# Is it okay to put a male & a female betta together?



## Jessabell (Aug 16, 2010)

IF I have maybe a 2-5 gal?


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## Punki (Apr 30, 2011)

2 gallons is a bit small, 5 gallons would be fine, with a solid divider, Or theyd fight.


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## russalka (Mar 23, 2011)

No. They will fight and kill each other.


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## bettafish15 (Oct 3, 2010)

Only with a divider between them. Even in the largest of tanks, no. Five gallons is the smallest tank you can divide between two bettas. If you put them together without a divider they will kill each other, brutally.


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## Jessabell (Aug 16, 2010)

Okay, thanks.


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## mwc (May 26, 2011)

no,no,no they will fight or breed .then you will have 50 to 500 fry on your hands


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## laughing (Mar 12, 2011)

They wont breed. It takes really specific water parameters, feed, etc to have bettas spawn together. 

They will violently kill each other. Put in a divider into a 5 gallon. Have the 5 gallon cycle and during this time get some java moss and tie it onto the divider. Divider should be mesh with small holes. It should grow over. Or put in two dividers about half an inch to an inch apart and put it in between so it grows thicker and more secure.

Good luck!


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## TonyK (Apr 4, 2011)

That is a real nice idea of having the moss between 2 dividers.







laughing said:


> They wont breed. It takes really specific water parameters, feed, etc to have bettas spawn together.
> 
> They will violently kill each other. Put in a divider into a 5 gallon. Have the 5 gallon cycle and during this time get some java moss and tie it onto the divider. Divider should be mesh with small holes. It should grow over. Or put in two dividers about half an inch to an inch apart and put it in between so it grows thicker and more secure.
> 
> Good luck!


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## laughing (Mar 12, 2011)

Thanks! I am debating if I want to divide my 10 gallon and got java moss for it. Its pretty cheap and grows fast, plus it makes a 'natural' looking barrier that prevents them from even seeing each other so they wont want to jump over. I prefer it that plan dividers because I feel they get stressed too much.


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## mwc (May 26, 2011)

laughing said:


> They wont breed. It takes really specific water parameters, feed, etc to have bettas spawn together.
> 
> They will violently kill each other. Put in a divider into a 5 gallon. Have the 5 gallon cycle and during this time get some java moss and tie it onto the divider. Divider should be mesh with small holes. It should grow over. Or put in two dividers about half an inch to an inch apart and put it in between so it grows thicker and more secure.
> 
> Good luck!


you would think they wont breed. my did breed


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## DarkMoon17 (Apr 16, 2011)

As long as the water is heated, they could breed (and then kill one another). Males should never be housed with females unless you plan to breed them. 2.5 gallons is way to small for 2 bettas anyway. Bettas need 2.5 gallons each. Get a 5 gal and divide it. I really like Laughing's java moss idea. That's pretty awesome.


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## Greenfish (May 23, 2011)

my cousin had a male and female in a tiny fish bowl that wouldn't have even held 2 liters (0.528344 gallons) and they got on fine, it was amazing. and they lived together until she had to go to boarding school, she then gave them to a friend. it really depends on the temperament of the fish


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## 1fish2fish (Sep 10, 2009)

That's really a dangerous comment for someone who doesn't know any better. For one thing that size bowl is basically a sewage pit for one betta, not to mention two. Secondly, in that size bowl they were probably so highly stressed that they didn't have the will to fight. They probably had or will have an extremely short lifespan in that set up.

Like I always say. Just because something worked once for one person doesn't mean it was right.


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## Jessabell (Aug 16, 2010)

lmao, I forgot about this thread completely xD Sorry guys.


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## copperarabian (Apr 27, 2011)

I went over to one of my friends house and saw that she placed her male and female in the same tank and said they were fine O.O the poor male had shredded fins and she didn't even notice! I told her she either needs to divide the 20g like I told her to do or put the male somewhere else  

I'm a little mad at her, the male is stunning and I feel like he is being treated badly  If I don't see the situation fixed I'll ask for him back since I let her have both the fish. Luckily he's not too bad yet, but so much stress....

I'd never keep males and females together since I'm not experienced enough with bettas, I think OFL does though.


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## DarkMoon17 (Apr 16, 2011)

In the past I've kept one male with several females (8+) but that was in a 55 gal tank with other tropical fish and tons of hiding places. You shouldn't try it in less then that unless you are breeding them. I find I've had much more luck keeping CT males with females since the females can't shred them as easily and they seem more mobile than other tail types... Halfmoons are goners.


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