Kicking around some ideas

[bethyMT]

Hi. It's everyone favorite betta killer here...I'm only half kidding when I say that.

Anyway, I have a journal started for the 10 gallon tank that will house my final betta female. I'm just starting to cycle it now, so there's plenty of time to think about layout and stuff. Well, it's 10 gallons, and I'm wondering if anybody else will fit in there (of course, if future betta allows it). Susanna, my previous betta (rest the poor thing's soul), seemed quite lonely in the tank all by herself, and I'd like to avoid that. I'd love to have the tank in a place we hang out in more, but there's no room for a 10gal in my living room/kitchen. So I thought company might be a way to mitigate that.

My questions are: are female bettas more tolerant of company in their tanks? Is there room in a 10gal for anything more than one betta girl? It will be heavily planted, and quite nice.

Perhaps I'm overthinking it. But ideas are always good. Thank you!

[Aeonflame]

You could add another female betta to the tank, but aggression varies between individuals and it's hit and miss. A school of smaller tetras would work along with some inverts.

[bethyMT]

Thanks Aeonflame! Oooh, I'd really like to have two females!! But isn't that not enough...I know harems work, but there's no way I have enough room for that. However, trying two is tempting...but what am I going do to if it doesn't work out?

Whoa. Thankfully I have a lot of time to figure this out.

What sorts of smaller tetras would work? Neons and anything else? I admit that I don't know of very many small species. Off to research microfish.

[bethyMT]

OK. I've done some research. *Supposedly* people have kept multiple female bettas together in a 10g tank. The recommendation is 3-5 females, preferably raised together from fryhood.

Betta experts: Is this true? Really? I'm skeptical, since one betta goes in a 5gal minimum. Perhaps this is one of the cases of rampant detritus on the interwebs?

[Cyberra]

I've kept a number of female bettas in a 10-gallon (10 gallons being the largest tank I have room for/the floor is capable of supporting). It is doable even if it's not generally recommended. My sorority has since gotten smaller as over-aggressive females were moved to their own tanks for the safety of the others, and due to the death of the boss female.

[bethyMT]

Upon mulling it over, I think maybe the harem wouldn't work. It just seems too risky to be doing that, and possibly endangering the fish. If I had a bigger tank, sure, but in a 10gallon...I'm not that talented. Not the "fish whisperer," and I'm sure if anything went wrong, it would go really wrong.

Now I'm thinking just one betta, but a giant plakat one. I have read that they need a 10gal all to themselves. I emailed a dude in Detroit to see if he's got any fry growing out now. Shipping all the way from Singapore seems a bit extreme, especially in the winter, Detroit seems better. Heck, I could drive there if I had to.

It is so good that I have time to think this through. Perhaps that will avert any stupid choices that enter my mind!