More than one betta in a big tank?
- Thread starter toffee
- Start date
Personally never heard or read of anyone trying that with all males. It's always been females that do well together.
https://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/threads/my-betta.719635/
Done right, it's possible, don't know about guarantees. The trick seems to be a large enough tank with enough complexity to afford more than one territory. I tried it once in a 75 with plants and driftwood and had flaring and posturing but not serious fights-- community tanks with plenty of other fish, including some cichlids, so not just the bettas. Here's proof in a couple of interesting videos that suggest why it worked for them-- note the plants in each case.
I know it's possible to keep multiple males of a couple species (channoides, rubra, etc) in a reasonably communal setting within a large, densely planted tank; I've done it myself with seemingly minimal complications, however males would still fight if they encountered one another, and the tank had to have significant surface area (I used a Zoo-Med 55g lowboy I got at an expo) and so many plants that it limited space significantly and made it near impossible to view the fish very well most of the time. I'd assume you might be able to do the same with splendens, although their size and bright colors may change things. I once had a copper alien jump into a young dragonscale plakat's tank overnight, and neither betta was harmed, but then again both bettas were juveniles and were only with each other for a few hours. 180 should definitely be big enough to keep at least two male bettas together, as long as there's enough structure and (preferably) plants. I agree with tlindsey; females are much more passive and can be kept communally. I had a 20L female sorority that did well for a couple months before I gave the bettas to a friend.
For males, hard no. Even in a very large tank (by most people's standards), at some point the males are going to realize they aren't alone and there will be fighting. A sorority is possible with ALL FEMALE bettas, in which case the minimum amount should be 5-6 and the more the merrier if your tank is large enough to support it, but the tank needs to be highly planted/lots of decor from top to bottom to break line of sight and provide lots of hiding places and territories. But even then, most sororities fail over time and long term success is rarely possible. These fish are not designed to live with each other and being forced together just stresses them out. They may seem to get along and not be super aggressive to each other, but they're in a state of stress 24/7 and we all know stress leads to illness, etc. Bettas are especially susceptible to stress and stress alone, after lengths of time, can and will kill a betta.