Betta Sorority, Setting up a new all female tank

[melbournebetta]

I met a friend recently who is looking to set up a sorority, and couldn't find one clear thread about how others have set up their tanks, so I was hoping to start one.

I live in a house with 3 other women, and not unlike a betta sorority, there are tips and tricks to keeping us all happy. While a constant supply of chocolate and red wine aren't a good idea in your new female Betta tank, there are some things that will help....

These are all bits n bobs that have helped me... what tricks or tips would you give someone setting up a new sorority from scratch?

As a general rule I would suggest at the very least you would want 6 females in the tank together, and the minimum size around 40 litres - so I'm suggesting around 5-6 lt per fish, minimum 6 fish.

Let's not forget - these are fighting fish - and there's not always going to be happiness in this tank - think desperate housewives.

If the females have been jarred or housed separately they can often be very aggressive, alternatively if they have grown up together in a grow-out they already have a pecking order and are used to the sight of others, these girls are much easier to introduce to a sorority.

Plants and coverage, this is crucial - the more you can visually break up the environment, the more places girls will have to hide, steak out territories and relax in. Stressed fish aren't going to last long.

There is a time during the first week when I would suggest you spend as much time as you can watching behaviours - some gals are just unreasonable, and I'm sure I've lived with my share of those.

You may need to isolate agro ladies if they just won't settle down.

I've had girls out on the warpath their whole lives... they live in floating barracks or other solutions.

Here is a dodgy video showing some of my girls - all jarred, I think some are spawn mates, but most have come from different places, and have been jarred in between.

Fortunately there's a psychotic big black angel fish that LIKES ZEN so anyone messing with her quiet time is left without fins.

Keep in mind this is how things have worked for me, I'm inviting everyone to share their sorority experiences and opinions on this thread.

[Sarah]

Good idea making this thread, Ness. Could we have it pinned maybe? It's a fairly common question.

There was a fantastic article on Betty Splendens that I've been looking for, can't seem to find it... will keep looking.

Basically, what you've said also works for me.

Also comes down greatly to the personality of each fish. You will get the females that just WON'T live peacefully, no matter what. I've had a couple girls like that, and I treated them as I treated my males - avoid having them with another betta like the plague.

Remember these females have a pecking order. They will appear to fight, and will nip each other for a few days or so, but then it should settle down (unless said too-violent-female is in the midst).

Adding any new girls, or even taking a girl out (even for an hour or so from experience) will set the pecking order off, and it will have to be re-established.

[melbournebetta]

Oh, and I noticed all my red girls sorting each other out first, all the blue girls having a big barney, and all the giants kept to themselves... so this isn't the first time I've seen similar coloured girls sticking together with the barneys only within their little colour gangs.

[zhong89]

I found feeding them just a little extra helps them from fighting so much (maybe got to do with competing for food) but then I end up with huge females and one even became a male (or he's a male to begin with).

The rest you've already said in your post

[Wild Nut]

I have a sorority with 20 odd females in it who are not related and have mostly just been chucked in as I have gone along.

I have a couple basic rules for a successful sorority:

1. Good water quality

2. Slight overstocking to spread out aggression

3. Lots of plant cover to break up the line of sight from one end of the tank to the other, and dissuade chasing

4. Plenty of food available to everyone, not just the dominant females

I just introduced a giant PK female from someone into my sorority and she is doing great. Had a minor tousle with some of the more dominant females and now has carved out a territory near the front of the tank.

If I have a female that is being particularly aggressive, I will float her in a breeders' net for a week in the sorority and let the other females flare and harass her. They are usually much meeker and willing to live peacefully in the sorority after that.

I have only one female I have had to re-house due to aggression. She would continually attack the other females so now she lives in the barracks.

I love sororities. Unfortunately, I think mine is getting big enough to be outgrowing its current set-up.

[misspendragon]

SUPER SUPER helful thank u, i was quite worried about having a giant amongst the wee little one's but from what feedback im getting from you guys the behaivour is great and they all get along. What is the maximum for say 45L?? and also can i keep only bettas or is it better to break it up with some guppies and angels??

Edited June 8, 2012 by misspendragon

[melbournebetta]

Misspen,

I've had angels in my sorority for a while now and as far as I can tell they cause more agro than the betta girls - often breaking up the betta girl quarrels!

I guess it's a bit like "seeing how it goes" as I've known angels to be completely delightful and downright revolting to eachother.

I've got 3 female guppies in my 100lt tank, and the most harassment they get is from the other guppy girls- but i've heard some horror stories about guppies in with sororities.

(My giant female has always grown up in a sorority tank with others, so have most of the female betta - so that has a bit to do with it)

I'd say start with 6 females, and go up to 8 in 45 lt - i'm guessing, but 6 is a minimum I'd ever put in my tank.

and it's VERY heavily planted!

[CNgo2006]

I have 30 girls all up, the giants (2) had to be rehoused into barracks as they were just dominating the others, they are 2&1/2 times larger than a normal sized female Betta so just think how much damage they can do. Yes I think everyone with a sorority does it the same way as you do it Ness but as hard as you try there will always be nips here and there. I see new nips to one of my girls almost everyday but nothing major, since the giants were taken out that is.

[melbournebetta]

Yeah, it's a tough call, you really need to watch them and monitor it all, Im lucky theres a big angel called BOSS and she's got everything sorted out!

Sorority females are rarely in good enough condition to show, the nips come with the package.

[forever_and_a_day]

i also find that adding tons of leaf litter helps when they're still getting to know each other.

it makes hiding spots + releases helpful tannins into the water

[melbournebetta]

Just thought I'd update with a snapshot of my sorority, I should have it 10cm fuller, but it's 3 foot long, 40cm deep and quite a tall tank, maybe 50cm!

Easily my favorite tank.

[melbournebetta]

Just thought I'd update with a snapshot of my sorority, I should have it 10cm fuller, but it's 3 foot long, 40cm deep and quite a tall tank, maybe 50cm!

Easily my favorite tank.

Edited June 13, 2012 by melbournebetta

[Fletch]

That's looks really nice Ness. You are keeping you plants alive then. Do you use anything for plant food?

[Wild Nut]

That looks great Ness and here you were telling me you can't keep plants alive. I love how green and jungly it looks in there.

[gulp]

Gawwwjusss!

[forever_and_a_day]

That looks great Ness and here you were telling me you can't keep plants alive. I love how green and jungly it looks in there.

seconded. that looks amazing Ness!

[melbournebetta]

Yeah I've come a long way (baby) with plants, especially considering I'd melt elodia 12 months ago.

My fish are my plant food, and I'm a bit cheeky and don't have any substrate so I can push all the driftwood towards the back, do a little cleaning up and re-arrange it all.

The Val - super LONG val is my new favourite , it reminds me of Mucha's Nouveau illustrations:

That's how I imagine all my females posing when I come to the front of the tank.

No Plant food as yet, I should consider it really, I think that the tank is so "well stocked" that there's enough poo going through the system that they're getting their fill.

I'm on top of the lighting too these days, I bought some cheap bunnings "under shelf lighting" with some $20 T5's, and my milfoil/anubias/other random green things really like it.

I went through a stage just going to subscape every week and buying more "green bags" and now I'm over-stocked, it's so nice not HAVING To have only java now!

I'm a bit of a fan of crested java I must say.... and Süßwassertang is the new java moss.

Anyway - girls like green. x

[Wild Nut]

I love my subwassertang and java moss. They are the staple of my killifish and wild tanks. Any plant that requires essentially zilch care is my kind of plant. I swear anubias is capable of growing in near-darkness.

Bare-bottom set-ups are so convenient. So much so it's kind of making me reluctant to take my plants out of their DIY planters and actually plant them.

[GeraldtonWA]

Yeah I've come a long way (baby) with plants, especially considering I'd melt elodia 12 months ago.

My fish are my plant food, and I'm a bit cheeky and don't have any substrate so I can push all the driftwood towards the back, do a little cleaning up and re-arrange it all.

The Val - super LONG val is my new favourite , it reminds me of Mucha's Nouveau illustrations:

That's how I imagine all my females posing when I come to the front of the tank.

No Plant food as yet, I should consider it really, I think that the tank is so "well stocked" that there's enough poo going through the system that they're getting their fill.

I'm on top of the lighting too these days, I bought some cheap bunnings "under shelf lighting" with some $20 T5's, and my milfoil/anubias/other random green things really like it.

I went through a stage just going to subscape every week and buying more "green bags" and now I'm over-stocked, it's so nice not HAVING To have only java now!

I'm a bit of a fan of crested java I must say.... and Süßwassertang is the new java moss.

Anyway - girls like green. x

The tank looks great ! Where do you get $20 T5s ?????? Do you leave the plants in their original pots from the store?

[briztoon]

Instead of starting a new thread, thought I'd ask here.

I have 5 females and am interested in setting up a sorority tank. Two of the females are wild type Splendens (a smaragdina and mahachai) and I'm wondering if it's a good idea to put them in with line bred females?

The females are, smaragdina, mahachai, black orchid CT, steel blue HM and a steel blue plakat HM. The steel blue plakat HM and black orchid CT are younger and smaller than the other three females.

I'm planning on using a 2x1x1 tank.

Thanks for your help.

Edited June 24, 2012 by briztoon

[melbournebetta]

While I can't speak about the wilds - someone else please shed some light - I've not dealt with them before... I think this should be alright.

The biggest thing is visual barriers in a sorority (As mentioned) things like wide-leafed silk plants, or live plants if you have good light, are really handy.

You might want to consider stocking the tank with some other fish to spread-out the tension?

I've had good luck with docile small angelfish, I'm sure the others can suggest calm tankmates that might be suitable.

Personally I like bordering on overstocking, filling the tank with plants to the brim, and putting a huge external cannister filter on it so I know the water is good.

What are your thoughts on barriers and filtration?

[afr3178]

The females should all be fine together. Bubble nesters can be kept together. Do as Ness said, lots of plants (live or fake, up to you) and visual barriers.

The tank size will be okay for the five. When you put them together, watch them to make sure the smaller ones will be okay. Good luck :)

[Yanagi]

Sorry to jump in and take things OT but NESSSSSSSSS how are you keeping Val alive on a bare bottom? Are they potted?

[briztoon]

Well six hours in and so far so good. Bit hard to tell what the hierarchy is between the four. The mahachai and smaragdina females sort of had a stare down which the mahachai female won. I pretty much expected that as she's atleast a third larger that the smaragdina female. I think the CT female (who is the smallest of the four) tried to show everyone who is boss, but HM and mahachai females kind of ignored her and the smaragdina female submitted straight away. The HM female has shown little interest in any of the other females, and looks like she's more concerned about trying to get out of the tank, or playing in the water flow from the sponge filter.

So all in all, alls quiet on the Western Front.

[Wild Nut]

This topic seems appropriate after I just spent the last two hours completely re-hauling my sorority. Laid down some substrate and did a bit of 'scaping' if it could be called that haha. Hopefully my plants appreciate their fancy aquasoil.

@ Britzoon, I have had two imbellis females in my sorority and they did fine. They were naturally shy fish so I didn't see them for a couple of days until they realised they were going to have to get in line if they wanted some grub. None of the females were overtly aggressive towards them and they generally stuck together.