Addressing Female Betta Sororities and Male + Female Cohabiting.
Now many people keep female betta fish together in sororities, something that has been argued about for years. People believe females are less aggressive compared to the male betta fish, or better known as a Siamese Fighting Fish. They get this name from their extreme aggression and the ability to kill each other along with other fish. There has been many published studies saying the best environment for any betta is being alone, or with small peaceful fish, as anything else will cause stress, eventually leading to health problems or death.
For the past year, I have worked in a Animal Behavioral Studies lab, where we tested different environments and different fish. Here’s what we found~
(These notes are taken straight off the documented papers from our lab)
10 gallon cycled aquarium, heavily planted consisting of one crowntail female betta splendens.
Month 3 showed no physical symptoms of stress and no amount of stress related hormones could be detected in water. Twice a week water was changed at 25%.
Month 6 showed no change, female started to beg during feeding hour, jumping at surface.
Ending results; healthy female expected to live maximum life expectancy.
10 gallon cycled aquarium, heavily planted consisting of two halfmoon female betta splendens.
Month 3 showed fin nipping and minimal fighting, no stress lines were present. High hormone levels were tested in the water signifying some level of stress between each fish. Three times a week water was changed at 25%.
Month 6 female #1 needed to be put down due to damage.
Ending results; Female #1 died in result of fighting damage. Female #2 may die from amount of stress experienced during the 6 months.
20 gallon long cycled aquarium, heavily planted with pvc pipe hides. Consisting of five assorted female betta splendens.
Month 3 ended with death of female #3 and female #5 and fighting between remaining fish. High level of stress hormones were detected in water both before and after fatalities. Three times a week water was changed at 50%.
Month 6 hormone levels continued to rise and a “pecking order” was established, resulting in 2/3 females to show physical signs of stress and fighting.
Ending results; alpha female expected to survive, other females may crash after a few months.
40 gallon cycled aquarium, heavily planted with pvc pipe hides and manzanita drift wood. Consisting of seven assorted female betta splendens.
Month 3 showed no physical signs of stress but extremely high hormone levels tested in water, daily water changes at 50% were in order to help decrease levels.
Month 6 resulted minimal physical signs occurred along with extremely high levels of stress hormones.
Ending results; Females were separated and given away to responsible homes. Any longer together sorority would have crashed.
Some people believe female bettas are able to live happily in a tank with a male betta. This living situation is even more harmful to the fish than sororities. When males and females are put together, there’s often fighting between the two. Both fish attacking each other, releasing stress and mating hormones. Many females become egg bound in this process.
(These notes are taken straight off the documented papers from our lab)
10 gallon cycled aquarium, planted with grass and silk plants, along with pvc pipe hides. Consisting of one male plakat Betta Splendens.
Month 3 showed inproved color quality and unique personality. Only betta out of study to be named; Berty. Twice a week water was changed at 25%.
Month 6 no change had occurred, “Berty” eventually went home with professor and in living in a 55 gallon aquarium with cherry shrimp. In both lab aquarium and home no signs of stress were noticed along with zero amounts of stress hormones.
Ending results; “Berty” is expected to live the rest of his life happily in retirement with shrimp.
20 gallon long cycled aquarium, heavily planted with both real and silk plants. Consisting of one female and male betta splendens.
Month 3 male attempted to mate two times, female attacked leaving minimal damage. Stress lines had been present on and off while hormone levels continued to rise. A mating hormone and a stress hormone was both detected. Twice a week water was changed at 50%.
Month 6 ended in female being egg bound and eggs were forcibly removed using light pressure. Female then removed.
Ending results; both fish given to good homes, any longer time spent together may have resulted in death of the female.
40 gallon cycled aquarium heavily planted with pvc pipe hides, consisting of one male and two female betta splenens.
Month 3 showed no changes. Very low levels of stress hormones could be detected.
Month 6 females showed aggressive behavior towards each other and male. Male hid behind filter for most of the day and swam around during feeding hours and when lightes were off. Some levels of stress hormones could be detected and water was changed twice a week at 25%.
Month 13 longest run test. Female #2 became egg bound and had to be removed. Female #1 began to get overly aggressive with male, had to be removed.
Ending results; female #1 was expected to cause the death of the male. Hormone levels continued to rise to extreme levels and both fish showed no physical signs.
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The point of me sharing this is to show not everything is physical and can be seen. Most of the time these experiments ended badly.
Please no not force fish to live together when there’s a good chance of stress and death. They would not naturally live together and should not be forced to.
stormborns
jacobvanloon
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