Betta at work...

[Ashley]

Hey,

I have a male betta in a 5 gallon at work that was given to us by another teacher who was leaving. Since I brought in a anubias plant in driftwood that I took out of the 110, he's been building a huge bubble nest all around the leaves! Should I get a female for him, or not needed?

[Lindsey]

I've never owned males and females together but I'm under the impression that males can harass the females to death and shouldn't be kept together permanently. Keeping a group of females instead of just one could help disperse the male's behavior and keep him from annoying any one girl, but I don't think it would work out in a five gallon tank, there wouldn't be enough space for everyone to get away from each other. Good luck whatever you decide to do!

[korith]

Best to leave the betta by himself. Unless you plan to breed and raise the fry, adding a female betta to the tank is just asking for trouble. One or both of them will hurt each other enough at some point. Breeders usually only have the male and female bettas together in the same tank for a short while when they are ready to mate, after the deed is done they get separated again.

You could probably add a few snails or large shrimp of some sort, maybe ghost shrimp.

[Ashley]

cool, thanks! I will not be getting a female then. Maybe some kind of big snail or something.

[geminidragn]

Actually it depends on the beta. I have three females and one male living together all the time. They have lived with each other for around 4 months now. The alpha female is the one to watch; mine would chase and pick at his fins around for a couple of days and then she stopped but that was it. They are now the alpha couple even though they have not bred and live in harmony with the other females.

Like I said before, it depends on the beta. I have four other males and was trying to change them out to give them a change (at first) but the alpha female would rip their fins apart and would not leave them alone. The only male she would get along with is my purple double-tail, Aslan. Yes, I would take everyone out and change the decorations and then introduce at the same time and she would still pick them to pieces.

[rich311k]

Leave him by himself he will be fine that way.

[FishGirl-Seattle]

This going to sound crazy, but my bettas have always been fascinated by lava lamps. They will swim in front of it and just stare at it for hours. I've always had a betta in my tanks and they are the only fish that do this. If you think he is bored you might try putting a lava lamp next to the tank...maybe it is like TV to them...?!