# Fhil, Gilly, and Cheng's life together



## lillyandquigly (Nov 24, 2011)

Cheng and Gilly are two crowntale females, and they are best friends. Fhil is a veiltale male who also lives with them, he is friends with Cheng but not so much Gilly because she is so shy.


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## LebronTheBetta (Apr 23, 2012)

Shouldn't Males be away from Females unless Breeding???


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## lvandert (Feb 23, 2012)

males should never be kept with females unless breeding. Also to house multiple girls in one tank you need 4+ not two...


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## lillyandquigly (Nov 24, 2011)

actually no, you're wrong, they've lived together for years, they're all very docile bettas and they have lots of room


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## lvandert (Feb 23, 2012)

you've been lucky then. A lot of people on this site will have an issue with kind of that set up. And the whole "no your wrong" is kinda rude. Males and females shouldn't be kept together unless breeding, you're lucky to have docile enough bettas to be housed in the same tank


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## MaisyDawgThirteen (Dec 7, 2011)

lvandert said:


> you've been lucky then. A lot of people on this site will have an issue with kind of that set up. And the whole "no your wrong" is kinda rude. Males and females shouldn't be kept together unless breeding, you're lucky to have docile enough bettas to be housed in the same tank


 +1


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## lillyandquigly (Nov 24, 2011)

ok


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## MaisyDawgThirteen (Dec 7, 2011)

How large is the tank they are in - and is it heavily planted?


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## lillyandquigly (Nov 24, 2011)

30 gal. and like ten or fifteen plants


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## Mo (Mar 15, 2012)

lillyandquigly said:


> actually no, you're wrong, they've lived together for years, they're all very docile bettas and they have lots of room


Hmm. I find this comment a bid rude a disrespectful. Everybody is obligated to there personal opinion and is free to exploit it as they wish on this forum. The oly rule is not to say. "I'm right" "you're wrong" or be rude in any other way. O dont agree with how you choose to keep your fish. Males and females shouldn't be housed together in the same tank unless it's 100+ gallons, and very heavily planted. For many reasons. The constant stress of having a female or another male permanatly in the same tank lowers the bettas immune system which leaves it more susceptible to diseases.

A male can be stressed from constantly flaring and showing of to the females. A momentarily or temperary amount of flaring daily can be a healthy exercise for a Betta. But the long term amount of flaring daily can result in ripped fins, and an overly stressed bettas

Females have the potential to get egg bound. In rare occasions from being housed in the same tank of in view of eachother a female Betta can become egg bound. This is when the eggs are trapped inside of her and she can't realease them. This is a fatal occurence

Fighting is likely, with the constant sight of eachother and how this doesn't happen in nature. There instinct is to fight. The dominant female will pick on the lower ranking female, eventually causing death or serious illness. The male will also pick on the females and nip at them. Causing stress. And potentially leaving a low immune system which makes them more susceptible to disease


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## lillyandquigly (Nov 24, 2011)

I'm sorry if you thought that was rude, my bettas are doing very well together though, but one thing just in case, how can you tell if a female is egg bound?


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## Olympia (Aug 25, 2011)

It is -almost- unheard of for a female to die due to being egg bound. They usually release the eggs or reabsorb them. Though an egg filled female will look very fat, usually it's not problem. If you end up with a breeding situation I would kill the eggs however.

The way you keep your fish is up to you. Everyone here including myself has given you fair warning. Clearly this set up is working for you. You may or may not end up "learning the hard way." Sometimes people are lucky with docile fish. Just remember that the next betta you buy will probably not be as friendly as these guys. And I'm sure you understand the risks you are taking by doing this, and again that's your own choice. If anything happened to any of the fish I highly doubt anyone on this forum would say "I told you so" and rub it in. We are very accepting people, many of us trying to point you in the right direction is all. I really hope you are not feeling harassed by any of us at the moment. 
I wish you and your fish more future success.


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## lillyandquigly (Nov 24, 2011)

actually I feel real bad because it turns out everyone was right, my female gilly got egg bound, and right after I saw that message I went up to check on her, and she had like exploded, so I seperated the living ones, and I just want to tell everyone that I'm sorry


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## lillyandquigly (Nov 24, 2011)

and Cheng might die cause she won't eat, but I think it might be because she and fhil ate some of my females fins right after she died


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## Olympia (Aug 25, 2011)

Don't feel sorry, it's easy to believe that they were fine because they looked fine to you.
Kind of ironic in a tragic way, sorry to hear. 
I'd give the other female a few days before worrying about her. You're right, if the other female died she would take the opportunity to eat some of her friend (survival thing).


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## lillyandquigly (Nov 24, 2011)

yeah, thanks for warning me


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## lvandert (Feb 23, 2012)

I'm sorry, that sucks. You had them together for a while so it seemed to work. I was genuinely excited to hear more about these guys because they were living together peacfully


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## lillyandquigly (Nov 24, 2011)

Thanks, I'll keep you updated on how they're doing, Cheng finally ate a pellet! I'm planning on getting a tank divider so that they can both have nice size tanks


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## lvandert (Feb 23, 2012)

yay!


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## Olympia (Aug 25, 2011)

I'd get two separate tanks just to be safe- wouldn't want to lose the other girl, you don't want them sharing water through a divider.
Two smaller, 2.5+ gallon tanks would be a good idea.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## lillyandquigly (Nov 24, 2011)

hmmmm I'll think about that, but sadly my female might be dying because she wouldn't eat, finally she ate one pellet, but I think there might be something wrong. If i do get a tank divider I'm gonna try and get a nice one that makes it so that the water isn't shared.


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## Olympia (Aug 25, 2011)

Sounds good, keep us updated on her.
If you have some photos that'd be nice. :-D
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## lillyandquigly (Nov 24, 2011)

I'll try and get some good ones tomorrow And yes I'll keep you updated


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## lillyandquigly (Nov 24, 2011)

Here is a picture of Cheng now:


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