Decided to get Kevin a friend and need help!!

[carligraceee]

hey guys!

i recently bought a pink orchid male and put him in a ~7g tank! he was happy but i noticed him start to get lonely and decided to get him a friend. i learned males can usually live well with females, especially well if i got a seperater. all i had was a breeding tank so i put my new baby girl in there. he immediately started flaring and swimming erratically. i left then for a couple hours and noticed him start to calm down and anytime he saw her through the plastic he didn’t flare. she also seemed inclined to swim towards him and around him whenever he was by the tank. i decided to try and see what would happen if i released her (don’t worry, i was prepared to save her). he didn’t see her for a bit and then when he did, he took off. he chased her while flaring and she got stuck in the corner where he poked at her pretty hard and she swam away. i put her back in the breeder tank and she is doing okay and he has gone back to normal. he still kind of dances by her tank but he doesn’t flare. what is happening? should i have let it play out?

 

[EllRog]

Males and females should only be together while breeding. The female should be removed immediately afterwards. Males and females should not be kept in the same tank as the males hormones in the water can make the female egg bound as well as seriously stress the fish out. If you believed your male to look "lonely" a florescent ping pong ball to play with would have been a good option, not a tank mate for him to attack

 

[itiwhetu]

You need to remove her completely or let them breed, that is the only two options.

 

[carligraceee]

Males and females should only be together while breeding. The female should be removed immediately afterwards. Males and females should not be kept in the same tank as the males hormones in the water can make the female egg bound as well as seriously stress the fish out. If you believed your male to look "lonely" a florescent ping pong ball to play with would have been a good option, not a tank mate for him to attack

i read on various sights that females can live with males, especially if it got something to split the tank in half. i put her in my community tank and she did well until she started challenging my female mollies and i put her back where she came from.

 

[carligraceee]

You need to remove her completely or let them breed, that is the only two options.

i was planning on letting them breed but i got her labeled a “baby girl” i don’t think she even has eggs yet and that’s why he was bullying her the way he was.

 

[EllRog]

i read on various sights that females can live with males, especially if it got something to split the tank in half. i put her in my community tank and she did well until she started challenging my female mollies and i put her back where she came from.

Above is reasoning on why it isn't recommended. Also its for reasons like that which I recommend people not to put aggressive fish in community set ups. By the way, Mollies are a hardwater fish, where as bettas are soft water

 

[carligraceee]

Above is reasoning on why it isn't recommended. Also its for reasons like that which I recommend people not to put aggressive fish in community set ups. By the way, Mollies are a hardwater fish, where as bettas are soft water

what do i do? i want to keep her, i have grown attached to her. can i get something to split the tank in half and have her live with my male betta?

 

[EllRog]

what do i do? i want to keep her, i have grown attached to her. can i get something to split the tank in half and have her live with my male betta?

You can silicon a sheet of glass/acrylic down the middle of the tank so that they're not sharing water. This will turn your tank into two, meaning you'll need a filter and heater for each of them. This is probably the best option other than buying her a tank of her own as it can be pretty expensive. Obviously they'll only have 3.5G each (if you're using the 7G) so parameters will have to be kept in check and you'd be better off using a glass/acrylic which they can't see through and stress eachother out. Your bettas were behaving the way that they were as they thought they were going to spawn. There are steps and preparations that are needed before spawning bettas for success which you should have a read up on if you plan to make some baby bettas. It can be a time consuming experience, but very enjoyable

 

[carligraceee]

You can silicon a sheet of glass/acrylic down the middle of the tank so that they're not sharing water. This will turn your tank into two, meaning you'll need a filter and heater for each of them. This is probably the best option other than buying her a tank of her own as it can be pretty expensive. Obviously they'll only have 3.5G each (if you're using the 7G) so parameters will have to be kept in check and you'd be better off using a glass/acrylic which they can't see through and stress eachother out. Your bettas were behaving the way that they were as they thought they were going to spawn. There are steps and preparations that are needed before spawning bettas for success which you should have a read up on if you plan to make some baby bettas. It can be a time consuming experience, but very enjoyable

okay thank you so much. i don’t have the money right now to get another filter- but i do have a heater i can use- will she be okay without a filter?

i think i’m going to the pet store today so i’ll grab everything i need there. Petco or Petsmart?

 

[EllRog]

okay thank you so much. i don’t have the money right now to get another filter- but i do have a heater i can use- will she be okay without a filter?

i think i’m going to the pet store today so i’ll grab everything i need there. Petco or Petsmart?

You'd have to change all of her water, daily as you would with jarred bettas during the raising of fry process. You can get a cheap air pump and sponge filter online.

I honestly wouldn't know as I'm from the UK and they don't exist here

 

[carligraceee]

You'd have to change all of her water, daily as you would with jarred bettas during the raising of fry process. You can get a cheap air pump and sponge filter online.

I honestly wouldn't know as I'm from the UK and they don't exist here

Alright you guys. I bought everything I need. The film fell and he got in so my sister saved her and put her back in the small tank. What brand of aquarium dividers do you guys recommend?

 

[EllRog]

Alright you guys. I bought everything I need. The film fell and he got in so my sister saved her and put her back in the small tank. What brand of aquarium dividers do you guys recommend?

Divider? Are they still going to be in the same tank? Above i wrote that you should silicone acrylic down the middle of the tank, as the divider, so that they're not sharing water. This is why you needed the new filter and heater

 

[carligraceee]

Divider? Are they still going to be in the same tank? Above i wrote that you should silicone acrylic down the middle of the tank, as the divider, so that they're not sharing water. This is why you needed the new filter and heater

Yes they are still going to be in the same tank. I will look into that but I still don't quite understand why I would need to buy a whole other filter and heater for 3.5 gallons of water. I will keep her clean and test the water all the time but I simply cannot afford to do that. Also- I have seen plenty of bettas share the same water, females at that. She doesn't show signs of stress and he has calmed down his flaring but I know he still doesn't like her. What is the problem with them sharing the same water?

 

[Slaphppy7]

The male will harass the female...to death, possibly...females can be kept together, but not males.
Males/females are kept together only briefly, with constant supervision, to breed.

 

[carligraceee]

The male will harass the female...to death, possibly...females can be kept together, but not males.
Males/females are kept together only briefly, with constant supervision, to breed.

I know- I am planning on separating them with a tank divider.