# Platy With Betta?



## BlueSky

I am looking to add some fish to my 10 gallon. Originally I was going to divide it for two bettas but not so sure I want to do that now. Its actually temporarily divided right now with my male betta on one side and nothing on the other. What I would like to do is add fish to the 10 gallon with my betta and if he doesn't do well with tank mates I have a 3 gallon tank I can move him too.

So I am thinking about guppies, endler or platies maybe. I know more about guppies and endlers than I do platies.


Are platies nippy or too fast moving for bettas to handle? Anyone have experience with platies that they want to share?

How many would you suggest to add?


Thanks a Bunch!


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## TerriGtoo

I have never had an issue with platies being aggressive to anything other than amongst themselves, when the males are showboating for each other, and then they really posture more than attack each other. I would think they would be perfectly fine with your betta. I wouldn't put more than four in your 10 gallon as they can get fairly big when taken care of properly. And go for all males or you'll have issues with more babies than you know what to do with. (Ie tank overpopulated)

Somethig to consider is your filtering system. What kind of filter do you have on the tank.

You might also consider CPD's. They are gorgeous little fish, very hardy and cute at less than an inch long at maturity. You could easily have a school of 8 or 10 in your 10 gallon. I have them in several of my larger betta tanks. Their colors are amazing. Google images of Celestial Pearl Danios.


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## Bettaislife14

My betta attacked one of my platies and chased the other.Sometimes it works but it sometimes doesn't


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## BlueSky

TerriGtoo said:


> I have never had an issue with platies being aggressive to anything other than amongst themselves, when the males are showboating for each other, and then they really posture more than attack each other. I would think they would be perfectly fine with your betta. I wouldn't put more than four in your 10 gallon as they can get fairly big when taken care of properly.


Alright thanks for the info! I am considering them not necessarily sold on them yet. I think right now my choice is between guppies and platies.



TerriGtoo said:


> And go for all males or you'll have issues with more babies than you know what to do with. (Ie tank overpopulated)


Yes defiantly! I don't plan to breed them and all that nonsense  



TerriGtoo said:


> Somethig to consider is your filtering system. What kind of filter do you have on the tank.


I have the Whisper 10i internal filter currently. Do platy produce a lot of waste? I also have 20 gallon external filter(don't know the brand/model will have to check on that after work) but I am thinking that would be too much current for the betta but I could always baffle it.



TerriGtoo said:


> You might also consider CPD's. They are gorgeous little fish, very hardy and cute at less than an inch long at maturity. You could easily have a school of 8 or 10 in your 10 gallon. I have them in several of my larger betta tanks. Their colors are amazing. Google images of Celestial Pearl Danios.


I absolutely adore the CPD's but I can't bring myself to spend the $35 to have 5 of them shipped to me and possibly not have all of them make it. I have checked all over and no one with in 60 miles sells them.

Although if anyone knows where I could get them for a cheaper I just might go for it! Because they are probably my favorite fish.


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## BlueSky

Bettaislife14 said:


> My betta attacked one of my platies and chased the other.Sometimes it works but it sometimes doesn't


Good to know! Yes, I am aware that it may or may not work. My betta is pretty calm and laid back which I do know can change once tank mates are put into the equation. I do have a back up plan if it doesn't work.


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## JadeSparrow

i had a community tank with a betta and platys. I was slightly ignorant when I bought them and had males and females, thankfully the ratio was ok, but i really tink the betta ate the fry because I never saw any. back to the point though they would cchase but I never saw any real aggression.


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## ellekay

The 10i should be fine. That's that I was going to use when I was planning my platy betta community. They're pretty peaceful fish with others.


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## jadaBlu

Just remember they get huge and after a certain age are prone to attacking other fish. Eventually you'd need a really big tank for the platy and it could not live with your betta anymore. Bettas are prone to attacking guppies because they look like other male bettas to them.


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## ellekay

Platy don't 'get huge.' They get up to like 2.5 inches max and males are usually smaller. You can have a shoal of just platy in a 10g and be just fine. You might be thinking of swordtails or mollys, but platy stay small. My adults are all smaller than my bettas, even my baby (4mo) betta...

They only attack or show aggression when the ratio is wrong, and then it's usually mating related.


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## Wolfstardobe

One of my betta's confused the blue platies for a female betta and chased her, flared, and tried to flirt with her... he never made a fuss with any other colors. They are one of my favorite fish to keep with bettas.


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## Kisiel

Make sure they're platies and not swordtails or mollies as the latter need bigger tanks. Mollies can be bullies! 

Different platies will stop growing at different sizes: I have two females that are absolutely massive and one that's about 3/4 of the size. She's not only shorter, but also looks more petite than the other two who are just fat. A lot of it is to do with genetics, but some you don't know the background of pet store fish, it can be difficult to determine how big they'll eventually get. 

Personally, I've never seen platies show any sort of aggression. I only keep females so I can't say anything about male on male aggression, but the females are generally chilled out (unless someone's getting netted) and hang out with their favourite "sister" most of the time. They're not zooming around the tank constantly like other fish: they're quite calm, but not lethargic. Unless it's feeding time, everyone gets excited but they remember their manners and don't fight over food. 

I honestly love my platies. I like how both males and females are equally colourful and there are so many different varieties! I'm looking to get some bumblebee platies at some point to add to my group  

Personally, I wouldn't house them with bettas, but that's just my opinion. You want your betta to be the star attraction of the tank and I feel like the platies would drag the attention away from it. Also, platies seem to prefer slightly cooler water than bettas: while bettas do best at about 80 degrees, platies prefer water that's closer to 75-76. Bettas also like soft acidic water (although they can adapt to ph over 7 with no problem) as opposed to platies that need alkaline water to thrive. In my experience they easily die in acidic water so you want to make sure it's suitable for them before bringing any home. 

*jadaBlu*, that's not entirely true. Platies aren't prone to attacking anything after any age, as I said, they're very peaceful fish from the day they are born. I have 20 platies in a 15 gallon (3 adults and 17 fry) and unless you want lots and lots of them, a 10 gallon is big enough for a small school. The whole "Bettas will kill anything colourful or with flowing fins" is a really outdated myth, it all depends on the personality of the betta. If it doesn't get along with guppies, it generally won't get along with any other tank mates no matter how they look. Bettas don't mistake guppies for other bettas, that's like a human mistaking a chimpanzee for another human.


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## ellekay

Platy are super hardy little fish though and adapt well to a variety of situations. I keep my platy community tank at 78 with no issues. Like you said, they are pretty chill unless it's feeding time, then it's a frenzy!  and they are fast, especially when trying to net them. I loved your analogy also.


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## MameJenny

Oh, I love platies. I've had eight different bettas with platies now (two in my 20g and six in my 10g), and only one of them tried attacking the platies. Most of them just don't care. I've never had any platy vs. betta aggression issues. They've just been perfect betta community tankmates for me. 

The platies are very fun fish. They're very active and peaceful. They always act hungry, and they get very friendly once they settle in. They're my second favorite fish (with the first being bettas). They do get pretty big - about as big as an average full-grown male betta - and they produce a lot of waste, but nothing a filtered and cycled 10g can't handle. I'd stick to 3-4 platies max. in a 10g.

My pH varies quite a bit because of driftwood and CO2, and my tap water is quite soft. The platies don't seem to mind. I've kept them in everything from 6.6 to 7.8 with no issues. I also keep my 20g at about 80-82, and the platies' numbers only seem to increase. (Get males.)


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## InStitches

I have two platies with a male Betta in an 8 gallon. It used to be four, but one harassed two to death and was a jerk to any other fish. It's the only time I've ever seen a platy with a bad personality -- all of my other platies over the year have been great. There are so many colors/patterns. They do poop a lot, though.

The other platy is one I raised from an accidental spawn. She tends to eat constantly. Even when there's no actual food, she's scraping every surface to eat the sludge. My little super pooper. Her name is piggy 

What kind of platies do you want?

My favorite community fish: neon tetras, bristlenose plecos, java loaches (so funny!! and they cuddle with each other).

I want to get some CPDs too someday. Also, threadfin rainbowfish if I have a betta that isn't nippy.


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## Fawneh1359

What can I get for a 10g concerning platys and female bettas? A 20g? I'm getting either a 10 or 20 and platys seem like a great "exotic-looking" fish that can apparently be kept with bettas, and females should also take away some tail problems.


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## MameJenny

Fawneh1359 said:


> What can I get for a 10g concerning platys and female bettas? A 20g? I'm getting either a 10 or 20 and platys seem like a great "exotic-looking" fish that can apparently be kept with bettas, and females should also take away some tail problems.


I currently have 3 platies and 5 bettas in my 10g sorority. I have 4 adult platies and about 10 juveniles, plus 1 betta and a danio school, in my 20g. Both my tanks are heavily planted, though, so they handle the stocking level pretty well. 

I suggest a max of 4 platies in a 10g, or maybe 7-8 in a 20g. Are you planning to have a sorority, or just one female?


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## Fawneh1359

MameJenny said:


> Are you planning to have a sorority, or just one female?


A sorority, I'm so excited! I've wanted a female for a while, and now that someone offered to fund a tank as long as I get a nice school fish (such as platies), and so I jumped at the opportunity to add some females in there!

How should I introduce them? I know that females need to be put it at the same time, but what about the platies? Should all the fish be put in at the same time? Or should I put platies or all the females first?

So would 8 platies and 5 females be okay?


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## MameJenny

Fawneh1359 said:


> A sorority, I'm so excited! I've wanted a female for a while, and now that someone offered to fund a tank as long as I get a nice school fish (such as platies), and so I jumped at the opportunity to add some females in there!
> 
> How should I introduce them? I know that females need to be put it at the same time, but what about the platies? Should all the fish be put in at the same time? Or should I put platies or all the females first?
> 
> So would 8 platies and 5 females be okay?


Ooh, congrats on your new tank! I hope it works out well! 

The order doesn't matter much. Some people suggest adding the bettas last, but others say that it makes very little difference. I've done it both ways without much issue. For the females, the tank needs to be well established and grown in anyway, so it would probably work best to add the platies first. 

In my 20g, I increased my platy numbers slowly, and nobody seemed to mind much. You could add them all at once, too, as long as the tank is fully cycled. As always, if you add the fish gradually, it's a very good idea to quarantine the new arrivals for two weeks in a separate tank to prevent disease. 

That stocking should work out fine.  Good luck!


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## Kisiel

ellekay said:


> Platy are super hardy little fish though and adapt well to a variety of situations. I keep my platy community tank at 78 with no issues. Like you said, they are pretty chill unless it's feeding time, then it's a frenzy!  and they are fast, especially when trying to net them. I loved your analogy also.


Yes, they are hardy but I personally had platies die in unaltered pH - in my betta tanks it sits at 6. Could be lower, but that's how low the test goes. Everything else was perfect, the water was pristine and they had lots of room. They were healthy and despite being drip acclimated over the course of a few hours, they still couldn't handle it. I now have aragonite sand (crushed coral) as my substrate and the pH is at about 7.6 - my platies are thriving. 

As I said, not keeping platies with bettas is just my opinion and preference. If all your fish are healthy and happy and you want to keep the two species together, that's great! c: 

They are _very_ fast. Pretty strong too. One of my females can jump from one end of the 15 gallon to the other, leaping out of the water like some sort of dolphin :roll: When they're trying to avoid the net and bump into the sides of the plastic you can just hear this dull _thud_ haha. Silly fish.


OP, in a 20 gallon you could easily do 8 platies and 5 bettas. You'll still have some space left so if you decide to add more platies or bettas, or anything else, you can do so! 

I would do it like this: set up the tank, let the filter run for a couple of days in case of a potential bacteria bloom. Add in plants and decor and 4 platies. Cycle the tank with the original fish, and once it's done, add two more. Wait at least a week before adding the final two. After another week or two, add three female bettas, and wait before adding the final two. This should prevent the cycle from crashing.


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## Fawneh1359

MameJenny said:


> Ooh, congrats on your new tank! I hope it works out well!
> 
> The order doesn't matter much. Some people suggest adding the bettas last, but others say that it makes very little difference. I've done it both ways without much issue. For the females, the tank needs to be well established and grown in anyway, so it would probably work best to add the platies first.
> 
> In my 20g, I increased my platy numbers slowly, and nobody seemed to mind much. You could add them all at once, too, as long as the tank is fully cycled. As always, if you add the fish gradually, it's a very good idea to quarantine the new arrivals for two weeks in a separate tank to prevent disease.
> 
> That stocking should work out fine.  Good luck!


Thank you so much! I'll probably add a few platies at a time, or all if I can get them. The females will go in after then, so the platies can adjust first. Do you recommend anything for cycling quickly? I don't think my family will appreciate an empty 20g standing for like a month.


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## ellekay

Fish in cycle is really easy. Daily water checks and changes as needed (based on the amount of ammonia and nitrites - once either reaches 0.25-0.50ppm, change the corresponding amount of water) I did a fish in with my platy in a 10g, and in a little over a month it was completely cycled. 

As for adding the platy, it should depend on whether they all come from the same tank at the store or not. I know most of the stores around me that have platy, have a few 'styles' in one tank, and a few more 'styles' in other tanks. Otherwise, I think the way you plan to do the platy, then the betta is a good idea


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## MameJenny

Fawneh1359 said:


> Thank you so much! I'll probably add a few platies at a time, or all if I can get them. The females will go in after then, so the platies can adjust first. Do you recommend anything for cycling quickly? I don't think my family will appreciate an empty 20g standing for like a month.


If you can get your hands on some filter media from a healthy established tank, you can add that to the filter. That's usually how I cycle my tanks now. Live plants, especially floating ones like duckweed, can also speed the process along. 



ellekay said:


> They are _very_ fast. Pretty strong too. One of my females can jump from one end of the 15 gallon to the other, leaping out of the water like some sort of dolphin :roll: When they're trying to avoid the net and bump into the sides of the plastic you can just hear this dull _thud_ haha. Silly fish.


lol...mine do that whenever I stick my hands in the tank. They're very strong fish for their size. Mine like to dive into the sand when I stick a net in there. It's a lot harder to see where they're swimming after ten of them kick up sand at once. :evil: Smart little fish...


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## Fawneh1359

ellekay said:


> Fish in cycle is really easy. Daily water checks and changes as needed (based on the amount of ammonia and nitrites - once either reaches 0.25-0.50ppm, change the corresponding amount of water) I did a fish in with my platy in a 10g, and in a little over a month it was completely cycled.
> 
> As for adding the platy, it should depend on whether they all come from the same tank at the store or not. I know most of the stores around me that have platy, have a few 'styles' in one tank, and a few more 'styles' in other tanks. Otherwise, I think the way you plan to do the platy, then the betta is a good idea


Thank you  What should I do if the platies aren't from the same tank? My peptic is the same, a few different types in each. 

Also, do you absolutely need a API master's kit for it? I currently only have ammonia, but I can try to save up for a master's kit alongside more bettas.


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## Fawneh1359

MameJenny said:


> If you can get your hands on some filter media from a healthy established tank, you can add that to the filter. That's usually how I cycle my tanks now. Live plants, especially floating ones like duckweed, can also speed the process along.


I don't think I can. I don't have any cycled tanks, and the only two people with aquariums I know probably don't have cycled tanks either. Also, by filter media, do you mean cartridges?


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## ellekay

Honestly the API master is 20$...and Petco/Smart will have their API stuff on sale sometimes so that saves you a bit more. And if you have their member cards, that saves even more. I got mine from Petco for 16$. And YES you will need the Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrate in order to know when to change water and when your cycle is complete.


If you're getting ones from different tanks, I'd quarantine them first. So get some that you like from one tank, put them in your tank and if you have an extra 5 or 10g at home, set up it and use it as a QT tank for the other platy. That's the safest way to go. You don't want one tank's worth of fish to be carrying something that wipes all of them out.

Doing any type of community tank takes time and patience.


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## Siobhan

I didn't have a good result with putting platy fish with my betta. He hid in the plant constantly and then his health declined and he died. They were too frenetic for him, I think, and they chased him. I've got platies and mollies in that tank now and they chase each other constantly.


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## Abhinand

Did u buy the platies and bettas,?


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## Fawneh1359

ellekay said:


> Honestly the API master is 20$...and Petco/Smart will have their API stuff on sale sometimes so that saves you a bit more. And if you have their member cards, that saves even more. I got mine from Petco for 16$. And YES you will need the Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrate in order to know when to change water and when your cycle is complete.
> 
> 
> If you're getting ones from different tanks, I'd quarantine them first. So get some that you like from one tank, put them in your tank and if you have an extra 5 or 10g at home, set up it and use it as a QT tank for the other platy. That's the safest way to go. You don't want one tank's worth of fish to be carrying something that wipes all of them out.
> 
> Doing any type of community tank takes time and patience.


I see. I do not have the ability to quarantine a few, sadly. I will try my best to earn the Master Kit. Do you know the cheapest place to buy a 2.5 or maybe even less? My first priority is to try to raise enough for a better tank for a rescue. He was in the store for maybe 3 weeks, and I felt so bad for him that I took him home. He is in a very small tank right now until I can upgrade, but it's better than the cup, and I change water daily. But next to that, I'll try to buy the kit for my tanks.

And I'll try to monitor them carefully beforehand.


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## Fawneh1359

Abhinand said:


> Did u buy the platies and bettas,?


Not yet, no. I don't plan to buy until my tank is ready, or at least has begun to be cycled. If I do buy any, it will be a female betta and only if I really want her. Otherwise it will all be after.



Siobhan said:


> I didn't have a good result with putting platy fish with my betta. He hid in the plant constantly and then his health declined and he died. They were too frenetic for him, I think, and they chased him. I've got platies and mollies in that tank now and they chase each other constantly.


I'm hoping it's better with females, since they can hide better, some are faster, don't have such a long tail, ect.


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## grimmermadbomb

I currently have 2 male bettas in a tank with an 8 inch goldfish a 6 inch pleco several guppies and a platy and they all get along fine and they have been together for 8 months now I just took the female betta out to breed with a new male I just picked up and she was fine in there also I have my bettas from a previous fry in another tank with a 6 inch pleco several guppies a couple platy/guppy hybrids and they also get along fine so from my experience over the last year has been very positive and everything I've read says they won't be able to coexist in this manner


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## ellekay

You have 2 male betta in a tank together, undivided? I had a really hard time following your post. Wasn't sure where the female betta came from. I am just really confused.

I think it depends on the individual fish as to whether any tank mate situation will work. Sometimes it does, and other times it doesn't. The important thing to keep in mind is, make sure you have a back up plan ready just in case.


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## Fawneh1359

ellekay said:


> The important thing to keep in mind is, make sure you have a back up plan ready just in case.


Do you know if some petstores will take bettas back once they are bought? If too many of them are causing trouble, I probably won't have the extra tanks to keep them in and so they might have to go back, sadly. I wish I could keep them all but if some are too aggressive...what I'm hoping for is to keep a lot of them near each other like in pet stores. This way, they won't get used to being alone with no bettas nearby (which happens to my males, and after a while of isolation, anywhere from weeks to a day, they begin to flare at others again). If I keep them nearby, they should be slightly better once I put them in the actually tank together.


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## ellekay

Some will, usually it's a 14 day return to Petco, and usually a 30 day at Petsmart (but not sure if that's for live fish or just dead ones). So you would have to have something go wrong very quickly. Honestly, I would try to have a few tanks as back ups, even if they are little 1g ones, because that would be a better life than going back to a tiny cup.

I don't know the first thing about trying to start a sorority. I have heard from several members on the forums that it is a very very tricky thing to do and even the most experienced betta keepers have a really hard time doing it. Even if they are next to each other in the store that doesn't mean that they will all get along once they are in the same tank without thin plastic separating them.

Myself, I would personally have enough tanks to keep them as back ups, or try to find a home for them instead of taking them back to the pet store. I would feel horrible sending them back to live in the 'cups of death' and stand the chance of not being bought. I don't feel comfortable attempting a sorority at this point in my fish keeping. I'm diving into a 29 community tank first. Maybe at some point I will attempt a sorority, but from what I've heard from others here, it's easier said than done.


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## Fawneh1359

ellekay said:


> Some will, usually it's a 14 day return to Petco, and usually a 30 day at Petsmart (but not sure if that's for live fish or just dead ones). So you would have to have something go wrong very quickly. Honestly, I would try to have a few tanks as back ups, even if they are little 1g ones, because that would be a better life than going back to a tiny cup.
> 
> I don't know the first thing about trying to start a sorority. I have heard from several members on the forums that it is a very very tricky thing to do and even the most experienced betta keepers have a really hard time doing it. Even if they are next to each other in the store that doesn't mean that they will all get along once they are in the same tank without thin plastic separating them.
> 
> Myself, I would personally have enough tanks to keep them as back ups, or try to find a home for them instead of taking them back to the pet store. I would feel horrible sending them back to live in the 'cups of death' and stand the chance of not being bought. I don't feel comfortable attempting a sorority at this point in my fish keeping. I'm diving into a 29 community tank first. Maybe at some point I will attempt a sorority, but from what I've heard from others here, it's easier said than done.



I'm pretty new at this to be honest, but I can't don't think I could stand passing up the chance to try! I understand what you mean with the tanks. Right now, I have a little boy (unnamed in my signature, I'm thinking Sallon, Sallyn, Sorrel, Sorren, something along those lines XD) in a half gallon. I want to upgrade him as soon as I can, but I just had to get him. He was in Petco for about 3 weeks, I first saw him around when I got Scarlet. After the second time I saw him, I promised myself that the next time, if he was still there, I'd buy him and just do daily water changes until he can get a better home. Better than dying in that cup, anyway.

I've only had him for a few days but he is a little sweetheart. Has some trouble eating (he doesn't go to the bottom of the tank if the pellet falls and he often bolts for the food and misses, making it fall) but he's overall fine. Someone said he might have fin rot but I'm not sure, I added AQ salt in case.

Anyway, sorry, I got off topic xD. I'm still in love with him. If anything I will try to put the girl in a small tank or even see if anyone wants to keep her. I have a friend who started liking bettas because of me and while she is afraid to get a fish because she thinks she will mess up, I believe she will do just fine. If anything, I'll see if she wants a female, even in a small tank.

Thanks for the help  For now, I just need to focus on buying the tank, let alone the actual fish. Besides, I still don't know a thing about keeping platies except for what I'm researching.


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## ellekay

I think Petsmart is still doing their 1$ sale...At least I've seen lots of adds for it on this site and others. (the little sponsor ads that is). Might be a good way to get a few 5 or 10 gallons to split. That way you can have fewer tanks and still house multiple fish, if the community doesn't work.

If you're new to this, I would seriously talk to some of the more experienced betta keepers about a sorority...It's not for a newbie, or even some experience keepers. I'm not trying to discourage you from doing it, I just don't want you to get ahead of yourself. It's one of those things that can go south very quickly and for no explained reason.

There's lots of threads on here about sororities, or you can start one asking for tips and such. Lots of good advice and first hand experience from members here.


I know how it is seeing the one that pulls at the heart strings...  That's how I have my two boys


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## Fawneh1359

ellekay said:


> I think Petsmart is still doing their 1$ sale...At least I've seen lots of adds for it on this site and others. (the little sponsor ads that is). Might be a good way to get a few 5 or 10 gallons to split. That way you can have fewer tanks and still house multiple fish, if the community doesn't work.


Really? I never knew Petsmart did this, I only knew Petco did. I went to Petsmart recently and didn't see anything about that. I'll look on their website but I don't know, I just know that Petco always has bunches of nice sales.



ellekay said:


> If you're new to this, I would seriously talk to some of the more experienced betta keepers about a sorority...It's not for a newbie, or even some experience keepers. I'm not trying to discourage you from doing it, I just don't want you to get ahead of yourself. It's one of those things that can go south very quickly and for no explained reason.


I am, but I would really like to try. If it REALLY doesn't work out, I'll take some females. Maybe give them away, keep who I can, and then maybe have to give them away but only as a last resort. Yeah, I understand. I've been trying to talk to whoever I could.



ellekay said:


> There's lots of threads on here about sororities, or you can start one asking for tips and such. Lots of good advice and first hand experience from members here.
> 
> 
> I know how it is seeing the one that pulls at the heart strings...  That's how I have my two boys


I'll do that, I went into a bunch of threads and I'll try to create my own soon.

And yeah...When I got Dawn. I walked in never even expecting a betta. Then I saw that pretty little boy and the first thing that popped into my head was that name. And then I couldn't leave him behind. I almost got a tiny cup, too. Luckily my dad disagreed and wanted a bigger tank for him. Hah, he had a better judgement than me. Later on I learned more about them and went back for a heater and filter and such.


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## ellekay

Yeah Petsmart usually runs their ad simultaneously with Petco, but it usually extends a bit into February, but it seems that it's over now. Still, I would maybe hold off on starting the sorority until you can get the good sales. Just a thought. But definitely make your own thread about starting a sorority.


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## MameJenny

If you need super-cheap emergency/quarantine tanks that don't need to be very good looking, you could use clear Sterilite containers. You can get a 10 gallon one for about $5. I use an 8 gallon one as my quarantine tank, and I keep a couple of smaller ones around for emergencies. I'm thinking that, instead of getting one for each sorority girl, you could just divide a big one a few times with DIY dividers.

To pick out peaceful pet store girls, I suggest only picking out small, skittish looking girls. Smaller, younger girls tend to work better than older girls. The ones who are attacking the plastic and flaring wildly probably aren't the best choices. 

Someone mentioned searching through threads...? I have a bunch of threads. :-D Here's a few good sorority threads to read through, if you haven't already. 
http://www.bettafish.com/showthread.php?t=29402 - general sorority tips
http://www.bettafish.com/showthread.php?t=123796 - more general sorority tips
http://www.bettafish.com/showthread.php?t=460937 - nice thread with stocking info, etc.
http://www.bettafish.com/showthread.php?t=78573 - important disease info for sororities

I also have a sorority thread, though I haven't updated it in some time. Mine is about a month old, and has been very successful so far. I'm actually planning to post a big update later today. http://www.bettafish.com/showthread.php?t=500698

And here are some of my favorite pages on platies!
http://www.aquariumfish.net/catalog_pages/livebearer_platies/platies.htm - platy pictures!
http://animal-world.com/encyclo/fresh/livebearers/platy.php - general platy info, feeding, etc.
http://www.thesmileyfish.com/?p=50 - sexing diagram


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## Fawneh1359

MameJenny said:


> If you need super-cheap emergency/quarantine tanks that don't need to be very good looking, you could use clear Sterilite containers. You can get a 10 gallon one for about $5. I use an 8 gallon one as my quarantine tank, and I keep a couple of smaller ones around for emergencies. I'm thinking that, instead of getting one for each sorority girl, you could just divide a big one a few times with DIY dividers.
> 
> To pick out peaceful pet store girls, I suggest only picking out small, skittish looking girls. Smaller, younger girls tend to work better than older girls. The ones who are attacking the plastic and flaring wildly probably aren't the best choices.
> 
> Someone mentioned searching through threads...? I have a bunch of threads. :-D Here's a few good sorority threads to read through, if you haven't already.
> http://www.bettafish.com/showthread.php?t=29402 - general sorority tips
> http://www.bettafish.com/showthread.php?t=123796 - more general sorority tips
> http://www.bettafish.com/showthread.php?t=460937 - nice thread with stocking info, etc.
> http://www.bettafish.com/showthread.php?t=78573 - important disease info for sororities
> 
> I also have a sorority thread, though I haven't updated it in some time. Mine is about a month old, and has been very successful so far. I'm actually planning to post a big update later today. http://www.bettafish.com/showthread.php?t=500698
> 
> And here are some of my favorite pages on platies!
> http://www.aquariumfish.net/catalog_pages/livebearer_platies/platies.htm - platy pictures!
> http://animal-world.com/encyclo/fresh/livebearers/platy.php - general platy info, feeding, etc.
> http://www.thesmileyfish.com/?p=50 - sexing diagram



Thank you so much! One more question, I was advised that platies might be too stressful. Someone informed me of other fish like cherry barbs, cories, and ember tetras. Do you know anything about them? So far they are my favorite, but I'm still trying to find one my father would agree on.


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## MameJenny

I don't think platies should be too stressful for young, healthy, female bettas. They are very strong, active fish, so I could see them stressing an older, long-finned male. The females and plakats seem to have a much easier time keeping up with other fish. 

I don't know anything about rosy barbs or cories, but I was planning to get ember tetras at one point and was told that they'd be fine.


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## Fawneh1359

MameJenny said:


> I don't think platies should be too stressful for young, healthy, female bettas. They are very strong, active fish, so I could see them stressing an older, long-finned male. The females and plakats seem to have a much easier time keeping up with other fish.
> 
> I don't know anything about rosy barbs or cories, but I was planning to get ember tetras at one point and was told that they'd be fine.


Ah okay, thanks!

And I don't know how young or healthy they or, to be honest. All will be poetaster bettas. I will be trying to QT but yeah. Besides, this could add more tank mates and colors.


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## ellekay

I've heard cherry barbs can be fin nippers. Cories will be pretty peaceful though.


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