Can you put a female and male betta fish in the same tank?

Question

I have a female betta fish and I would like to get it some company. I was thinking of getting a male but I was told that you cannot put male/female as well as male/male combinations in the same tank. Am I limited to getting another female betta for my tank.
Thanks in advnace....

Answer 1

You could, but you would need a large tank, or you would need it to be temporary housing following careful conditioning for breeding. In a 30+ gallon, well planted tank, you could have a pair with no problems, but a small bowl isn't even enough room for a single Betta. Bettas are tropical fish that need heaters and filters to keep the water clean, and at about 78 degrees. In a 10 gallon tank, you could add 2-4 more female Bettas (keeping 2 females together will result in disputes over alpha female. keeping a large group will prevent this fighting) OR 3-4 Cory Cats and a small school (5 fish of the same species) of small Tetras like Cardinals or Neons (avoid Serpae Tetras because they will attack your Betta). Email me if you have any questions.

Soop Nazi

EDIT: A bubble nest alone is not adequate reason to keep a female and male together. They must still be conditioned for more than a week with high protein foods while the two fish are still in view of each other. Male Bettas make bubblenests all the time, not just when they are trying to breed.

EDIT 2: Bubble nests aren't a sign of anything beyond that you have a male Betta. Bettas will blow bubble nests in the tiniest, dirtiest, and coldest of bowls, as well as in the cleanest, perfectly heated, largest tank.

Answer 2

Male Betta Fish

Answer 3

Female Betta Fish

Answer 4

Of course you can. You can't put 2 males together. If you could not put a male with a female, then how would you ever breed the next generation? Go for it, make him happy, and start a little Beta family.

Answer 5

All depends on

a) The temperment of your female, and the male

and

b) When they breed ( which is INEVITABLE, if they are cpompatible in the same tank ) that you can dish out the $1000 and up for Microcultures, separate tanks for the fry, special heating for fry etc.


Also, honestly, I advise that if they DO live together, get a LARGE tank. Bettas get sick of eachother very quickly.

Answer 6

I have a male and female with guppies, pleco s and platties. They all get along just fine. I have a 30 gallon tank with lots of plants. So i would say yes they can.

Answer 7

you CAN put a male and female in the same tank but only if you want about five hundred witta bitty betas. And i wouldn suggest breeding them until u know how. its a very delicate process, requring alot of attention and time. for example: if u dont remove the female at exactly the right time the male will kill her tryin to protect the eggs. so my opinion is to google and find out what fish u can put with other beta. : )

Answer 8

No, you cannot put a male betta with ANY other betta, regardless of gender. They will not breed; they are more likely to fight to the death. It doesn't matter whether a bubblenest is present or not, or how many frogs you have in there.

How large is your tank? Female bettas will get along in groups of three OR MORE, meaning a pair of female bettas will not work. However, there are several alternatives for betta tankmates. African Dwarf Frogs, cory catfish, oto catfish, ghost shrimp, cherry shrimp, several types of tetras, plecos, platys, mollies, rasboras or white cloud mountain minnows. However, please bear in mind that you may have to expand your tank. The betta will get aggressive when she starts to feel cramped, or sickness will start when each fish does not have the amount of space they need. You could keep a betta with a few of the above fish quite safely in a 10 gallon.

Answer 9

No, you can't place a male and female betta in a tank together. The only exception is when the male makes a bubble nest. This means that he's ready to breed. But even then, he has to choose the right female or else he'll kill her.

You aren't limited to another female to your tank, depending on your tank size. You can have other small peaceful fish that don't have long, flowing fins. If your aquarium is 5 gallons or more, you can have these types of fish, but if it's less you can only have another female betta. You should also add more hiding places, regardless if you get a betta or another fish. E-mail me if you have any questions.

ZTM

Answer 10

We had a male and a female beta fish and put them together they were together for about 2 months before the female started to pick on the male. She tore all his fins off and we separated them and he got better. When my husband was cleaning the males tank he put him in with the female while he cleaned it and she killed him within 5 minutes. However we have had a guppy in with her for almost a year with no problems at all. Good luck.