# Other Aquarium Forums > Freshwater Fauna > Anabantoids >  keeping male and female betta together

## juggler

I read at http://www.fishprofiles.com/files/profiles/fighter.xml that:




> DO NOT keep male fighters with female fighters unless breeding is intended as the male will kill the female.


Is that the reason you guys just keep a male betta in a tank/container on its own? Or anyone here tried to keep male and female together on a long term basis? What about other varieties of betta other than the normal Betta Splendens?

Cheers!

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## Emg

Just not a good idea....putting bettas with other bettas. The only way to have more than one betta in a tank is to have a female only tank ...making sure there is plenty of room and hiding spots for them. Even then you have to keep an eye on them for a period of time...to see if there is an overly aggressive or overly passive female..those you would have to remove. You will still get some chewed up fins until they all settle who's who and where thier personal space is.

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## juggler

Thanks! I will not mixed the females with the males unless to breed them.

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## Justikanz

I use to keep a 16" planted tank with 1 male betta and 8 female bettas. The male did not haress any females as there are so many of them. I was using UG filter at that time and the water surface was not still... That could also be the reason why there was minimum harressment of the females. I love the many colours and the females sort of had a pecking order... It was fun watching them...  :Smile:  

Sadly, I introduced an extra female without quarantine and a white spot outbreak soon occurred... All the fish in the tank got wiped out!  :Sad:  I was VERY upset with myself...  :Mad:  

I did not have a chance to rebuild such a tank but WILL do so once an opportunity arises!  :Grin:  So, in my experience, it IS possible to keep male and female bettas together. Just keep a high female to male ratio... Try lah... Have fun!  :Smile: 

Now, if ONLY I can find a way to keep MALE bettas together in the same tank without using separators... Keke...  :Grin:

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## Emg

> Now, if ONLY I can find a way to keep MALE bettas together in the same tank without using separators... Keke...



Boy....wouldn't THAT be nice !!!

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## juggler

I also heard from LFS owners that if bettas are reared together when they hatched, they can grow to adulthood and not fight -- even for the males. Any truth in this?

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## Emg

Doubtful...I raised a batch of betta fry and at about 3 months they started tearing into each other and had to be seperated...so....it's not worth loosing a nice betta or two to try to get them to "make nice" with each other. 

I just put mine next to each other so they have someone to make faces at. It keeps them interested in thier surroundings and they don't get frumpy and lazy. BTW...they don't spend alot of time flaring at each other..they do when they're first introduced, but they soon get used to the situation and ignore each other for them most part...but they do stay more lively with company...which I think keeps them stronger and healthier.  :Smile:

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## Big Eyes

In my experience, it is possible to keep betta in community as long as there are space given to establish their "territory".

I observed that if you keep them together from young in a "crowded" tank, then they tend to establish smaller territory. They are more tolerable with less space so not so aggressive with each other.

I have raised plakats(short tail splendens) from fries to about 3inches in a 1.5 ft tank. I have like 30+ pcs in it. Did not know what are the Males/Females ratio though. No noticeable casualties or torn fins. It was fun to watch during feeding times! Threw in couple of cubes of frozen blood worms and watch them scurrying for the food! EXCITING!

That was just for the kicks of breeding splendens. I gave them all away. My 1st and only attempt at breeding splendens.


Have fun.

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## Justikanz

I think it is possible. In theory, it will require a big tank (main thing is surface area) and over crowding population of male bettas... That way, aggression will be kept to a minumum in the mbuna way... But never tried yet...

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