Can Two Female Betta Fish Live Together In The Same Aquarium



Do you have two female betta fishes, and you are wondering if they can live together in a tank?

Can two betta fishes control their behavior in the same aquarium? How can you recognize if your fishes are fighting?

If you want to know the answers to these questions, you are in the right place!

Here you can read everything you need to know about female betta fishes and their behavior. 

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Can Two Female Betta Fish Live Together?

1.Sorority

Female betta fish can live together comfortably in the same tank. There can be four to six female betta fishes in an aquarium at the same time. Although more female betta fish can be together, there is still a high risk of disagreement, conflicts, and injuries. They will quarrel the most because fish love single life, so they need a lot of space to be able to swim freely and explore the aquarium. A sorority is precisely the name that marks the life of two female fish. Their coexistence is possible, but their agreement will depend on their behavior. The coexistence of two females will be better and more peaceful than the coexistence of two males of this species. The females will fight at the beginning because that way they will establish the main fish. There will be no big quarrels or fights later. Often the females divide, and always follow the main fish. 

2.Water Capacity

Three gallons is the bare minimum requirement for a single betta fish because they merely do not have enough water volume to support the waste they make by living and excreting in the water. If you have more fish in the aquarium, you need to clean the aquarium more often or disinfect it. You can buy betta fish aquarium cleaners at the pharmacy, but it is easier to buy online, just like the medicines for them. If you have five fish of this species, you will need ten gallons, although two fish will live quite well in five gallons as well. They will live peacefully with the other fish, but if you plan to put more fish in, make sure the aquarium is bigger as well. A rectangular aquarium will be perfect for these fish. They like to stay afloat to get food more easily and to be able to breathe. They will prefer a shallower and elongated aquarium to one that is very deep. You will rarely see them go to great depths. If you are wondering how many female bettas in a 10-gallon tank, the answer is two. Fishes need a lot of space, so they would not get stressed.

3.Personal Space

It is necessary to know that they enjoy personal space, so if you put more fish together, they should provide a large aquarium and lots of leaves and decorations where they can hide. Their natural habitat is most often shallow ponds, rice paddies, and marshes. There they are not in contact with other species, not even plants, and they will need time to get used to the new habitat. You will notice that they often like to swim separately and be in shallow water. Provide them with a tank with which they can easily swim and reach the surface. They can easily get stressed if they fail to swim easily to the surface. Females will adore places in the aquarium where they can hide for a while. You can place grasses, decorative shells, and various items that would serve them as a house. This will also prevent the fish from being aggressive, and from being bored.

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4.Behavioral Problems

As we mentioned earlier, betta fish must have enough space, and if they do not, they can cause diseases and behavioral problems. Since beta fish are aggressive by nature, they react very quickly to things that bother them. Because of their aggressive behavior, they are prone to constant fights and quarrels that lead to injuries. Also, lack of space highlights their stress problem. To eliminate these problems, place them in an aquarium that is large enough for them to explore. Also, make sure to provide them with lots of interesting content in the aquarium around which they can play and swim. Stress also affects their behavior. These fish will easily experience stress if their water temperature changes, diet, get unwanted new fish in the aquarium.

5.How Do You Know If Your Female Bettas Are Fighting?

Betta fishes are very territorial and are likely to fight any other fish they share with their aquarium. The fight usually involves attacking other fish by biting their fins and can last up to 15 minutes. Most often, before a fighting female betta fish try to look like a serious threat. In this way, they want to give the other fish a chance to give up before the fight. The warning signs they use include flaring their gills and spreading out their fins. However, these signs can also occur by another stimulus, so they need special attention and monitor the behavior of fish if they often make such signs.

6.Beta Female Diseases

Females of this species are often the target of various diseases. Therefore, you need to control them often and keep the aquarium tidy and clean. Fins and tailcoats are typical diseases for this type of fish. The most common causes are fungus or bacteria that come in contact with them in the aquarium. For these reasons, it is important to clean the aquarium frequently, use a water filter and change the water frequently. Antibiotics must often be used to prevent further development of the disease. If you notice small white dots all over your fish, it means there is ich. Other fish can easily get this disease, but it can be removed very easily and quickly if you spot it in time. You need to be careful about the relationships the fish have in order to prevent the transmission of the disease.

temperature

7.Water Temperature

Water temperature is one of the most important items if you have beta females in the aquarium. These fish live in tropical areas, and therefore have a water temperature between 75 and 81 degrees Fahrenheit. Make sure you monitor your water temperature daily, as a change in heat could seriously harm your fish. They will thus fall into stress, and will therefore weaken their entire immune system. When their immune system weakens, then various bacteria are created and can seriously disrupt the health of your fish. Another way you can notice how your fish feels if the color changes. If the fish gets stripes by itself it may mean that it has undergone a change in water temperature, so it’s your turn to correct that.

8.What Are Suitable Tank Mates For Female Bettas?

If you want more fish in your aquarium, and you have enough space, then you need to consider the fish that the beta will get along best with. Guppies and corydoras catfish are the best option. These fishes are calm, good, and pretty much the same as bettas. When choosing fish to put together with beta in the aquarium, make sure that they are calm in nature, that they do not like to fight and that they cannot eat beta. tiny African dwarf frogs are also great options for your aquarium with betas. 

9.Tips for Keeping Your Betta Healthy

As already mentioned, beta can easily acquire various diseases. Diseases are most often caused by an unclean aquarium because not enough care is taken of it. Also, diseases can be acquired if you do not know how much food your fish is allowed to consume. Also, you should prevent the spread of possible infections. You will do this best if you clean all the items before putting them in the aquarium to the fish. It is also important to make sure that the water quality is always high. You could use a filter with carbon for the fish tank, to keep it clean. They can easily get a rash and other diseases due to polluted water. And of course, remove all unnecessary stress on your fish to enjoy the aquarium carefreely.

10.How To Recognize Female Betta

Beta females most commonly have a dull body color. During mating, if the female responds to the male’s courtship she will change body color to darker shades. These fish are smaller, and if you compare them to the male species, you can notice a significant change in size. Females have shorter and thicker bodies. Also, females are often less colored than males. Females also have a spot above the fin called the egg spot. That way you can know for sure what gender your fish is. 

To Sum Up

Here you could hear about female betta fishes and their life together in the same aquarium. Although they can live together, there is a high risk of conflict. Therefore, if you have a larger group of female betta fish, try to provide them with a large enough aquarium where fishes can hide among the leaves and decorations because they love personal space. Furthermore, a large aquarium will reduce conflicts between them because they will have a place to hide and also allow them to be more relaxed, although they are aggressive by nature. To choose the best fish tank for your betta pets, read the post about the best divided betta fish tanks or the best-rated betta fish wall tanks.



Joana
Joana has graduated in Linguistics in 2014. and began her work experience as a journalist and freelance writer. Her professional writing experience, as well as experience with pets, brought her to Petovly where she’s an editor. Working on the site, she collaborates with vets and animal shelter workers she has met when she was volunteering as a student. This experience made her an expert in pets’ care, breeds, and diseases.