# Shimizoki's Sorrority



## Shimizoki (Jul 8, 2011)

So I was walking around petsmart and saw 3 girls that had amazing colors. I didn't know they could get this colorful. Either way I picked them up so I guess I am making a sorority. Right now they are all in their old cups (thoroughly washed out of course) while they go through some QT. They will stay in QT until I find a few more girls so I can get this started. Either way here are my girls.


























They will be going in here with a few tank mates (~12 neon tetras, 3 Cory Cats, 4 Ottos). Also I need to add a few more hiding spots for them to keep them happy and not killing each other.


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## BetterBetta (Jun 13, 2011)

Thats awesome! I love love *love *the red girl! I'll be following this thread, because I am also starting a sorority soon  are those live plants? Also, how big is the tank?


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## Shimizoki (Jul 8, 2011)

Its a 45gal, It measures approx 36x12x20 (LxWxH). Yes, all the plants in it are live plants. The picture was actually from a few weeks ago, all the plants have grown a bit more. 

It contains:
3 Clumps - Elodea/Anacharis
1 - Amazon Sword (Possibly Reproducing?)
1 - Java Fern
1 - Water Wisteria

How do I edit the OP?


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## fishman12 (Sep 1, 2010)

Good!


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## itbites (Jul 7, 2011)

Gee's they have very long ventrals for females


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## GunsABlazin (Jun 1, 2011)

ya know, i hear alot about the long ventrals.. but all 6 of my sorority girls have verntrals as long or longer then the ones above.


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## NCPanthersgurl (Jul 13, 2011)

Your bottom female reminds me of my Alma, though she's a bit more steady purple. Love them all, can't wait to see what other females you get!


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## Shimizoki (Jul 8, 2011)

itbites said:


> Gee's they have very long ventrals for females


Thats what I thought at first as well, but then I saw the "Egg Bump" on all of them, I'm pretty sure they are all females.

Thanks for all the encouragement guys... I will check back at Petsmart in a few days, as well as swing by Petco and Wal-mart. Those are the only nearby fish stores.


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## fightergirl2710 (Jun 9, 2011)

Yay Shimi! Finally some girls  That green one is so boyish XD You wont even see them in that huge thing! ;-)


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## bahamut285 (Dec 10, 2010)

I love how you got RGB girls XD... I am definitely following this thread!


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## copperarabian (Apr 27, 2011)

that red girl is amazing. And wow, a 45g is a nice sized aquarium, that little fish in there must be huge O.O


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## bahamut285 (Dec 10, 2010)

Those cups they're in seem pretty big too


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## Shimizoki (Jul 8, 2011)

Hey so after another week or 2 a few shipments later I have picked up a few more girls... Unfortunately the colors are kinda limited... but There were some tails that I thought MIGHT be CTs, i'm not sure though. Either way... here they are.


























The last one I'm not sure if she is just really young or if she is actually gunna be white / yellow... but she is about the same size as the gray one... maybe a bit bigger.

The Grayish one has stress stripes right now, they were much more prominent yesterday... so she is calming down a bit.


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## fishman12 (Sep 1, 2010)

Lookin good!


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## fightergirl2710 (Jun 9, 2011)

Ooh! I want that last girl! She's beautiful :3


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## Shimizoki (Jul 8, 2011)

Thanks guys.

So any betta breeders or whatever able to predict what will happen with the last girl? she has me baffled.


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## fightergirl2710 (Jun 9, 2011)

I say black and yellow


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## Marieukxx (Apr 11, 2011)

Your red is exactly the same as one I got today.


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## NCPanthersgurl (Jul 13, 2011)

They're all really pretty! They look like VTs, I say that because I have a VT female and a CT "fry" female and there's more spikes to the CT.

I'd almost bet that middle one will change color in a few weeks.

And the last one, if she stays that way, might go marble? If not she might go pineapple on you.


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## TonyK (Apr 4, 2011)

I have the same size tank sitting empty in my basment. You are giving me some ideas. 

That is a very nice tank


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## Shimizoki (Jul 8, 2011)

Thanks everyone for the kinda words and color thoughts, both yellow/black and pineapple would be cool.

@NCP - I disagree they are all VT's, I may be wrong but I don't think there is any tail biting and the shape is definitively different between the confirmed VT green in the OP and all the others, most of the others have smooth round tails (possibly Delta?) like the Teal girl in my first pic in the second batch... Grey and Yellow have spikes that are far more prominent then on any of the others. While they may not be CT i wouldn't be surprised to learn there was some CT in them.

@Tony - Doooo itttttt, My tank actually looks quite different now. The Elodea has started to thrive and is growing, I have also thrown in an Anubis on driftwood, 2 homemade coconut caves... Its starting to turn into something.

Here it is now:


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## sunrise2397 (Jul 19, 2011)

i LOVE the tank:-D


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## Shimizoki (Jul 8, 2011)

Thanks, I will probably move some of the plants around now that they are bigger... The first time I planted I did it based off how they looked then, not how they would look grown up. I also have a moss ball to add to the tank.


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## fightergirl2710 (Jun 9, 2011)

*steals moss ball*

What mossball? >_>


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## fishman12 (Sep 1, 2010)

Looks good Shimi! You gonna get anymore bettas soon?


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## Shimizoki (Jul 8, 2011)

lol Fighter... i'm sure you can get some where you are... They are huge in Japan. So you are basically surrounded by sellers.

@Fishman - Yea, I planed to have 10 or so Bettas in the tank... I have a fair amount of other fish so I didn't want to over burden it. The plants will help with the bioload though. Only time will tell.


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## fightergirl2710 (Jun 9, 2011)

I'm ure I can, gotta find them though and I don't have a credit card, I believe they're evil lol! I'll probably have to ask my mom to order it and then repay her but she probably will refuse because.. well, its a moss ball -___-


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## Shimizoki (Jul 8, 2011)

Alright, so 6 is enough to start a sorority... however I was wondering how I add the fish to the tank at a later date.

I add 6 fish now and they all beat each other up until they get a territory. At a later date I want to add 4 more fish... how does one accomplish this? Do I just float them in the water for a day, then add them all at the same time? I plan on waiting another week before I add these 6 (unless its best to add them all at once). I want to make sure none of them are sick.


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## fightergirl2710 (Jun 9, 2011)

I add them all at once, it doesn't matter really but an aggressive one will be aggressive even if you add her last so I just put them all in together and they figure it out.. When adding girls later you have to float them for a week, let the oldies get used to them. Then remove all the girls, old and new, both groups separate... change around all the decor and put in the new girls. 10-15 min later, put in the old girls (together or one by one, least aggressive 1st.. I find together is easier) Some people feed them separately and then add them in the tank, I feed them all together so it keeps them preoccupied for awhile.


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## Shimizoki (Jul 8, 2011)

Ugh, I didn't realize I needed to float them for a week... Jeez, how is one supposed to accomplish that? I think I will just hold off and add them all at once then, moving the decor in a planted tank will be annoying.

Shimi wonders if betta cups float upright.


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## fightergirl2710 (Jun 9, 2011)

Never had a betta cup 
You can use a breeder box? Or make a big net one to fit on the side of the tank? Yeah, after a point of time you don't know where to move stuff, you would have done it so many times


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## Shimizoki (Jul 8, 2011)

OK so after some thought I have decided I will only put 6 Bettas in this tank. There are already lots of other fish in there and more will just be a hassle. 4 days ago I put all the bettas in a little circle on the counter so they could see each other. (It was stressful at first, but the stripes have since dissapeared)

Tomorrow I think I will float them in the tank all day long, see how they react... then release them 1 by 1. See what happens.

Thoughts?


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## fightergirl2710 (Jun 9, 2011)

Sounds good but I think you should put them in all together, i.e. not after long intervals from each other..


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## Shimizoki (Jul 8, 2011)

Fighter, I didnt mean long intervals... sorry for that mistake. I meant right after each other. I just think it would be difficult to open all cups at once and then dump them all in at the same time.


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## fightergirl2710 (Jun 9, 2011)

Ah, ok I misunderstood sorry  Have you figured out who the most aggressive one is yet?


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## Shimizoki (Jul 8, 2011)

No, How am I supposed to tell? they all flare pretty much the same amount. I can tell who the least agressive is. (My little pineapple girl might get her tail handed to her)


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## fightergirl2710 (Jun 9, 2011)

Usually when you put them in a circle there will be one girl who will flare the most.. Others might flare a bit but then they'll just be checking everything out or be trying to get out of their cups.. I've noticed that usually the most aggressive are wiggly, flary and do that whole mouth opening-closing thing.. I wonder if that helps XD


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## Shimizoki (Jul 8, 2011)

Hmmmm, if we go with most wiggly... then its either my red or my pineapple I would assume. However the pineapple I don't think flares as often and is one of the smaller ones.

If I had to guess, it would be Red... but that would be just a wild guess.


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## fightergirl2710 (Jun 9, 2011)

Well atleast you'll know which ones to keep an eye on when they're in the tank.. Also don't think that tiny girls don't get scary XD My alpha was a cute little tiny girl who beat down the biggest girl I had.. They can surprise ya!


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## Shimizoki (Jul 8, 2011)

Well I am floating them in the tank today... I don't see any issues yet. no stripes, nothing. They seem to be no more stressed than they have been.

I don't know if you can see it, but here it is.


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## fightergirl2710 (Jun 9, 2011)

Looking good! They don't seem very bothered by each other.. Except blue and red who seem to be having a face off in the pic.. But I doubt they are.. They're all probably trying to get out of their cups and into the huge tank!


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## Shimizoki (Jul 8, 2011)

So if I release them today... how long do I really need to keep an eye on them to make sure they don't do too much damage to each other? If nothing major happens in 2 hours is it safe to assume that they will be fine overnight?


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## Shimizoki (Jul 8, 2011)

Well one of them started to stripe... not sure if thats from the other Bettas, or because I just stuck my hand in the tank and shook all the cups violently. (well I pushed them around into a different order)


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## fightergirl2710 (Jun 9, 2011)

As many will tell you, what is important is








If you watch them during the day, just see who's causing the most trouble and if you feel a bit nervous about it, put her in a breeder box for the night... If you switch off the lights at night they just fall asleep, it's what happens in the morning before you wake up that counts.. :/


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## Shimizoki (Jul 8, 2011)

Lol thanks Fighter. I'll keep an eye on them, hope they dont jack with each other too much.

GAAAAH, why doesnt my new Avatar show up!!!
EDIT::
nvm. Got it.


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## fishman12 (Sep 1, 2010)

Looks good! I see you have a moss ball!


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## Shimizoki (Jul 8, 2011)

Ok, Shimi is releasing the fish. Incoming possible dangers.


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## fightergirl2710 (Jun 9, 2011)

*fingers crossed*


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## Shimizoki (Jul 8, 2011)

OH DEAR GOD NO NO NO NO!!!! I didnt expect it to by like this... every fish ganged up on one and tore her to shreds before I could even get in there. I guessed the wrong one was the alpha...


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## fightergirl2710 (Jun 9, 2011)

D: which one?


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## Shimizoki (Jul 8, 2011)

Red and pineapple were smart... the second they got in the tank they went to corners. both of the Veils were tore to shreds.... I cage one and others start whailing on each other... what do I do?


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## fightergirl2710 (Jun 9, 2011)

How much are they fighting? How many are they (the ones fighting)?


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## Shimizoki (Jul 8, 2011)

Umm 3? 4? I have caged the 2 that are most aggressive. Pine, Red, and a Teal have no damage. Gray is shredded.

Both greens have been caged... one is shredded the other is barely damaged.

Fighting seems to have stopped now...


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## fightergirl2710 (Jun 9, 2011)

I think gray might need some TLC.. I would float her in something in the tank with the whole aq salt shebang.. Have you caged them in the tank or are they out?


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## Shimizoki (Jul 8, 2011)

I feel so bad for the Gray... she was the smallest. Not by much, but she was dominated early in the game.
The two largest (by like 1/4") are the ones that did most of the damage.

if I float the gray seperatly in the tank then I have to put her back in... wont she just be attacked again? The 2 fighters are floating in their betta cups in the main tank.


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## fightergirl2710 (Jun 9, 2011)

Sigh, insane girls.. Are the girls in the tank attacking grey as well? Can you show me a photo of how shredded she is? :/
Leave the aggressive girls in their cages for now and buy a net breeder! Seriously, you're going to need it lol!


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## Shimizoki (Jul 8, 2011)

I couldnt get a picture of her... but this is the second most damaged fish... I think Gray is a tad worse.

Before and After:


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## fightergirl2710 (Jun 9, 2011)

Oh, she's not so bad.. That looks normal for a first time beating.. You do know they will always have a bit of fin missing now and again right? One girl's in a bad mood and they all go bald.. That never stops :/


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## Shimizoki (Jul 8, 2011)

So then that much damage is normal? because that much damage on a small fish that already doesnt have much fin... is left with almost no fin.

should I put the agressors back in then? I assumed that was more fighting than needed.

Yes I knew that they will occasionally take a chunk out of eachother.


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## fightergirl2710 (Jun 9, 2011)

For a first time what you should look out for is if they fight incessantly.. Then you have to remove one. If they fight and nip but one runs away, it's ok.. Depends on you, you have to see how ferocious they're being.. Since you have 2 aggressive ones, I'd remove one and see how she behaves, if she's not bothering the rest except for some flaring and chasing, let her stay otherwise try the other girl to see if she's calm with the rest... Then one has to stay in the cup till the others accept her and she is more docile.. If both don't behave they both need some time in the cups..
Btw the shredded girl seems pretty aggressive too


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## Shimizoki (Jul 8, 2011)

ok, i'll release the least aggressive of the two and see what happens. Unfortunatly thats the green one thats damaged I just showed you. I hope she is smart enough to back off.


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## fightergirl2710 (Jun 9, 2011)

I hope so too.. If she isn't, she''s gotta be caged up :/


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## Shimizoki (Jul 8, 2011)

She is fine... I think I might have caged her accidently. She might have been fighting the other green and I got her thinking she was the one causing it. Then got the other green as she kept fighting. she is swimming around minding her own business and staying away from the other bettas (who now seem to have developed a schooling mentality) Red and pine I notice swimming with each other a lot... occasionally blue and Gray (Now named Helena) join them.


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## fightergirl2710 (Jun 9, 2011)

I can see this is going to be fun XD So now you have one cup girl?


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## Shimizoki (Jul 8, 2011)

Yea, the green I released is attacking the green in the cup... its kinda comical actually... when those two calm down I think it will be fine to release the Aggressor.


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## shinybetta (Jul 3, 2010)

I like sororities, I had one but they all got diseased. Good thing you got a 45 gallon. I'm sure they'll settle down eventually. Good luck!


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## fightergirl2710 (Jun 9, 2011)

One of them has to pipe down eventually, you can let her out then :roll: We're real masochists to start sororities aren't we? Anyway, I gtg to bed now! See ya Shimi, good luck with ze girls!


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## Shimizoki (Jul 8, 2011)

Sorority, Day 2 - (or is it day 1 since I added them at like 5pm yesterday?)

The 5 girls in the tank are doing great. I see no new damage from the initial encounter. They all seem to like each other and are getting along just fine. Occasionally they will swim and bump noses... but I don't see any problems arising. Its just a gentle tap and then both swim around each other (they are playing chicken?) I don't really see them setting up territories like I expected, they are all swimming all over the whole tank.

They have stopped fighting the cup... but I will give it a bit before I release the Aggressor.(she looks so sad in there)

I don't yet see any complications arising with any of the tank mates either. all the Neons are minding their own business, as are the Ottos. The Cories were chased around yesterday until the betta's noticed each other... but now they are left alone.

With as terrifying as it was last night, I'm amazed at how calm and peaceful it is this morning.


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## fightergirl2710 (Jun 9, 2011)

Yay! But still keep an eye out, sometimes they can go down hill in a blink of an eye! Luckily you have such a huge tank so every girl can make a territory for herself without much fighting.


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## Shimizoki (Jul 8, 2011)

Ehhh I got bored and added the other girl, there was some flaring at first. The 2 that fought the most ended up chasing each other around, but never nipped. They didn't let the other out of their site for 10 minutes. They finally calmed down and went their separate ways. All is well in Girl-ville.

Successful Integration of 6 Female Bettas into a 45gal Tank on August 13 2011.

SideNote:
Dad came home with 2 assassin snails... my snail problem will start becoming less of a problem.


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## fightergirl2710 (Jun 9, 2011)

Wooooooohoo! Can't wait for more updats from girl town USA! Lol! Glad to hear they're getting along!


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## Shimizoki (Jul 8, 2011)

So its been a few days and all the girls are doing well. There is no more fighting, and the chasing has lessened to almost a stop. They all seem to be friendly with eachother, occasional flaring is to be expected... but Its brief and only halfway. The minor injuries like torn fins are already begining to heal. Anywhere that the rays need to grow back will obviously take longer. So here is my tank full of girls. In the second picture is all 6 girls, can you find them all?


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## NCPanthersgurl (Jul 13, 2011)

I did!  The last one almost evaded me.


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## Bresn (Sep 1, 2011)

Well done on the tank.


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