Female Betta compatibility

[nanoplanter]

I have a 30 gallon tank with 12 celestial pearl danios, 12 harlequin rasboras and 6 kuhli loaches, can I add a female betta?

[EricksonAquatics]

At the end of the day, it all really comes down to the personality of the betta. But yes, with your setup, I think you’ve got a great chance at having it work out. Females tend to be a lot more laid back than males. I’ve heard a lot of success stories of females in community tanks, so I’d say go for it!

if possible, when you go to pick out your betta, you can try holding it near other bettas or a different tank of community fish to see how they react. If they seem chill, that’s usually a sign they’ll do well with others. If they start flaring or reacting, may not work out so well.

I saw Irene from Girl Talks Fish use this method and it worked out well for her. Best of luck!

[nanoplanter]

I'm not too worried about the betta attacking the smaller fish I'm most worried about them each upsetting the other simply by existing. I've only kept my bettas in solitary tanks and I don't want to try a community if both species would rather not given the choice. I hope that makes sense. There's a particular female I really like which is why I'm wondering if it could work out?

[Tony s]

One of the best ways I’ve seen is to take a 55 and heavily plant the center. Bettas have a pecking order. Same as hog’s do. To get around that, you overstock past their ability to process what order everyone belongs in. For hogs it’s around 55 per pen. For a betta in a 55, it’s around 40 or so. They stop knowing who’s on top. But….. bettas being bettas. It still takes constant vigilance.

 

[Lennie]

If you ask me, it is very likely to be fine.

 

I have never experienced a betta causing problems in a community tank versus other fish, when added last in an existing community tank setup. This includes fairly aggressive fish if added first. Being angels, if added last.

I currently have two female bettas and one male betta living in communities, added last.

[Tony s]

well heck. I read female bettas, as in more than 1. I should read more closely.  Yes, any betta male or female will work with those fish. we have 6 bettas of both sexes in community tanks. they really are non-aggressive to other species. current list we keep bettas with

all corys, all rasboras, platys (our female betta believes she's a platy), otocinclus, mystery snails, nerite snails. neon tetra, kuhli loaches, 

maybe yes on danio, they can sometimes nip fins, but in that tank we also had skirt tetras. one of those 2 did some serious damage to 1 betta. so not since then have we tried danios.