# 30 Gal male + sorority



## stuntman2946 (Feb 8, 2013)

so i have the 30 gal kingdom set up (lots of castle decor) with lots of plants and im wondering whats the best way to add a sorority to the tank. 

i already have the male in the tank and he has taken to it nicley. (appart from being a picky eater)

i am going to try adding females to the mix because i love the way bettas swim and act. i just want to do this safley. ive seen several videos about putting them in the tank for a few hours with some kind of divider or other thing where the male cant get to them. 

whats the best way to accomplish this? and how many females should i add? i was thinking somewhere between 4-7 for the alpha and subs.


----------



## ILLBETHEJUDGE (Feb 27, 2012)

Males and females should not be mixed together, you might get away with the females only. In a 30 gallon you could have at least 10 females if you have plenty of hiding places, not just talking about cave like places but more like plants, either fake or real your choice.


----------



## dramaqueen (Jul 7, 2008)

I don't think I'd put a male in there. There will be fighting among the females and I think having a male in there will make things worse.


----------



## stuntman2946 (Feb 8, 2013)

im hoping to find a local breeder to get siblings because ive heard they dont fight as much


----------



## Bombalurina (Oct 10, 2011)

Even if you manage to get siblings, I still wouldn't add them to a tank with a male. OldFishLady has successfully managed it, but her bettas are the results of multiple generations raised together. The most likely outcome of your scenario would be the females ganging up on the male and harassing him to death. Definitely either stick to a sorority or a male, not both.


----------



## eemmais (Oct 28, 2012)

Yeah, I would not keep the male with the females. If you don't want to set up a whole new tank for him, you could divide maybe 2.5-5 gallons for him.


----------



## Option (Oct 20, 2012)

stuntman2946 said:


> im hoping to find a local breeder to get siblings because ive heard they dont fight as much


I think you're missing the point. It's not the females that we're fearing will fight with each other....your male will be the one that will fight (and likely kill) the females.


----------



## stuntman2946 (Feb 8, 2013)

alright yall have talked me out of it, i guess it just wont work with my experence. what are some other fish i could add to the tank besides neon tetras? 

i would really like a pleco but my male betta is the top priority of the tank


----------



## Bombalurina (Oct 10, 2011)

It depends on your water parameters. What is your water hardness and pH?


----------



## stuntman2946 (Feb 8, 2013)

ph is around 7, im not sure how to test hardness


----------



## Bombalurina (Oct 10, 2011)

You can get hardness kits online or at petshops. Alternatively, contact your local water authority - they should know what it is in your area.


----------



## stuntman2946 (Feb 8, 2013)

awesome, im about to upgrade my water testing kit anyways.


----------



## homegrown terror (Aug 6, 2012)

if you get a pleco, make SURE it's a bristlenose, they're the only readily available species that don't grow gigantic.


----------



## ILLBETHEJUDGE (Feb 27, 2012)

You could add plates and corydoras. Those are the fish that I have had luck with.


----------



## homegrown terror (Aug 6, 2012)

ILLBETHEJUDGE said:


> You could add plates and corydoras. Those are the fish that I have had luck with.


platies are hit or miss with bettas, we've got three who live in our sorority with no problem, but before they were there we'd tried several male bettas, and they would always attack the platies due to their bright coloration.


----------



## stuntman2946 (Feb 8, 2013)

alright i think im going to try about 3 neons 3 platies and 1 or two of the plecos does that sound good to yall?


----------



## Bombalurina (Oct 10, 2011)

Again, it depends on water hardness. Tetras prefer slightly softer water with a lower pH than livebearers like platys. 

Also, you'd need at least 6 neons, as they need schools.


----------



## fishy314 (Nov 8, 2012)

Never! Put males and females together.


----------



## broncosfan84 (Apr 11, 2012)

I have Kulhi loaches with my sorority. They get along fine.


----------

