Major Betta Problem

[zuulan]

I bought 3 female fighters from Maidenhead aquatics months ago.

I thought they were very colorful for girls and was weary at first however they have lived together happily for many months.

However 2-3 weeks ago I took 1 of them out and put it in a spare quarantine tank as it was getting bullied by a new Rainbow shark.

I now need the QT for a couple of new goldfish but as I've floated the bagged betta back into the main tank he/she is showing herself against 1 of the other bettas, which is doing the same back.

Here's a pic of the one I'm trying to reintroduce to the main tank:

and another one:

Have a got a tank of 3 males?

 

[kizno1]

do you have any better pics. and when they flare dose it go all the way round or is it just at the sides.

 

[pippoodle]

rainbow sharks are not good tank mates for bettas -- 3 girls in the tank will flare at each other - the more girls you get the less aggression - minimum is 4 or 5
what other tank mates have you got ?

they look female ? but need a closer pic of them flaring - have you tried a mirror in front of them?

 

[zuulan]

do you have any better pics. and when they flare dose it go all the way round or is it just at the sides.

Sorry this is best I can do. I only have a Blackberry to take Digi pix and it seems it isn't designed for moving fishes:

 

[pippoodle]

there fins look like femlae at the moment

the flaring could just be aggression - females will flare at each other

 

[kizno1]

i thought the first second looked male but im proberly wrong but the first and third look female.

 

[zuulan]

do you have any better pics. and when they flare dose it go all the way round or is it just at the sides.

Their gills flare as well as all their fins.


Also why do Rainbow sharks not get on with them?

 

[pippoodle]

Rainbow sharks are aggressive especially over territory so if the bettas come in the territory they will chase them down - bettas can also be territorial

what size is the tank ?
what other tank mates ?

Gill flaring is normal

 

[kizno1]

when they flair dose it look like this http/www.bettas-jimsonnier.com/images/opaque+flare.jpg (if it dose its male)if its a female the gills wil just stick out at the sides not the bottom

 

[zuulan]

when they flair dose it look like this [URL="http/www.bettas-jimsonnier.com/images/opaque+flare.jpg"]http/www.bettas-jimsonnier.com/images/opaque+flare.jpg[/URL] (if it dose its male)if its a female the gills wil just stick out at the sides not the bottom

It's really hard to tell. Looks like just 2 membranes from the sides but they are so big they do show at the bottom. Only 1 of the 2 in the main tank is showing aggression.


As for the tank, it's a 200ltr with red-lipped gouramis, clown loaches, corys, an angelfish, the rainbow shark and a plec.

 

[pippoodle]

you really need to give the bettas a different tank - the tank mates are not suitable for the bettas - too territorial and there will be aggression problems - you also need to increase the number of females

 

[zuulan]

i thought the first second looked male but im proberly wrong but the first and third look female.

So do you think I should just add her to the tank and see what happens with them all?

 

[pippoodle]

no you're best to move them to a different tank else you'll end up with ill/stressed or dead bettas
also get some more else the aggression will just continue

 

[zuulan]

no you're best to move them to a different tank else you'll end up with ill/stressed or dead bettas
also get some more else the aggression will just continue

But I only have 1 tropical set-up. How would adding a male affect things?

 

[pippoodle]

you cannot mix male and females together in the same tank at all unless they have been introduced properly for spawning purposes - then you have to watch them a male will kill a female within minutes