# Tetras?



## Milkrii (May 11, 2016)

Specifically white skirt tetras

My bad if the answer is painfully obvious, but I'm just wondering if others ever made it work or if it's even achievable.

I'm buying 5 new 3 month old bettas from a breeder (They were all born together and are okay with each other in the same tank) and my 10g is pretty empty with just 3 tetras so I'm wondering if the bettas will all attack the tetras anyways even if they were already in the tank first?

If it isn't compatible, I do have an extra 7.5g tank to move the tetras if anything.
Thanks!


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## StellaMaris (Apr 9, 2016)

Just checking... Are they male or female bettas? FWIW, I've heard that female Betta sororities do best in bigger aquariums than 10 gallons. I thought the minimum was 20, but I don't really recall.

White Skirt Tetras might fill up the bioload of your tank size-- I think they can get up to almost 2 inches as adults. Also, the skirted varieties tend to have nice long flowing fins--perfect for fin nippers! You could always add more Tetras to your tank-- you see their personality more when they have a bigger group.


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## Milkrii (May 11, 2016)

They're all siblings so mix of male and female. And I've been seeing and researching betta sororities for a while now and 10g are minimum and many have made it work. I do agree that bigger is better, though! 
+ are 10g not big enough for the tetras? If so, I'll save up for a bigger aquarium. Unless you were referring to the 7.5g.
Good thing I haven't placed my order on the bettas yet. I don't wanna have em when I have no proper place to put them.


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## RussellTheShihTzu (Mar 19, 2013)

Skirted Tetra are too big for what you have planned. Skirted of any variation are also, as mentioned above, the worst nippers of the Tetra world.

Just curious: Are you going to separate the males and females once they mature and more easily sexed?


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## Milkrii (May 11, 2016)

Oof, thanks for the information!
Sorry for the repeated question, but should I save for a bigger aquarium? I want to make sure I'm not suffocating my tetras. Is it okay to leave them alone in my 10g?
I don't plan to separate them, actually. Is there a reason I should? Too much fry or something?


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## RussellTheShihTzu (Mar 19, 2013)

You separate because they will kill each other. Betta only come together to breed and then they part ways while the male tends the nest. So keeping males and females together in the close quarters of an aquarium is against nature. If you leave them together they will fight and eventually someone will be sick or severely maimed or killed.

A "sorority" is all female; no males. Most people don't recommend sororities for people new to fish keeping because they are so stressful immune systems can be compromised and leave the females open to disease. A pecking order also needs to be established which can result in injuries and even death. 

I really hope this doesn't sound snarky because it honestly isn't meant to be. :-( But people who have been in aquatics for a long time are attuned to the slightest nuances of trouble. New fish keepers normally don't recognize signs until the trouble which is especially dangerous with a sorority. If you have a dog or a cat I'm sure you can tell when something is off because you just "know."

That doesn't mean you can't have a sorority. IMO you'll just need to separate the males as soon as you know they are males. If you wind up with three or four males you can get a 20 long aquarium and divide it into four sections and leave the females in with the Tetra. Or, you could divide the seven if you only have two males.

I've never had a sorority; they just don't appeal to me as much as having individual Betta. But if I did I would want a 20 long, pack it full of plants and have six or seven females. In a 20 long you could have your Tetra and even add more. Even though nippy it is harder for them to nip a female than a long-finned and slower male. I have my female, Minerva, in a 20 long with Neon Tetra and they haven't touched her fins; nor did they the male Plakat in before. They did take nips out of my Halfmoon male's caudal/tail.

I hope that answers your questions? If you are in the US, next week is the www.aquabid.com SNE. It is a series of one-hour auctions from 7:00 pm EDT until ???. Usually there are great bargains on live plants and other aquarium-related things.

Oh, and I forgot: Welcome to the Forum! :wave:


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## Milkrii (May 11, 2016)

OH my bad I thought you meant the tetras!
Does it still happen if they're all from the same spawn? If so, oh boy I don't wanna buy it anymore.
+ Don't worry about sounding snarky! I'm glad you're giving me all this information!
I have been keeping (gold)fish for 3 years now, but only 8 months ago did I have my first betta (currently in his own 5g). I just really love bettas and how pretty they are so I was thinking of getting more. Don't really want to buy the mix male and female now if I won't be able give them adequate space later on.
+ Thanks for letting me know about the aquabid event! Super helpful!
I guess I'll save up for a 20 long for a proper sorority. Thank you very much for all your help! And thanks for the welcome!


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## ThatFishThough (Jan 15, 2016)

Even if they're from the same spawn. Breeders usually "jar" maturing males from a spawn as they get aggressive.

Edit; I have a sorority. Feel free to ask any questions.


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## Milkrii (May 11, 2016)

Oh man I have many questions that actually can't be answered by how much research I've done. Thank you, by the way! It helps to actually ask someone who has a sorority.
Alright, now that I won't get from the breeder because I can't spare any space for all the males and I'll get a proper sorority instead:

How do you know if a female is (more than usually) aggressive before buying them?
Is there a way to test how aggressive they may be?

Does their size/how young they are matter? Or will they be as aggressive all the same?

Do you have any tips on picking females for compatibility? Is it kind of just luck or chance that you happen to get perfect girls that get along fine?

How much pecking should I expect for the first weeks? How can I tell when the pecking becomes too much? Sure some tails ripped and stuff, but to me that's already red flag-ish, unless it really is normal and I'm overthinking it.

I forgot the word people use for filler fish with this purpose, but would keeping mediating fish like neon tetras help distract them from biting each other too much? Or would it stress them out more/just harm the neon tetras?

Are there any behaviors that happen only when they're in a sorority? I wanna know what to expect so I don't freak out.


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## RussellTheShihTzu (Mar 19, 2013)

Have you read this?

http://www.bettafish.com/showthread.php?t=123796

Above the number of views you see "Search Forum." Type in "Sorority" and it will show you all threads discussing sororities.

http://www.bettafish.com/forumdisplay.php?f=102


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## Milkrii (May 11, 2016)

That already answered a couple of my questions. Thanks!


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## ThatFishThough (Jan 15, 2016)

Milkrii said:


> Oh man I have many questions that actually can't be answered by how much research I've done. Thank you, by the way! It helps to actually ask someone who has a sorority.
> Alright, now that I won't get from the breeder because I can't spare any space for all the males and I'll get a proper sorority instead:
> 
> How do you know if a female is (more than usually) aggressive before buying them?
> ...


You can't really tell if a female is aggressive before you buy it. Usually it's a hit and miss; PetSmart has a 14-day guarantee and PetCo has a 30-day guarantee.

Typically the older they are, or the longer they've been alone, the more they want to stay alone.

Picking females... Just get what you like. Look for young, healthy females. If she flares at any other Betta nearby, don't get her. I got most of my girls based on looks.  Just kinda luck.

The first few weeks there should/will be some nipping, body-slapping, and chasing. There might be some stress stripes and ripped fins. You don't want them clamped, pale, in a corner hiding. 

"Filler fish" are not recommended for sororities, just because it can make females more aggressive. You can if you want; I have Cories and Neon Tetras in my tank. And a snail. I had guppies at one point. It just depends on the personality of the girls. 

Expect chasing, stress stripes, flaring, and ripped fins. Depending on the girls you choose, expect badly torn girls, dead fish, and a failed sorority. Not to scare you, but sororities are not something to be looked upon lightly. Below is a pic of my tank. It technically isn't planted enough, it's only about half planted. I've had two girls, two guppies, a Cory, and tons of plants die. For varying reasons, I must admit, but still. Don't do what I did; I got the basic stuff then the sorority. Now I'm scrambling to get everything I need as I do more research. Plant fertilizer, plants, lighting, etc. is al, neccecary for a successful sorority, just as much as peaceful girls are.

Edit: LOL forgot the pic. One sec.

Edit 2: I can answer as many questions as you like! LOL. I don't bite, usually. Feel free to PM me, or chat in my Journal. Or here. (Forgot to add: get all your girls at the same time. Release them all at the same time.)


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