Nearly 30 years ago, I kept a male betta with three females in my 55g community tank without any issues whatsoever. The other fish left the betta alone, and he showed off to the girls but there was never aggressive. Perfect fins. I didn't replace my bettas when they eventually died, switching to angelfish in my community, so I didn't have them for a while. Fast forward about 20 years when I decided I wanted bettas again, and I was suddenly seeing that you couldn't keep males and females together, that males would kill the females unless they were actively breeding. I found myself wondering if bettas had been intentionally bred for greater aggression than how they'd been when I had my group of 4. I haven't been a betta fan since then, though I had one male for a while. This study suggests I had it right 30 years ago, and all the sites warning against keeping them together are just spreading fear-based myths. Far better to teach people how to do this stuff RIGHT than to just tell them NEVER DO THIS. GREAT INFO, ALEX!

@Fishtory

Жыл бұрын

Thanks for your testimonial

@corinnakl

9 ай бұрын

One male with females, heavily planted in such a large area can work fine because they won't be able to see each other all the time. But most people will do the same in a 5 or 15 gallon tank.😡

@quonandkevv329

3 ай бұрын

I’ve also did the same thing even breeding

@brunohanham3119

29 күн бұрын

Did they breed?

I kept a male with seven females, everyone was super happy and they bred for me like that. But when I showed people on a popular fishkeeping discord I was bullied into nearly giving the hobby up all together. Thank you for showing more people that this is possible

@Fishtory

4 ай бұрын

Do whatever works for you and your fish. The forums and social media are full of egos and cruelty far too often. Sorry to hear that

@Anubis30224

4 ай бұрын

@@Fishtory thank you, I appreciate you. I've gone from 1 tank with four fish left to two tanks with an order of Betta fish on the way. I'm coming back

@TheShuryansh

4 ай бұрын

Sir may I know what your tank size is ? And it was planted or not

@Anubis30224

4 ай бұрын

@@TheShuryansh ma'am. And it was a heavily planted Dutch style 20 gallon long with plenty of floaters. Wish it could've been a 40, but apartment didn't allow for larger than a 20.

@neth77

2 ай бұрын

People who bully based on information they were told or read to people who can prove them wrong are weak pieces of shit. I'd have given it back 10 fold but the best bet is to just ignore and leave that place.

People like you that take scientific stuff and make it understandable for everyone deserve more recognition Thanks again

@Fishtory

Жыл бұрын

Haha no problem. Im just a nerd that wants to talk to someone

@rutheames979

3 ай бұрын

And we love to listen! Thank you 😊

A few years ago, a sales girl in the fish department at Petco told me that she kept 3 male bettas in a 20 gallon long tank with no problems whatsoever. You are confirming what she experienced. I've been fish keeping for over 15 years now, and I can't believe how much false information about fish keeping (like keeping bettas together) has been and still is out there. Not only internet, but books and local fish stores as well. LFS's are not always a reliable source of information, because they are in the process of transporting and selling fish, trying to keep them alive just long enough to do so. Sometimes you get lucky and talk to a sales person who has been caring for fish many years at home and knows what they are talking about, but that is rare indeed. Thanks for all your info, BTW.

@Fishtory

4 ай бұрын

Sure thing! It doesnt always work out... and it requires i caring and detail oriented fish lover to upkeep, but in asia, theyve done it for almost 1500 years now! ( i have a video on the history of their domestication if you are ever curious lol)

Man you and father fish are the most educational fish channels ! Thank you

@Fishtory

Жыл бұрын

Thank you kindly

I breed and raise betta's. Several types so far for about 5+ years and they are awesome fish. I had to add this however for folks that don't know or have not found what I have....... Since breeding these beautiful fish, I did not separate them once they grew. I grew them out in 50 gallon troughs (1 brood was 240 babies) that I lined with a pond liner. NOT ONE of them fought with each other. Occasionally I would see a bit of aggression but not like I had heard. I sold them in sorority groups and never had anyone complain that they got aggressive. Actually one guy bought 3 groups total from me. The last group was 43 for a 125 gallon he had recently set up. I only had some plants thrown in, no substrate, and a hang on filter. So.... just my opinion..... because I am a breeder of these beauties is.... don't separate them and they don't know they are supposed to fight. Just my experience and I have bred and have had over 500 babies at one time in the past.

I've always wondered why you can't keep them together in a tank, yet they all grow up in the wild literally all together. If they just killed each other constantly, they'd be extinct, which is far from reality.

@Fishtory

Жыл бұрын

Bingo!

@SamanthaNickole02

Жыл бұрын

You just burst that “Betta bubble” for me.😂 Thank you!👍🏼

@fulanodetal3000

Жыл бұрын

well the bettas you keep in a tank (splendens) are descended from generations of domesticated fish (which descended from wild fish) that were bred to be more aggressive than their wild counterparts, so there's that for one. also, an average betta tank is way less space than they would have in the wild. they live in big shallow bodies of water. sometimes they have to survive in puddles when there's a drought or anything that would lower water levels which is where the myth of betas living in puddles comes from. this isn't to say betta splendens can't live together (you can see it in this video lol) but that most of them aren't exactly the same as wild types and aren't kept in the same environment he covered it in the video too.

@darrylm92

Жыл бұрын

IMO it is a scheme to keep hobbyists from breeding them.

@marchean83

Жыл бұрын

There are no splendens in nature.

I’m 46. I have always kept bettas together after seeing how close together they are in the wild. They keep very small territories.

I know people will find this video controversial because uninformed people will use this as justification to provide poor housing for their fish. This is an advanced setup and you have to love your fish and spend a lot of time watching them to make this work; it's an enthusiast's project. I find all this research fascinating. I remember a study ("Social partner preferences of male and female fighting fish (Betta splendens)", Snekser et al. 2006) finding female bettas, when given the choice, spent more time with another female betta as opposed to being alone. Male bettas did not display this preference and spent similar amounts of time alone vs with a single female. Both males and females showed a much higher preference to "socialize" when there was a group of 3 females for them to engage with vs an empty chamber. Obviously they are territorial fish but they engage in pretty complex socialization (hierarchy building). Super interesting animals. The study in this video just adds intruige to the diversity of behavior. Speaking of tank mates in general, I cannot imagine housing a betta with no tankmates. My bettas have always spent time patrolling their tanks and keeping tabs on their tank mates. My male closely follows his panda garra (sometimes sitting on him too) because the panda leads him to snacks. I've seen him flare at a female endler who was too rambunctious and bumped into him at feeding time. It's impressive that the endlers know to flee when he flares. He also hunts fry and corners them in his betta log since he's too slow to catch them. I love watching these guys and could tell more stories, but that's enough. What wonderful animals.

@Fishtory

Жыл бұрын

Whoa you nailed it all 👏

@giftofthewild6665

Ай бұрын

Haha I had to keep my female betta separate because I ended up with her precisely because she was killing her tankmates in my friend's tank. Some bettas are fine in community tanks, some aren't.

Love the fact that you explain the science. Almost everyone else just says you need lots of experience, but no details. And thanks for the links to the research.

@Fishtory

8 ай бұрын

100% thank YOU for commenting and being so positive

Thanks for sharing. I have kept Bettas for over 30 years and related Bettas, when raised together are less likely to beat each other to death. It's awesome that you are able to keep unrelated fish together, as you have. Yes, providing plenty of swimming space, plenty of plants and other peaceful species as tankmates will help reduce aggression. You should speak at an aquarium fish club. It would be appreciated.

@Fishtory

Жыл бұрын

Id enjoy that, if you know any hehe. Ive spoken to seattle portland and 3 around tampa fl

@williamamely7038

Жыл бұрын

@Fishtory I am with the Brooklyn Aquarium Society. I can talk with the board members, if you wish to speak to our members.

This was really great to see! I observed some of these traits in my black orchid halfmoon boy, Martok. He was in a densely planted 10 gallon with no other fish, but lots of shrimp. He favored the left half of the tank, and everyone had plenty of hiding spots. Martok seemed to really enjoy watching the shrimp, and was never bored. He passed away at the age of 3 a couple months ago, but his kingdom of shrimp and snails is thriving ❤

@Fishtory

Жыл бұрын

Thanks for sharing that with us! Have an awesome week!

You've produced my new favorite Betta documentary!

@Fishtory

Жыл бұрын

Aww thanks

👏👏 Bravo! It's so refreshing to get more content like this on this topic. My sororities have always been subjects of both envy and controversy in spite of successful experiences from myself & lots of betta enthusiasts. And a lot of misinformation that we are still uncovering. I don't care science or not, there is no way we already know everything on all these animals! I love that you presented keeping bettas together. Now, others can be more informed when they are ready to experiment. Thanks 🐟 Sometimes, replicating nature is the best way to go.

@Fishtory

Жыл бұрын

Sure thing! I totally agree. Im not endorsing it for most folks, but rather just showing its very possible

I forgot the name of Japanese KZread channel.. The man kept his spawn siblings together in a rather crowded situation.. Many males in the lot.. He said, that raised together, they had no problems together.. What Amazing colors and fins his fish have!! 💕

@Fishtory

Жыл бұрын

Yes, if they are all siblings, theyll pretty much never harm one another after fry age (sometimes the fast growing fry eat the weak ones)

My wife keeps a Male and female together in a 20g long community tank, she also has a school of 16 neon tetras, and 5 cory cats in it, the tank is heavily planted and the male and female never fight, sometimes he will follow her around, but he never fin nips and they each have one side of the tank to claim

thank you ! I've been waiting for this video . have a 20 long with 3 females and a lone male that has been set up for 3 months with no issues and just set up a 40 breeder and ordered 10 females 2 males and 20 dwarf gree Raspbora's for it

@Fishtory

Жыл бұрын

Right on! Just keep it planted well or short lines of sight if it gets rowdy haha. But i think you'll have an awesome tank!

Great video Alex! There is always something new to learn about fish keeping. Thanks for keeping everything interesting, informative, and entertaining!

@Fishtory

Жыл бұрын

My pleasure!

Great video! Thank you! I have a few, 3 male, 6 female in an indoor 300 gal pond (6'w x 6'l x 16"h) and they all do just fine.... They are all some form of pk (plakat, short finned) and they are with 1 rainbow shark, ghost cats, endlers, shrimp and ramshorn snails. I never have any fin issues with anything. Driftwood, lots of plants like hornwort, various types of java fern/moss, anubias and floating plants as well as almond leaves and alder cones etc. No substrate. It's good to see that not everyone is all weird about them being together. I get people chastising me a lot when I mention having multiples together, but there is so much room that I never have any aggression issues with anything. Not even the rainbow shark, I have wondered if they could be kept in multiples in a similar set up, without the bettas or ghost cats. I haven't tried it yet, But I have thought about it. I may try it with a larger set up with a top swimmer like mollies or something just to see as I cant find any information on keeping them together in a set up this large.

Really like the beard trimming ya did there! Also absolutely amazing content here thank you. THIS is why I sub to your channel initially, have enjoyed your other videos too but THIS is choice and not something I find in other channels. (if unware I'm referring to the overall scientific knowledge being backed and explained in this vid) 10/10

@Fishtory

Жыл бұрын

Thank you so much Brandon. I truly appreciate that you notice my work. Have a wondeful week

Glad I came across this video today. I currently got 7 bettas. Have been experimenting on putting them together in a tank for about 2-3 weeks. And your video was on point with what I learned so far in regards to sometimes you’ll have a betta that’s just mean to everyone and I have 1 male who was just like that. When I separated him, he started putting bubbles at the top of his tank. But he was also fighting with all the females so that was a no go. The 1 male I left with the one females was fine but his fins were torn (and I haven’t seen it grow back since) and I decided to remove him due to the torn fins and inactivity. Give him his own space for recovery and hopefully he recovers like the female I removed for the same reason that I’ll be explaining next. The 1 female with torn fins from the second male I removed today for fin recovery, was also getting picked on by the other females in the tank (I took as a sign that they sensed she was weak and didn’t want her there) so I removed her to recover and she was much happier that way and her fins started healing only after removal. So hopefully same results for the male with torn fins here in the next week. I also did realize that they were out of sight, out of mind fish and I had no where near enough greenery to have more than my 3 females in there currently. I will be adding much more green first before I add more. And funny enough, the 2 dominant females out of the 3, one of them is mostly a red betta that I cal Big Red, and the other is a giant betta with orange, some black and a little red. Needless to say big red, who is smaller, runs the tank and balances it out lol but I love your video I’ve been watching betta videos for an hour tryna learn more and this was my favorite one. Thanks a bunch (mahalo nui loa) from Hawaii 🤙🏽

@Fishtory

6 күн бұрын

Best of luck. Cheers. As long as you pay attention to any issues starting ( nest building or nipping).. you can easily move the trouble makers

Another awesome vid full of knowledge/info! Keep it up man! 💯👌

@Fishtory

Жыл бұрын

Appreciate it!

My son is going to be so excited when I show him after school. Thanks!

This is so informative!!! Fantastic reporting; I enjoy this kind of content!🌻🌼🐝

Alex ~ thank you so much for this video! You are my Wizard! I am so excited about all this information! And it's great information! "Red betta aggressive behavior" ~ "eyes and noses changing due to domestication". This information is important. I've watched the video 2 times so far and will watch again! And I've shared it 3 times. It's a game changer! I'm excited! I can do this! Have a 20 gallon long and a few empty tanks. But, first I have to learn how to grow something other than duckweed 😩 Thank you Alex!

@Fishtory

Жыл бұрын

Haha youll get there with the plants... good aquasoil Like fluval stratum plants or ada amazonia...and a good fluval 3.0 planted plus light will make it so you cant fail lol. Most tanks or pet stores sell cheap and nearly useless lights

@karenhann8956

Жыл бұрын

@@Fishtory thank you very much for the planting tips!

Thank you for all the information. I have always suspected this was possible but was never willing to take the risk !! After all they do survive in the wild without killing each other off.

@Fishtory

Жыл бұрын

I hear you. It can be a lot of work if you dont get laid back fish haha

I’ve done about 100 ish plus in about 40 gal. Bare tank. It was one of my favorite tanks to feed. It was like feeding graceful piranhas

@Fishtory

Жыл бұрын

Haha awesome thanks for sharing

Fantastic video, Alex! Thanks for pointing out Nat Geo article. I have subscription and missed it.

Thanks! Love the informative videos that you do sir! Looking forward to the next one 😁

@PULAG

Жыл бұрын

♥

@Fishtory

Жыл бұрын

Glad you like them! Thank you

Love this! I love when you show that you can and you are. The betta police are calling PETA and stroking out as we speak, 🤣 I also always appreciate all the scientific background research you do and share. The links and magazine articles we can look into ourselves if we want to dive as deeply as you do. I love Bettas, they truly have unique personalities. I bought a King Betta for population control on an endler tub, he wouldn't touch the fry, the tiniest would swim right across his line of vision or right up to him and he never even attempted to chase one down. FAIL as population control, but he was such a big sweetie, anytime I messed around in the tank he wanted to swim into my hand and cuddle there. Anytime I came near the tub night or day he would come flying to the top front and look at me, he knew he wasn't being fed, but he just wanted to socialize for a bit. He was so beautiful and sweet tempered, not at all what I bought him for, lol. Then I had the demon from hades betta, he looked nice and sweet, but nope, he attacked and killed ANYTHING he could hunt down, ANYTHING. I gave him his own 5g and one adult ramshorn, nope...he hated that poor snail and killed it off over a 2 day period of repeatedly hunting it in a overgrown tank of Java ferns, guppy grass and thick hornwort. Nastiest tempered betta I've ever had out of multiple bettas over the years. Lil mean azz lived 7 long solitary years too, out of sheer spite and meaness I think, lol. He'd go after the siphon hose and my hand when I needed to pull excess hornwort or guppy grass and when I was wiping down the OUTSIDE glass. He was a trip in aggression for sure. Beard's looking good, and you look a bit more rested. All good things, all good things. 👍❤️👍

@Fishtory

Жыл бұрын

Oh yeah, the hate male already started lol

@shesellsfish

Жыл бұрын

@@Fishtory well you already knew it was going to...people hate having their preconceived notions dispelled, and having to see live videos of something working that they were told and believe is impossible. The majority all laughed at Henry Ford when he was telling his engineers what he wanted in a gas combustion engine and they told him it couldn't be done, and he said it can and you will find a way to make this work. Now look at us and our attitudes towards vehicles, can't live without them. You are not afraid to do innovative things in your fish keeping journey and show us how it can indeed be done successfully. I love that about you and your channel.

@AussieAquatic

Жыл бұрын

@@Fishtory and 8K plus views in 2 days, so totally worth it!!!

@TCgirl

6 ай бұрын

@@Fishtory why would anyone send hate mail to you? This is my first time here and I was struck by your handsome, beautiful face. Jus sayin. And I really appreciate your sharing your knowledge! Thank you!

@TCgirl

6 ай бұрын

@shesellsfish, I love your story!! It's so true these awesome little fish have their own unique personalities. Thanks for sharing!

Excellent video..opened my eyes to the betta which I tbh have stayed away from because of all the reasons that we are told....this gives me confidence to try my hand at keeping them...Great stuff as usual...keep this info coming Alex...thanks again. 👍

@Fishtory

Жыл бұрын

Glad I could help betta' illustrate my style of keeping. Lol sorry. Haha

Totally eye opening, thank you! I've been meaning to support you and now I will for sure. I am setting up a new 20g in my clinic for kids to help me with, and have gone around and around on what type of fish I want to stock it with. Nothing has been grabbing me until now! I've always kept a Betta with nano fish at home, and now I realize I want to stick with that Do you ever sell your baby fry? I haven't checked... is there a link in the description for an online store?

@Fishtory

Жыл бұрын

Thank you so very kindly Cheryl! If you know how to keep bettas in a community tank, you'll have a big head start on understanding what they need in a group tank. I tend to mostly locally sell my fish, and will ship orders of $60 or more for plants and or malawa or neocaridina shrimp since they survive better. I just feel so bad when fish die in shipping, even if it's only a few out of a 100.

I'm sorry, but brand new keepers do not need any encouragement to keep bettas together, let alone breed them. If someone is new to them, they should just be keeping to managing a betta solo. There is so much that can go wrong, and it often does with people who are brand new and don't know what to look out for. As it is many people new to bettas already struggle with common diseases, feeding, heating, etc.: managing a *single* betta's health. Do I think bettas can be managed to healthily stay together? Yes, to some extent. It's not as plain as "how close to the wild-type bettas is this one?". It takes a lot of management and *paying attention* to what is happening in the tank. Not at all something I would recommend, especially to newer keeepers.

@Fishtory

Жыл бұрын

I wouldnt either and i said that also. But good reminder

I love the channel name. In the wild they are together. I have had to re home my fighter into his own tank he has a snail for company because he will attack other fish. He likes all of my attention going to him alone and he gets that now. He's got the best personality remembers things and plays games.

@Fishtory

Жыл бұрын

Yeah theyre a very smart fish. I wish people would reframe them as a small cichlid more than just a little gourami

Mahachaiensis, due to their native habitat limitations, are genetically disposed to sharing small spaces with each other. During the dry season in their natural habitats, the puddles of water (literally puddles) they inhabit often contain multiple specimens, huddling together in very tight spaces. They have no option but to coexist with each other this way, and aggression would lead to mass deaths. Genetically, the Bettas we have in our pet stores are a mix of Splendens, Mahachaiensis and Imbellis. So that peaceable instinct from Mahachaiensis also exist to some extent in our modern pet shop mongrels.

This is amazing bro! I love your tank filled with plants and it's awesome how they're all getting along.

@Fishtory

2 ай бұрын

Glad you like it

I have always thought this as they live together in the wild. However a well planted tank I would think is best so it can separate their line of sight and allow independent territories to develop. I think the palakats varieties would be the best. And also proper feeding to ensure everyone gets some.

@Fishtory

Жыл бұрын

True

Okay, if I knew you were giving the scoop like this I would’ve subscribed a long time ago! 😮👏🏾 I’m living for this content ✨

@Fishtory

Жыл бұрын

Welcome. Theres a whole lot of videos here too! Enjoy 😉

Thanks. It is so easy to just believe what you’ve always heard. Beautiful fish. You are so knowledgeable.

Thank you so much for this! Definitely still extra worry I don't need because I'm a worry wart and not something for the beginner, but happy to see it can be done! I learn something new with every video you do! Thank you for sharing your wealth of knowledge 🙏 ❤️ 💙

@Fishtory

Жыл бұрын

Yeah not for a new aquarist. But done fairly easily with a year of betta keeping if you are a good observer.

This was an excellent video Alex, thank you so much. I've kept bettas for about 6 years now and I currently have a spawn of about 60 babies. I plan on keeping a group of females ultimately for myself. There are still a few males left in the big tank, you've inspired me to keep them as well and see how it goes!

@Fishtory

Жыл бұрын

Right on! Just keep an eye out for any wild ones that are trouble makers...often removing one can fix a tank of a dozen other fish

@DixieNormus710

Жыл бұрын

@Fishtory most of the males are removed because they were getting too spicy lol. They are still young, a little over 4 months now so I imagine in a couple months I'll know for sure who can stay and who needs to go. Right now it's peaceful and my favorite tank to watch

@gxblintxes3375

Жыл бұрын

I wouldn't let them interbreed with their siblings. I would find a young male to go with them instead of one from the same clutch

@Only1Sosa.

Жыл бұрын

@@gxblintxes3375 Can you explain why?

@Only1Sosa.

Жыл бұрын

@Jack Sheridan 🤔 we'd be strange incest lesbians 😩 but I hear you

Very informative. Excellent.

Really important information Alex, that will help greatly to better understand these glorious little territorial fish, great share :)

@Fishtory

Жыл бұрын

Glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for the kind words

Excellent video and information!

@Fishtory

Жыл бұрын

Thank you

Nice video great info just more conformation on things iv been doing for years love you're videos

@Fishtory

Жыл бұрын

Right on. Thanks for also sharing that it works for you as well.

I totally agree. Well planted tanks with low water flow that enables them to set up individual territories usually works fine.

Love the video, it's awesome to see how scientific understanding is evolving, and especially how that can change how we keep fish! I think the only thing that would stop me from doing this is not wanting them to breed. But when I have a Betta that has a decent temperament I like to be able to have a companion fish of some sort for them.

I ended up with a betta because a friend had 2 males (one blue and one pink) and 1 female in her community tank. The males got along fine and never fought or hurt the other fish, the female however (black / melanistic, not red) went on a rampage killing the other fish (she left the male bettas alone but murdered several guppies). My friend gave her to me and I ended up keeping her in a 5 gallon with a few snails. She was one of my all time favourite fish, loads of personality 😊

what a seminal, mind-turning video for a newbee like myself! This myth uas definitely been in my head and I'm so glad your video popped up in my feed! Soo appreciate you breaking down some peer-reviewed literature, it's so rare these days for hobbyists yo actually refer to that! Thank you!

@Fishtory

9 ай бұрын

For sure! Its not always a good idea lol...but IT IS possible and many betta breeders do it

I love Blanking fish🤩 they are so colorful.

Very informative!🙂

Great video first time I’ve seen your vids , was reading an article the other day about what size tank you’d need to have to keep more than one male betta

@Fishtory

Жыл бұрын

Welcome! If you like this video i think you'll enjoy most the stuff ive made the last 2 years ((non livestreaming)). Thank you for stopping by!

I can’t wait to try this. I’ve kept bettas continuously for 7 years always kept boys as singles with other species in 75 gallons and tried sororities.

Great video with helpful information 👍🏻

@Fishtory

Жыл бұрын

Glad you found it interesting 👍

Great content. Need to check out that info and make this my next project.

@Fishtory

Жыл бұрын

Thanks, You should!

This is incredibly informative!!! Thank you!!!

@Fishtory

Жыл бұрын

You are very welcome. Thanks for writing and comming by to have a look..

Great video & information. Fascinating Thank you 😊

@Fishtory

Жыл бұрын

Glad you enjoyed it!

Well done video and great content. Thank you.

@Fishtory

Жыл бұрын

Glad you enjoyed it!

Fantastic video! Brilliant information sharing, thank you.

@Fishtory

Жыл бұрын

Glad you enjoyed it!

This is gonna piss a lot of people off even though you are 100% right

@Fishtory

Жыл бұрын

Lol i know...i kept my receipts lol

Your video helped so much! i would seriously love some advice! I'm getting a 30-40 gallon, i have a huge interest in a female betta sorority. its important to note i've had a 10 gallon for a year 1/2 now which contains 1 male betta, so I'm kinda new to the fish world and seem to never get a straight / same answers from anyone on any fish topic and most of the in-person advice i receive is (with all good intentions) overly cautious. So its just left me more confused. I know a 30-40 gallon tank is big enough to add more than just 5 female bettas in, however... in your opinion, do you think other fish like guppies, male or female could work with 5 female bettas? or even potentially more controversial, how about (darkly coloured) small angel fish? i understand these are very passive and gentle fish but you may also know something i don't which could reach me to a really cool tank! ( i also plan to have neon tetras and / or diamond tetras and some catfish) Lastly, in terms of the tank being heavily planted, will my 30-40 gallon tank have to be as planted as yours considering it will be all females? or if i can have guppies / angel fish, would it only then make it necessary to be overly planted? I understand lots of places to hide and take cover is necessary, but I would also like to balance that to my appeal of a somewhat less intense environment to look at. very very lastly, is open spaces more okay considering their all females? For now I'm not experienced or confident enough to bring male bettas into the mix of my female sorority by a long shot. My current 10 gallon tank will be pre prepared to have a divider in case a female in the 30-40 gallon becomes aggressive and needs to be separated. I've done a fair amount of research on safety measures but with investing in a much bigger tank i would love to be able to include other fish that i've always wanted and hopefully have a balance between functionality and appeal. In saying this, i'm not prepared to compromise safety if these are too big of a risk.

Good video with a lot of good info!

@Fishtory

7 ай бұрын

Glad it was helpful!

Thankx Alix, tons of supper useful info. I'm actually currently getting ready to set up a 40-gallon breeder as a swamp tank for my Alian betta. Wasn't sure if I really could have 2 males and 3 females together. Do you think it should be 2 males and 5 females? It will be (Low Tech) heavily planted tank with a small sponge filter stocked with 15-20 dwarf rasboras and the same amount of charry shrimp. Do you think I'll need more filtration?? Substrate will be 3 inches of fluvial stratum and 1 inch of Basalt.

@Fishtory

Жыл бұрын

Sounds like a plan. Id start with fewer fish, and work your way up. 40 gallons can easily hold several males ....just remeber those plants and or hiding places and blocking lines of sight. So far i hear alien bettas can be more nippy...but i dont know first hand. Just keep an open mind to needing to move a troublemaker in worst case scenario

What a well done video! Thank you!

@Fishtory

2 ай бұрын

You're very welcome!

Great video!

This is awesome. I wanna do this some day, but had planned a sorority first, which of course comes after the blue jelly shrimp tank, which i plan on finishing as soon as I fix the yellow shrimp tank. Too many tank goals

@Fishtory

Жыл бұрын

Lots of goals is how to live!

Thank you!! I’m so happy to see someone talking fish sense.

@Fishtory

8 ай бұрын

Sure thing. Just always proceed with caution :)

Subbed and very interested in learning more about keeping betta together. I've heard it was possible and want to try a single group of one male and 3 female in a 20gal planted tank that has a school of tetras and some cory catfish as well as a snail. Keep up the great work!

@harryfowkes4891

Жыл бұрын

How’s it gone ?? I’m in a similar situation 27 gallon tank heavily planted with corys and tetras, got one male Betta currently wanting to put x amount of females in so I’m curious how it’s worked for you

@AIKineticNRG

Жыл бұрын

@@harryfowkes4891 currently I only have a 5 gallon with a male betta and 5 tetras, but I just got my 20gal filled up yesterday. I put some Valasneria, Java Fern, and Pogostemon Stellatus Octopus, but no fish for a few weeks. I did change my plan slightly with only 2 female bettas, just due to the tank size, might be switching out Cory's for otocinclus, and a recent explosion of ramshorn snails has me looking at a pair of yoyo loaches.

Interesting tip on how the facial structure can be indicative of being closer/further from wild forms.

@Fishtory

Жыл бұрын

Pretty neat new science huh?

Great video. A lot of the same advise that applies to keeping Cichlids.

@Fishtory

Жыл бұрын

Oh for sure! People seem to think of betta as some exception to fish "rules" ... but it's pretty similar to any nesting or territorial fish. Thanks for tuning in and dropping by

This is SO interesting! And the best part is these guys are my favorite fish of all time! Question: I've heard to feed live foods to other fish to encourage breeding. Do you find that's the case in a tank setup like this?

@Fishtory

Жыл бұрын

Yes and yes

Your mixed betta tank blows my mind.. that’s a perfect Berta habitat..

Excellent video ! Thanks

@Fishtory

Жыл бұрын

Thank you kindly

Great work!

@Fishtory

4 ай бұрын

Thank you! Cheers!

Great Video Alex. You have some beautiful bettas! I hope one day I can try something like this.

@Fishtory

Жыл бұрын

I hope so too! Thanks

OK, that's just amazing. All the plants help. I love peer reviewed science. It shows you have facts!

@Fishtory

Жыл бұрын

Glad you enjoy it! And i wish more creators would cite real science! Lol

What plant is floating on the top of your tank? Thanks for this awesome video.

I love this. "All the mean genes!" -- I've had two females that were absolute menaces. One I have now even hates snails. She does not like anything in her tank at all. Glad you mentioned some just aren't cooperative.

@Fishtory

8 ай бұрын

Yeah id say 10% or so are just gonna be savage little fish lol

Thanks for all the knowledge...

@Fishtory

9 ай бұрын

My pleasure!

Wow thank you. Great video and such a great personality you have

@Fishtory

4 ай бұрын

Wow, thank you for saying so. Welcome to the channel. Have a great week

Excelente video, gracias por el aporte científico, realmente es valioso para mí. Pocos videos he encontrado con fundamento de peso para sus argumentos, la mayoría se basan experiencias de terceros y las propias, con poco o ningún aporte científico. Felicitaciones. 👌🏻💯

@Fishtory

11 ай бұрын

Gracias mi amigo!

I just started a community sorority of 10 female bettas, and guppies/platies in a heavily planted 40 breeder. And damn am I glad I waited awhile before starting, even still I have made a lot of mistakes. I was very unaware how badly hardscape can effect the fins of a betta. My 1 betta beforehand was so chill and relaxed that it wasn't an issue, but once I added more and they would chase/hide/be chased. I saw lots of clear rips and not bites. Had to take out a lot of hardscape because it was simply too sharp. Also I learned that swordtails can be fin biters. Mine decided my bettas tails were a snack, and I was confused for awhile as to why the 2 most dominate bettas had fin bites, but then saw the swords doing it. Thanks for all the info, do you have any suggestions on ways to have fin rips heal faster? They have been healing up good on the few that have them, but idk if there is something more I can do to help them?

@Fishtory

Жыл бұрын

Im glad you noticed and were able to make adjustments for them. For fin nips and rips i do a salt dip early on, to stop any fungal or bacterial infections...then i add about 1 catappa leave per gallon and the acidity builds their slime coat and immune system with the tannins and the acidity kills most common bad bacteria, while probiotic properties also show up in a beneficial way.

That is an awesome planted tank! I have a well planted tank and so far my bettas are doing okay with my swordtail and corycatfish. I also have tons of shrimp in there!

Oh BTW your podcast Fishtory, Episode 2 about Tannins...I knew the basics but....🤯amazing stuff!👏

@Fishtory

Жыл бұрын

Thanks my friend!

Do you have the reference for the bas1 gene (related to domestication and morphology changes) you mention at around 12 mins? I've scoured the genetic architecture article but can't find it in there, and I'm super curious to learn more about it! :)

@Fishtory

10 ай бұрын

I think these 2 got me going. scholar.google.com/scholar?hl=en&as_sdt=0%2C48&q=betta+splendens+gene+domestication&oq=betta+splendens+gene+domest#d=gs_qabs&t=1691712087332&u=%23p%3Dghit0OKi9a8J scholar.google.com/scholar?hl=en&as_sdt=0%2C48&q=betta+splendens+gene+domestication&oq=betta+splendens+gene+domest#d=gs_qabs&t=1691712105277&u=%23p%3Dq6e485DDFzUJ

Great content. My LFS thought I was crazy when I told them I was going to put the betta I was purchasing in a community tank with a bunch of small fish lol. They said it would be a menace and there's a reason why they refer to them as fighting fish. In my UNS 90s, it's been doing great. I'm thinking of adding another given that it's heavily planted.

@Fishtory

9 ай бұрын

Boom

Ty

fascinating. tbf i think that more people should view bettas like american cichlids or some other territorial fish. give them a small bare tank and only 2 or 3 individuals then chaos will happen. keep them in a large spacious setup with structure and plants with suitable numbers and aggression is limited to the odd squabble or chase

@Fishtory

Жыл бұрын

100% you nailed it

Another great video!

@Fishtory

Жыл бұрын

Thanks again!

The problem is that these domestic forms of wild fish were selectively bred for different reasons. Some lines were bred to fight eachother, while some fancier lines were bred to show off their coloration and fins. Temperament of your line of Betta and what type they are makes a great difference. Their wild counterparts are not as aggressive as domestic ones. The reason they fight is because they are shoved in tiny bowls with no plants or space to roam. If you want to keep Betta fish together without issues, you have to have at least 30 gallons minimum for a pair. Preferably 3 females per male. The water quality plays a huge role, as biologically appropriate PH and hardness determines the health and longevity of the fish. The happier they are, the less stressed they'll be and the less they'll fight. The more plants and decorations you have for them to explore and break line of sight between eachother, the less they'll fight too, they'll be more concerned with exploring and playing. Don't be afraid to add as many plants as you can fit, Bettas come from naturally very densely planted ponds and overflows where the leaf litter is rich in PH lowering tannins and antibacterial properties. Tons of sticks and rocks, etc. Don't keep your fish in an empty bowl! Actually research what species you want and allow them to thrive, not just survive.

@Fishtory

Жыл бұрын

100%

NERRRRRD! Love them! Instant subscribe!

@Fishtory

8 ай бұрын

Yay! Thank you! And welcome

Awesome info! Bro, if may I just ask... what type of liverwort is that in your tank? Süsswassertang? Or, Pellia (Monosolenium tenerum)?

@Fishtory

7 ай бұрын

Susswassertang from german warm springs... so its a lot denser and darker than the Asian, African or Amazonian stuff

@Z4U3398

7 ай бұрын

@@Fishtory Great! Thank you so much, bro!

wow, nice work..true artist

This is very interesting. I never saw yellow betta before until about month ago. I had to buy him. He's a yellow with some hint of blue Crown tail. He's such a Beautiful fish.

@Fishtory

7 күн бұрын

Very cool

It occurs to me, people like Frank from Frank's Bettas (People in Thailand, Borneo, and elsewhere) breed their animals in something approaching the size of stock tanks. The fish always appear pretty healthy, this clears a lot up!

I have all my young betta from 3 spawns living in a 150 litre tank and they are all doing fine, ive taken 2 out the rest are living fine together (fingers crossed), im hoping to prove to myself that they can establish a heirarchy they can live together with

@Fishtory

Жыл бұрын

I think they do also! If they spawn together they will largely get along... if you pull the 1 out of 10 or 1 of 20 that are just Arseholes... it helps a lot too haha. Thanks for sharing your experience with folks here though! Cheers

Great info

@Fishtory

5 ай бұрын

Glad it was helpful!

Weird. I have a halfmoon male betta with red and turquoise fins and he and the female who is copper and red are getting along perfectly. They’re in a 40 gallon tank, but they swim together in tandem and are so comfortable together. I think there is still a lot we don’t know about bettas

@Fishtory

3 ай бұрын

Yes tons. Also, copper means its got betta mahachaiensis genes, so it is likely more closely similar to wild betta behavior...which is less agressive than many of the lines created the last 300 years by people. There are always exceptions to the rules though. In the end being an observant and caring fishkeeper is the only way to know your fish will be safe and content. Cheers

I spawn a lot of betta. I keep males and females together. I have a blue dragon spawn in a 55 gallon aquarium. I haven’t had any fin damage or deaths.

@Fishtory

Жыл бұрын

Thanks for the testimony 🙏

@dawnt6791

Жыл бұрын

I CONSTANTLY see comments from the betta police about how bettas can't thrive in a 55g tank because it's "too deep". But that's what my foursome (1male/3female) lived in 30 years ago. It was even stocked with a school of tiger barbs that left them alone (too busy picking on each other to mess with anyone else), and a school of zebra danios and a common pleco. Tank was kept at 78 degrees. Those 4 bettas lived to ripe old ages. Yeah, I look back on that, and I broke every rule in the current books. LOL The only issue I saw in that tank was the male betta seeming to enjoy picking at my pleco. He grab it's dorsal fin. It pretty much ignored him, since it was way bigger than he was. He never did any harm to it, just liked to pick-pick-pick at times. Good thing common plecos tend to be so laid back.

Well done mate