female bettas establishing a pecking order?

Question

I REALLY need some help , I have two bettas (females) that I want to put in a ten gallon tank with other kinds of fish, but I read on the net about the females needing three or more to "establish a pecking order" so I planed on getting another betta. So do I put them in the tank at the same time? or in a bowl so that they will see each other at once ? How will know if there pecking or fighting ? and if they do become friends will they still chase each other around and bite off needed parts? (Fighting) and hide Someone PLEASE help I dont want to wake up to my fishy fu's Belly up (T.T)

Answer 1

You would want to put them all in the tank at the same time. Be sure to have plenty of hiding places in the tank. They will pick at each other for a while, but rarely do they do real harm to each other. If one seems to really be getting a hard time of it, remove that one.

MM

Answer 2

Keeping just two female bettas together may not be the best idea because it's likely one will become the alpha and pick on the other. It is a good idea to allow about 2 gallons per each female betta in a tank. So the minimum tank size if you what to keep multiple females together would be three females in a 6-gallon tank. The larger the tank size, the better, as it will give each fish more room and may lead to less conflict between them. The tank should have plenty of swimming room, as well as lots of plants or amble hiding places.
It's not a bad idea to have a backup plan when setting up a tank of female bettas. It is possible that you may have a really aggressive alpha female who needs to come out of the community tank and be housed in her own tank. It's also important to have a smaller hospital tank on hand in case you need to take a fish out of the main tank to treat her. Before placing any fish together in the same tank, it's important to quarantine them in a space by them self for a few weeks. This will allow you to observe the betta's natural behavior and make sure she is healthy before joining other fish.
It is a good idea to introduce all of the females to the new tank at one time if possible. This will not give any of the fish an advantage or a chance to claim her own territory when she has the tank to herself. The first few days that you decide to put the fish in, try to be around to observe the bettas on a regular basis to see how the mix works out and that no one is being injured.


HOW DO YOU KNOW IF THEY ARE GETTING ALONG?

Once in the tank, the females need a day or two to settle in and get used to their new environment. As they become more comfortable the group will begin to form the hierarchy. They will probably chase and hide from each other. Although it may look very aggressive from your point of view, it is a natural process that must take place in the beginning. Give your females a few days together before you judge their personalities and how they interact. There is a natural progression of time that it takes to get a pecking order established.
If your females begin biting each other or nipping fins, you may want to remove the aggressive female. If you wish to try once again, in a few days try reintroducing the female back into the tank. If you have a repeat of the first incident, she is just a female that is too aggressive for the mix. It is common for some fin nipping to occur at first, but things will usually settle down within a day or two. It's your call if you want to play it out and see if the hierarchy falls into place before removing any fish. Treating the tank with something like Melafix will help the healing process for any tattered fins.

Answer 3

Even tough 2 will do just fine, i'd get 3 for a more interesting dynamic and that way no single fish will be singled out if one is much more dominant than the other. Also keep the tank well planted with plenty of cover and everything should be fine. I'd have backup tanks ready in case things turn really nasty, never hurts to be prepared.

Answer 4

You don't need 3 to establish pecking order. Two will do it too. In a 10 gal. you might not see as much competition since there's lots of room but you probably will see some chasing around--unless one of your females is just a masochist and continued to go back for more punishment. They will chase around, try to (and often succeed) nip fins. Usually the more submissive will excuse herself but sometimes it can get really nasty (and deadly). Make sure you have LOTS of plants of all different heights to offer a lot of line-of-vision obstacles and hiding places (not deadends where a fish could get trapped by an aggressor). If you put them both into the 10gal. at the same time, one won't have the advantage of having already staked out her territory claim. But as always, fish are individuals. I've had females who were like best girlfriends and hung around together; other females will be as nasty as could be and kill off any other female betta she sees. Usually they do this head to tail line up and shimmy back and forth sort of pushing each other, they'll chase around the tank, nipping of fins will happen but the weaker fish eventually gives in and zooms off before any serious damage can be done.

Answer 5

You don't need to have 3
2 will do just fine. As far as pecking order. Only if you intend to raise Betta. If not I would not worry about it. Just give them plenty of secure spots such as plants, shells made into caves, rocks with holes in and around them. These are just a few ideas. Get creative..

Answer 6

that's what she said