Best Way Of Perking Up?

[OohFeeshy]

I´ve decided I really want a sorority. The really awful shop has loads of females, they´re all really clamped up and listless. I was planning on some in a 6g, don´t shout, they have no life in them and are all very runty. Whats the best way of perking them up? Clean water, salt?

 

[Booboo puppy]

That sounds like an excellent starting point to me, but I'm still new to the world of bettas.

 

[Naughtygirlrlw]

I think you are right on... clean water, a little salt, with lots of plants and maybe some sort of caves. They would be so grateful! (No, I'm not implying fish have emotion. You all know what I mean!)

 

[nino]

I'm not entirely sure, but I'd say you could fit four bettas in a six gallon. I don't recall the thread, but Wuv said something along the lines of it's better to overstock a sorority tank than understock and mentioned the maximum she'd put in a ten gallon is 8 girls. 8/10 is more overstocked than 4/6 (percentage wise atleast). Just be sure to give them lots of plants and hiding spots so that in the small space they do not get to aggressive with each other.

When I got my girls, they also were rather down looking at the LFS in their little cups. They really did perk up after having room to swim, live plants and some good eatin' (I didn't even add any salt... but I have cories too). Even my mother (who doesn't really care about fish) mentioned to me how different they looked after just a few days.

 

[pica_nuttalli]

lots of plants, lots of clean water and live food if you can get it! my male betta once ate a baby roach that wasn't any bigger than a "pinhead" sized cricket. most places around here that sell lizards also sell crickets in pinhead, quarter-inch, and large sizes. you could get a few of the smallest and see how that works out.

i personally am skittish about adding salt; i've always had good luck with plants and clean water with my non-bettas.

 

[nino]

Another thought I just had about this was that you should try to find out if they are from the same spawn. I think that it could make a difference in aggression. If they don't know, you could try to see if any look really alike. Just an idea...

 

[supersixone]

i'm wary of using tanks under 10 gal as sororities. when i first set one up, i tried in a 5 gallon. eventually i had to move the same trio of girls into a 10 because there was just too much fighting. they were just fine in the larger tank. ive also noticed i have far fewer issues in my 20 gallon sorority than i ever did in any of the 10 gallons ive kept.

 

[RandomWiktor]

I'm going to have to agree with supersixone on this; you really shouldn't keep sororities in less than 10 gallons, and even then, they will often fight. Six gallons really doesn't leave enough space for adequate planting AND swimming room.

As for perking them up, I'd say a raised temp, good nutrition, sense of security via plants and caves, and some quiet time in a low traffic area of the house would do them all well.

 

[lljdma06]

In addition, be careful with salt and the planted aquarium. There are probably people here that would say a little salt is ok, but I won't use salt in my planted tanks, nor will I medicate them. That's where the ghetto hospital tank comes into play. I can salt and med that tank to my wittle heart's content.

 

[nino]

I agree with what others said, I don't think they will necessarily need salt to perk up. Just some clean water and someone who loves them

 

[Jessica13]

What on earth is a 'sorority tank'? It sounds very american

I personally would not keep four female bettas in a 6 gallon, clamped fins or not! Female bettas can be NASTY and if they dont start fighting now, they will when they start feeling better. Can you get a bigger tank for them? If not i honestly wouldn't buy them.. You'll only end up with dead bettas i think

 

[Booboo puppy]

Sorority - a tank with only females in it (as in "sorority" house--female college students living together)

 

[Jessica13]

Sorority - a tank with only females in it (as in "sorority" house--female college students living together)

Ahh.. I see, VERY American! We dont have those over here

 

[OohFeeshy]

Sorority - a tank with only females in it (as in "sorority" house--female college students living together)

Ahh.. I see, VERY American! We dont have those over here

LOL, I'm not American But its the simplest term, so I'll stick with it. I should have been more specific in my post, I was on a 'pay as you go' style internet mabbober and had about 30 seconds left... Not ideal for posting.... Anyway, I'm pretty heartset on getting some, so it'll either be 1.5g bowls, very temporary 1/2g containers or something else, probably either larger stackable plastic containers or a divided one. Or actually, if I remember they had some fabby other containers..... Gawd, I love tupperware shopping at Wilkinsons ) They're gorgeous females, just very badly kept... I think I need a tank sorting out, I also really want a DP, hillstream loaches and endlers... amongst other things )

 

[OohFeeshy]

Well, I got two. Obviously they're not together, and I also have a niggling suspision one might be male.... its larger than the others that were in the tank, and was having a bit of a fight with the other female when they were in the bag. Colourwise, the female is white bodied with red fins, the other has a sort of whitey pinkey body with red fins. I think, they're still fairly clamped up.

EDIT- heres a quick pic of the definate female.