andyg81
Fish Crazy
I have one male currently and was thinking of adding some females to my tank, any advice on numbers ?
Number Of Females To A Male
- Thread starter andyg81
- Start date
dipsydoodlenoodle
Fish Gatherer
lilfishie
Its a kinda MAGIC!! ^_^
100% Agree, unless of course you want dead fish
If your stocking as is in your signature you need to sort your shoaling fish out before adding a new species they all need groups of 6 minimum
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andyg81
Fish Crazy
so there not supposed to mix - how do people manage to breed them then ???
with regards to my stock list its been discussed before on other threads and I have that stock because I have just gone from a small tank so my numbers are all over the place for that reason and I am looking to get a 5ft tank in the near future so my fish can be moved round then but for now they stay as it is
with regards to my stock list its been discussed before on other threads and I have that stock because I have just gone from a small tank so my numbers are all over the place for that reason and I am looking to get a 5ft tank in the near future so my fish can be moved round then but for now they stay as it is
lilfishie
Its a kinda MAGIC!! ^_^
very carefully and fully supervised even then it can go very wrong.
Still before adding other fish sort your shoals out, the poor things can't be good
Still before adding other fish sort your shoals out, the poor things can't be good
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OP
andyg81
Fish Crazy
this is one thing that annoys me about this forum the fact that you ask a question to learn from people and you get jumped on with things that were not included in the question.
my stocking is my problem and no one elses, my fish are healthy, my tank readings are perfect and you do not know how or why I have those numbers but you choose to comment on them !!
i read more threads where people have been jumped on and attacked over there stocking when they have asked a simple question, for all people know they may have been given advice and brought what was recommended. for example in my situation I had a 31 litre tank upto 4 weeks ago, and it was stocked with 2 x of 3 different types of fish, because at the time of purchasing I wanted a mixture so asked which fish "mixed" and thats where it started, and has since been increased slightly.
I have seen where someone had 5 of a certain fish and got basically attacked say they needed 6 minimum ! for all people know one may have died and they havent got to a LFS to replace.
maybe next time I wont bother asking and just do something, for example add a female betta to my tank and see what happens !!!
without advice thats what I would have done, but I wont now because my question was answered
my stocking is my problem and no one elses, my fish are healthy, my tank readings are perfect and you do not know how or why I have those numbers but you choose to comment on them !!
i read more threads where people have been jumped on and attacked over there stocking when they have asked a simple question, for all people know they may have been given advice and brought what was recommended. for example in my situation I had a 31 litre tank upto 4 weeks ago, and it was stocked with 2 x of 3 different types of fish, because at the time of purchasing I wanted a mixture so asked which fish "mixed" and thats where it started, and has since been increased slightly.
I have seen where someone had 5 of a certain fish and got basically attacked say they needed 6 minimum ! for all people know one may have died and they havent got to a LFS to replace.
maybe next time I wont bother asking and just do something, for example add a female betta to my tank and see what happens !!!
without advice thats what I would have done, but I wont now because my question was answered
+1, mixing is not recommended.
+1 recommend that you improve stocking for current fish before even thinking of new fish. In case no one has recommended the improvements, if that was my tank, I would want to see the final stocking per species look like:
* 1m Betta splendens
* 6-10+ Corydoras of one species
* 10+ cherry barbs
* 10+ harlequin tetra (what is this species? I have never heard of it before… sure it is not a rasbora? If it is the rasbora, then make sure to get only one species out of the three)
* 10+ lemon tetra
*5 guppys (2+ females per male or all of one sex, and really, these shouldn't be in here because of water requirements)
* 10+ black widow tetra
* 10+ rummy nose tetra
* 1 *small* pleco
* 2m 2f or 3 of one sex blue rams
*3 platys (1m 2f or all of one sex), and these do not mix well with the others due to water requirements
* 10+ neon tetra
…of course, the tank can't take that many fish, so I would cut down on species.
+1 recommend that you improve stocking for current fish before even thinking of new fish. In case no one has recommended the improvements, if that was my tank, I would want to see the final stocking per species look like:
* 1m Betta splendens
* 6-10+ Corydoras of one species
* 10+ cherry barbs
* 10+ harlequin tetra (what is this species? I have never heard of it before… sure it is not a rasbora? If it is the rasbora, then make sure to get only one species out of the three)
* 10+ lemon tetra
*
* 10+ black widow tetra
* 10+ rummy nose tetra
* 1 *small* pleco
* 2m 2f or 3 of one sex blue rams
*
* 10+ neon tetra
…of course, the tank can't take that many fish, so I would cut down on species.
This forum is about what is best for the fish. If you do not care to take advantage of our experiences or do not care to know how you can improve, then do not post your full stocking unless it is relevant to the question.
And I would have recommended that for the sake of the fish, you stick to those three species until you upgrade your tank again as you are now with a bigger tank, more species and still in exactly the same situation.
There is a reason for these numbers, I can elaborate if you like, and more often than not, what you say is not the case. Most often, the reason people have a small number of a specific fish is because they do not know any better about what is best for the fish. People come here to learn, and that's not possible with single, simple questions and answers because everything affects everything else.
If you are asking for future stock, it is always better to include your plans in the numbers that you show us so that we know what to expect and that there will not be any conflicts.
And it would have died, which would have been completely your fault for not knowing how to care for it. Is it not better to always learn and do your best for your own fish?
OP
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andyg81
Fish Crazy
* 1m Betta splendens
* 6-10+ Corydoras of one species - I had 2 in my small 31 litre (as recommended at the time by my LFS due to tank size) - once I get a bigger tank these will be moved out of this tank* 10+ cherry barbs
* 10+ harlequin tetra (what is this species? I have never heard of it before… sure it is not a rasbora? If it is the rasbora, then make sure to get only one species out of the three) - harlequin tetra is what I was told when I brought them, again when I had the small tank and didnt know any better - these are going to a friends tank in the near future as they brought 4 at the same time as me
* 10+ lemon tetra - again was with me at the "start", not currently stocked in my LFS so I cant increase
*5 guppys (2+ females per male or all of one sex, and really, these shouldn't be in here because of water requirements) why shouldnt they be in ? my water stats are perfect, you have lost me and believe me I will be bollocking my LFS if I have been given bad advice AGAIN - also 3 females, 2 males is what I have
* 10+ black widow tetra - was told a school of 5 was enough - in fact I think thats somewhere on this forum
* 10+ rummy nose tetra - being increased to 6 once the harlequins go, slowly increasing my numbers to 10
* 1 *small* pleco - yep thats what I have got
* 2m 2f or 3 of one sex blue rams - I had 2 of each but lost one as it was added earlier than the rest while my water was not right, my mistake ! I have 2 Female and 1 Male, waiting for more stock at the LFS (Wednesday) to buy a replacement
*3 platys (1m 2f or all of one sex), and these do not mix well with the others due to water requirements, again why not ? brought these with the guppys and were told it would be fine
* 10+ neon tetra - these will be moving to my bigger tank when I get it
…of course, the tank can't take that many fish, so I would cut down on species.
[/quote]
ill just add all my fish are healthy, and all get on, I have had no trouble apart from - the guppys fighting with themselves 2 week ago and nipping fins - which they have now stopped.
I have obviously been given bad advice in the past and have upgraded very quickly which I why I joined this forum to learn, sorry to jumping on the attack probably a bit out of order but I am getting fed up of getting comments against me when all I do is come here for advice - which I then act on and put right.
as for long term plans - 5/6 foot tank (keeping this 3ft 180L at the same time) and also looking at a 240L (roughly) which in the end will be for blue rams mainly
* 6-10+ Corydoras of one species - I had 2 in my small 31 litre (as recommended at the time by my LFS due to tank size) - once I get a bigger tank these will be moved out of this tank* 10+ cherry barbs
* 10+ harlequin tetra (what is this species? I have never heard of it before… sure it is not a rasbora? If it is the rasbora, then make sure to get only one species out of the three) - harlequin tetra is what I was told when I brought them, again when I had the small tank and didnt know any better - these are going to a friends tank in the near future as they brought 4 at the same time as me
* 10+ lemon tetra - again was with me at the "start", not currently stocked in my LFS so I cant increase
*
* 10+ black widow tetra - was told a school of 5 was enough - in fact I think thats somewhere on this forum
* 10+ rummy nose tetra - being increased to 6 once the harlequins go, slowly increasing my numbers to 10
* 1 *small* pleco - yep thats what I have got
* 2m 2f or 3 of one sex blue rams - I had 2 of each but lost one as it was added earlier than the rest while my water was not right, my mistake ! I have 2 Female and 1 Male, waiting for more stock at the LFS (Wednesday) to buy a replacement
*
* 10+ neon tetra - these will be moving to my bigger tank when I get it
…of course, the tank can't take that many fish, so I would cut down on species.
[/quote]
ill just add all my fish are healthy, and all get on, I have had no trouble apart from - the guppys fighting with themselves 2 week ago and nipping fins - which they have now stopped.
I have obviously been given bad advice in the past and have upgraded very quickly which I why I joined this forum to learn, sorry to jumping on the attack probably a bit out of order but I am getting fed up of getting comments against me when all I do is come here for advice - which I then act on and put right.
as for long term plans - 5/6 foot tank (keeping this 3ft 180L at the same time) and also looking at a 240L (roughly) which in the end will be for blue rams mainly
I'm sure if you got like a 75 gallon tank and added 1 male and 40+ females it couple possibly work
Of course this is a aggression dispersion tactic and would most likely be horribly stressful for every fish involved
so basically, what everyone else said
And breeding bettas isn't the easiest thing ever, I still don't really understand it, but it sounds somewhat dangerous and takes a lot of preparations.
And just because your water quality is perfect doesn't mean you can improperly stock your tank. Keeping the water clean is important, but so is keeping the fish in their proper numbers, proper water conditions, (meaning hardness, pH, and temperature) and proper tank mates. People were most likely pointing out your scooling fish stocking issues because you were looking to add more fish, being female bettas which would have been toast. I've only seen 1 occasion where a plakat male was mixed with females successfully, but just cause it works once doesn't mean it's a good idea. It's just a lucky go, and probably somewhat unstable, at that. If anything were to trigger its territorial aggression, then things could go horribly wrong.
If you ask to add more fish, and the fish you want to add isn't going to mix, is it not alright for us to be like "Hey, you can't add this fish, but you can add these fish because it'll make the others happier"?
The guppies should typically not be in a tank with a betta because of their long tails, the bettas may be prone to attacking the guppies, an vice versa. Of course, there are instances of it working. So if it's working and they're not attacking each other, you don't need to remove them. However, many people reccomend using a 1m/2f ratio with guppies to keep the males from picking on the females too much.
platties probably don't like the same water conditions as blue rams and betta fish, however, since platties are so dang domesticated, I don't think it really matters, so I'll have to disagree with whoever said the platties need a different water quality, since they're very good at adjusting.
Saying 5 is a minimum number for schooling fish is common for a lot of things, but 6 is a more realistic minimum. Of course, only having the minimum amount of schooling fish is not recommended, it's better to try for as many as you can to get their true colors and behavior.
Of course this is a aggression dispersion tactic and would most likely be horribly stressful for every fish involved
so basically, what everyone else said
And breeding bettas isn't the easiest thing ever, I still don't really understand it, but it sounds somewhat dangerous and takes a lot of preparations.
And just because your water quality is perfect doesn't mean you can improperly stock your tank. Keeping the water clean is important, but so is keeping the fish in their proper numbers, proper water conditions, (meaning hardness, pH, and temperature) and proper tank mates. People were most likely pointing out your scooling fish stocking issues because you were looking to add more fish, being female bettas which would have been toast. I've only seen 1 occasion where a plakat male was mixed with females successfully, but just cause it works once doesn't mean it's a good idea. It's just a lucky go, and probably somewhat unstable, at that. If anything were to trigger its territorial aggression, then things could go horribly wrong.
If you ask to add more fish, and the fish you want to add isn't going to mix, is it not alright for us to be like "Hey, you can't add this fish, but you can add these fish because it'll make the others happier"?
The guppies should typically not be in a tank with a betta because of their long tails, the bettas may be prone to attacking the guppies, an vice versa. Of course, there are instances of it working. So if it's working and they're not attacking each other, you don't need to remove them. However, many people reccomend using a 1m/2f ratio with guppies to keep the males from picking on the females too much.
platties probably don't like the same water conditions as blue rams and betta fish, however, since platties are so dang domesticated, I don't think it really matters, so I'll have to disagree with whoever said the platties need a different water quality, since they're very good at adjusting.
Saying 5 is a minimum number for schooling fish is common for a lot of things, but 6 is a more realistic minimum. Of course, only having the minimum amount of schooling fish is not recommended, it's better to try for as many as you can to get their true colors and behavior.
OP
OP
andyg81
Fish Crazy
my betta has mixed well with all the fish in the tank - if anything the only problem ive had is the guppys going for each others fins - which has stopped now
thanks for your answer
just so you know
ph 7
ammonia 0
nitrite 0
nitrate 10
temp 25-26 (ish) depends how warm the room is in general
thanks for your answer
just so you know
ph 7
ammonia 0
nitrite 0
nitrate 10
temp 25-26 (ish) depends how warm the room is in general
You don't have a heater in your tank? (assumption based on the idea that the temp fluctuates depending on the room temp. If it doesn't have a heater, you're really only supposed to have like... Goldfish in there.)
German Blue Rams are actually pretty fragile as you may have experienced with the one that passed. While your pH and nitrate are at a good low for them (and the ammonia and nitrite are 0 which is always a good thing) GBR's really should be kept at a stable temp of 82-86 degrees F, (27-30C, I believe) the low end of the spectrum will be good for the betta, and tolerable for the others, but not recommended for them long term. This is why I really don't recommend GBR's to people, they're fragile and like a water quality that not much others will prefer, thus limiting the types of fish you can stock with them.
Andy, it is simple. You will never get an answer that says you can keep a male with any other betta, male or female. Since the betta splendens has been highly inbred, so that they are simply not compatible with their own species, they can never be kept together. That does not mean that they cannot be bred. On the contrary, they are not at all difficult to breed. You let a male establish his territory and introduce a receptive female. Once the breeding is complete, you remove the female to avoid having her severely injured. The male cares for the nest until the fry become free swimming at which time you remove the male. You never simply leave a male and female together as you might with most other species.
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andyg81
Fish Crazy
i do have a heater in the tank yes, it was within an old (bluwave 7) filter but is a juwel heater, I have just upgraded from a internal to external filter and the heater is in one corner of the tank, the temp was running between 26 and 27 but since moving the heater its dropped 1 degree (may have caught the dial on the top)
At 27C, you are close to an ideal breeding temperature for Betta splendens. Do not interpret this as an endorsement of simply placing a female with your male. Breeding should really only be done by people who know what to expect from their breeding. As a child, over 50 years ago now, I bred some splendens. The result was some nice fry that I cared for but when it came time to sell them off, I could not find a buyer. The reason is simple. I did not know enough about genetics to create a fish that would be in demand in the trade. My fish were healthy and displayed well but did not have the popular colors of that day.
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