# 3 male bettas with 2 females



## Tinthalas Tigris (Jan 28, 2010)

I know it sounds crazy, and I've brought up a couple times that one of my bettas in my sorority tank turned out to be a male, but several times going over body types, looking at assorted pictures, marking behaviors, and coming to a finite conclusion.

All this time, my supposed sorority of 5 female bettas, has instead always been 3 male bettas and 2 females.

I think the store I purchased them from was somehow duped, when some sort of a Kind Betta and a traditional Betta Splenden and/or a Betta imbellis mated. I don't know the complete genetic detail on it, but the more I've researched, the more it seems that it *is* possible.

And thats where I think the "dupe" happened.

I have nearly 100% King Betta male. Beautiful colorations of red and blue.

I also have a long-finned Betta Splenden, with a semi-long king body. I'm thinking it is more or less 50/50 in genetics.

THere is also a DELTA male in this tank, that has KING features. 

There are only two bettas in this tank, and I am positive they are both KING betta females.

How on earth have they all survived? THe only conclusion I can come to is that at some point they were bred with a Betta Imbellis, the otherwise known as Peaceful Betta. 

They have gotten along, they never fight - though they do often flare at eachother - and they all survive. 

They've always had a 10 gallon tank or more. Currently I have the more agressive male residing in the 10 gallon, and the other 4 in the 28 gallon.

I originally planned on Getting one male for the tank sorority, but as I began noting strange behaviours in the supposed females, I started taking more note of different hypothetical possibilities. 

THis is the only logical conclusion I can come to, at this point. How they survive, I don't know. Soon I'd like to try and reintroduce the original 5th Alpha male back to the pride, but I think he's had too much time alone to be welcome backed properly.

But for the mean time, these two Betta males in the 28 gallon get along just fine, don't fight, and it seems silly to disrupt harmony. 

I'm just curious if I should bring it to the pet store's attention that I purchased them from, or if it would just fall on deaf ears or denial.


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## Mister Sparkle (Apr 13, 2010)

It's not that they were duped. They bought them from a farm, which probably knows less about which parents were responsible for any given offspring than YOU DO! ;-)


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## DragonFish (Mar 31, 2009)

...I'm very confused by your post, I must admit, but I would like to point out that unless all those bettas are 100% of one of the more peaceful wild species, eventually you will have fighting. They can go for months even without any sort of confrontation and then WHAM! You wake up to dead bettas. It will happened eventually, so I suggest you separate them all before it does. 

Also, could you get pictures of your bettas? It would be easier for me(and others) to help you determine if you do in fact have a cross or not and what genders they are, if you would like a little help on that that is


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## BettaxFishxCrazy (Sep 5, 2009)

I agree with DragonFish...I look at it as a ticking time bomb ready to explode because they are such territorial fish. Everyone might be acting fine and than you have up with dead fish. In the wild they spend most of their time alone unless it's time to breed. And pictures would help so we can help you identify them.


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## DragonFish (Mar 31, 2009)

BettaxFishxCrazy said:


> In the wild they spend most of their time alone unless it's time to breed.


Not to mention most wild species aren't as aggressive as our captive-bred Splendens


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## Tinthalas Tigris (Jan 28, 2010)

Well, I just ordered a new power supply for my digital camera. SO I'm hoping that in the next 7 days nothing crazy happens, and I can wait until I receive that power supply and take photos before I have to move any guys to different locations; I don't really have a good enough setup for any of them... But I suppose I can divide my extra 10 gallon and give them each a home that way.


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## DragonFish (Mar 31, 2009)

From what I understand, you have a 10 gallon and a 28 set up, correct? And a total of 5 fish? A 10 can be split into 3 sections and a 28 could probably be spit into 5 unless you have a lot of other fish in there. If you do, then you could get out that spare 10 and split both 10 gallons in half and leave one betta in the 28.
I'd do this ASAP if I were you, no sense in waiting really, thats just more time for things to go wrong.
Here is a very useful thread on making your own dividers quickly and cheaply. http://www.tropicalfishkeeping.com/diy-aquarium/diy-aquarium-tank-dividers-21866/


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## DarthMaul (Mar 30, 2010)

DragonFish said:


> then you could get out that spare 10 and split both 10 gallons in half and leave one betta in the 28.


lol ONE betta in a 28gal in over kill IMO you can do sooooo much more with a 28gal than to just house ONE betta haha...IMO, that is a lot of tank upkeeping for one betta haha, you could split that sucker up many ways and have many bettas! .. i WISH i had room for a tank that big, i would split it and have more bettas! you could also make a sorority!


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## DragonFish (Mar 31, 2009)

DarthMaul said:


> lol ONE betta in a 28gal in over kill IMO you can do sooooo much more with a 28gal than to just house ONE betta haha...IMO, that is a lot of tank upkeeping for one betta haha, you could split that sucker up many ways and have many bettas! .. i WISH i had room for a tank that big, i would split it and have more bettas! you could also make a sorority!





DragonFish said:


> A 28 could probably be spit into 5 *unless you have a lot of other fish in there.* If you do, then you could get out that spare 10 and split both 10 gallons in half and leave one betta in the 28.


Obviously ONLY a single betta in an entire 28 would be silly, but if there is a community in there then it couldn't be divided. Otherwise, as I said, it could be split 5 ways for all of the bettas


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## Blu (Apr 1, 2010)

quite an interesting situation. how long have these said males been living together? Ive heard of similar things where males and females get along and coexist but that was only with siblings and that is a hard thing, or nearly impossible, to accomplish even with siblings. Ive only ever heard of keeping two males together on very rare ocassions and they were abnormally peaceful. Pics would definately help. and do you have any idea of what age they might be at? if they are mature, your, im not going to say safe, more likely not to have problems, if they are still maturing then there would definately be cause for alarm.


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## Tinthalas Tigris (Jan 28, 2010)

They are at the very least 3 months - I have had them since the beginning of January.

They all seemed to be fully grown when I got them. IIRC, the LFS got them a month before that. 

___

I only have 3 bettas I suspect could be males. I have two females for sure. If I decide to separate the males from eachother, I need only power up one of my extra 10 gallons. 

I'll need to get two more females for the sorority tank as well.


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## DragonFish (Mar 31, 2009)

Most pet store bettas are sold at around 6 months of age or older. Sometimes local places will have them even younger, but usually never less then 4 months. 

It sounds like you've been lucky do far, but remember, they could easily go _months_ without trouble and suddenly turn on one another. Obviously its your choice to separate them, but I can tell you for sure that if you do plan on keeping them long term together you will wake up one day to dead fish. Its inevitable that they _will_ fight at some point, after all they were originally bred FOR fighting.

Ahh, yes, what you could do is separate one 10 gallon and put the other male in the other 10, then get 2 or more females(depending on how many other fish are in there, you could have a good number of females )and make a Sorority out of the 28. That sounds perfect


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## Mister Sparkle (Apr 13, 2010)

You need a lot of space to keep multiple males together peacefully. I've had success with a 40-G. I introduced the males to opposite ends of the aquarium, and I set up the filter outflow in the middle along with a "bubble wand". This created a natural divider of sorts, making it undesirable for either male to cross the turbulent waters to the other's territory.


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## BettaxFishxCrazy (Sep 5, 2009)

I think this is one of the controversial topics. Everyone has different inputs. IMO even if you had a 100G, it still isn't safe. In the wild they rarely kill each other. They'll fight and the loser swims away, but in a tank where there isn't that much room for the loser to swim away, it'll eventually end up with death. They are extremely territorial fish. I only advise people to do this that are VERY experienced with bettas so they know all the signs and know when to remove the fish.


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## Tinthalas Tigris (Jan 28, 2010)

Here are the pics. LET ME ADD. Yes, they are flaring. YES, I have separated them.

I currently have one male in with 2 of the females, and they're managing. I need to get two more females now, for thei rpecking order to stay proper. I can't believe I had 3 males with 2 females all this time. 

1 male, foreground. Female, background.







\distinct difference. 2 males foreground. Blue female in the background.


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