2 MALE BETTAS in the SAME TANK | 2 Years Later

2 Years ago I shared the video of my 2 Male Bettas living in the same Tank after some babies somehow survived all by themselves to grow up in my planted community aquarium with their Dad, 90K views later, it is my most searched aquarium video topic. This is the 2 year update.
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[@marypaigeflynn4512]

I remember watching the original video and being just amazed! It also made perfect sense to me with the tank being large enough and heavily planted with lots of plants at the surface!! I remember the betta police getting their feathers in a ruffle and it was very obvious that they we're not paying attention to the conditions in which this will work!! I think one of the best videos around on a topic that can be sometimes misunderstood! It really is the same situation with betta sororities. It's been put out there that females can live together but they can be just as and even more aggressive as males at times, if they don't have the proper space and plenty of plants to break their line of sight so they all can have their own little territories!; Fantastic video Colin!! I hope you're having a wonderful and blessed day my friend! Thank you for sharing 🙏❤️🌿🐟🌿🥰

[@AussieAquatic]

Wonderful comment as always Mary, little fish that thrive in big tanks :)

[@marypaigeflynn4512]

@@AussieAquatic 🙏❤️💟🌿🐟🌿✨🥰

[@anti_veronica522]

this is so interesting to me!! I have a betta sorority in my 55gal and have had it for over a year, doing well. yesterday, the two males in my 20gal with a divider jumped into the same side and have been together peacefully. one is more dominant and the other swims away without issues. im tempted to take out the divider and let them enjoy the space together and they’re both fairly docile. it’s a heavily planted tank with floating dwarf water lettuce at the surface. thank you for sharing this insight!!

[@AussieAquatic]

Manners improve with space and heavily planted with floating plants. These poor little fish don't deserve being trapped in tiny homes for their whole lives. I'm glad you found the video :)

[@markiemark8589]

i have 10 males and 14 females in one tank and they all get on great even lay togeter on leaves no trouble at all

[@ibrahimwadood5995]

How big is your tank?

[@silverdragon5056]

@@ibrahimwadood5995he prop has em in a big as pond

[@VicBeatz]

​@@silverdragon5056😂😂

[@NinjtechPro]

Lol we just introduced a smaller beta with our much larger martyrs beta and it fucked our young guy up. After a week it was missing parts of its tail fins and hid far away from its neighbor. The other bets on the other hand, was unscathed and intact was prettier than ever.

[@jdl713]

You know how store-bought fish don’t fight in the store? Yeah, cause they’re too overcrowded that the aggression is deemed not worth it. But yes, that same tank will have floating fish every now and then

[@Lazarusthefishboy]

Very good points there Colin! Awesome video and the tank with the 2 male bettas looks so good! Congrats on the success with the bettas! Keep up the great work man! 👍

[@AussieAquatic]

Thx for the support my Aussie mate, always appreciated 🙂👍

[@jordanmangiafico2919]

This video is amazingly made! It shows how beautiful and fascinating Betta fish are and also how misunderstood they also are . They are natural fighters but with a little TLC from a amazing betta owner like you they can live happily amongst one another( even the grumpy men)

[@AussieAquatic]

Thank you very much! Yep, men are all pretty Grumpy living in little bowls, give us the wide open spaces :)

[@traviskeetui]

This was the exact video i was looking for cause i heard what i needed to hear 😊...thank you for this ...

[@AussieAquatic]

I'm glad you found it helpful, thanks for watching and commenting :)

[@JonVlogs123]

Good info, one of the most interesting videos about bettas on KZbin. :)

[@AussieAquatic]

Glad you enjoyed it 😊👍🏻

[@marypaigeflynn4512]

I agree👍✨❤️

[@DanielKeepingFish]

Good points mate and part of a much wider conversation than many giving advice normally dip their toe into. For me in fish keeping there is rarely one answer to a question and often what works for someone is a different experience for someone else so the most important message I took from this is research is important but the popular opinion is not always the only scenario. 👍💙

[@jackanddan]

Hear Hear Mates👍👍👍

[@AussieAquatic]

I also think the behaviors we see in larger tanks, are very different than what new fish keepers experience in 10 gal starter tanks, the Red tail shark is a classic example.

[@maryfinnegan4198]

I was shocked to see how true this is. My 2 are in my long shallow pond by my porch So peaceful actually. They may pass but they flare and then move on. It's so neat man.

[@AussieAquatic]

These little fish deserve to live their lives in bigger tanks 🙂👍

[@Yourman_Sam]

Wow what a beautiful tank and thank you for the video

[@AussieAquatic]

Glad you liked it :)

[@sydcable1]

This video helped me feel way more comfortable about the two males I have together. One adult suffered from Popeye and I put him in another tank with a juvenile and they have been fine together for weeks. They both have their own floating caves and I think that definitely helps

[@AussieAquatic]

Great to hear :)

[@dclx5i]

can you share a reference of the floating caves you mentioned?

[@ozpinoy]

I miss my white halfmoon "Albion", he would rub on my fingers and lay on my palm.

[@VeeBowman]

That is so sweet.😢 I'm sorry for your loss.

[@Chonsta]

im going to try this in my 37g with my veiltail and crowntail. Thank you for giving me the confidence to try it out 👍

[@AussieAquatic]

Make sure there are lots of floating plants for them to disappear into when wanted.

[@mraquaticnews5676]

Interesting points! Good footage

[@AussieAquatic]

Glad you enjoyed it :)

[@UltimaDoge]

Thanks for your great video mate! I just bought two female Bettas, or at least I thought so. Well to be fair the clerk told me that it’s hard to say for certain that these female, and there IS a chance that one or even both are male actually. So long story short: I put a young male and a young female into the tank with my adult male betta. He’s pretty chill with the female (of course) but he immediately started showing his coat of arms to the second. There’s no fighting yet, I guess they’ll figure their territory’s out. It’s a 120L tank, so there’s LOTS of space for them.

[@AussieAquatic]

Lots of space, that's the key. Boss will be boss and junior will do his own thing elsewhere in the tank. Bettas do well with floating plants in the tank, where they stalk prey and disappear at will.

[@northwestlife2794]

Wow what a great video! Thanks for all the info! What size your aquarium? How long did it take to get all that growth and life?

[@AussieAquatic]

Glad you enjoyed it. This is a 3 foot tank and it is many years old. A dense planted tank can take 3 - 6 months to really get going.

[@joseserrao9287]

thank you for this video i really needed this now I can gat more then one male Batta fish for my 20 gallons

[@AussieAquatic]

Probably not, 20 gallons is still likely too small to work out. The fish I had living together were in a 30 gallon and were a family of father and sons.

[@nellygmclean9069]

I love your video please make more

[@AussieAquatic]

thx :)

[@curlmecrazi]

Amazing 🎉

[@AussieAquatic]

small tank bad, bigger tanks good :)

[@maromartinez2724]

Tried a sorority of 4 in a 55 long and they all picked each other off like hunger games

[@AussieAquatic]

that's sad to hear :(

[@bagelforscale3306]

Good video

[@AussieAquatic]

Glad you enjoyed it :)

[@duncanfraser9979]

I have a 105l biorb (round tank) and have floating plants, a rather large centre piece and some driftwood and plants at the bottom am I wondering if I should try to add 2 males,(also have my 60l I could use as a back up in the case of needing to re home one of them) any thoughts on this? Cheers Duncan

[@AussieAquatic]

Hi Duncan, in my experience a male betta trys to keep an area of 18" to 24" as his own personal territory. So the surface area is more important than the tank volume.

[@matthewsadiwskyj763]

Great info. Does your Red Tail Shark go after the Bettas? I know they can get pretty aggressive. I was thinking of getting one, but was worried that once it gets to its full size (about 6 inches) it will kill or damage the fins of the Betta.

[@AussieAquatic]

Tank size is critical, both for the shark and the betta. Behaviors are not good in small tanks of 20gal or less. Mine are in a 30gal tank with lots of plants to block line of sight, and it works fine :)

[@Abergine]

How large is your tank? Its gorgeous!

[@AussieAquatic]

it's not big, or small, just somewhere in the middle, 3 foot 35 gals :)

[@moonman2216]

Mine is a 26 gallon. With lots of plants wondering if it’s enough for 2 males. What do you think? Guess I’d have to try.

[@AussieAquatic]

I'm thinking it's on the edge. One size bigger tank for sure, the 26 gal maybe, but watch carefully, it could be too small 🤔

[@josephcollins7899]

I am just started to become really interested in Fish keeping and I am planning on buying a bigger tank later this year. Probably around 40 gallons. This will be a fresh water tank of course. My question is, with enough rocks, plants, etc would I be able to put 2 male Betta's in that with them not necessarily getting along but co existing and respecting each others space? I was also thinking of getting a group of females. So i think my choices are either 1 male and 4-5 females or just 2 males. What do you think? Because as I said, I am just starting out

[@AussieAquatic]

Hi Joseph, a 40 gal tank is perfect for what you are thinking about, and would work fine. For Betta fish, the floating plants that have some nice hanging roots, make the perfect habitat where they all can have privacy and disappear from view when they want to. Water sprite, Indian fern, water lettuce and Frogbit are ideal. They are a hunting fish and spend a lot of time in the plants looking for insects to ambush.

[@dennisparis3572]

Blue lobster

[@Gilsfishroom]

Do you think this would still be the case if your tank wasn't planted and they had to look at each other all day? Very interesting topic Colin.

[@AussieAquatic]

The thick surface plants are very important for happy Bettas IMO, but I watched these fish looking at each other often, without feeling the need to start a chase. They would flare at each other if they were too close and then move apart.

[@Gilsfishroom]

Must make for a very interesting tank to watch.

[@AussieAquatic]

@@Gilsfishroom community tanks are non-stop action and excitement 😁👍🏻

[@tiffanyclark-grove1989]

this is a weird topic, it’s weirdly, shaded and prejudiced, and it’s crazy because betta fish are so bred that they don’t necessarily maintain their original characteristics.. like I bought my betta fish out of a community tank and they are super wimpy and neverattack anything. if anything, they are the victims they’re certainly not the aggressor’s lol I use my Betta tank for post-quarantine..when the fish isn’t big enough to go into the bigger community tank. I have a little Sarasa comet goldfish in with my betta. The goldfish is 1/3 of the size of my betta and my Betta acts territorial but very kind; like never nips or attacks or anything. He acts like he’s proud to Lord over this little tiny fish. also, my Betta fish is a wimp so if the school fish can’t survive food competition with this betta (who lets everything drop, unless I hand feed it directly to his mouth) then it will never be able to survive in the goldfish tank. but my betta is still young, so that probably will change somewhat

[@AussieAquatic]

I think like people, they are a mixed bunch when it comes to nastiness, but the bigger the tank, the more they play nicely :)

[@tiffanyclark-grove1989]

@@AussieAquatic Just got a 55 G I am unstoppable 😄

[@ProductRandomReviews]

So I have a question. I have a 10 gallon tank with so much green it looks like a jungle. Do you think two males can be in a 10 gallon with good coverage from plants or is it just not enough space?

[@AussieAquatic]

I'm going to say not enough space, in my experience 1 male takes about 2 feet of tank as territory.

[@ProductRandomReviews]

@@AussieAquatic So my main tank had a male and female a few months back (now has one additional male). They had babies. I separated 5 babies in a jar (one died) and of the ones in the main tank, all but one lived which became about 1 inch long and bright red. I put Bright Red and his siblings from the jar in a 2.5 gal tank with plants for a few months (they have not grown much more, Bright Red being the biggest at 1.2 inches). The babies are now about 8 months old. I recently had the babies tank full of food (because of my son who is 5 years old), so I had removed them and put them back into the main tank. Besides for the new female chasing them out of interest but not fighting them, their parents are nice to them all. I had them there for about 2 days and then returned them to their tank after I did some water changes to it. But yesterday I bought a new male and female for a tank I plan to setup. I did not have a chance to set it up so I returned the babies back to the main tank and put the new male and female adult in the babies tank. I wonder how long the babies can remain with their parents and be ok. It is just a 10 Gal but it is a super jungle. I have a video of it on my channel, but it is even more dense now with growth.

[@AussieAquatic]

@@ProductRandomReviews In every case, the more dense the plants can be the better they behave :)

[@bishrob345]

My Betta Girls do not mind a male in the tank but my Pearl Gourami's are deathly afraid of male bettas. Drop one in and they go berserk scrambling to the corner of the tank. That was a FAIL. My Pearls have Trust issues; the bettas and the Pearl Gourami's, Pearl Danios all live with a male Reeve's Turtle and he is rambunctious - King Ghidorah. As all my turtles are named for the King of the Monsters era.

[@AussieAquatic]

LOL..........turtles Rule!!

[@Pat_Fenis396]

Hi, do you think this relationship could work in a 10 gallon tank? with enough plant cover? thanks

[@AussieAquatic]

No, the territory for a male betta would be the whole 10 gal tank, there would be no room to share.

[@Pat_Fenis396]

@@AussieAquatic great thank you!

[@bethanyvermilyen2309]

I have 2 males in a 10gallon tank but there is a net down the middle so they each have their own side with lots of plants and what not….my question is can I add more fish into each side? I would like to add more fish I’m just not sur

[@AussieAquatic]

@@bethanyvermilyen2309 Yes you can, little tetras and corydora catfish are good choices :)

[@pacae911]

Hi 👋 One question . What size is your aquarium for your 2 betas males ? 40 gallons 50 gallons 60 gallons ????????

[@AussieAquatic]

That tank was 30 gallons, 3 foot long. It looks like the dominant male is happy with a territory around 2 feet in size to patrol.

[@pacae911]

@@AussieAquatic thanks for answered

[@ShatteredLovesRaspberries]

is 10gal enough for 2 males? I put one in before the other :(

[@AussieAquatic]

10 gal is a No. It is OK as a temporary tank for 1 male and 1 female to breed, and then separate.

[@valeriemartinez7028]

I have one male betta . do i need to get a female for him. he's making bubbles in the corner.

[@AussieAquatic]

You don't have to necessarily. He is saying he's on the market and looking for love. As you know love can get complicated, and these little fish have a quick 24 hour hookup most times, if a female is already ripe with eggs and also looking to hook up.Then it's bye bye I need my own space, see you later. If your tank is 3 foot or bigger they have plenty of space to live as friends permanently. Smaller tanks, it's hook up and bye, bye.

[@jayantharaj6121]

How many gallon tank do I need to have 2 beta fish?

[@AussieAquatic]

from 30gals or larger.

[@mikelikeafridge]

Hi there, I have a 3ft long tank that’s about 15 gallon. Would that be too small to keep 2 male bettas?

[@AussieAquatic]

it's possible, but it will depend on the type of betta, the boys with longer fins will not chase very far, but the shorter fin types will chase further and faster before they stop. Lots of floating plants with hanging roots makes a perfect hideaway from trouble.

[@mikelikeafridge]

@@AussieAquatic thank u for the advice!

[@user-gg2qb8un3i]

4ft tank what numbers would u look at??

[@AussieAquatic]

No more than 2 males, but a nice group of females to impress :)

[@bodmongamers]

What kind of plants do you have in your tank?

[@AussieAquatic]

Two types of Java ferns, Broad leaf and Crested "Windelov", Cryptocorynes and Lace fern :)

[@Iffathsmind1234]

Will a 10g tank be enough for 2 bettas ?

[@AussieAquatic]

No, it would 100% only be large enough for 1 male. You can breed Bettas in a 10 gal, but the female would have to be moved out after breeding.

[@BeefyZawg]

Is it possible to get my male betta fish to stop getting so aggressive around her?

[@AussieAquatic]

The answer is only when she has enough space to disappear, like in a large tank like a 40 gal with floating plants, or take her out if the tank is too small. The male is no doubt wanting to mate, but if she is not full of eggs and ready, then she will only be harassed, unless she can swim away and disappear.

[@BeefyZawg]

@@AussieAquatic the thing is he doesn't really even attack her he just flaps his Finn's and puffs out his gills and I don't want to take the chance on him hurting her, I have a 5 gallon tank so im probably gonna take one out than

[@AussieAquatic]

That's breeding behaviour where he is showing her how big and powerful he is, so she will mate with him, if she has eggs and is ready, she will, but then she needs to be moved out. 5 gals is too small for them to live together.

[@Siobhan-swanny]

If they are wild the behaviour are way more aggressive

[@AussieAquatic]

They still fundamentally defend a territory and stop at the boundary of the territory. They don't typically chase and chase each other over long distances.

[@nellygmclean9069]

How many bettas can i have in a 55 gallon tank

[@AussieAquatic]

you can keep a large group in a tank that size, 3 males and plenty of females :)

[@ashlynbarcklay6704]

Will a 40 gallon be ok for 2 male bettas

[@AussieAquatic]

That is enough space, next is plenty of floating plants for the fish to "disappear" into, and good to go. Water Sprite/Indian fern are fantastic floating plants to use.

[@nigelriley70]

what gallon is medium size

[@AussieAquatic]

I would call 30 - 40 gal a medium sized tank :)

[@nigelriley70]

@@AussieAquatic thanks was about to buy 3 females for my 25 gallon which has a male in might have a rethink

[@AussieAquatic]

@@nigelriley70 keep plenty of floating plants and that sounds fine :)

[@L3TITBE]

My make Betta was in a 2.5 then 5 gallon, now recently to a 10 gallon... now his familiar with the 10 gallon but I think it's too big, he was really happy or maybe just used to it in the 2.5 gallon he needed more space I thought... I'm wanting to get him a male companion... His often looking at himself in the mirror, so ya I'm thinking of getting another that probly looks like him..

[@AussieAquatic]

I would get him 2 girls and lots of floating plants. That will get him excited 😊👍🏻

[@MorningDriftwood]

Hopefuly, no problem such as before with the video being reported.

[@AussieAquatic]

We will have to wait and see, although this time there is an option to tick discussing controversial topics in a non-graphic way.

[@007lamiss]

💖🫧

[@deborahbergman3566]

damn why can’t male humans do this 😢

[@AussieAquatic]

Given the enormous size of our planet, it shouldn't be hard. Good point 🤔

[@nickh495]

This has been done before with others finding dead fish. Bettas have not only became aggressive because of their evolutionary history but also because they were bred for 1000 years specifically for aggression for fighting. So, for new and even most experienced keepers I’d say stay far from this idea. They are happy alone, and you just don’t have to risk it. That last fact alone should be enough to know you shouldn’t try it.

[@AussieAquatic]

Not sure if you watched the video. Male Bettas defend a territory, they don't hunt other males outside of their territory. A typical territory they defend is 2 square feet, so longer, larger tanks can house more than 1 male.

[@nickh495]

@@AussieAquatic not sure you read everything I wrote. Literally the very first thing I wrote was about others that tried this and ended up with dead fish. Also I’ve seen people who breed betta and they specifically say that after a certain age they have to separate them or they will kill each other. What you’ve got is an exception to the rule. Not a proven method of keeping them.

[@AussieAquatic]

@@nickh495 aggression is focussed in small spaces, which is why the gambling on fish fighting is done in small dishes which the fish are trapped in. Thailand fish farms have thousands of bettas raised in ponds together, they are separated out for grading and sale.