# can you keep to male bettas together?



## person (Aug 1, 2011)

i was wondering if a 10 gallon tank is big enugh for 2 male bettas and one female. i have a fish named cuddles. i named him that as a joke becausde he attacks everything. even a snail i tryed to put ion his bowl. lucky for the snail it has a shelll. i cant even keep another bowl next to his because he once jumped into the bowl sitting next to his and killed the other betta. he seems to flair his gills more then half the time even when nothing is near his bowl. ice had bettas for years but hes the most agressive one ive ever had. i want to try to put him in a community tank but i dont know if i should. dose anyone think he could get along in a bigger tank?


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## NCPanthersgurl (Jul 13, 2011)

Erm. It's not really advised that you put three betta's together unless they're all female, and even then only if you plan to supervise to make sure they get along okay. Two males definitely not. If he's that aggressive, I'd keep him by himself to be honest. Depending on the other fish, maybe? But I wouldn't advise.

You say you've had betta's for years...but you put two betta jars beside each other and are now asking if you can put two males and a female together?

I think you should go into the betta care forum and do some reading...


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## person (Aug 1, 2011)

i just wanted to try it because i have had two males sucessfully live together in the past and my other two bettas get along so well. ill just keep him in a seperate tank. i guess i should just keep him seperate.


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## NCPanthersgurl (Jul 13, 2011)

Advisable if he has a past of killing other fish. Betta's are aggressive towards others and territorial. Now, that doesn't mean they can't live together; some people experience success with it, and better success with spawn siblings. But it's not something you want to chance if you're not sure.


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## MaggieLynn (Jun 24, 2011)

The general rule is you dont put males together period. And i agree if he is going after a snail other fish would prob be a no. I have had bettas for years as well but i wasnt educated properly until a couple months ago. So to be blunt no dont put males together and keep cuddles by himself, you dont want to cause stress for any of your fish. If you did a divided tank you could do two males. also what do you mean by community tank? are you talking about with other bettas or are you referring to with schooling fish? either way i think cuddles should stay alone, i mean that way aggresive for a fish if he jumped out and attacked another fish.


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## caitic10 (Apr 30, 2011)

No, its very risky keeping males together. Your two are probably a once in a lifetime thing. Even keeping a male with a female can be risky.

If you want to keep bettas together, I reccomend a sorority. All you need is a ten gallon tank, and you can put five girls in there, but nothing more or less. Less will raise aggresion levels and more will be overstocking.

Whenever you keep fish together, its a good idea to keep another empty tank ready and on hand. That way, if a fish is sick, stressed out or is being a bully, you can put it in there. Your male, however, sounds to aggressive to be housed in a community tank.


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## MaggieLynn (Jun 24, 2011)

yes sororities are fun! i highly recommend going that route instead


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## caitic10 (Apr 30, 2011)

Yes, soroities are fun! 

Just make sure you read and learn more about bettas first. Ask questions around the forums, read up on betta soroities and so on. I think there's a thread aBout starting up and keeping a betta soroity in the Betta Care category.


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## TonyK (Apr 4, 2011)

Only way to keep the 3 Bettas in q 10 gallon tank is divided 3 ways.


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## PewPewPew (Nov 26, 2010)

^ Agreed.

I do not recommend this person do a sorority, considering they had to ask if males could be housed together.

A sorority is difficult and often fail.

I mean no disrespect, but would hope you dont jump into something youre not prepared for under bad advice.


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## caitic10 (Apr 30, 2011)

I would never recomend a sorority to someone who knew nothing about bettas, I told them to learn alot more first about bettas and even gave them some ideas of where to look for information. I hardly see that as bad advice. 

A divided tank is a good idea, better then a sorority. Most fish and pet stores sell dividers meant for ten gallons. 

Im sorry PewPewPew if you thought I gave bad advice. I didn't mean to. I even told them to learn more about bettas first so it wouldn't be bad advice.


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## dramaqueen (Jul 7, 2008)

caitic10 said:


> I would never recomend a sorority to someone who knew nothing about bettas, I told them to learn alot more first about bettas and even gave them some ideas of where to look for information. I hardly see that as bad advice.
> 
> A divided tank is a good idea, better then a sorority. Most fish and pet stores sell dividers meant for ten gallons.
> 
> Im sorry PewPewPew if you thought I gave bad advice. I didn't mean to. I even told them to learn more about bettas first so it wouldn't be bad advice.


I don't feel that you gave any bad advice. Sororities can be risky, though. They work best if you can get females from the same spawn that have grown up together. I've heard stories of sororities going fine for awhile then all heck breaks loose and they start killing each other.


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## PewPewPew (Nov 26, 2010)

I didnt mean "bad" like oh! That's awful!... I apologize if that's how it came off.

I cant think of another way to phrase what I mean... Maybe ill-advised considering? I dont know.


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## CrowntailTwitchy57 (Jun 25, 2011)

NO NO NO NOT TWO MALES TOGETHER i know in rare cases they live together but IS IT WORTH THE RISK have a sorority instead!!!


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## person (Aug 1, 2011)

I belive that the two males i had living together were spawn siblings anyway. they were mistakenly put in the same bowl at a petstore. Before that ive never seen two males get along. i at first thoght it was a freak of nature. it was very odd. i now have a divider in place for my current bettas and cuddles is in a bowl on the other side of the room . i do really want to try a sorrority tho. i just got 2 more females. now at a total of 3. the 2 new ones are getting along but i couldnt fool the first female by rearanging the decorations. she still views it as her territory. i have her in a bowl for the night. ill try agen tomorrow. ive only had her for a few days now. and i still cant leave the petstore without another one ^_^


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## MaggieLynn (Jun 24, 2011)

a girl at my petsmart used to breed and she said that if you keep the spawn together since birth that the males can live together but that is only if they are brothers and grew up like that, currently i have had my sorority for 2 months now all petco girls, and from different petcos and everything is going smooth. I guess its just luck of the draw. but yes read read read you should research as much as you can before getting a new pet, I almost got a hamster but instead got more bettas, But i know so much already that i could go buy one now and know what to do. knowledge is power


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## banana3685 (Aug 6, 2011)

Definitely not, unless it's a super rare circumstance. I'm definitely not as knowledgeable as others on this forum about bettas, but I do know this for certain... male bettas together is not something you should attempt -- especially with one so aggressive.


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## SmokeNLark (Jul 22, 2010)

For me to recommend a sorority, you need more than knowledge. You need experience. You can read all you want, bu it's different having it. 

And no males together. Males fight with each other, end of story. Even if you put them together and they are fine, you will most likely come home one day to a dead fish and an injured fish. I have heard of some people keeping males together successfully, but it takes a BIG tank and a VERY experienced and VERY knowledgable fish keeper.


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