Why Most Female Betta Sorority Aquariums Fail and How YOU Can Be Successful!

[@Szu-Ping]

A year ago, I started a 50-gal 4’ tank, heavily planted with 6 caves. I had 10 glow light tetras, 10 apistos, 4 albino cories, and 4 Siamese algae eaters before I added 32 female betta recently. I have not lost even 1 betta. There is almost no aggression I could observe. I really like this tank.

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

That sounds cool!

[@ricomartinez6145]

I heard siamese algae eaters like to suck the slim cost off other fish. Be careful

[@MrBigtomtom06]

60 fish?!?

[@fishchess1678]

I think that's too many fish

[@TemariRyuzaki6]

@@fishchess1678 it’s overcrowded on purpose so the bettas don’t have enough “personal space” to get territorial over, same theory used in cichlid tanks

[@ashleymariebernard1249]

I have a Sorority of 13 female Bettas. I've had success adding only juveniles over time. They learn their place in the hierarchy quickly. New adults usually have a hard time. ❤

[@Kardinaal29]

How big is your tank with 13 female Bettas?

[@ashleymariebernard1249]

@@Kardinaal29 40 gallon

[@spacepanda000]

I started an 11 betta sorority in a 40 gallon breeder. I took your advice and I really think that is why I succeeded. They are all sisters and have been together since birth and I chose siblings that looked different. Got some koi, black, white, red, silver, and nemo variations. I may have also blown my budget on plants... oopsies!

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

Haha too funny. Sounds like a cool tank!

[@feralon9570]

I am going to drop a couple of notes from my personal experience, and tell why it is that I no longer advocate for doing this. This big beautiful tank is NOT without problems. 1. At 4:53 the fish to the south has major stress stripes, stress stirpes are not a good thing. It means that that fish is living a very unhappy existence. Stress stripes on your girls is a great indicator that things are bad for that fish. (note most koi and some light color bettas don't show stripes and may be stressed without you knowing.) 2. 7:00 note the bigger girls at the top smaller at the bottom. The top of the tank is the ONLY place these air-breathing fish can get enough oxygen to live. If you note that the smaller girls are all along the bottom and they get way less oxygen than the bigger girls near the top. They must actually struggle in fear of getting air without being attacked by the others. 3. My other huge issue with the sorority is, swim bladder, slim bladder, swim bladder.. Betta fish will eat until they die. They never fill full and the big girls at the top will nab most of the food unless you overfeed. Overfeeding increases the chance of swim bladder issues. I had to treat swim bladder more than 20 times and lost 4 of my girls due to just this alone. (treating swim bladder is not easy) Episome salt bathes, feeding peas, keeping the girls who is sick in a breeder box in the tank for days while they struggle to be able to surface. 4. Betta females deserve the same love and attention as the more beautiful males. They deserve to live long happy lives without being tortured. This form of fish keeping is torture for some of the bottom girls. I had 9 die in my first year. These fish can live to be 5 years old when kept properly. The point here is, I used to think this was the most beautiful tank in the world. I had to do this. I had success for more than a year but not all was well. The girls didn't fight much but all the smaller ones at the bottom eventually died off. The stress stripes were sad for me to see. Then the queen in my tank died and that day was BAD. These girls were fighting to the literal death for her spot. I broke the sorority up at this point and rehomed the remaining girls to people who promised to allow them to live out their lives in a stress-free tank. I spoke with the owner at my LFS and she took my biggest girl for herself, she said she has been selling fish for more than 20 years and never seen a female betta that big. (the girls up top get huge) I am sharing this because I have done this and I know the things to watch for and this big beautiful tank is not so beautiful for me to watch. I don't have the heart for this style of fish keeping.

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

Thank you for sharing your experience.

[@pjp9383]

Thank you so much for taking the time to share these details. Not only does it give people some idea of what to look for if they do go ahead with trying it, but hopefully it will also make people pause and reconsider trying it. I understand sometimes people can "make it work," but most of the time, the stories seem to lead to "for a while." While I appreciate Jason making the video (at least people will have the right info about what's needed) I think stories like yours are also needed for counterbalance.

[@feralon9570]

@@pjp9383 , Thank you for taking the time to read my novel! I still keep betta's.. Just not in a sorority. I still have a female in my 29 and a male in my 20 long. These are amazing fish and I do still adore them.

[@pjp9383]

@@feralon9570 I love mine too! Recently down to 4, from my previous 5. The one I lost was in a divided 10g with another that I picked up from a family on Kijiji. They were being given away bc the 2 boys in the family had lost interest in their fish when 2 kittens came into the picture. They were in little half gallon tanks carpeted with uneaten food. I don't know how they survived, but I've had them for a couple of years now, so I'm glad I got them. Have 2 others in a divided tank, and one more in a 30g community tank too. All males - had tried getting females from my LFS a while ago, but several in a row didn't do well, so I stopped. Will try again some day, but from a different source.

[@Becks-fi6xl]

@@feralon9570 Hi, may I ask what other fish if any you keep with your Bettas and in what order you added the fish. I have a 58 litre tank that I haven’t set up yet, i believe that is 15 gallons in the US. I’d love a Betta but don’t want to cause it any undue stress- thank you

[@acvaristicacudichis]

I had many Betta sororites in the past. Sisters, daughters, mothers, grandmothers, all living (and sometimes fighting) together. Very rewarding! Tank size, about 120 liters (30 gallons). I generally kept about 20-25 females. The untold story is that 99.99% there will be no hard fighting, so you can put a 30 minutes video with everything looking cool. But that 0.1% vicious fighting can happen and one or another femal will be hurt.

[@jaciepurplenurple4697]

Thanks for the vid! I have a successful 29 gallon with 6 female bettas right now! (Including 5 neon tetras, 3 ottos, 3 albino corys, 5 kuhli loaches) What worked for me: - Getting a 29 gallon made it easier to maintain & gave my bettas so much room! - If you already have a few bettas in a tank and want to add more then buy a pair or more of siblings I started out with two sisters in a 5 gal. The bigger one became a bully. After realizing I needed to get a bigger tank + more bettas to lower the aggression I upgraded to a 29 gal. I adopted a very huge older betta (Big Bertha) afterwards that was incredibly aggressive to them/terrotorial. Big Bertha was alone in her tank at the pet store so it might be why she was aggressive (plus being 3 times larger). After taking Big B out and putting her in the old 5 gal, i later added two more new siblings in the 29 gal. A week later I later added three koi betta siblings at the same time. The first day they seemed to be establishing their territory (they chased my older bettas). The 2nd day they were getting along so well! Since then they live peacefully (even when feeding they don't fight over food or get aggressive) If you already have a tank with a few bettas I'd highly recommend adding 2-3 siblings. Your sorrority tank is amazing! But isn't it a little overcrowded? 🤔 I'm thinking of the 1-2inch per gallon rule. (Sorry total newbie here)

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

The tank featured here was not mine (it was put together by a betta breeder). To maximize success they often keep 1-2 female bettas per gallon.

[@jaciepurplenurple4697]

@@PrimeTimeAquatics hey thanks for the reply! That's really good to know!

[@marypaigeflynn4512]

2 years ago when I first started watching you and betta videos, it wasn't long until I ran across Lisa, Kesia, and Taylor and I saw my first sororities!! I remember being mesmerized at the thought that more than one of these beautiful fish could be kept together in an aquarium!! All I had at the time was my 15 gallon tall!! Definitely not the right type of tank for a sorority, but I was determined to make it work!! You gave me ideas on tank setup. The one thing I knew for sure was that it needed to be heavily planted to break up line of sight! I created a tall piece of drift wood that was like a tree and I planted java fern wendelov all over it! I also had hornwort and MD fish tanks always had dwarf Water lettuce so I added that as well! The tank actually worked even though I made probably the biggest mistake by buying individual female bettas from Petco. I still had much more to learn but I thought I knew enough to try it!! It did work for over a year. There was enough plants and stuff for them to hide but I didn't know at the time that adding another one could mess up the balance. I was gifted a beautiful Koi Plaket female and I made the mistake of putting her in the tank! It turned into a war zone as she went into everybody's territory on a mission 🤣😭😱 I did have a backup plan, I started setting up individual aquariums for the ones that needed to live by themselves! This turned out to be a symptom of developing multi tank addiction/syndrome 🤣🌿🤣🐟🤣 If I was ever to do another one, it would have to be in a 29gl or bigger!! It would have to be heavily planted, especially plants up top!! and pretty well established!! This time around I would buy bigger group of females who have grown up together from a trusted source like any one of our amazing betta breeders here!! That's the beauty of KZbin.... you might start off on the wrong foot and making mistakes. Now those mistakes may be avoided by having more videos like this!!! What a fantastic video!! Great information on what we need to keep in mind!! The video filming was beautiful featuring some absolutely gorgeous sororities!! Thanks for sharing and I hope you all have a Happy New Year my friends! 🙏🌿🐟🌿💚

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

It’s funny how just one fish can mess things up sometimes!

[@samanthamorris2207]

I get my bettas now from breeders at USA betta squad and I buy them as siblings and do the mystery box it works out better as they’re already used to each other

[@JustDave76]

I just got a 29 gallon tank to try and do this I’m glad I saw this because I only bought 5 fish. I’m scared they won’t get along but I’m gonna go for 14-15 like you said. Thanks for your channel it’s so helpful!

[@Morgana1134]

I have a 55 gallon with 3 Cory’s, 3 neons, 3 tetras, and 9 female bettas. I’m working on buying more of everything to stock well. Thank you! This video was SOOO informative

[@poeticsong725]

Thanks for this video. Perfect timing on its release. I've had a 20 gal sorority tank going for just over a month and it was doing a really good job with all 10 females getting along fine. Then they started dropping 1 by 1 & the shrimp would eat them. I couldn't figure it out. Then I found the white puffy mouth on 1 and did some research. Apparently a few were getting columnaris. Once I removed them the rest seemed to do OK. Mightve been stress/immune issues on those few. Worried about the tank itself but determined to keep going with the sorority idea. This video helped with a few tips I can try going forward. Thanks 😀

[@staceyknight9322]

Did you put all 10 girls in at same time? I'm thinking of doing this in my newly cycled 29 gallon..I do have two tiny cherry barbs in there first And only two fish so far only becauymy daughter pawned them on me..but I couldn't decide what I wanted to stock this tank with ..I love Bettas I have 2males in a 10gal divided tank and they are doing great..but what he said about stocking all at once kind of scares me with bio load crashing..idk can you tell me what you did? Thanks

[@poeticsong725]

@@staceyknight9322 I put about 5 in at first. Then later another group of about 5. Then I rescued two others one by one. Strangely they were the easiest to be accepted into the group which I thought would go the other way around. Lisa from KGTropicals recommends getting all baby females from the same family. Sisters as babies tend to do really well. If I ever attempted another sorority that's what I'd try

[@jamilihelo3691]

how many bettas would u recommend for a 20 gallon? i was thinking 5-6 what would u say?

[@poeticsong725]

@@jamilihelo3691 maybe 10

[@extrememanner3867]

Wow, the bettas in this video are gorgeous! So much beautiful coloration

[@briandajayde8597]

I am a new fish keeper, and I am absolutely torn between angel fish and a betta sorority. I just have a 55 gallon tank, still cycling, thank you for your videos!

[@leejoyner4532]

Angels will prefer a taller tank, I vote betta sorority!

[@theunculturedamerican]

What did you decide on in your tank?

[@Spacey7]

I wouldn't start off with either of those two types of you're new to the hobby!!

[@lruddy8820]

@@Spacey7 start with whatever you want to start with theres no right or wrong as long as someone has the means and the confidence to properly care for any fish they should start with the fish that interests them

[@sarahwoodring5587]

I'm glad you put this video out. I see lots of bad information online about sororities that gives newer fishkeepers a false sense of security. Personally I don't get the appeal. There are so many cool, colorful species that actually like being in groups, I don't get why anyone would try forcing a group of aggressive solitary fish to live together. It seems borderline unethical to me. I'm glad you're proving information on how to do this safely.

[@audrisampson]

Because Betta people tend to forget their are other fish besides bettas.

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

I’ve seen so many people try it with 3-4 bettas and have it fail. Stinks for them and the fish.

[@pjp9383]

I agree with this. I have no desire to have to work so hard to make things work, or to put myself or the fish through the stress in the process. It might be ok for a real expert, who works all day every day with their fish, to try it. But I don't think it's wise for a general hobbyist.

[@toddreynolds1928]

I have a 29 gallon with lots of big plants, lots of wood with caves, apisto caves, 3 small floating betta logs and one longer. I have 14 females, and one triple red cichlid. All the bettas are from the same store and some are smaller and some are bigger. I don’t have any problems. They have a lot of hiding spaces. I do have a hospital tank set up incase disease or aggression occurs though.

[@xs8372]

I had one years ago in a 60 gallon tank, they were all rescued from Walmart and other places that would give them to me for free or discounted when it looked like they were about to die or neglected. People always go for the fancy looking males.

[@fiveowe564]

When you mention that the fish tend to show more aggression towards those with a similar appearance - how do fish know what they look like lol?

[@JustMe-th9yx]

Lol

[@ashleymariebernard1249]

I have ladies that look alike, with zero issue.. though i get them when their juveniles and they will sleep beside eachother. Very sweet to see ❤️

[@quartercajun71]

you just blew my mind. never thought of that. siblings maybe?

[@twa3788]

@@ashleymariebernard1249 you have a video 😊. I would like to see that 🥹

[@joobnoob6753]

A have a 15gallon [15x15x15] tank that originally had one female betta and 1 minnow. Recently I decided to get 3 more female betta to see if I could create a sorority. I got three similarly colored female betta that were just a bit smaller than my original betta. It seems to me the three new fish are very happy and curious and tend to come check out my first betta to sort of oooo and awww her because she is bigger than them. I believe my original betta is a bit stressed out as I've sort of given her three kids. Here's hoping she'll eventually learn to love them !

[@sandradolbel2578]

I was given a 20 gallon high and some people recommended a betta Sorority...but I know better. However I DO plan to get a single female betta and add some appropriate buddies (following your previous videos). I have 2 additional community's tanks in case the buddies don't work

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

That will be cool!

[@kenjiro2676]

An awesome topic on my birthday?! Thanks! If you guys want a betta sorority just go with wild females, they aren't behaviorally changed like domestic bettas, are are usually healthier too. A lot of people in the wild betta do this with very high success.

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

Happy birthday!

[@BigJeec]

Nice comparison between betta sorority and cichlid.Couldn't agree more. I also think that lots of fails happen because people would either to have or add too few fish at a time...Sometimes due to budget or avaibility...Sadly this is not a setup that can be done on short notice or on budget...you go big right out the gate or go home. On a side note..and this is purely my personnal opinion... Betta are territorial fish, not being able to do so in that setup, I think that could put them to stress and I wouldn't be suprise to learn that, in those condition, the fish could have a shorten lifespan or more prone to sickness.

[@Les-OZZYTHEOSCAR]

That is a stunning collection of female bettas there, just beautiful

[@lacyfins9627]

Part of what makes bettas aggressive is beung alone in a body of water. Breed and raise the fry in a group and then those fry are more likely to be tolerant of being in a group. Any fish not just bettas that has spent time alone with claim to an entire tank will show agression to others

[@rohoaqualuna6356]

I had a 65 gallon sorority that lasted for about 7 months. There are 4 total left. Might try again after seeing this video! Thanks Jason!

[@IDogMENTAL]

I started a betta sorrority in a 30l (have just moved them to a 42 gal), and i think the greatest contributor was the fact that i jammed my top layer with floaters. Hornworth works really well. Gives the bettas a jungle gym to explore. Also terminalia catappa leaf water.

[@mateocadavidc9945]

Sorry bro, how many betta did you keep in the 30L tank?

[@IDogMENTAL]

@@mateocadavidc9945 7... impulse buy before i even started learning. They did soldiered it out for like... 3 months

[@chenospistolily]

Beautiful video and so insightful! Thank you for sharing your knowledge, I'd like to try this someday.

[@somebb]

I came here after watching Joey's podcast. It feels pleasant to listen and watch your videos. I'm glad to be here. Born and raised in Chicago but living in Florida for 20+ years. If you need anything from Florida, i'll be happy to send your way.

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

Thank you!

[@sophistiq8ted]

I have a 45 gallon with 6 female bettas. They chase each other every once in a while,but for the most part they ignore each other. Been together for a month and it's been great! I'm tempted to add more girls in the future.

[@MrBigtomtom06]

I have a 55g I had 30 bettas. Now 29. One got really sick really fast. They are very active. It seems like the sets that resemble each other chase each other. If that makes sense. I just wish they were smaller. The place I bought them from say they were 3-6 months old

[@Zachary360Games]

The bettas tend to have very cichlid like personality. When I had an all black female betta in with Cory cats she had no problem with them. Yet when I added red and blue guppies she became extremely aggressive.

[@lindakim3051]

My most aggressive betta is SO nice to the cories, lol. She seems legitimately entertained by them, and doesn’t seem to mind at all when they bump into her. Not at all what I expected when I added the cories.

[@Jacksprat265]

I bred bettas in a pond, I now have 14 sisters together in a 60L/2ft tank with plenty of plants and wood. They get along just fine.

[@Mir.Hammal.Baluch]

DO they look similar or have slightly different colours and shape?

[@Jacksprat265]

@@Mir.Hammal.Baluch mostly just red and blues. There’s 3 white with darker fins but they seem to be slowly going dark too. All same regular shape.

[@chelsm8569]

I have a 29 gal with 3 female bettas, two koi and one dumbo. 4 danios, 5 neon tetras, 2 guppies, and a bristle nose pleco. I just recently got them ( about a week ago ) and so far they are doing great. My tank has plenty of hiding spaces along with real plants. They get brine shrimp along w tropical flakes. If y’all could think about how I can make this tank better would be great!

[@susannahharper2505]

I would add at least a couple more neons, they like to be in bigger groups so 5 is a little on the small side, I recommend getting maybe 3-5 more

[@shanejones578]

2 more danios and guppies. 3 more neons

[@VampyrJxnkie]

hi how did it go? how are your bettas?

[@Artist_Kevin]

I second that. Perfect timing. About to move our Beta and Molly to a larger tank and have been thinking about a community Beta tank.

[@phillipbruni2434]

I attempted multiple sorority’s in 2021, and they didn’t work out, some due to my lack of knowledge, just often not healthy fish, I would give it another shot next year maybe or may stick with guppies and other nano. PS Jason sometimes your voice makes me sleepy, so zen😂

[@qwertyuiopasdfghjkl4403]

I have a female Betta that's bigger than the three i just added to the 15 gallon heavily planted tank. I have 8 platies 3 mollies and some danios. My original female betta is not aggressive against the other fish but showed a little aggression towards the new bettas that's why i added 3 at once to hopefully mitigate aggression for sure she will get exhausted if she will chase those 3 around so hopefully they can co exist peacefully.

[@TeaWithTheAuthor]

Have three right now in a five gallon sorority. No aggression yet. Will have to add two more and maybe another decoration.

[@unacceptablejohn9626]

The bigger the better for sororities!! Lots of anubius lots floating too.. so easy to keep a sorority

[@sandraztavarez3525]

In general, I just wanted to say that you both are my favorite fish keeping duo! Love your videos!

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

Thank you! Appreciate you being here!

[@lacrosseguy108]

ive had my betta sorority set up for about a week now. the girls had some fights the first day but since then theyve mellowed out and no signs of damage to the fish or fins. one thing ive noticed is one is gone? its been about half a day now and i seen her in the morning swimming around and now she is completely gone, looked all over the tank. checked around the tank incase she jumped out, under decor. its making me think i never had her in the first place but i have pictures of them all together. not too sure what to think or do yet

[@littlemidwestrebornsdolls]

Bettas are beautiful fish. I have only kept males. They each had their own 5 gallon or slightly bigger tank. Buddy had two snail friends. Monet lives alone as he attacked his snail friend which is why Buddy had two. Buddy is in fishy heaven now. Monet likes living alone. I would like a community tank that is 55 or larger when Monet goes The snails are doing well too.

[@kevinpoxon8578]

great video, and it has inspired me to try a community/sorority tank. my question is how do ensure that the bettas are getting the right amount of food, as when i put betta food in the others eat most of it.

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

Sometimes feeding small floating pellets can help.

[@LadyNewgrdia]

I'd love to see a tank talk podcast about dither fish! And mentioning dithers for beta sororities. I'd love some suggestions. (40 gal)

[@danderson6290]

I have 2 females in a community tank. 29 gallons planted tank. So far no issues yet. They came from the same place and same size. One blue and one red. If I see something I don't like I'll remove them. I have other tanks.

[@ritapita519]

Great video! Sororities are such a polarizing subject… you always hear people say they won’t work but never any thoughtful reasons as to why. I’m gonna link to this video every time I see the great betta sorority debate on the internet 😂

[@Richiko06]

Since 2016 I’ve had five successful female betta sororities! ❤ all of which consisted of five or six female bettas that I’ve raised since fry when I got them as babies at the pet store! These girls grew up together in my care ❤ I miss them all! 😢 and now I have a 20 gallon tall with four girls! There’s some aggression from one girl but not always! And they mostly get along well! Just have the occasional sister spat lol. But I keep a close watch on them and play with them often. I’m their mommy after all❤ they’ve had tank mates as well! Most recently my snail 🐌 died 😢 his name was flotsam I’m sad 😞 but he’s in a better place now and eventually I’ll get them another snail 🐌 they loved him ❤ my girls are so happy and beautiful 😍 my blue half moon is named Azure my red half moon is named Rouge my Galaxy 🌌 Koi Rainbow 🌈 mascot half moon 🌙 is named Iris and my white red tipped fins half moon dumbo ear is named Blanca! They’re silly girls they love to interact and play they’re very social and sweet and cute 🥰 my friends here love watching them play! And I’m always upstairs watching them and playing with them ❤ they let me hold them too I put my hand in the water 💦 and they swim into it! It’s the sweetest thing ever what a bond I have with my baby girls ❤ they trust me and they love me and I love them so much! I would recommend a sorority to any experienced keeper! It’s always been a rewarding experience to me and have raised such wonderful beautiful girls! When I’m not spending time downstairs with my half moon butterfly 🦋 red and lavender male betta named Periwinkle and his little tank mate snail 🐌 Jetsam you’ll find me up there playing with my little girls!❤

[@Davidsmithisyourdad]

My wife has a 55 gallon with six in it right now. So far, all is going well. We also have some dither fish in the tank with them

[@jamesmontez691]

How has it been going as of recent ?

[@Davidsmithisyourdad]

@@jamesmontez691 good I lost one fish from illness but the others are settled in and leave each other alone

[@heaven7360]

for me it's a question of ...is it really worth it? I don't see the benefit of the possibility of inviting trouble. When the "experiment" fails, it fails in a sad and nasty way.

[@ellairax]

I think the reason most people have failed sororities is that people expect to treat them like many other community fish (ex mollies). You can have a sparsely planted 15 gal with quite a few mollies and they will probably be fine. With female bettas, you need a massive minimum tank size and it to be HEAVILY planted with live plants. I spent over $300 planting my 55gal for my sorority, more than I spent on the tank itself actually (it was secondhand). I knew I would need to spend a lot on plants, but that even surprised me. It takes time for plants to grow out sufficiently too. When you start out, the middle and top lanes will probably be sparse or empty of plants, which is a real problem. You NEED to break lines of sight in all lanes. I wouldn’t say the tank in the example is ideal (it is good as a temporary display), but you can see that it breaks the line of sight in all lanes. I supplemented mine with Pothos planted underwater in the beginning to help fill out the vegetation (they also like sleeping on the leaves which is adorable). I’ve never had aggression issues with any of my girls, which could be luck, but I think it’s most environment. I temporarily put two of them in my hospital tank, which is barren, and within 5 minutes there was nipping which never happened in the main tank. They are completely fine in the main tank together. I Can easily see how it could turn into a bloodbath with a small under planted tank. The feeding issues are less about the top fish out competing the bottom fish and more about keeping track of how much each betta is getting, since they are so sensitive to over feeding. In an isolated tank, you’d want to carefully track how much each fish is getting so you aren’t accidentally over feeding any of them. I have had to isolate some for bloat so I’ve become more careful.

[@onehundredhourchallenge836]

Jason, I liked this video. Would you please do some videos about other Betta species not B. splendens? I'm interested in trying a betta alternative, but can't find much information about them. Thanks!

[@lruddy8820]

i have three females in a 10g with my guppies (i been slowly rehoming my guppies to other tanks or to other people) and they mostly get along, i have a big veil tail and she runs the tanks and doesnt allow for any aggression, my little crown tail likes to pick on my koi sometimes and the veil tail always breaks it up and swims in the middle of them then they go back to getting along, i also do think the guppies have helped with aggression and being territorial since there are too many fish to chase away

[@fanwarriorgamer9586]

I have one crown tail and a dumbo ear Betta and they have been ok for a month now and still doing great

[@hellen3675]

ive had a female sorority in the past and was not successful. i think i had too little fish in my 29 gallon considering i only had about 8 bettas in there. kept bringing back the aggressive ones to the fish store and eventually i just got so tired of the stress this tank made me. so many beautiful bettas, i loved having them! but now i have one male betta and im learning so much that bettas really like to be alone! if i were to have a female betta again, id put her alone

[@DSCuber]

I have a 20 gallon tank with 3 bettas right now. I know it’s very understocked. There were more but several of them died from dropsy. Two remained, and I got a “koi style” female from petsmart and I made sure she was healthy before I put her in with the others. She ended up dominating them and the two survivors are currently recovering from her constant nipping and she’s in a breeder net. I just recently got an additional 3 bettas to put in the tank and they’re currently quarantining to make sure they’re not sickly. I might get one or two more probably cap it out at 8 or 9. The tank has a lot of plants mostly Java ferns and Amazon swords. Lots of big rocks and some large tank ornaments they can swim inside. I’m hoping that just by adding these 3 new fish that the aggression is lower. I might keep the koi female locked in the breeder net for longer while the 2 survivors continue to recover

[@meggrotte4760]

I'm surprised that the anubias can just continue to live and thrive in its pot. It's a really beautiful tank even just with Anewbius

[@kaylagraham6893]

I figured it out in my opinion if you want to start a sorority in needs to be at least 40 gallon I tried in a 10 didn't work had to split them up in different tanks until I got my 40 gallon running so far it's been like 3 weeks and it's going well no torn fins but that don't mean they are going to constantly get along u have to keep a close eye on them plenty of places to hide and other tank mates

[@JordanRainey]

And how many do you have in the 40 gallon?

[@kaylagraham6893]

@@JordanRainey I have 15 female Bettas, 9 neons,4 glowlight tetras, 4 diamond tetras, and a snail, and a rubber nose plecos, I'm planning on putting about 5 more girls in because they say u want 1 per 2 gallons the more the better!! They are less likely to fight when there so many you can look at my profile and see my sorority I have it on there

[@kaylagraham6893]

@@JordanRainey my bad I was thinking we were on Reddit

[@kaylagraham6893]

@@JordanRainey I'm uploading a video now of it

[@kaylagraham6893]

@@JordanRainey the video is on my channel

[@LMat_MX]

I have a 10g tub that I’m using to grow plants outdoors and I’m wondering if I can keep bettas in there

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

As long as the water is at least 75ish and not getting too much over 85 they should be ok (and no major temp fluctuations).

[@liliannvo1926]

In my sorority of 5 Bettas, three are really peaceful and don't get attacked or attack anyone, but I also have two that occasionally nip or flare or chase each other around, but it's calming down and they mostly leave each other alone now. I have a spare tank in case I need to remove an aggressive fish, but how do I know if they're just being a little grumpy or if they're being problematically aggressive and if one or both need to be removed?

[@princesspikachu3915]

Chasing is normal. But if they are tail biting or nipping at each other remove the aggressor.

[@ArtemisPrim]

I am thinking of starting a tank and would love to know how you set up the sorority tank. One with more fish then less.

[@mohamadqashmar6490]

What are your thoughts about adding dither fish (tetra) with a 29 gallon with 11 females , plenty of hornwort and Amazon swords and of Rocks and caves

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

I think smaller (neon size) tetras might work.

[@chancecrump9609]

I currently have a small sorority starting kind of by accident. I can't stand walking past the sick fish in pet stores here in the American south. My current set up is a 10 gallon, moderately planted, plenty of stuff to break their line of sight thought. I really didn't plan on getting this many when I was given my first male Betta. Right now all three of my females are completely different too, one koi, one crown tail?, And one mustard I can't really identify yet. There were signs of aggression between the first two before I added in the plants, but since I planted it, and adjusted the flow of the tank I don't even really see many signs of stand offs. So far I only have 3 females and one male who happens to be in a seperate 5 gallon. I'm looking to update to at least a 30 gallon wide tank and then add more females as well as a couple schools of community fish.

[@ChromeCobra]

I have 55 gallon sorority right now. I have some videos on my channel.

[@lumpy1space2princess]

Could you possibly house a Sorority in a Discus tank? Assuming the tank is 200+ Gallons. Also, would the subspecies of Berta affect this? Namely Imbellis?

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

Ya, species will matter. We had Mahachai and we were able to keep males and females together without any issues. Interesting idea combining discus and bettas. I’m not sure how that would work with the temps?

[@jennifervoyles2588]

I need advice. I was gifted a female Beta for Christmas. I’ve had her in a 2.5 gallon tank for 3 months and in my research I have learned she needs friends and more space. The max size tank I can get right now (space is limited) is a 10 gallon. What’s the best type of set up for her as far as mates and plants? Thank you!

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

You could try mystery snails? We have a betta buddies video that may be helpful? 😀

[@Dustb677]

I have a 29 gallon with some Cory’s and neon tetras. If I do a sorority does the other fish being there make it so I have to have less bettas?

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

Yes, since they already contribute to the bioload of the tank.

[@Mreverything-100]

Hi! I just ordered 1 beautiful Giant betta female & I’m wondering if I can order 3 normal sized sorority bettas to go along with my giant betta?… 10 gallon tank

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

Usually it doesn’t work too well in a 10 gallon.

[@Mreverything-100]

@@PrimeTimeAquatics ok

[@pabloisraelgarzanava166]

Just got my sorority tank running, 12 females 3 mollies and a giant pleco so far, no casualties. Yet my most beautiful Betta HMPK female got to be removed because she was too aggressive... Enough observation is all you need.

[@GabbyRocio]

This footage is soooo beautiful.

[@cuddlexmunster3]

I have successfully set up a betta sorority with 4 females. Although it took a bit of patience and some constant observation. At first, there was 1 that was a bit territorial and aggressive. So I removed her for a couple hours and placed her right next to the tank so that she could still see her sisters. Kinda like time out, lol. The other 3 were completely docile, I also noticed that my koi female is the most calm. When I put the naughty female back in, her attitude completely changed and she stopped being territorial. They have all been together for a couple of months now and I’m considering adding another one or two and upgrading my tank. Betta fish are so interesting and unique. The females are just as cool as the males (:

[@SonnyVu-d8n]

I have 30 in mine 40 bredder thinking put 10 more a lot of flexing but no rip fin

[@natebercume9052]

How many female crown tail could I put on a 7 gallon? 2 live plants and some Decorations.

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

I would only add one.

[@maddievictoria4947]

Perfect timing for this as I've been thinking about trying a betta sorority for a bit now.

[@innersense1]

Question: could this stocking for distraction method be applied to different species with the bettas? For example, could I have 5 female betta with 10 harlequins, 8 cories and 9 female guppies in a 32 gallon? I currently have 1 Betta, the guppies which are juveniles, and they behave like a sorority with the betta, and one platy. I will be adding the cories in the next 4 weeks. Then the harlequins.

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

I might be possible, but you can never be 100% sure.

[@SnailLordY]

I have 63 gal and my 5 girls (well and endlers and otocinclus catfishes and lots of snails that my bettas absolutely love to wach eat) don't fight especially after one learned that stopping agresive behaviour means that reward bloodworm will be, and they don't attack each other especially the one who learned that is the biggest girl but the nicest she's willing to share food (but not bloodworms their her favourite)

[@M29WeaselDriver]

I have a regular 20 gallon thank that I want to do a sorority in (figure I get females from petco or petsmart that aren’t selling). What plants would be good for that to break line of sight??

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

Floating wisteria or water sprite?

[@bobstranzenbach4700]

Just thinking about getting back into fish again after MANY years away and I’m thinking this is JUST what I was looking for! ….ooops, just watched it all the way to the ending. 😬 I like the idea of having lots of choices in colors but I don’t want to keep so many. ☹️ I also want to only keep one tank and not turn into a zoo so I’m stuck with the question of what do I do with the Bettas that need to be removed because of being bullied or being a bully… When I was a kid I had too many guppies and tanks and got burnt out and sick of the hobby. 😞

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

Usually they have to be given away to people who will take them (maybe a pet store)?

[@princesspikachu3915]

So I’m getting ready to cycle a tank for a smaller scale sorority. I already got my 3 female bettas today and I plan on adding them once the cycle finishes in a couple of hours. At the moment I still have the bettas in their little “cups”. I placed the cups near each other and they don’t seem to mind each other. I plan on keeping an eye on them to make sure there aren’t any issues with territory. It’s a 20 gal tank with plenty of decorative “hiding places”. I was planning on getting 4 but there wasn’t a good selection on females so I picked the 3 that were healthy and active. One is white with red flame like tips and the others are solid blue and dark red that almost looks purple. They don’t seem to be aggressive towards each other though they swim up to look at each other. Hopefully they get along well as a trio but I have a back up divider in case they try to kill each other. The white one with the red tipped fins seems to really like looking at people. The other 2 seem to like to look around the area outside the cup. The cups are temporary of course. The tank is almost done cycling.

[@user-bc1kp1sl2e]

Any updates?

[@princesspikachu3915]

@@user-bc1kp1sl2e They are all still alive. And I finally got a 4th one last week. Two of them get along fine but I had to separate the big red betta from the others. Fortunately I had two smaller back up tanks just in case they didn’t get along. The new girl I got is also separated as she is quite smaller. The white one with the red markings is so friendly and I ended up naming her Betty White. The blue one is named Stitch. The aggressive red one is named Mei. And the new one doesn’t have a name yet but she looks like she is going to have some type of stripe pattern. Edit: Betty White has an almost dog-like personality. Stitch too. They love people and will jump up to get attention. They are semi-target trained. The new one with the stripes is also pretty friendly. Mei is more aggressive and isn’t quite as friendly as the others. She is still pretty smart though and sleeps on top of her plant decorations.

[@user-bc1kp1sl2e]

@@princesspikachu3915 how awesome! Glad to hear things are going well! I’m currently trying to start a betta sorority in a 20 gallon long. I have 3 but two of them keep picking one a sweet one. Going to add more plants. I already have like 20 tetras also in there but just annoyed how they keep picking on this nice one.

[@user-bc1kp1sl2e]

When you first started your sorority, was there any aggression or chasing initially? I’m seeing that right now unfortunately:( How safe is it to introduce a new one after having a few that have been there for a while? Have you noticed any aggression?

[@princesspikachu3915]

@@user-bc1kp1sl2e It can be dangerous for the fish to introduce or reintroduce a betta back in. I have to permanently keep Mei the red betta separate from the rest of the others because she is HUGE and almost killed Stitch. However I introduced the new juvenile Snoopy to the group and they don’t mess with her. They get along. It depends on the individual bettas. I have one that is more aggressive and needs to be alone but three that are chill and don’t mess with each other outside of appearing jealous for human attention.

[@kellysuzanne976]

I personally don't care for Betta fish that much but I use to keep 6 females together years ago and never and any issues .

[@MorganMeiners]

There seems to be a lot of controversy surrounding betta sororities where a lot of people in the "fish world" call this "abuse". Do you have any thoughts about this? Are you willing to share your thoughts about this? I have spoken to several reputable, long-time fish keepers and aquarium store owners in my area (that have been in this profession well over 20 years) who say that it's not much different than having a tank that has other aggressive fish like cichlids. My thoughts are if you take the correct steps that are needed for the species of fish and provide them with enough space and coverage they require, then it's no different than any other species. I don't understand what the drama is about recently with betta sororities specifically.

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

I don’t do betta sororities, but I don’t necessarily have anything against them. I look at it the same as when one overstocks an mbuna tank.

[@apss5736]

not watched the video yet but some people say that if the bettas were raised together from egghood then they will likely be fine together even males however if they are separated for a short while they will be attacked and bullied once they come back. idk if this is true tho

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

Ya, the trick is they can’t be moved to another tank though. They often forget they were siblings when that happens.

[@jayvonacemarquismarcassio1556]

Betta fish get some pretty misguided rules attached to them due to the inexperience of the owners that care for them for instance I have a Betta Sorority/ community tank, in which I keep my five betta females, of multiple sizes, with a 12 fish School of Cardinal Tetras, in my 20 gallon standard, and everyone gets along and they do just fine it's because if you're going to attempt this and do it successfully you have to have the experience to know that while betta fish are aggressive and territorial and you may get the tail swishing or chasing, every now and then as long as they have distractional tankmates that break up too much interaction between them a better sorority tank can be just fine, and you can call me Ace the advocate of the betta case, lol

[@amymandeville8342]

I haven't had a Bettany since I was in high school. I saw one at my LFS and I'm strongly resisting the urge to go back and buy him. If I do get him, I'm going to look around for some females, too.

[@amymandeville8342]

I went back for the male and there are two females I was swooning over, too. Need more tanks!

[@tjpatton8562]

I have 3 female bettas in my 55 gallon community and they show no aggression towards eachother or any other fish.

[@rythmjunky5292]

Always loved your videos,they’ve been a huge help along the way. I have a moderately planted 29 gallon with some rummynose tetras and bristlenose plecos. Picking up 11 female bettas tomorrow from a breeder that is selling a group he has that have been raised together. I have a male plakat in that tank, but can move him to a 10 gallon if there are issues. My male bettas like swimming into my hand and lying down. Is there any issue with doing this with them? Really enjoy the interaction.

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

Hand swimming no. :-) Keep en eye on the female bettas though. It can be a tough go in a 29 gallon.

[@jenbrunton8433]

How many would you recommend for a 37 gallon tank? Ty

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

To be safe - 1. I don’t attempt sororities in less than a 40 breeder.

[@highbrass7563]

Bettas around the same size is what I learned from this video

[@thatonedog819]

I wonder what would happen with a large aquarium that's under stocked? Like 15 females in a 120 gal? (With plenty of other dither fish)

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

A large tank like that might work.

[@jordanleighwheatley]

Can you explain why something like a 20 gal following that 1per 2gal rule wouldn't be as successful as, say the 55gal at 1per 2gal rule? It feels like it would be the same stocking ratio.

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

20 gallon doesn’t get you to the number of fish that keeps them all unfocused on any one fish. Good question.

[@jordanleighwheatley]

@@PrimeTimeAquatics ahh so the space doesn't allow for more than 10-12, which isn't enough in quantity. I was thinking it had to do with space to fish ratio. Thank you!

[@blank_space6682]

I have a 4 gallon tank, and was told that i should keep a maximum of 3 fish on it. Rn i have two betta females, they were the same size when i bought them but one has grown to nearly double the other, and keeps chasing the smaller one. Is it the right call to add a third betta to even out the agression?

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

I would only keep one betta in that tank. They will fight and eventually the weaker one(s) will die.

[@blank_space6682]

@@PrimeTimeAquatics thank you for your advice! Thankfully the owner of the shop offered me to return either if they got too aggressive, I think I'll do that and keep just one

[@TheKrawallkurt]

I have a 68 Galon . I would love to do 10 female kois.And a load of Amanos....

[@Eddy12700]

ive had 3 bettas togethere since january 2021 and its may 2022, although 1 died last year due to a disease the other 2 are still healthy, and thus I bought a koi female betta last Saturday to replace that one because I haven't found the right one, and they are going good, also they are in a 5 gallon tank

[@thatbich1602]

I hope you're joking 😂 5 gallons is the minimum for a single betta???

[@shanejones578]

@@thatbich1602 with a multi female beta tank you have 2 options similar to cichlids; give them a shit ton of space so no aggression, or give them no space so they can’t even get space if they wanted it.

[@shhhstars]

I have 5 veiltails in a tank (20 gallons) and they get along decently, it hasn't been long enough for them to be used to each other but things are looking good. One of the oldest bettas (Emily) is trying to bully the queen. They look the same so I wonder if that's why? Queen had enough of her nonsense today and nipped her. Should I remove Emily and put her into my other tank? (The other tank has no bettas, just dalmation mollies I've been breeding)

[@shhhstars]

Emily isn't hurt, but she does have some damage to the back end of her skirt. Ellie (the queen) has good temperment but Emily occasionally pesters her. They have been together for months now, and recently had 3 more bettas introduced. (Lemon, Alice, and Peach) Their colours are 2 dark blue, yellow, iridescent turquiose, and pink with odd coloured fins.

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

It’s certainly worth a try.

[@Fintastic_Fishies]

How’s this stocking? 55 gallon 4’ tank. 6 corydoras, 6 neon tetras, 3 black skirt tetras, 3 flame tetras, and 25-30 female bettas.

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

I might remove the skirt tetras just because they can be fin nippers?

[@Fintastic_Fishies]

@@PrimeTimeAquatics ok :)

[@arunavasa5773]

Beautiful tank. I wish if I can have one.

[@felipesanchez1764]

I'm speechless 🙊 I wanted to try a sorority, started off with three 😢 that definitely did not work

[@leahwilmot6914]

Would a 20 gallon long (37 inches) be sufficient for a small sorority? I saw some success on Reddit with the really long tanks

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

Probably not quite enough space.

[@scoutspetfish6274]

What tank size recommended for 4-5 bettas? Minimum 29 gallons or something less or more?

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

It might not so much the tank size but keeping that few?

[@scoutspetfish6274]

@@PrimeTimeAquaticsSorry, I’m new to bettas, is there any recommendations not in the video I should know? I don’t 100% trust google

[@Awakened_to_Him]

Hi I’m 14 and I’ve had so many bettas I’ve always had 1 tank to 1 beta….. so I’ve had up to 7 tanks I always make sure that there all 3.5 gallons or more❤ how many female bettas could go in a 20 gallon tank with it not being overcrowded? And should you add other fish to? Thanks❤

[@larryhenry719]

I had a well planted 29 gal with 9 females

[@mnemosynevermont5524]

What are those wide leaf plants?

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

Yes, I believe they were sword plants.

[@LadyNewgrdia]

What kind of plants are those broad leaf?

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

Mostly swords

[@Joel-nk1be]

I have started a betta sorority of 11 betta in a 29 gallon. I am quaranting 3 additional ones currently. Should I remove the existing 11 and add them all together into the tank at a later date?

[@PrimeTimeAquatics]

It may help reduce the potential aggression towards the three new ones?

[@Joel-nk1be]

Thank you