in my 29 gallon, they are great a little flairy, but no nipped fins they also did well in a 10 gallon for a week

Just buy em all from the same tank, that way they already know each other. If thats not possible then just make sure there are lots of hiding places.

ashley

I'd suggest that the smallest group of girls to be kept together would be three. My reasoning behind this is that if you keep two, there's always going to be a dominant girl and one who continually gets picked on. If you have three, the aggression can be spread out.

While most females are less aggressive than males, there most likely will be a dominance issue, so they can figure out where they stand in the heirarchy of the group. You might find a few girls that could work well together, but be aware that there can be some rather aggressive girls.

Having said that, I can say I've successfully kept nine girls together at once, and now have seven in my twenty gallon long. Their personalities are great, even better than their male counterparts. I believe this has to do with being able to interact with other fish.

I'd caution you on a five gallon with three girls... it may not be enough space. I know I've suggested girls in a five gallon before, but you'd have to have a set of very nonaggressive fish. It's possible, however.

Keep in mind that the body of a female betta is, on average, larger than that of a male betta. The male may look bigger because of his finnage, but most of my girls "outweigh" my guys when it comes down to it. On the other hand, they're not huge waste producers, so you should be fine.

~Meow. Thus spoke the cat.~

umm. i have tried to do this,( i have a 10G for them which is about 5, and they still fight) i too have heard of people keeping these fish together just fine, but not me. the only thing i would suggest is to plant ALOT. other than taht, i don't see anything.

I personally had bad luck with keeping female bettas together [link=http://www.fishprofiles.com/files/forums/Labyrinth%20Lounge/42128.html]http://www.fishprofiles.com/files/forums/Labyrinth%20Lounge/42128.html" style="COLOR: #FFCC99[/link] (it's an archived thread so the pics won't show). Many people have good luck though. If you're going to try I'd just make sure to have a backup plan (tank) available in case things go bad.

Here are a couple links to articles on keeping female bettas together:

[link=http://www.petfish.net/amber_betta.htm]http://www.petfish.net/amber_betta.htm" style="COLOR: #FFCC99[/link]

[link=http://www.petfish.net/female_bettas.htm]http://www.petfish.net/female_bettas.htm" style="COLOR: #FFCC99[/link]

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There is water at the bottom of the ocean

Thanks for all the responses and links!

So, I guess it all depends on the individual fish. And unfortunately the LFS keeps them jarred, so it's hard to tell. I think I'll go with a little bit larger tank and three females. I have 2 10's and a 29 if they don't get along.

Do female bettas get along with fancy guppies? I know sometimes the males will get upset with all the colorful fins they have.

I've successfully kept 4 girls in a 5g without a single nipped fin. I picked them out by holding the cups next to one another and watching who showed aggression and who did not. The ones that sat there quietly were the ones I'd take home. Sounds strange, but it worked. There were silk plants in the tank for them to hide in and they seemed perfectly happy.

Racso tried the exact same setup but chose his girls by coloration only. Within a week of adding them all he had to separate them. I'm not saying my plan is fool proof, but our experiences certainly vouch for it

><>Dani<><

As for bettas with guppies... yes, it can be done. In fact, I have MALE bettas in with guppies... one is with six female guppies, the other has lived with three MALE guppies. As you deduced, it's all about temperment and the individual betta.

Gartzenzwerfe's idea is not silly at all... it's an EXCELLENT way to choose bettas. For males, you want one that will flare or at least look interested in another male (an indication of health), for females, especially if you want to keep them together, you're looking for LACK of aggression.

Bettas in cups may get used to their neighbors, so I always pick two cups that are far separated and put them together to see what happens.

~Meow. Thus spoke the cat.~