# Divided tanks: girls/boys, boy/boys, or better alone?



## Katy (Apr 10, 2012)

I'm fairly new here (though not completely new, but I had to change my username so I look really new), but I've read all the stickies, i think.

I have a lot of bettas in different aquariums- all of them in no less than 5gal swimming space each. None of them live together undivided (I did try sorority life with 6 girls but divided them for different reasons). There are no other types of fish or snails with my bettas. 

There seem to be a lot of opinions out there and on here re: whether bettas should be completely alone, alone but next to each other, in divided tanks, boy with girl, never boy with girl in same tank, etc.

Mine seem to be happy... and they all have dif personalities. And some are alone, some are divided. Most in divided are male and male. But I do have 2 tanks with 'couples' that do spend a lot of time with each other at the divider but don't appear stressed. And some of my fish quite frankly appear depressed and less active if I remove their tankmate.

So, is it just individual betta preference? Or am I 'depriving' my loners by keeping them away from other bettas? Am I subjecting my females to 'egglock' since they are with males and thus hormones are present?


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## MaisyDawgThirteen (Dec 7, 2011)

Most bettas don't mind being in a divided tank, some can get stressed by the presence of other bettas. Don't worry, your not depriving your bettas if they are not divided. 

It's usually not recommended to keep males and females together in a divided tank as they release something (I forgot the word LOL) that lets the other fish know they are there. Like a "Hey, I'm here and I'm male!". LOL It can stress them.


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## Katy (Apr 10, 2012)

Thanks! Actually I was just gone running errands for 2 hours and when I got back one of my girls had made it thru the divider in one of my 10gals! They've been together for months and I still don't know how she got thru- I can't find any spots and it's too tall to jump. She got her tail bitten but she's ok and fortunately they didn't spawn. But yes i think I will switch her out with the male in my other 10gal with my other girl


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## LittleBettaFish (Oct 2, 2010)

I've found it's less stressful to have my males in divided tanks with females than with another male. I have all my divided tanks set-up with both sexes, and I have never had any issues.

Usually when I house two males together they spend a lot of time flaring and patrolling and this is usually when they start tailbiting and getting obsessed.

However, when I house my male in with a female, he is often much more relaxed. He will flare and show-off to the female but it lacks that aggressive drive to attack that he will display towards another male. My males usually spend much more time on bubblenests when housed with females, and I have never had a female become egg-bound from being with a male.

Also, if there is a divider fail, it's almost guaranteed two males will tear each other to shreds, whereas with a female there's a chance she won't receive as much damage.


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## Katy (Apr 10, 2012)

Thanks! Yes actually Sumatra my female escapee really did not get that hurt. And when I discovered her she was not hiding from him, she was actually strolling along beside him... Seemed annoyed with me for sweeping her up in my hand and delivering her to her own side. The CT male was un-injured. They are currently nosing thru the plants I stuck up between them to nuzzle at the divider right now.

Egg-bound issues were my major concern. If others really haven't had that problem, then my pairs seem happy as they are so I will probably leave them. I do have 2 tanks with paired males, but they have tons of plants to break eyeline at the dividers so they don't seem to mind each other, but I will watch them closely.

Thanks all!


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