# Males and Females Together?



## Diogenes (Mar 3, 2010)

I've searched the forum a bit, and I've done some google searches, but I can't seemed to find any info for exactly what I was thinking about doing.

I've been bitten by the betta bug lately, and I was considering taking the SA stock out of my 29g planted tank, and adding 4-6 female bettas, 1 male betta, and maybe a small school of Harlequin Rasboras. Would something like this work?


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## doggyhog (Apr 30, 2009)

Nope. Males and females should never be housed together. 

However, females can live together. If you have your tank heavily planted and have at least 4 girls. Some say the minimum is 6 though.


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## dramaqueen (Jul 7, 2008)

Here is a sticky on female betta sororities.http://www.tropicalfishkeeping.com/betta-fish-care/female-betta-sororities-29402/


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## reaperss06 (Jan 31, 2010)

I would like to add to this and ask why females are better at living together than males, is it just the way they were programmed?? I read the sticky, and its informational, just not asking that question.


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## Diogenes (Mar 3, 2010)

so why no males and females together?? Clearly some people breed them right? I already read the sticky about sororities before I posted this.


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## dramaqueen (Jul 7, 2008)

Bettas are territorial and aggressive and cannot live together. Even when breeding, they need constant supervision to make sure one doesn't kill the other.


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## Chicklet (Feb 9, 2009)

Groups of females, Where's theirs two or more is usually only a matter of time before they kill the male,
They will shred his beautiful finnage rather quickly once they start, By the time you catch it, it's often to late to save the male.

Some females are more aggressive then the males are,
In breeding we mostly expect the female to receive damage,
But in fact it sometimes works the other way round.
That's why even in mating they should be monitored closely.

It's just not wise to put a male with a group of female


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## dramaqueen (Jul 7, 2008)

I think we had an incident not too long ago where someone's female killed their male while they were trying to spawn them. So, yeah, females can be pretty aggressive, too.


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## doggyhog (Apr 30, 2009)

Also another reason is, the females will all gang up on the poor male, and shred his fins. Males aren't very fast swimmers, but the females are really fast, so the male can't get away if one starts to attack him.


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## Neelie (Feb 18, 2010)

as i saw today in my pet shop, they had 9 females and 1 male in a tank. the male was hunting and biting the females. the females were all small and young, but grown females can be very strong and aggressive alright. even in my sorority of 3 i can clearly see who's boss.
defo NOT compatible


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## reaperss06 (Jan 31, 2010)

so I guess in their case it's alpha whoever is stronger, instead of alpha male lol


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