Owning Multiple Bettas

I started with one betta named creamsicle. He's amazing and so so beautiful. (creamsicle doesn't really fit him anymore because now he's kind of bright orange). Anyway, I just love having him, and I'd love to have more.

I notice a lot of people on the board have multiple bettas. How do you do it? I mean, obviously I can't stick two males in one tank. Do you just have a splitter for your tanks? Do you set up small seperate tanks for each male betta? If so, what size do you normally use for one? I have a 2.5 gallon which I was going to set back up for one betta.

We have a 28 gallon set up at the moment, creamy does VERY well in his tank with his tank mates and we can't set up a splitter in there because it would seriously probably upset the lobster (or crayfish, depending on what you want to call him...everyone seems to have a diff name for him) and the rest of his tankmates.

So, how can I own multiple bettas?

And for your viewing pleasure...here is creamy..

So you can kind of see his fins a little better...

Very nice betta you got there! Orange is my favourite colour too. I'll tell you my story. I started off with one betta in a half gal cause I didn't know anything until I came on here. Then I moved him into a 1 gal which he seemed perfectly fine in. Then 2 months later I had 10 more bettas. Now, keeping 11 is a lot of work. I have the 4 Synirr girlies in a 5 gal which they do perfectly fine in, and the rest are in 1 gallons. I keep them all seperate. I have gotten rid of some of them, which is very hard but I'm at university so it's just too much work, but I do still have 9 now. You can divide 5 gals into 2, or 10 gals I think 3-4 ways. Either way, we manage somehow

I have several 1 gallon tanks for my males, with 5 females in a 10 gallon. I would like more, but I've promised Hubby that I would stop with these. My mother-in-law asked me why I had so many. It was hard to explain so she could understand. To me, it was simple: they are all unique.

Man, if I didn't know better, I would say you had a picture of my Gunther!



Doesn't he look just like Creamsicle? Cool.

Well, I have 10 bettas, not including two B. imbellis that are in quaranteen. Four of them are in filtered, planted tanks (one is in a community aquarium, the other three are in a divided 10g), but six of them are in bowls. I change the water twice a week. I manage. The temperature is not hard to maintain, my apartment is at 78 degrees. Each bowl also has Salvinia and java fern growing in them. Vacations will be really interesting as I'm planning to take a few of them with me.

I really enjoy my bettas. They are a great fish with wonderful personalities. Hunding, the plakat in my 15g is a my snail destroyer. There is only one snail in that tank that's larger than a quarter inch, and it was big before he came to the tank. He destroys them. It's amazing what he can cram into is little mouth. The snails live in fear of him. Eventually, he'll be switched with the B. imbellis who will enjoy the planted tank better. He's starting to get too fat, living off snails. My snails will breathe easier knowing he'll be gone.

I have separate tanks, 5 gallons each, for all of my boys and girls (7 total). I put a barrier between any tanks located next to one another, as mine seem to be pansies and they freak out and get frayed fins if they can see another male.
Nice looking fish there!

Hmmm, I'm thinking I can have one more betta in my 2.5, or use a divider for our 10 gallon tank. No matter what we can't have anything that won't support a heater. Our apartment is always so cold the poor little thing would just freeze to death. And those little bowls are out of the question (i don't think those would be very nice unless they were pretty big) but they don't have covers and BOY would our cats have a FIELD day! lol

I guess I can live with just one more. It just means I'll have to avoid places like walmart. We went earlier today and wandered over to the fish section (what a mistake), and I instantly wanted to take every single little betta home with me. lol My fiance and I fixed the section up so they weren't stacked so deep anymore and had some space inbetween them so they weren't freaking out too badly (again...they are horrible, had tons of sick tanks tonight). I fell in love with this little greenish brownish colored guy and wanted to bring him home. Hence the reason I'm asking.

My bowls aren't little, they all over a gallon, and clear plastic plates make great covers. Sorry I didn't put that in. It's getting late, and I'm sluggish when I post late. I will not be giving any advice tonight, lest I tell a Newbie to stick a pleco in a 1/2g bowl.

lljdma06 said:

My bowls aren't little, they all over a gallon, and clear plastic plates make great covers. Sorry I didn't put that in. It's getting late, and I'm sluggish when I post late. I will not be giving any advice tonight, lest I tell a Newbie to stick a pleco in a 1/2g bowl.

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lol Oh no, I didn't mean to imply that ALL bowls are small. I've seen pics of some very nicely set up ones. It's just, I can't find anything like that that would also support the heater and had a nice lid. I've looked.

I have 21 betta boys and girls, and it is quite a chore to take care of all of them....... my suggestion would be don't get in over your head.... if you do want to get several you can get plastic containers that are stackable. If I were you I wouldn't divide a 2.5, I know mine would seem far to small if I divided it.... kritter keepers are also very good for owning multiple bettas.

I have 28 Bettas...5 girlies in a 10 gallon, 3 girlies in a 5 gallon, and the other 20 boys and 1 girl are in 1 to 2.5 gallon tanks or bowls. It is a lot of work, I do water changes on the small tanks about every 5 days but I actually enjoy it. Multiple fish isn't for everyone, you have to be very dedicated and diligent, but I wouldn't have it any other way though! I love my babies!

^.^ I have 9 Bettas, plus 100+ fry. All of them are very happy and healthy. I spend about 2-3 hours a week changing the adults tanks... it takes 1 hour to do all 9 and I change all of them at least once a week, the 1gals twice. Thats really not a lot of time, considering all the time I spend doing reeaally useless things ! Just a warning, once you get another Betta, you'll want another and another and another!! As long as I don't tip 20, I think I'll be fine.

Kritter Keepers are AWESOME! Aquatic Gardens also sells nice KK-type tanks, all under $15 and very cute!! They have a totally secure (and colorful) mess lid so there's still plenty of air flow, and there's a little flip feeder and at least one access for heater/filter chords. A GREAT cheap efficient heater for small tanks is the Junior Heater from Wal*Mart... I think it's 7.5 watts, I have three. It keeps my 2.5's exactly at 78*.

Also... we need pics of the lobster

I have a tank divided in half, for two of my males, then four one gallons in my room, then my females in my main aquarium.

Right now, I only have 6 males and 5 females. Four of the females are in a 10 gallon tank and the other female is in her own little container. The males are in their own little tanks. Most are a gallon or so.

My basement is full of tanks now so I picked up some stackable containers today for some future fishies. They actually seem to hold a decent amount of water (and they were $4!! )

I have three of these stacked on top of each other. What a space saver!

YOu are aware they can'g get much oxygen that way, right?

OhMyDog said:

My basement is full of tanks now so I picked up some stackable containers today for some future fishies. They actually seem to hold a decent amount of water (and they were $4!! )

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$4? Hate to tell ya, but I think you got ripped off! I got all mine exactly like that for under $2 at Walmart.

oppositearmor said:

YOu are aware they can'g get much oxygen that way, right?

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That's why it's good to drill a little hole in the lid at the edge.
There's enough room to drill a hole at the very edge where the container stacked on top won't cover it, and that allows for air circulation and you can use it to deliver food without having to take the lids off.