# House multiple betta in a small space?



## Creat (Dec 6, 2010)

Hey guys I am planning on moving into an apartment within the next year and I will have to seriously downsize... but I want to keep as many of my babies as I can right now I will have about 8 males and 4 females, the females can be housed together and are being so right now, but whats the best way to house the males? Drip system? Individual? Divided tanks? whats do you guys think... remember I am short on money like most people now a days I am trying to plan early and see if I can house them and get them adjusted before I move.


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## xMandy (May 21, 2011)

I prefer divided tanks over anything.. I keep my crowntail males in a divided 2.5g and hope to get another for my two v/t males. My females are in a 10g and if I get any more males they too will be in a divided tank..
What do you have your males set up in currently?


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## Tisia (Mar 15, 2011)

if you go divided I'd personally wait till you're in the new place to do it. having to move a large tank sounds like a pain. plus, either way they'll be stressed by the move and basically have to adjust again anyways. divided is the cheaper way, especially since you'll only have to get 1 heater and 1 filter for multiple fish, but smaller individual tanks have the advantage of being easier to find spots for.


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## Bettawolf19 (Jul 15, 2010)

I say kritter keepers. I know I have my hm and CT in a 3 gal one divided. Otherwise you can get storage bins too  cheap and it works


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## Jessabell (Aug 16, 2010)

Divided all the way. But like one person said, wait until you move to do it. I bought supplies and made my divider myself, it only took half an hour to about an hour, and it was really easy!


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## Creat (Dec 6, 2010)

right now their in separate 2 gallon to 1 gallon empty tanks lined up next to each other sort of cause there all different sizes and brands... I was thinking divided maybe get a cheap tank online and cut plexi glass dividers for it... however I am worried about the amount of space, do you think that 1 gal of room is to small for one betta?
and I might wait till I move to put them in I just want to have a tank ready to go when I do.


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## Wyvern (May 19, 2011)

Get the tank ready!  That way once your in the new place you can just add the kids to their new homes. In the smaller containers just keep up with the water changes and they should be fine. When are you moving?


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## masshiimarro (Apr 16, 2011)

i would definitely keep them divided, since water changes can be a pain. its much easier to water change divided tanks. the thing about divided tanks is that you have to make sure the divider is SECURE. make sure theres not too much empty space above where he can jump,, and make sure there are no gaps big enough for him to squeeze though- if theyr determined, they will try anything .. i had a male ct jump over to the other side and get pretty ripped up before i fixed my divider.. hes still regrowing his tail back..


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## Creat (Dec 6, 2010)

whats the least amount of space do you guys think that is alright before it is considered inhumane? Just so I know how many dividers I can do...


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## xMandy (May 21, 2011)

The least I'd keep a betta in is 1g/1.5g


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## fishman12 (Sep 1, 2010)

1.5 gallon minumum (you have no kings, right?)


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## Creat (Dec 6, 2010)

No kings, I have some HM's, deltas and a CT and one plakat and thank you I think I will aim for 1.5-2 gallons. Hmmm that means I will need at least a 40 gal long....


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## fishman12 (Sep 1, 2010)

Well good luck... Hope the move goes OK


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## Tisia (Mar 15, 2011)

you have to consider swimming room not just gallons for dividing a tank. like in a 20 gallon, if you put 10 in there they'd each get 2 gallons, but a 20 gallon long is about 30 inches long, which means they'd have a 3 inch wide section each, which barely gives them room to turn


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## Creat (Dec 6, 2010)

Exactly I want each fish to be able to have at least 5 inches wide swimming space I also want to be able to see them lol, so 45 gallons would give me 9 5-inch segments


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## Bettawolf19 (Jul 15, 2010)

You could always see if you can divide them diagonally maybe?


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## PewPewPew (Nov 26, 2010)

In a 10 gallon, you can divide up to 4 times with 2.5 gallons each- 10/2=5/2=2.5..It looks ok that way. If you can get a 20 long, that'd be pretty good, too.

10/3 gives enough space to roam- 4 a bit less, but not bad. 

You can also try and get 5 gallon tanks, divided in half. It means more tanks, but you can also probably re-use your same heaters with a decent success rate as well as be able to not have them all in a big tank, so its easier to place them around the house.


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## Here Fishy Fishy Fishy (Oct 29, 2010)

Bettawolf19 said:


> You could always see if you can divide them diagonally maybe?


I think diagonal dividers would lack stability... unless done from diagonal corner to diagonal corner (say, in a 5 gallon tank)...


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## PewPewPew (Nov 26, 2010)

^ even then, its very hard! I tried it, and it was flimsy.

Though, if you can manage to find a sturdy enough material, and perhaps double it up (say, craft mesh-type things, though these arent long enough), you can use the same spines as you would, with extra length. Its still hard, though, because one fish in the middle would be barely visible.

What about barracks style?


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## PitGurl (Feb 22, 2011)

I posted this in another thread but I'll mention it here too just incase your missed it. Starting Sunday Petco is having a sale on their glass tanks. It's a dollar a gallon sale but it is only for 10 gallons and up. If your tight on cash this is the time to get a tank.


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## PewPewPew (Nov 26, 2010)

Gotta love that sale, omg. Comes every few months <3 <3


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## Creat (Dec 6, 2010)

my plan was to get a long aquarium probably for cheap off craigslist and buy a large sheet of plastic from the hardware store cut it into permanent divider segments and drill holes in it and have the filter running through on one far side segment (where there are no fish) to another empty one on the other side... It might take some tampering to make sure the water flows evenly kinda barracks style... we will see


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