# Male bettas living together



## thangster0 (Dec 28, 2014)

Hey there i'm new to this forum and fairly new to betta keeping(but not fish in general). How rare is it for male bettas to live together? I have a video of mine living together PEACEFULLY for a month now. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rbawf8EZIRI


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## MikeG14 (May 31, 2014)

_"It's as if the natural world has been turned upside down."
Lord Mandrake_


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## thangster0 (Dec 28, 2014)

I also have 2 huge blood parrot couples that are so friendly they adopted a feeder fish that could fit in their mouth at any time... I raise some strange pets lol.


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## gracem2002 (Dec 27, 2014)

If your males are young, you need to separate them ASAP, even if you think they like each other, you can NEVER be sure.

♥ Grace ♥


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## MattsBettas (Dec 18, 2012)

A tank that size (and without any cover, filter, or heater) barely looks like it could handle one betta, nevermind two. Bettas need a bare minimum of a gallon of space, a heater, and preferably a filter. Take it from someone who has bred, raised, and kept domestic B. splendens for years now... The chances of this working long term are EXTREMELY small, both fish are stressed whether they are showing physical signs or not, and most experienced owners would consider this setup inhumane for a multitude of reasons. In the best interest of the fish, I would recommend separating them into well set up tanks immediately. 

I'll be brutally honest... I'm yet to see a member who is "successfully" keeping two males together (even in tanks as large as 75g) NOT report failure and NOT mysteriously disappear from the forum eventually...


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## PetMania (Mar 28, 2013)

Even if there have been a case in which males are tolerant, you should not risk it. They instinctively fight each other to death. Keeping females together is also very tricky.


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## LittleBettaFish (Oct 2, 2010)

Is that what they are in all the time?

They do not look particularly comfortable with the situation at all. Their fins are clamped most of the time, and apart from when they think they are going to get fed, they look like they are both just avoiding each other as much as possible. 

I think your males are stressed and that you should separate them. Bettas are highly unpredictable and while it seems like yours are 'friends' I would not be surprised if this ended in disaster.


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## thangster0 (Dec 28, 2014)

Hey guys thanks for the response. I know that the tank is small I bought it original for ONE but I try to get them to flair and notice they have no interest in it. They have been together for over a month now. If there were any signs of aggression don't worry I would pull them right away. You can see how healthy and happy they are so at the moment there is no need. I will be getting a bigger tank for sure.


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## PetMania (Mar 28, 2013)

Kudos to you for going and seeking out advice. Many people don't and then their fish suffer the consequences. 

Welcome to the fish hobby! :-D


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## LittleBettaFish (Oct 2, 2010)

Aggression can be very subtle in its presentation with these fish. The way one fish approaches another for example, can be an act of aggression/dominance even if the fish is not flaring or showing any obvious signs of hostility.

I do personally see aggressive behaviour in the video and fish that do not look happy with their situation. In a couple of places I can see where it looked as if both males were contemplating something more physical. 

Also your tank is definitely too small for two of these fish and there is nowhere for the weaker male to hide should the other male decide to attack him.


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## Schmoo (Oct 3, 2014)

Your red betta has had the crap chewed out of its fins (at first glance I thought he was a crowntail)... The blue's anal has quite a few nips in it, too. There's definitely something non-peaceful going on in that tank... Whether that's aggression or stress, I can't say (both, most likely) because I don't know your tank, but I would really recommend getting them both their own set-up.

Please, please, please listen to what these forum members have to say. You may think your bettas are fine, but they really aren't. They are not "happy and healthy" as you say. Like LittleBettaFish, I see aggressive behavior in your pair of males, and the torn fins suggest the same. IMO it's very cruel to keep two male bettas (or two of any fish, really) in such a small tank. Your boys need separate homes with a heater and some hidey-holes, at the very least. We could all make some excellent suggestions if you're short on cash. :3


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## fleetfish (Jun 29, 2010)

There *is* a need to separate - as others have said. Just because *you think* they're happy, it doesn't mean that they *are* happy.


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## kjg1029 (Jun 14, 2014)

I agree. although they seem to be tolerating each-other at this moment, they might just randomly decide enough is enough! and unless you want to wake up to two mostly dead bettas still trying to go at it...youll want to separate them.
+1 on the fins being chewed, or something...they defiantly dont look healthy
you could get them a divided 10g so they can still see eachother, but not touch!

maybe you can try to give them each their own 10g with other suitable tank mates, like cories, shrimp, maybe even a small school of fish. but pleeease no males together!


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## thangster0 (Dec 28, 2014)

Thanks for all the feedback and I know you guys are vets. with bettas SO I am taking all advice seriously. I am not new to fish keeping (just betta) and if you guys are 100% certain this will not work out I will remove them from each other. It's just so hard as they DO seem to be "friendly" and non agressive. As for tail biting I haven't witnessed or seen any changes they are the same shape since I bought them but will pay closer attention, thanks all.


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## PetMania (Mar 28, 2013)

Yes, you will definitely need to separate them. No bettas are 100% tolerant of each other. I suggest putting each one in their own container and buy at the minimum a 1G tank ea.


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## LittleBettaFish (Oct 2, 2010)

You are humanising their behaviour. In your video you said that the two males are 'friends'. Unfortunately, when it comes to this fish, this kind of thinking can be harmful.

You have given your males two choices: either fight until one or both of you are seriously injured or killed, or cohabitate in this sort of uneasy truce like we see here in your video. 

By their very nature, betta splendens are a solitary and territorial species. When trying to keep these fish successfully, we should always work with their instincts and natural behaviours, not against them.


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## thangster0 (Dec 28, 2014)

Thanks guys I know what everyone is saying is true and of course researching online. I thought it was rare but didn't know it was impossible(has there really never been male bettas who lived together?) I will be moving them to a new tank but seperating them may wait until I see any signs of physical agression.


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## kjg1029 (Jun 14, 2014)

Like I said I really would just split a 10g down the middle with some plexiglass or something so they can see but not thouch, for both of their saftey!

I am glad you are agreeing to get them a larger tank at the least, I assure you none of this is personal, its just all from experience...we want the best for your (and every) fish!


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## Schmoo (Oct 3, 2014)

If you're going to upgrade their tank and insist on keeping them in one tank, then I suggest getting a 5 or 10 gallon and dividing it for them. If you wait until you notice physical aggression, it may be too late. Based on your video, and on what I know and have researched of bettas, it's highly unlikely that all of those fin nips are pre-purchase -- especially for the red one. You likely haven't witnessed it, but I suspect the blue male is the more dominant one, and has bitten the red one's fins.


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## LittleBettaFish (Oct 2, 2010)

Why not just separate them? They are most likely highly stressed and even if they don't fight, this is going to leave them extremely vulnerable to disease.

There is a reason groups of female bettas living together are more susceptible to disease, and that is because it is such a high stress environment. 

Yes it is rather unusual (I will not say impossible because I have seen it done before) to have two males living like this, but this sort of arrangement is always for the benefit of the keeper, and not in the best interest of the fish. 

I have been in a similar situation before where I had a male living alongside a group of females for close to a year with absolutely no issues. That was until they literally tore him apart without any warning whatsoever. His death was entirely on me because I should have separated him out right from the beginning. 

Bettas are extremely unpredictable and long-term keepers/breeders will all tell you this. In these types of situations you cannot predict their behaviour from one day to the next. Your males may be tolerating each other for the time being but when things go wrong, they can go wrong fast enough that you won't have time to react. 

Based on previous experience and from everything I've read online, it's best if you separate them now.


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## Greenapp1es (Dec 4, 2014)

thangster0 said:


> Thanks guys I know what everyone is saying is true and of course researching online. I thought it was rare but didn't know it was impossible(has there really never been male bettas who lived together?) I will be moving them to a new tank but seperating them may wait until I see any signs of physical agression.


As has been noted, there are already signs of aggression. Even apart from the state of their fins, many of us were able to see it in the video just by how the two interacted with each other. The biggest thing that stuck out to me was the way a fish would react when it realized the other was behind it. It just seemed like the two are incredibly wary of each other and waiting for the other to start something.

I know that not all betta are equally aggressive. My guy is super non-aggressive. At the same time, not long ago I picked up an impulse rescue that I floated in a tupperware container in my guy's tank. My guy wasn't overtly hostile while the rescue was in there, but his behavior changed. He started glass surfing and started fin-biting, and that was with the two being separated. It took a day after the other fish was removed for him to really calm down, and that was with the tank light off and a towel over the tank.

*PLEASE* separate your fish. If you get a larger tank, you can potentially keep them in the same tank if you get a divider. But even then, you would want to make sure the tank is planted and provides places for each of them to get away if needed.


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## MattsBettas (Dec 18, 2012)

I think it's clear that everyone including myself believes you should separate them ASAP... I just wanted to add and make it clear that you may not see any aggressive behavior before one ends up dead... It just happens, often very suddenly.


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## scootshoot (Oct 11, 2010)

thangster0 said:


> Hey there i'm new to this forum and fairly new to betta keeping(but not fish in general). How rare is it for male bettas to live together? I have a video of mine living together PEACEFULLY for a month now.
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rbawf8EZIRI


If you can get away with it, that's cool. But man that tank is so bare and small. Find some cheap upgrades on Craigslist, you'd be surprised at the stuff you find there.

Last summer someone posted a full 5 gallon setup with heater, filter everything for 10 bucks, she just wanted to get rid of it.


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## charliegill110 (May 19, 2014)

MattsBettas said:


> A tank that size (and without any cover, filter, or heater) barely looks like it could handle one betta, nevermind two. Bettas need a bare minimum of a gallon of space, a heater, and preferably a filter. Take it from someone who has bred, raised, and kept domestic B. splendens for years now... The chances of this working long term are EXTREMELY small, both fish are stressed whether they are showing physical signs or not, and most experienced owners would consider this setup inhumane for a multitude of reasons. In the best interest of the fish, I would recommend separating them into well set up tanks immediately.
> 
> I'll be brutally honest... I'm yet to see a member who is "successfully" keeping two males together (even in tanks as large as 75g) NOT report failure and NOT mysteriously disappear from the forum eventually...


just out of curiosity how large do you think a tank would have to be to house 2 male bettas with no divider? 500 gallons? 1000 gallons? more? its NOT something i am looking to do but something i was just curious about. what about for a sorority?


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## MattsBettas (Dec 18, 2012)

charliegill110 said:


> just out of curiosity how large do you think a tank would have to be to house 2 male bettas with no divider? 500 gallons? 1000 gallons? more? its NOT something i am looking to do but something i was just curious about. what about for a sorority?


Domestic splendens are not meant to be housed together permanently, period. They were bred with maximum intraspecies aggression being a goal which needless to say does not lead to healthy cohabitation. While they can be successful in rare cases, I personally don't like sorority tanks or the concept of keeping two males together. 

If you want numbers, I would go with probably 200g or more and plenty of blocked lines of sight to keep two average adult, non sibling or father-son males together safely, and at least a 20g long that is EXTREMELY densely planted (floaters and cover on every level of the tank. You should barely be able to see one end from the other end) for a well thought out sorority. Even then there are no guarantees about anything, and sororities and multi male tanks often end in death for the fish involved. 

This is all in theory. I don't even remember ever seeing a 200g tank myself, I'm just making estimates base on reports I've read. There's also definitely more interesting things to do in a tank that size than two bettas ;-).


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## charliegill110 (May 19, 2014)

MattsBettas said:


> Domestic splendens are not meant to be housed together permanently, period. They were bred with maximum intraspecies aggression being a goal which needless to say does not lead to healthy cohabitation. While they can be successful in rare cases, I personally don't like sorority tanks or the concept of keeping two males together.
> 
> If you want numbers, I would go with probably 200g or more and plenty of blocked lines of sight to keep two average adult, non sibling or father-son males together safely, and at least a 20g long that is EXTREMELY densely planted (floaters and cover on every level of the tank. You should barely be able to see one end from the other end) for a well thought out sorority. Even then there are no guarantees about anything, and sororities and multi male tanks often end in death for the fish involved.
> 
> This is all in theory. I don't even remember ever seeing a 200g tank myself, I'm just making estimates base on reports I've read. There's also definitely more interesting things to do in a tank that size than two bettas ;-).


i've never seen a tank that large either, it would probably have to be a custom built one. but why have bettas been bred to be so aggressive? i'd love to have multi betta tanks. can the aggression eventually be bred out? why don't people do that? sorry i'm asking so many questions, you seem to be very knowledgeable so thats why i'm asking.


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## Greenapp1es (Dec 4, 2014)

I'm not an expert on Betta history, but I can think of 2 reasons right off the bat as to why bettas had specifically been bred to be aggressive:

1)Bettas flare when in an aggressive state, so putting them in this state (by way of another fish or by showing them a mirror) allows a person to see their finnage in full.

2)Unfortunate but true, a sad part of the Betta's past is that this breed of fish was bred specifically to fight - sort of like we have "cock fighting" contests in some less-than-animal-friendly areas.


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## Polkadot (Feb 10, 2013)

That is just sad & wrong. :shock:


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## lilnaugrim (Mar 27, 2013)

thangster0 said:


> Thanks for all the feedback and I know you guys are vets. with bettas SO I am taking all advice seriously. I am not new to fish keeping (just betta) and if you guys are 100% certain this will not work out I will remove them from each other. It's just so hard as they DO seem to be "friendly" and non agressive. As for tail biting I haven't witnessed or seen any changes they are the same shape since I bought them but will pay closer attention, thanks all.


I have to say that it makes me very happy to see someone who's willing to learn from us! You and your fish will be much happier once you make the switch! You wouldn't believe the amount of people who come on here and just fight tooth and nail with us that they can live together! So good on you thangster0 for letting us help you ^_^


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## thangster0 (Dec 28, 2014)

Update: They are in a huge 35 gallon tank now and still can't seem to stay away from each other. Enjoy.

http://imgur.com/lSyS4jyhttp://imgur.com/lSyS4jy


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## lilnaugrim (Mar 27, 2013)

Well...I guess I have to rescind my comment then :-/


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## lumiina (Dec 15, 2014)

Now, put a divider in that 35 G tank to separate them.


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## charliegill110 (May 19, 2014)

you still need to put a divider in to separate them. they are going to kill each other.


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## lilnaugrim (Mar 27, 2013)

I guess there isn't much more we can do here folks, I don't mean to sound rude or anything but there's no point to repeating everything that's already been said.

thangster0, as you said yourself "we are the betta veterans" so if you chose to let us help you then great! But if you don't want to listen to it, then that is your choice as well so I just hope you won't be deterred by what follows from you doing this. Just wanted to let you know and warn you that many here will comment on your set-up and not all comments will be nice. If you feel that you are being harassed, you can always contact a mod to see if anything could be done or if they were out of line.

All the luck is wished that your Betta's don't kill each other, but please know that it is their nature; they are bred like this unfortunately and through over 150 years of breeding them, it won't stop any time soon :-/


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## Reccka (Jul 20, 2014)

Going to have to agree...why ask for any advice on this if you're just going to ignore it all? If you care for the lives of these creatures at all, please separate them. They are not friends. They "can't stay away" from each other because they are trying to keep each other in check. It is not friendly behavior. It it _not _a matter of _IF_ they will kill each other, it is a matter of _WHEN._ 

People have tried to keep males together in much larger and much more densely planted tanks than yours. And you know the reality? It always ends the same one way or another. No one does this for a reason.

Edit: And actually, I wouldn't be surprised at all if the "when" happens very soon. They are going to be fighting to establish territory in the new bigger space you've put them in. You can make a DIY divider for less than $7. At least _try _it. You'll see massive improvements in their health(and healing in their bitten fins) and quality of life this way. I pretty much guarantee that.


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## Nova betta (Dec 5, 2014)

i feel the same way but remeber we do not want to be rude and harass her.


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## Destinystar (May 26, 2012)

Well said lilnaugrim 

I would personally like to add putting a divider in your tank would cost very little but could go a long way to save your two males from harming each other or worse.

I also would like to take this time to share the link to the announcement posted yesterday evening in the Lounge in case any members missed seeing it. 

Betta Fish and Betta Fish Care - Announcements in Forum : The Lounge


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## Nova betta (Dec 5, 2014)

if you get a divider you may end up with two breathtaking boys like these.


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## Nova betta (Dec 5, 2014)

how are they?


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## thangster0 (Dec 28, 2014)

Nova betta said:


> if you get a divider you may end up with two breathtaking boys like these.


If you watched the video you'll see my red one is actually a crown tail  but that blue one looks exactly like the one I have


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## Greenapp1es (Dec 4, 2014)

thangster0 said:


> If you watched the video you'll see my red one is actually a crown tail  but that blue one looks exactly like the one I have


We definitely saw that right now he very much resembles a crowntail. Our concern is that we are not entirely sure he actually is one.

While I still strongly feel you should divide your fish, you have chosen otherwise. I offer you the best that luck can provide, and truly hope that my fears and reservations given the situation do not play out the way I fear they might.


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## Nova betta (Dec 5, 2014)

he does not look like one to me. i believe he is a veiltail. here is my red crowntail. see how the pionts are very exact,not different lenghts.


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## Jamila6452 (Nov 3, 2014)

Those poor, stressed-out fish. They're so stiff and wary of each other. I predict the red one is killed within the week.


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## SplashyBetta (Jul 28, 2014)

Your red betta is not a crowntail. He is a veiltail with shredded fins.


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## Ilovebettasbk11 (Nov 12, 2013)

I am sure they will hurt eachother one way or another i dont think they should be togeather no matter how big the space is


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## thangster0 (Dec 28, 2014)

Nova betta said:


> how are they?


They are fine and are getting used to their new home. The blue one is super active and explores the whole tank and comes running when he thinks i am going to feed him. My red one is one lazy guy(has been even when he was alone) he usually is seen at the bottom and hanging out. They are still together and when they bump into each other they already know each other and pretty much say hi and don't really do anything. They are starting their 6 week together. Also since the tank is much larger it has been a lot harder to feed my red one as i fear he may be a weaker swimmer and seems more tired than when he was in his small tank. 

Also i tried finding some videos of other male bettas living together and most turned out to be fish fights or stupid attempts of making them fight. My fish are nothing like that whats so ever, maybe they are both dumb fish wise?


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## thangster0 (Dec 28, 2014)

SplashyBetta said:


> Your red betta is not a crowntail. He is a veiltail with shredded fins.


My receipt from the fish store says crowntail but i'm sure you guys know more than I do and I also paid premium for a crowntail so i guess they ripped me off.

Also if you skip to the second part of the video where the room is brighter he looks like a crown tail unless the pet store shredded his tail(is that a thing) and sold it as a crowntail at 2:30 ish


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## lumiina (Dec 15, 2014)

Why are you completely ignoring what everyone says about separating the two? You obviously care about your fish because you got a bigger tank. Your fish aren't special and this isn't a special case.


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## Schmoo (Oct 3, 2014)

You may have paid for a crowntail, but your red betta is a veiltail (not much price difference typically) with veeeeery shredded fins.

You claim to understand that many of the people here are more knowledgeable about betta splendens than you are, but you will not heed their advice. Please, for the health and well-being of your two fish, listen to what they have to say and separate your boys. It is not difficult at all. 

If you are truly concerned that they may be lonely (they aren't), once healthy, you could attempt some peaceful tank mates on either half of your divided 35 gallon tank. 

None of us want to see either of your boys die, and I'm sure you don't either. You may not be noticing any physical aggression yet (keyword being yet), but there are other signs that both your males are incredibly stressed...

I wish that you would take to heart what people are saying, but it seems that you are determined not to. For your fish's sake, I hope you decide to.


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## SplashyBetta (Jul 28, 2014)

Tank dividers are very cheap and easy to make. Not hard at all. You can still keep them in the same tank, but with a divider they'll both be safer and happier. 
Then you can look into getting some small peaceful companions such as shrimp, tetras, etc. 
Why don't you just TRY separating them? Maybe you'll be surprised and they'll seem more comfortable and the red betta's fins will have time to heal.


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## kjg1029 (Jun 14, 2014)

+1 to the dividers being easy, I made mine for several dollars, using things from WalMart and the dollar tree, you can tie moss on them too so they look nice!

I'm glad their doing okay!

and +1 to the trying to add tank mates when its divided for them to have some buddies! I suggest Cory cats! My betta enjoys his as you can see in my picture!


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## sainthogan (Sep 27, 2012)

Your red one is clearly the less dominant of the two. He is a "weaker swimmer" because he is under constant stress, and he hangs out near the bottom because the blue one has claimed the top as his territory. It is only a matter of time before one ends up dead, most likely the red one, either from an act of aggression, or not being allowed to eat or breathe at the top.
Yours are not "dumb", they are just still young. Young males are not always aggressive right away, it sometimes takes weeks or months for them to become aggressive.



thangster0 said:


> They are fine and are getting used to their new home. The blue one is super active and explores the whole tank and comes running when he thinks i am going to feed him. My red one is one lazy guy(has been even when he was alone) he usually is seen at the bottom and hanging out. They are still together and when they bump into each other they already know each other and pretty much say hi and don't really do anything. They are starting their 6 week together. Also since the tank is much larger it has been a lot harder to feed my red one as i fear he may be a weaker swimmer and seems more tired than when he was in his small tank.
> 
> Also i tried finding some videos of other male bettas living together and most turned out to be fish fights or stupid attempts of making them fight. My fish are nothing like that whats so ever, maybe they are both dumb fish wise?


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## Tress (Jun 6, 2014)

My friend was able to pull off two very submissive males in a tank together, but she watched them like a hawk. They lived together 10 months before one suffered internal damage when he jumped during a water change. I showed her your video and pictures and she is appalled by what you are doing. The signs of aggression and obvious injuries to your red male are clear enough indicators that this set up is not and never will work. Even more so that your red male is having trouble swimming. He should be removed and given a tank of his own with a lot of plants for him to rest on near the surface.

Please listen to all of the advice that is being given to you, it is in the best interest of your fish.


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## jsgossamer (Oct 11, 2012)

These looked like stressed bettas to me. The red fishes fins look shredded. Not sure why you would experiment with these little guys lives this way


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## kevinap2 (Apr 3, 2014)

I do not understand why some people feel the desire to fight nature. Nature will always win.

These fish live alone in nature. Intruders are driven off or killed. Your fish, as previously stated, are trying to keep each other one in check. As soon as one feels it has the advantage, the other will be attacked. This is evident already in the condition of the fins of both of your fish. Sooner or later one will be killed, either by attack or by stress.

The reason you do not understand this is because you are transposing human beliefs and values onto your fish. They are not humans. They do not think and feel like humans do. They operate on instinct, not reason. Do not assume that they are even able to process the concept of "having friends."


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## kjg1029 (Jun 14, 2014)

^+1 to fish not having the same emotions as humans, because they simply don't need to be as advanced as we do for their survival.


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## bluethebetta (Jul 10, 2014)

Though you can sometimes keep females together in groups. Never ever keep two males together. I would get a betta tank divider so you can still keep both bettas


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## kevinap2 (Apr 3, 2014)

We're never gonna see this guy again, folks. He's convinced he's right and the rest of the world is wrong. I just hope he's not too squeamish when he's pulling a mangled betta corpse out of his tank.


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## Tress (Jun 6, 2014)

I agree Kevin. As sad as it is the old saying is true.

You can lead a horse to water but you can't make it drink.


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## princesskale (Jun 5, 2012)

Sorry, but it's clearly inhumane to keep two males in the same undivided tank. There's no way you can observe them 24/7 to ensure that they're not fighting, and based on the video you've provided, there are some pretty obvious signs of bullying and stress. It's almost guaranteed that you're going to soon end up with two dead bettas if you don't separate them ASAP. Please heed our warnings for their sake... we're here because we care about the welfare of bettas, and we have no other reasons for telling you this. Your males are *NOT* friends, they're spending all of their time observing each other and waiting to strike.


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## kjg1029 (Jun 14, 2014)

unfortunately I have to agree that we will probably never hear him him/her again


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## thangster0 (Dec 28, 2014)

kjg1029 said:


> unfortunately I have to agree that we will probably never hear him him/her again


Sorry guys I can't update you guys every day about my fish. I'll check in when I can not sure why everyone thinks I left because I haven't updated in a day or so. I cannot spend all my time on here


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## TerriGtoo (Jul 2, 2013)

thangster0 said:


> Update: They are in a huge 35 gallon tank now and still can't seem to stay away from each other. Enjoy.
> 
> http://imgur.com/lSyS4jy


This is not good. You cannot have more than one male betta in any tank.
Our members have let you know you can't keep more than one betta in a tank. You seemed to understand this then go and put them together again?
This is the only post I'll make on this, because I am just exhausted from all the other threads where members have tried to help and the threads just went downhill, but I have to agree with our other members. They are not near each other because they get along,but because they are sizing each other up to eventually fight each other.


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## Tress (Jun 6, 2014)

thangster0 said:


> Sorry guys I can't update you guys every day about my fish. I'll check in when I can not sure why everyone thinks I left because I haven't updated in a day or so. I cannot spend all my time on here


You wanna know why we thought you were gone? Because ALL of this has happened before. Other people have tried this, come here and show their set up off, get negative responses, and when it all blows up in their face they are too embarrassed to own up to their mistake. 

I recently made a mistake that cost the life of a fish I had planned to breed in the future. It was a stupid mistake I could have easily avoided, but whats done is done. I'm still new to proper betta care, every mistake is a learning experience. 

This is why I can't understand why you, who has a chance to save the lives of both your fish, are resisting the advice of people with years of experience in betta care and behavior. You cannot fight natural instinct. This species was made for the purpose of fighting. 

http://www.bettafish.com/showthread.php?t=124190

"*Male Betta and Male Betta:* 

_Though it has been done, _it is not for everyone. 
It is most recommended to keep all males separated, to avoid injuries and death. Injuries can lead to infections, which is not what you want to deal with. If you feel the urge to get another Betta (as we all have), *make sure to be ready.* Either have a tank on hand already, or buy a tank while buying the fish. Remember these fellas need heaters! 

I have heard of some people having males together - often siblings - however they have larger tanks, often long VS regular or tall, and those tanks are cycled, planted, and have natural sight dividers such as driftwood, or taller plants. These tanks are set up much like a larger sorority tank, but can be more difficult.

If you are keeping males together undivided, expect fighting, showing off, torn fins, and in extreme cases severe injury, lethargy, and death. When the immune system crashes problems such as Ich and Columnaris can hit. Then that means you need to medicate TWO fish.* Is it worth it?"*

Is it worth it?


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## evan47 (Sep 23, 2014)

i would get a 10 gallon and divide it.


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## lilnaugrim (Mar 27, 2013)

Okay everyone, let's calm it down a little bit. Not everyone is on all the time like we are as thangster has expressed. Let's just wait to see if there are any updates on the fish first. We've already said our peace, no sense in beating a dead horse!

I'm sorry thangster this thread is getting quite long by now. Hope you can read through everything and decide.

If at any point you decide it, you can have this thread closed by contacting a moderator.

*To everyone else, as I said before; don't beat dead horses, pretty much everything has been said so far so it's up to thangster to make the call.*


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## bluethebetta (Jul 10, 2014)

I don't think anybody wants to be mean to you. We are just really worried about your fish and really dont want to see them get hurt. I had a friend that kept two males in the same tank just like you. She didn't know much about bettas and didn't know that they were so aggressive (which is why you need to always research the fish you are getting) once I told her how bad this is she still didn't desperate them she said her boys must have bonded because they had not tried to fight eachother. Despite all my warnings and pleas she wouldn't separate them because she thought they would be lonely and heartbroken. A few days later she found both bettas dead. My friend loved her bettas and she was so sad. I know you love your bettas soon and think they would be sad apart. But bettas are happy alone. Please separate your bettas. I still blame myself for not getting my friend to separate them and I dont want the same thing to happen to your bettas. Please I am especially worried about your red one. He looks very stressed which can leave to bad possibly even fatal health problems. But it is not to late. You just need to remove them. As soon as you can.


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## RussellTheShihTzu (Mar 19, 2013)

+1 lilnaugrim


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