# A "harem" of betta?



## Olympia (Aug 25, 2011)

I was randomly going through a bunch of youtube videos about bettas one night, and I saw typical stupidity and so on.. there was one video of a male and a female betta living in a vase together (like permanent). 

Anyway, someone commented that a betta "harem" needs a 10gal tank with 1 male and at least 3 females.. I've never heard of such a thing (besides a pet store employee telling me it was okay). From what I know, this is not possible, the male would probably bug the females constantly. Unless the females stayed together all the time? Never seen anyone on the forum talk about this either. Is this possible, or is it just another betta myth? :s
I have no intent on making one, just curious


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## Badjer (Oct 25, 2011)

It's recommended to avoid this set up. I believe the most common problem is that the females will gang up on the male and usually kill him.


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## Sena Hansler (Aug 24, 2011)

It's a long shot, that's what it is. 
Although it CAN be possible, it is NOT recommended because there is a 100 things that could go wrong. The male attacks the females, the females gang up on him, they all get stressed, etc. I've heard of it being done... Actually I SAW on of my coworker's male bettas, in with "his" female. They scary enough...got along. great. O_O but I personally would never keep a male with females. It is possible, yeah, but pretty risky!! Even asking people on here, even the more experienced people, all say "don't risk it".

It's hard enough keeping FEMALES together :lol: let alone girls and a boy 

If it weren't so risky I'd love having a male with my 4 females in the 29.


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## Olympia (Aug 25, 2011)

I figured.. I guess it's pretty much just another "loophole" about betta care that's been spreading around to make bettas more appealing to the general public xD


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## LittleBettas (Jul 23, 2011)

I personally would NEVER risk it.... to many things could go wrong and when bettas get at it.... the consequences are not worth it IMO


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## Sena Hansler (Aug 24, 2011)

Yeah... must've been one of those "I wanna see what happens if I put my male and female together - maybe they'll breed! -no research tosses them together- aww, no breeding. but hey! they aren't dead! -keeps them there-"


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## Bombalurina (Oct 10, 2011)

That attitude absolutely sickens me. Just because something isn't dead doesn't mean it's ok. 
But golly, I would love to have Odyesseus living in with the ladies.


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## Sena Hansler (Aug 24, 2011)

:lol: I know right?! I would have El Dorado in with them. o.o


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## Olympia (Aug 25, 2011)

If only it were humanely possible. xD Gil would be such a ladies man.


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## Sena Hansler (Aug 24, 2011)

haha!! :lol:
I also hear another rumor saying females cannot be with other females or they'll kill each other (kind of brought from the reality of... keeping 2 girls only, together I think)


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## thekoimaiden (Oct 19, 2011)

Sena Hansler said:


> It's a long shot, that's what it is.
> Although it CAN be possible, it is NOT recommended because there is a 100 things that could go wrong. The male attacks the females, the females gang up on him, they all get stressed, etc. I've heard of it being done... Actually I SAW on of my coworker's male bettas, in with "his" female. They scary enough...got along. great. O_O but I personally would never keep a male with females. It is possible, yeah, but pretty risky!! Even asking people on here, even the more experienced people, all say "don't risk it".
> 
> It's hard enough keeping FEMALES together :lol: let alone girls and a boy
> ...


I had a friend who had a betta in her dorm in college who would ALWAYS say how her mother was able to keep a male and a female betta in a vase for years. She would always say this whenever I brought up anything about betta fish. It was like her one experience (which I'm not even too sure was true as she is a pathological liar and always overcompensates) completely threw out years of knowledge from breeders and more serious hobbyists. Needless to say she and I aren't friends anymore. 

Sena, I wonder if the fish in both cases were just too stressed to both with each other.


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## Sena Hansler (Aug 24, 2011)

I would be  I mean I'm stuck with this egotistical nitwit they call a "roommate" :lol: Just 'cause he's here, doesn't mean I have to like him 

I think she showed me a video of her male and female, and they avoided each other. Just...scouted territory, and left it at that. But they'd NEVER cross that invisible territory line. >< It may be possible, for a male and female, in say a 100 gallon long tank... or rather, an outdoor pond, but not in what she kept them in.


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## thekoimaiden (Oct 19, 2011)

Ya. She and I were roommates in college. We both had bettas. Mine in a 5 gal, heated and filtered aquarium. Hers in an unheated 1 gal bowl by the window. She went through 2 bettas in the time I had just 1. But somehow that didn't matter because her mother was able to keep a male and female together. 

Actually come to think of it, wasn't someone like OFL able to keep a male and female in a tank together? I seem to remember hearing that. Or maybe it was two males together.


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## Sena Hansler (Aug 24, 2011)

I think so... it was one of the more experienced people, who says it is terribly hard to keep the peace, and wouldn't recommend trying it :lol: If I lived in a place where it was warm all year round, I would actually attempt it in a 1000 gallon shallow pond xDD knowing me... I would try. lol.


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## Sakura8 (May 12, 2011)

If the male and females are grown out together, there's a much greater chance of success. There need to be many hiding places and lots of plants and no smaller than a 15g tank. However, I strongly do not recommend this setup for anyone except the most experienced of breeders/betta keepers.


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## Sena Hansler (Aug 24, 2011)

and even then there are lots of experienced people squirmish at trying :lol: that tells you something!! if I ever got a 50 long (minimum
), heavily planted, flourishing, I might try. but that won't be for years...


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## LittleBettaFish (Oct 2, 2010)

I have a male PK that lives quite peacefully in my sorority. He was purchased as a female, but was actually a young male. I think because he has been living with my females since the start of the sorority and was in with them when I first purchased him, that he is accustomed to their presence.

There is a blue female in there that he occasionally bullies but aside from that the worst he does is flare if someone swims too close. This sorority has been set up for nearly a year and has had a tank change and six new arrivals since then.

I think it can be done, you just have to be very selective of the bettas you house together and keep an eagle eye on things to ensure there is no aggression. My current sorority tank is slightly overstocked, and it works well at preventing aggressors from targeting individual fish. It is also heavily planted, which is really important whenever you are housing bettas together. 










My male is the solid blue PK on the right-hand side


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## Sena Hansler (Aug 24, 2011)

very nice!! =D Unfortunately, I'd have to be close enough to a GOOD store for plants, so all my tanks have the skimpy kind of plants.. If I can ever get to the city (ugh..) I'll be looking for fuller plants.  The only mellow male I have, is Jekyll right now.  Conan is a barbarian :lol: he couldn't be with any other fish.


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## HatsuneMiku (Jul 29, 2011)

wouldn't it be fun if you had a surprise spawn ^_^


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## Sena Hansler (Aug 24, 2011)

:lol: one day you'd look in there, females are crowded on one side and on the other side the male is chasing after little dots darting around. xD


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