Ok, I was just talking to another member here (won't say names, but they know who they are) discussing this very thing. People getting all hell bent over nothing. The responses form some of these members are what keeps bettas such a disrespected part of the fishkeeping community. By argueing in such a manner, noone will listen and those who may want to listen, but don't because of how it is portrayed.
I would like to thank those who kept it civil and didn't throw anyone under a bus. Those that have gotten too rowdy won't see it for obvious reasons.
Myself, I have kept a trio of plakats (1m:2f) in a 20 gallon high tank with a couple female convicts and hardly any hiding room. None of the fish were ripped up, none of the fish faught, it can be done. Does this make me irresponsible because I had a vision and monitored it carefully? Does it make me a bad keeper, because I kept fish in otherwise unsuitable conditions? The answer is no.
Ther is so much grey area in fishkeeping, because anyone of us wouldn't, couldn't or shouldn't do it, does not mean that it can't be done. I've kept male bettas in every single "bad" situation you can imagine. All of them died of old age and got along fine/ I've kept males and female non siblings together. I've even for short tiems have had 2 males in the same tank when switching them around.
This debate has got me wanting to go out, buying the first 2 males I can find, putting them in a 10 gallon tank without a divider and proving that males can be kept together. Its all about carefully acclimating your fish to the new situations. Letting them aware of theings around and then allowing them to meet each other face to face.
I've owned males that got depressed if I moved their containers apart form each other. I never put anything between them to block their veiw and they had nothing for them to run away nd hide behind. They would simply go to each other (the same time each day) flare for a little whiel for their excercise. Then they would go to the same side of the containers next to each other, sitting their watching T.V. with me. I was too afraid because of what people have otld me about putting 2 males togetherthat I didn't dare to. Now I look back and wish I did put them together. They were friends despite what some may say, I know this because I was there and saw them on a daily bases. They only flared when they knew they needed to excercise. Thye lived near each other everyday since I got them. when I cleaned their tanks, they went into the spare tank for a good 15 minutes orso while I cleaned out their old tnaks. They never faught. They looked at each other as if saying "hello". They weren't siblings and they were about 6 months apart in age. After the one died, the other got depressed wouldn't eat or flare. He jsut sat on the bottom, just like any other pet or human who just lost their best friend. Needless to say a couple weeks later the other died. He died of a broken heart.
This is not theonly time this has happened, many other members have had similar experiences. So why, under the right circumstances, could two males, who aren't siblings, not be put together? Mine could've, but the fear of not doing it because of other peopel stopped it. If I could go back, I would attempt to keep them together, but alas I can not.
I beleive it can be done. Not everyone should do it, and not every fish is a good candidate for it. But in a situation like mine, why couldn't it be done? Let's take off the blinders and see what can be done under the right circumstances, not what always shouldn't be.
