# Betta Sorority and.. Guppies??



## YouBettaNot (Jan 31, 2016)

So as of right now, I've got a 10 gallon with 3 guppies and a blue crayfish. I've realized the crayfish may be putting stress on the guppies, and am planning to move it to a 5 1/2 gallon tank. After the switch, I want to put 5-6 female betta fish with my 3 guppies... Would that be ok? I'm a bit new to the fish world, since the last time I had was when I was 7 and had about 6 neon tetras. Me being me at 7 tried to stick my hand in the tank and play with them... They all died. :// Anways, back to the point, so what are your opinions on a betta sorority with 3 guppies?? Any opinions are appreciated. REMINDER: I'm only 15, PLZ DONT B HARSH XDD


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## BettaBoy11 (Apr 21, 2015)

Some people have kept betta sororities in a 10 gallon tank, perfectly fine, but a lot of people think 20 gallons is a minimum tank size. IMO I wouldn't risk it.


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## centaurii (Aug 31, 2015)

Do not put bettas in with guppies. Guppies are known to nip the fins of bettas, causing them injury and stressing them out. And since you are thinking of putting 5-6 female bettas in with only 3 guppies, chances are the bettas would kill the guppies. Bettas are very aggressive towards other fish that have flashy tail fins and colors. They also just like to eat fish smaller than they are if they can. 

Also: 5-6 bettas and 3 guppies would be way too many fish to put in only 5 1/2 gallons of water. Each individual betta needs at least 2.5 gallons all to itself at the very minimum. Sororities of bettas typically do not do well unless they have lots and lots of space, and lots of plants to hide in if they want to get away from each other. 5 1/2 gallons is far too small, they would end up feeling cramped and stressed and would fight each other for the territory.

For reference, I have one male betta in my 5 gallon. He is incredibly happy to have all that space to himself. The most fish I could possibly add to that is maybe a small school of 5-6 ember tetras, before I would reach the limit of the oxygen and space in the tank to support fish.

I hope that wasn't too harsh, but I want to make it clear how much your fish would suffer if you went ahead with that idea. I'm very glad you asked the forum first before going ahead, otherwise I think you would have had some dead fish on your hands. Knowing how to stock a tank with fish can be hard to figure out at times, so it's good to double check.


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## BettaBoy11 (Apr 21, 2015)

Guppies and bettas HAVE been known to live together peacefully, but as said before IMO it's not worth the risk


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## Olivia27 (Nov 26, 2015)

I gotta agree with @BettaBoy11. The notion that Bettas attack anything flashy or shiny is a myth. I have a very sparkly boy right next to a dark red boy. Their tanks don't have a barrier inbetween because they don't even care about each other's existence. Both are adult male Bettas. I'm sure people who has sororities can also speak about mixing opaque and iridescent girls without any extra issues.

*that said*, I completely agree that that's way too many fish for that tank size.

Edit: OP, "harsh" is a very subjective term. I have seen people that immediately hold up the victim card when people point out what they did wrong. Nobody is being harsh to you here. They're being honest. I do hope you would take our advice to heart. I'm a bit confused why'd you feel the need to state your age TBH. I'm 19. What does it matter?


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## YouBettaNot (Jan 31, 2016)

centaurii said:


> Do not put bettas in with guppies. Guppies are known to nip the fins of bettas, causing them injury and stressing them out. And since you are thinking of putting 5-6 female bettas in with only 3 guppies, chances are the bettas would kill the guppies. Bettas are very aggressive towards other fish that have flashy tail fins and colors. They also just like to eat fish smaller than they are if they can.
> 
> Also: 5-6 bettas and 3 guppies would be way too many fish to put in only 5 1/2 gallons of water. Each individual betta needs at least 2.5 gallons all to itself at the very minimum. Sororities of bettas typically do not do well unless they have lots and lots of space, and lots of plants to hide in if they want to get away from each other. 5 1/2 gallons is far too small, they would end up feeling cramped and stressed and would fight each other for the territory.
> 
> ...


Thank you!! And no, that wasn't harsh at all. Just a reminder, I was referring to putting the sorority and guppies in the 10 gallon, not 5 1/2, but thanks for the opinion! Definitely helps )


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## YouBettaNot (Jan 31, 2016)

Seren27 said:


> I gotta agree with @BettaBoy11. The notion that Bettas attack anything flashy or shiny is a myth. I have a very sparkly boy right next to a dark red boy. Their tanks don't have a barrier inbetween because they don't even care about each other's existence. Both are adult male Bettas. I'm sure people who has sororities can also speak about mixing opaque and iridescent girls without any extra issues.
> 
> *that said*, I completely agree that that's way too many fish for that tank size.
> 
> Edit: OP, "harsh" is a very subjective term. I have seen people that immediately hold up the victim card when people point out what they did wrong. Nobody is being harsh to you here. They're being honest. I do hope you would take our advice to heart. I'm a bit confused why'd you feel the need to state your age TBH. I'm 19. What does it matter?


I understand  I pointed my age in case somebody thought I was older and should know better. I wasn't holding up any victim card nor did I state anyone was being harsh to me, just was trying to avoid anyone who would be rude about what I was suggesting. But I appreciate the opinion. Thanks )


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## YouBettaNot (Jan 31, 2016)

BettaBoy11 said:


> Guppies and bettas HAVE been known to live together peacefully, but as said before IMO it's not worth the risk


Oh ok. Thank you!! I don't think I'll risk it. )


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## Olivia27 (Nov 26, 2015)

I am not saying you're accusing anyone. I was just explaining why "harsh" is subjective. Speaking of, even in a 10gal, 3 guppies + 5 girls = 109% stocked. I did see you dropped your plan to add the guppies but in a tank that small it's perhaps best to keep the girls by themselves


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## LittleBettaFish (Oct 2, 2010)

If you are only new to the hobby, I would personally not recommend a sorority. 

A sorority can be a very delicate balance, and unfortunately, many will end in failure. 

A sorority requires planning and preparation. Your tank should be fully cycled, heavily planted, and each female should be quarantined for a minimum of two weeks before going in together.

Even then, the risk of disease, injury, and death remains fairly high. Certainly higher than a single betta living in a community setting. 

I personally think a 10 gallon tank is not ideal for a sorority, and I certainly would not attempt a sorority with other fish in the tank.


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## YouBettaNot (Jan 31, 2016)

LittleBettaFish said:


> If you are only new to the hobby, I would personally not recommend a sorority.
> 
> A sorority can be a very delicate balance, and unfortunately, many will end in failure.
> 
> ...


And if I were to put in just one female betta?? Would that be better, or would the betta still attack the guppies?


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## BettaBoy11 (Apr 21, 2015)

It depends on the betta. Some bettas can live with tankmates, some can't. If you have a mellow betta, than it will work fine!


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## LittleBettaFish (Oct 2, 2010)

Like has been said above, it will all depend on the temperament of your fish. Some bettas are extremely aggressive and territorial, but others are much more passive and will peacefully cohabitate with other species of fish. 

Unfortunately, you can't really tell how a betta will respond to other fish, without putting them in together.


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## ShadeSlayer (Jul 20, 2015)

If you want you could try one betta and a handful of guppies. It’s worked out nicely for me.


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## YouBettaNot (Jan 31, 2016)

ShadeSlayer said:


> If you want you could try one betta and a handful of guppies. It’s worked out nicely for me.


Hmm.. Male or Female? I might do this.


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## BettaBoy11 (Apr 21, 2015)

YouBettaNot said:


> Hmm.. Male or Female? I might do this.


It doesn't really matter if it's male or female.


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## Sadist (Jan 1, 2015)

I would stick to just guppies in a tank that size. They poop a lot, and they breed super fast if you have both genders in there. My 10 gallon was maxed out with 3 guppies and a clean-up crew. 

I'm not sure if I'd try adding a betta to your tank or not. It would be okay to try if you have something besides the quarantine tank to put him into if it doesn't work out. I tried tank mates with one of my fish, and she ripped them in half while I had the tank covered to let them get used to each other. A different fish coexisted peacefully with a clean up crew for 6 months, then started killing everything when I added a new filter.

It's worth trying as long as you have a plan if things don't work out. I'd like to mention that both types of fish are top dwelling, so it might be nice if you got some sort of bottom dwellers instead of another top dweller. A snail or some shrimp might be nice, and they come in a variety of colors. Dwarf cory catfish could work out, too, depending on your tank set up.


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## Olivia27 (Nov 26, 2015)

Bettas are unpredictable. You can't say if you get a male your success rate will be higher than a female and vice versa. Get the Betta first and see if they're the laid-back kind. Even so, always have a plan B ready. What if the Betta turned murderous? Where will the tank mates go?


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## ShadeSlayer (Jul 20, 2015)

make sure your betta is calm and add a good mix of gups. I had about five and my boy wasn’t abel to target one. He’s calmed down nicely, but half of that is because of how old and worn down his is.


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