# Betta Fish Community Tank



## LizzardBeast5309 (May 23, 2018)

Hi there! I was wanting to create a community tank for my bettas. I have two females that I got and have gotten up to a better level of health. I was wondering what other fish I should add when I make the tank. How many female bettas I will need, what kind of plant life, and what size tank.


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## RussellTheShihTzu (Mar 19, 2013)

Welcome to the Forum! :wave:

What you can have depends on size of tank, amount of filtration and how well planted. Can you provide that information? Thanks.


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## LizzardBeast5309 (May 23, 2018)

I currently have them each in a 2 gallon filtered tanks(I know this is small which is why they need an upgrade) I am currently deciding between three different sizes of 10, 20, and 30. I am wanting to plant it well and know a place to get live plants. I also am willing to add more betta to the tank if necessary. When I visited the pet store today the woman suggest mollies as companions but I was unsure. The female betta were being housed with them at that store though. If you do not believe they should be housed together I am also will to do a split tank. I am currently weighing the options of multiple things. My betta mean a lot to me. I just want what is best for them. So the first thing is a bigger tank. If housing them in a split tank is better then I will put that on my list of considerations. It'll be a few more weeks before I can get everything set up.


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## Animals15 (Sep 12, 2017)

Hi, first off, two female Bettas can not be housed together unless in a group of 5 + females to spread out aggression.

I would get as big of a tank as you can ( a 20 long would be better then a 20 high) and a 30-40 gallon would be excellent. For sororities length is more important than height. 

For a group of female Bettas you must have dense cover that goes all the way up to the top of the tank to block line of sight between the girls. I have a sorority currently and have had another in the past that lasted for nearly 3 years, but you should always have a backup plan ( tanks and divided areas for each girl) incase some of the girls just do not get along. 

I would not recommend a sorority unless you are an experienced fish keeper. 

A divided 20-40 gallon tank would be a great option, as you can have a female on each side and some peaceful tank mates ( That are not large or aggressive) with each of them ( as long as your Bettas are peaceful enough for tankmates).

Lifewithpets sells sturdy and well made dividers for 20 long tanks, so they would be worth looking at. They also may be able to special order larger sizes for you.

Here is a link to them.

https://www.lifewithpetsgci.com/store/p1/store/c3/Tank_Dividers.html


I would not get a tank less than 20 gallons as a divided 10 gallon would not be enough for tank mates on each side unless they are snails.


For tankmates for your Bettas, Mollies would not be a good idea. Mollies get fairly large and can be somewhat aggressive at times. 

There are several other species that would actually be suitable, but I will not list them until you have determined the tank size you want, as their tank size requirements vary.

If you have anymore questions feel free to ask.  You can PM me as well if you have specific questions.


also, you said your Betta tanks were filtered, were they heated as well? Your new tank will definitely need a heater to keep the tank a steady 77-79 degrees as a Bettas immune system will be lowered in cold water.


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## RussellTheShihTzu (Mar 19, 2013)

As you are so attached to your girls I would go with a split tank; either a 10 or, even better, a 20 long. If you can find dividers with .25" holes they allow smaller Nano fish like Neons, Pygmy Cory, etc., access to the full tank while the girls are kept to their own area.

Personally, I hate sororities. They are always in a state of stress and most, note I said "most," do not last a year. The stress leads to stressed immune systems and disease. Even our friend who wrote the sticky on sororities no longer supports same. Think of what you want long-term and if it's healthy Betta I'd suggest your forgo a sorority.

Perhaps those who've had sororities will let you know their experiences.

PS: Those dividers are only for Aqueon 20 long aquariums according to the description. So if you go with them make sure you get an Aqueon tank.


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## LizzardBeast5309 (May 23, 2018)

What if I couldn't find a divider that had holes those size would it be acceptable to have fish on each side or would that not be an acceptable amount of tank room?


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## RussellTheShihTzu (Mar 19, 2013)

Sure, you can have fish on each side if you get a 20 long because that is, essentially, two 10 gallons. If you divide a 10 it gets a bit more iffy because there aren't many tank mates suitable because on each side the linear measurement would only be 10". Dimensions would be 10 x 10 x 11 high.

If you like African Dwarf Frogs they would be fun to have. With a 20 long x 2 you could have 3-5 on each side. Three is the minimum as they are very social creatures. Although, I had two due to attrition and they did great together. You could have two if you bought a 10 and divided it. Research to see if they would fit what you want.


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## LizzardBeast5309 (May 23, 2018)

What would be the recommendation for the best type of fish for each side? The lady at the per store recommended mollies but that doesn't seem to be a good option at all. What kind of filters are best? In a split tank should I have one on each side even if the dividers has holes? what is the recommendation water changes for a 20 gallon divided tank? What kind of live plants do you recommend?


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## RussellTheShihTzu (Mar 19, 2013)

You're right about the Mollies...a no-go.

I'd set up the girls' tank and get it cycled before I started stocking with tank mates. Get a bottle of Seachem Stability and dose any time you add livestock. It helps keep the tank from having a cycle crash or mini-cycle from the extra bioload. I've linked this site's tutorial at the bottom.

Anubias, Anacharis, Cryptocoryne, Hair Grass, small species of Swords that stay under 12" (Amazon get too big), Water Sprite, Water Wisteria, Dwarf Tiger Lotus, Dwarf Water Lily. Lots of choices.

I use separate filters and heaters for each side:
FORZA 5-15 Power Filter PFE-1 - 45GPH

https://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=3578+3743+11368&pcatid=11368 

https://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=3578+3743+23726&pcatid=23726&r=619

I'd get 50 or 75 watts. I prefer Enheim but also use Hydor...depending on my budget at the time. ;-) Foster and Smith also has nice 30" hinged glass canopies.

Take a tape measure and if you get a rimmed tank measure from bottom to just under the lip the inside from front to back. This will give you the divider size. I maybe able to help you with that.

And ask as many questions as you need. When you do you are also helping those who lurk and may be hesitant to post.

http://www.bettafish.com/30-betta-fish-care/507585-cycling-two-sentence-tutorial.html


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## LizzardBeast5309 (May 23, 2018)

Also my house has a water softener... Do I need to avoid using the water from my house?


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## LizzardBeast5309 (May 23, 2018)

I have been in a dorm until recently... And the water there didn't have a softener... So now that I have one I am unsure of protocol


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## RussellTheShihTzu (Mar 19, 2013)

Do you know the parameters of the tap water?


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## LizzardBeast5309 (May 23, 2018)

I do not. I just used water from the outside because it is not hooked up to the softener


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