female betta question(s)

[Anonymous Fox]

(1: why are they sold less in pet stores than males?
(2: Are they ok in community tanks? (poll)

 

[NannaLou]

I think it is because the males are more ‘showy’…?

I chose a male Betta as I knew I’d only get one fish in the tank and I wanted it to be one stunning fish….

I don’t know enough about the females to comment if they can be in community tanks, so I won’t vote - sorry.

 

[PorshaF]

I still think females should be housed individually or with shrimp or a snail. I tried to have a sorority, I planted the tank, even added silk plants too. A bunch of caves and things to give each fish a place to hide. They were fine for a couple months but then I started noticing nipped fins, sometimes we think fish get along because we don't see it happen but it happens a lot when the lights are off. I used to support correct sorority setups but I changed my opinion after having to buy 5 separate tanks and cycle all 5 and buy them plants and heaters etc, it was a costly mistake on my end. But the ladies are happy and healthy in their own tanks now. My mom has a betta in with tetra, it's also nipped. She believed that the similar conditions would mean they can get along. Females are though still aggressive towards other bettas except for mating usually, and if it isn't the betta being a bully they can end up being bullied or out competed for food. It's just coded into their DNA to be mostly solitary fish but very controversial

 

[PheonixKingZ]

(1: why are they sold less in pet stores than males?
(2: Are they ok in community tanks? (poll)

1) Because males are fancier and are in higher demand.
2) I’m no expert on female Bettas, but you can do a sorority. These sometimes don’t work out though, so I would be extremely cautious of doing this, without having a backup plan.

 

[Uberhoust]

You always have to consider the stocking of your tank before determining if a fish would do well in a community tank. Bettas shouldn't be put with overly aggressive or overly sensitive fish. I would suggest that keeping bettas with other fish is not a novice type of activity.