# Betta Sorority questions



## RaRisi (Mar 29, 2014)

So after some research on what to do with a 20 gallon tall that I've had sitting around for a while I stumbled across the idea of a Betta sorority. The problem that I'm having is that I keep seeming to find some very conflicting information about them. I found this forum while searching, so hopefully you guys can help! Who better to turn to than the Betta forum, right? 

I've kept fish for years and currently have just one mbuna all male tank. Setting up a sorority sounds pretty similar to that in regards to adding them all at once, making sure they have places to hide and hoping they work out and adjusting as needed (removing the alpha temporarily or replacing it). Is that pretty much correct?

Are there any plants that I should avoid with Bettas? What are the best type of decorations to have in the tank aside from the plants? Would large rocks work? And sand, small gravel or bigger gravel? 

And most importantly... for a 20 gallon tall, how many females should I have? I'd read anywhere from 6 to 13. What do you guys suggest? And what other fish would go well with them, if any? 

Thanks in advance for the help!


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## Rosebud975 (Mar 26, 2014)

Wow, it seems like you've researched well  you've got to cycle the tank and add all the bettas. However the way you do this is to add the most passive one first, let her roam for 10mins then add the next least aggressive (a bit of fin nipping is to be expected) let them settle for 10mins and so on until they are all in the tank. There should be lots of cover for them. And yes if things turn really nasty replacing the alpha should happen! Avoid plastic artificial plants as they snag bettas fins and avoid any sharp, ragged decorations. Any live plants are good, I would recommend an amazon sword, it's big beautiful and all my bettas love resting on it! However it will need aquatic plant fertiliser to maintain its nice appearance. My bettas also like anacharis plants but beware they are quite messy! Large rocks could work but they must be smooth, gravel which is 3-5mm is recommended so the plants can root properly. You could easily fit 13 in your tank. For tankmates it depends on the personality of your bettas, some will be fine others will rip an intruder to shreds, aside from that I recommend some ghost shrimp or a small school of panda cories.


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## Blue Fish (Jun 11, 2012)

With girls, in my experience, they need LESS stocking. (Some people say more, I'm just giving you information on what I've experienced, everyone is different and every tank is different.)  

I'd max out at five or six, especially because they tank is a 20 *tall*. They're going to be fighting for SURFACE space, they don't care about the depth at all. If someone is hanging out in the bottom...they need to be removed because they're stressing out and will get sick and/or die...or if they hang on, their quality of life is pretty awful.  

A 20g LONG could accommodate more girls, but even then, it's just not a very big tank. Also, girls get to be about two inches long, so the general rule of thumb for 1 gal/inch of fish automatically limits you to ten...and as stated previously, they need the surface, which is also limited by the tank dimensions...so I still hold fast at my opinion of five or six. 

I hope that helps! 

I've been playing with a sorority for about a year now. I've done everything from a 30g to a 20 long to a 40 breeder. I've had the least success with the 20g, and the most success with the 40g.  The 30 was okay, but I was limited in my stocking because, same as your 20 tall, the surface area was reduced. That's what I love about the 40 breeder, it's short but WIDE...so wide...so everyone has some space at the top to hang out and not be in anyone else's territory.  

If you want a smaller sorority, you're safe with the 20 tall, just limit your numbers. But, if you really want a full tank full of fish, I'd do a fun community of many different types and members who are compatible, maybe throw in a SINGLE female or male betta as part of it, but not a sorority.  We're doing a setup like this for my cousin's kids, and I'm currently looking into stocking loads/filtration/schooling and numbers/and what types are safe.  It's been a fun process so far, and I'm kind of interested in maybe doing it for myself as well.  
Just a thought for an alternative if you are interested!


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## RaRisi (Mar 29, 2014)

Thanks for the input you two. Seems like somewhat conflicting information again, but (I think) it seems to boil down to different experiences and the different personalities of the fish. 

I'd always rather play it safe and understock with something like this though. The fact that it is a very small tank with not a ton of surface area makes me worry about doing too many, for sure. 

I had considered a community tank, but I'm just not a big fan of most community fish! I know it's very possible to make some beautiful ones (I've even helped setup and stock a few myself), but I just found most of the fish to be too... boring. In playing with different stocking options I actually came across the idea for a male Betta centerpiece in a community tank, which lead me to the idea of a sorority. 

After hearing thoughts I may go back to the drawing board though. Thanks for all the input!


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## Seki (Jul 10, 2012)

I just wanted to throw my two cents in here! I have a ten gallon sorority with six females right now. It's heavily planted and has tons of hides as well as a filter that is designed typically for a 20 gallon rather than a ten gallon. My sorority has worked extremely well for the nine months I've had it. I have lost two fish due to disease, but I don't count that as a failure at all.

For the most part, my girls have been just fine in there together. I got them from a store which buys from a local breeder, so they were mostly spawn sisters who had been together their whole lives. I think that helped a lot with the aggression. But the two crowntails I added in have melded into the hierarchy with no issues at all.

I absolutely love my sorority. I ascribed to the idea of overstocking and it worked out well for me. I suppose some people on here might jump on me for the way I have set up my sorority, but like I said, it's working well for me. Really, my sorority is my absolute favorite tank (and I have seven haha). I think if you'd like a sorority, you should give it a try.


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## RaRisi (Mar 29, 2014)

Thanks for the input! I know overstocking can help with aggression in some tanks, but I really wasn't sure about with Betta sororities. I'm completely new to Bettas in general, really. Setting up a sorority is starting to sound more and more like my male mbuna tank, which I really love. 

When you say you have a ton of plants and hides, can you elaborate on what you have? If I do end up doing a sorority I plan on having it be a heavily planted tank, but haven't given a ton of thought to other decor/hiding places or what plants to get. I'm so used to only being able to have amazon swords, anubias and java ferns that I'm getting a bit overwhelmed with all the other options


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## Betta Nut (Dec 3, 2013)

I have no ornament hides in my sorority other than a floating betta log. I think plants make the best hides. I am a little afraid of ornaments, because they are not a great thing for a girl to run inside if she's being chased. There are walls to hit, and there usually isn't a straight path to go out the other side if her chaser keeps chasing. A dead end hide, like say, the terra cotta pots are a no-no. Some people use them, and they are ok if the girls aren't the violent type, but not worth the risk to me.
Plants on the other hand are very effective to hide in, or wriggle through and out of to safety.
A large piece of wood is good to help fill the tank, and maybe a bridge type ornament if you want more decoration.
As for plant types, I really like the long stem bushy type like moneywort. Planting 6 or so stems together in a bunch gives really good cover that can still be wiggled through and they'll grow all the way to the surface, providing cover top to bottom. Wisteria is good for this too, for a more leafy look.


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## Seki (Jul 10, 2012)

RaRisi said:


> Thanks for the input! I know overstocking can help with aggression in some tanks, but I really wasn't sure about with Betta sororities. I'm completely new to Bettas in general, really. Setting up a sorority is starting to sound more and more like my male mbuna tank, which I really love.
> 
> When you say you have a ton of plants and hides, can you elaborate on what you have? If I do end up doing a sorority I plan on having it be a heavily planted tank, but haven't given a ton of thought to other decor/hiding places or what plants to get. I'm so used to only being able to have amazon swords, anubias and java ferns that I'm getting a bit overwhelmed with all the other options


I have a bit of a "forest ruins" theme going on in my sorority tank, so I have two resin ornaments and the rest are a mixture of live and silk plants. I also have a nice piece of driftwood I fell in love with... excellent anchor for some of my plants!

My two ornaments are a large, low bridge and a large sort of "ruined" house that has about six openings, all large enough for bettas to swim through easily. I did have to check both ornaments thoroughly for anything sharp, of course, and file down some edges so my girls wouldn't get any ripped fins. But I see them flitting in and out of the little house all the time, and there is always a girl or two under the bridge.

For plants, I have very basic types. Some anubias, some java fern, and a couple amazon swords. I anchored the anubias to my driftwood and it's been growing like crazy. My java ferns have filled in very nicely as well. The swords were failing until I finally got the lighting right in my tank. In addition to my live plants (and my moss ball!), I supplemented with four or five silk plants, just to add extra hiding places for my ladies. Silk or live, they don't seem to care! They are darting through them all the time, and I regularly find my otocinclus clinging to the silk plants, cleaning algae off of them.

I can probably find a picture if you're curious, or I can snap a new picture for you when my phone is finished charging. I am rather partial to the overgrown look of my tank, and my ladies seem to love it!


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## RaRisi (Mar 29, 2014)

I do like the idea of throwing in some driftwood, but I assume that I'd have to be careful to make sure it doesn't have any sharp points to it? Would I just use the pantyhose test on that (or other decor) like I would if I bought plastic plants? 

If I go with a sorority my thought is to go with some suitable driftwood and a ton of live/silk plants. I love the looks of heavily planted tanks and could never pull it off in my mbuna tank due to them CONSTANTLY digging them up, nibbling them to death or ripping them apart. Two of them really, really hate plants  

I do love the look of anubias, java ferns and amazon swords, so I'm glad that I can use these. I've never heard of the wisteria, but I'll do some research!

The next question I have is in the 20g assuming I overstock a bit and go with ~11 or so females, could I add anything else to the tank? This is another thing that I seem to find conflicting info about. I checked with AqAdvisor on the stock level with my current tank/filter and it said I was 80% stocked, though I'm not sure how accurate that is or if I fully believe it. IF I can add more to the tank, any suggestions of what else could fit and be peaceful? 

And I'd love to see the tank, Seki!


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## Blue Fish (Jun 11, 2012)

The thing to remember with sorority plants is that they need to be at the *surface* or at least in the top 1/3 of the tank before you add girls. 

Silk plants can be hung upside down (base at the top of the tank, leaves hanging down inside) and this works really well for that, particularly with taller tanks.  
Another option is to get some stem plants that can float near the surface. Not really floaters, but loose plants that hang out near the surface. My two favorites for this are water wisteria (which has already been mentioned!) , narrow leaf anachris (or elodea depending on who you talk to), and pond water sprite. All can float, and all provide great near-surface cover for fishies.  My girls LOVE their pond sprite, I routinely find them in there hanging out in the leaves resting safely.  

In my 40g, I've got 12 ghost shrimp, three mystery snails, an untold number of ramshorns, and shortly there will be 12 females in there (a few are pending coming from a breeder) in a heavily planted tank with a sponge filter backup. Because of the plants I don't worry *as* much about stocking because of the heavy plant buffer, but I do make sure to take readings and make sure that things are either staying at 0 across the board or that I'm only showing nitrates in suitable numbers. So far I've stayed at zero's (silent/plant cycle). 

My favorite place for pond sprite is www.tricker.com, the plants are huge, and very healthy.  The water wisteria from tricker is grown out of water, so it's taller/thicker/less leafy than if it had been grown in water, but if you can give it a month floating in your tank with good fertz, it'll leaf and root out like crazy and provides wonderful cover pretty quickly.  

And I totally agree with you, everyone's sorority is different, just because my guys need a little more space doesn't mean that someone who has a heavier stock load is wrong, it's just what works for them.  It's a trial and error thing.


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## RainbowhLizzie (Sep 15, 2013)

My sorority has been successful for some time now. I think around 5 months, give or take. I always just dump the new girls in once they are acclimated. This way, they are too overwhelmed to fight right away. Luckily all of my girls so far have been extremely docile. They are so tame that I am even able to pet them. (Weird, I know)
I would suggest planted, with multiple entrance decorations. My tank has no plants or decorations at the moment, since I have trouble keeping them alive. But I am going to try again when I have the money. 
My best advice is to give them a lot of space and a strong filter flow. The more girls, the less aggression in my opinion. But it is up to you. I have successfully kept 3 in a 10 gallon, so it could work too.  
Good luck. 

Sent from Petguide.com Free App


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## Artemis (Mar 9, 2013)

Add some hornwort. Let it float until it grows long enough to bend over when it reaches the surface. It is great to add blind spots and cover. Java moss is nice too. It does this sorta, mostly floating, semi-suspended thing. And the girls will stay mostly surface to mid level but they can and will go to the bottom some. I would get a bottom feeder though, like a small group of cory cats or kuhli loaches.


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## BlueLacee (Dec 8, 2013)

My advice, which in skimming has not been said, is to make sure that you have the space to house them all separately if nessiaary. Keep in mind some sororities work beautifully and others don't. I've herd of some that work for a few weeks and then crash. Just be prepared for everything


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