Betta Sorority: Can Female Bettas Coexist Peacefully?

Alison Page

Alison Page

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Betta Sorority

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Many aquarists advocate keeping multiple female Betta fish together in what’s called a sorority, as they are supposed to be less aggressive than their male counterparts.

Is this actually true? Can female Bettas cohabit peacefully in aquariums as small as 10 gallons (38 L)? The answer to that question is not straightforward. Sometimes, a betta sorority works very well, whereas other times, it can lead to carnage in your tank!

Read on to learn more about keeping a group of female betta fish.

Key Takeaways

  • Betta sororities, the practice of housing multiple female bettas together, can be peaceful but also risk aggression and stress, depending on individual fish temperaments.
  • A well-planted tank with hiding places is crucial to reduce stress and prevent fights in a betta sorority, yet injuries and rapid disease transmission can still occur.
  • The coexistence of male and female bettas is not typically advised unless for breeding, and even then, close monitoring is necessary to prevent aggression.

What Is a Betta Sorority?

A betta sorority is simply the name given to a group of female betta fish living together in the same tank.

How Many Female Bettas Can Live In a Sorority

You can have as many female betta fish in your sorority as you want, provided you have plenty of space for them. That said, we recommend keeping less than ten individuals in a group.

Do Female Bettas Fight

When kept together, female bettas sometimes engage in minor disputes, although they typically coexist peacefully, as long as one fish is not overtly aggressive.

Each betta fish has its unique personality, with some being combative and others being mellow. However, I’ve kept betta sororities successfully with no major fighting or problems with aggression or bullying.

The key to keeping your ladies happy and harmonious is to provide them with a big enough fish tank, filled with plenty of dense planting, caves, and other decorations. That gives the fish somewhere to retreat if they feel stressed and helps to prevent squabbles over territory.

Potential Problems in a Betta Sorority

Unfortunately, there are a few issues that can affect the well-being of a Betta sorority.

Stress

Bettas are constantly stressed. Many Betta sorority keepers claim that their fish never attack each other or that they rarely flare. Unfortunately, what they fail to realize is that such submissiveness is another form of excessive stress.

Also, keep in mind that while horizontal stress stripes are easy to see in some Bettas, they’re not in others because of their colors, so don’t assume that lack of stress stripes means everything is going well! For example, stress stripes are really visible on blue and red Bettas but not on yellow or white. There are tons of other signs to watch out for as well, such as clamped fins, quick breathing, darting, lack of appetite, and hiding.

Diseases and Illnesses Spread Faster

When any fish species is kept under stressful circumstances, their immune systems take a hit. In a Betta sorority, illnesses can spread like wildfire and take out an entire fish tank. It’s not uncommon to lose groups to parasites, which take advantage of compromised fish. Not only do the fish suffer, but you’ll be stressed, too, as you try to remedy emergencies.

Injuries

It’s not uncommon to see torn fins and missing scales within a Betta sorority. Open sores leave fish susceptible to bacterial diseases, and injuries to fins can make swimming difficult.

Aggression

Male betta fish are notoriously aggressive and territorial, which is why you must never keep two males together. Unfortunately, some female betta fish are feisty, and bullying by one dominant female is often an issue in a sorority.

Wild betta fish or Plakats tend to be more aggressive than the Betta splendens that you generally find for sale in fish stores. So, if you want to keep a few females in a sorority, I would always go for the Betta splendens variety.

Can I Keep a Male Betta With a Sorority?

In theory, you can keep a male Betta with a group of females. However, I would only do that if I wanted to encourage the fish to breed. Even then, male Betta fish can sometimes be aggressive towards females, so you must keep a close eye on the behavior and be prepared to separate the sexes if fighting breaks out.

Final Thoughts

There are many different schools of thought when it comes to keeping a betta fish sorority. Some aquarists maintain that you can safely and successfully house groups of female bettas in a large tank, whereas other hobbyists tell tales of bullying, fighting, and death.

However, if you want to keep a few female bettas and one male with the idea of encouraging the fish to breed, be sure to provide the fish with a large tank, plenty of hiding places, and shelter, and be prepared to separate the fish if aggression is an issue.

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21 thoughts on “Betta Sorority: Can Female Bettas Coexist Peacefully?”

  1. I have had my betta sorority tank for 4 years and never lost a fish to sickness or violence or anything else. I did, however almost lose a young female because I kept her with my female bettas while my son”s room was being redone and when I put her alone with glow fish she was lethargic, laying on her side, not eating, not swimming, giving up. Have you studied bettas? They don’t just fight. They actually can be trained! After a week I moved her back and she’s been happy since. My females can’t live without each other. Just like in the wild, there are docile bettas. When I was reading your article I felt like you were comparing these fish to serial killers, but like you said, man, they are fish…..

    Reply
    • People have varying levels of success with sororities! There are definitely horror stories of fish being beaten to death, though.

      Reply
  2. I just don’t think this is the case. I have a well planted 40 gallon tank with 6 female bettas and a few assorted tankmates (Otos, small cories, rasbora). It’s been running for nearly two years now, and all my fish are relaxed,inquisitive, healthy, and exhibit no signs of stress. They eat well, they explore, they interact in a very chill way, and the individual personalities and quirks of each of them have a chance to be expressed. In two years I have had no aggression or fin nipping at all – except for when I added some peacock gudgeons to the tank! I had to take them out again pretty quick. The fish seem to actually enjoy interacting with each other. The occasional flare or small chase, but It seems to me like these are little Housewives of Beverley Hills issues and they quite like the drama! Bettas would normally encounter each other in the wild, and they’re very intelligent personable little fish. Mine have always seemed much happier and more engaged/enriched with some company

    Reply
    • The problem is that many casual fishkeepers are keeping betta fish incorrectly as it is. A betta sorority can definitely work, but it will take special consideration and a higher skill level. We want to deter bettas from being kept in unhealthy conditions.

      Reply
    • You’re comparing your fish to the House Wives and telling us that they’re socially OK. Right…
      Look, it’s a hard maybe with 4 bettas in a 40 gal, but 6…
      This situation is not something they would be thrilled about in the wild. Imagine being stuck in a house with 5 of your school bullies. What you’re doing just isn’t fair to them and their mental health.

      Reply
  3. I don’t know what to think, it’s hard to find the truth through opinions. I’m planning a sorority and my plan has 5 in a 50 gallon tank with a school of rummy nose that’s heavily planted. I like to keep Cherry shrimp with my bettas and that’s supposed to be a no no too, I have great success with doing this. So I don’t know what’s fact and what’s opinion. There is more opinions out there than facts in the aquarium hobby and everyone thinks they are right. I like to be objective hence doing some more research before getting the girls. My tank is at the 6month mark of planning and week 5 since filling. I could really go into it but basically people are saying my tank can’t be were it is within 5 weeks because it takes that long to cycle. I really don’t want to do a sorority if it’s going to fail, just have to sort through opinions and find the facts

    Reply
    • A lot of this hobby is about trial and error and that results in almost truthful opinions: what works for someone else might never work for you. There are definitely some guidelines that should be strongly considered, but if the fish is happy and healthy then that’s mostly what matters.

      Reply
  4. I was just about to do a Betta Sorority… so glad I read this. Thank you for not allowing me to kill many fish.

    Reply
    • Thank you for researching before making your decision!! Good luck with whatever fish you choose to go with :-).

      Reply
  5. I’m interested in starting a sorority in my 20gal. Tons of hides and live plants. I might get siblings and raise them, or go to my local pet store (petco is the only one) and find the least aggressive fish. I love the article! It’s good to see valid points on both sides. I want to do this right., Because I know that it’s been done.

    Reply
    • Hi Katie!
      It is near impossible to tell the true personality of a fish in the store. While your setup sounds good with lots of hides and plants, be aware that this still might not be enough. Female betta fish can be just as aggressive as males and those sorority setups that have worked in the past might not hold true for your tank.
      I don’t want to scare you out of trying it if it’s something you really want to try, but just be prepared if things don’t work out and make sure that you research as much as you can before going out to buy your bettas! When selecting fish, try to go for at least 5 of the youngest female bettas to help deter aggression problems. Add them all at the same time and keep the lights off for a few hours. Monitor aggression levels and adjust accordingly; remember that these fish are naturally aggressive, and some offensive signs are to be expected, just don’t let them get out of hand.
      I hope this helps! Good luck and let us know how it goes!

      Reply
  6. I like how informative your article is, I have been researching and getting both sides is very important! I was wondering where you got your sources from so I can look more into the topic.

    Reply
    • Hi Beetle!
      Thank you! Honestly, we search through a lot of fish forums where hobbyists share their own experiences, success stories, and failures! We try to compile as much personal experience as we can into these articles, and then do further research to make sure we’re getting all the facts right.

      Reply
      • No smaller than 10 gallons for sure. I’d recommend 20 to 30 gallons because it gives them more room. I’d also recommend keeping them in odd numbers, and no more than 5 in a ten gallon. But good luck! I love my sorority

        Reply
        • Each betta to be happy should have at least 5 gallons, especially in a sorority. Always keep an odd number of females. Keep in mind ,less is more! Make sure there’s plenty of plants (real or fake!) And at least as many hiding spots as females. If possible,buy from a shop that already has them together,to see which are “more aggressive” and which are more “timid”.All my males have a 5 or ten to themselves. The thought of more than one (female) in that small of a tank is horrifying (not to mention you could space wise only put two and even numbers are a no-no). Try a 20 long (not tall!!) With 3 females and maybe some bottom feeders. If larger ,keep the basic rules in mind.

          Reply
  7. Eh it’s still just a really bad idea to encourage tankmates at all. It’s not really a matter of “well my fish has a nice personality so it’s OK”, fish do have different personalities, but humanlike morality and knowing right from wrong is not one of them. Even if the Betta acts indifferent to tankmates, why take the risk?

    Reply
  8. This was a really good article but snails really aren’t a good tankmate either. They foul up the water (they produce a ton of waste) and bettas have a tendency to nip their eyestalks..so. ..not very fair to the snails. Neither Animal benefits from the presence of the other. Just keep your betta in a tank to themself like you should.

    Reply
    • Snails don’t necessarily foul the water as long as you don’t overstock, your tank and filter should be adequate for both of the species if you want to combine them. So no apple snails in a 5 gallon haha!

      With all Betta tankmates it’s a hit or miss and I’m a fan of always having a back-up tank ready. I don’t personally combine my Bettas with anything else but it does really depend on the temperament of the specific fish whether it will work or not.

      Glad you liked the article 🙂

      Reply

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