Can You Put Two Betta Fish Together? Is It Good For Them?
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Many people have this idea that it is only possible to keep one single betta fish in a tank and no more, more or less because they will kill each other, and yes, they may very well do that. However, there are people who put more than one betta (Siamese fighting) fish in one tank. The answer to the question is yes, you can put two betta fish together, but it has to be done properly or else you will end up with some dead fish, and nobody wants that.
So, Can You Put Two Betta Fish Together?
Yes, so you can put two betta fish into one tank, but there are a good number of things that you need to know before you do it so they can actually live with each other without issues. The bottom line is that having two betta fish in one small tank that does not have many plants, ornaments, and toys, you are asking for trouble. Betta fish are extremely territorial and they fight for dominance over a space and they fight for food too. Having the right tank is also important, we like this one.
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There is no fish that a betta fish hates more than a betta fish. Just try it. If you have one betta fish, put a mirror in front of it and watch it go nuts with blood thirst. This is the reason why most people would never recommend putting two betta fish in one tank, but that being said, it is possible, but it definitely needs to be done right.
How Do You House Two Betta Fish In One Tank?
There is a certain process that you have to follow and a few key rules that you need to abide by if you want to have a chance of housing two betta fish in one tank without them trying to kill each other. First of all, keeping female betta fish in the same tank is much easier than doing so with males. Males are far more aggressive and territorial than females, so if you are going to try this, you will definitely want to do it with females.
Second, a regular betta fish does not require all that much space. Something like a 5 or 10 gallon tank will do for a single betta fish, but multiple betta fish will need more space, much more. If you want to have two betta fish in the same tank, you will need a big tank, like a really big one.
If you are seriously going to try this you should be sure to have at least 10 gallons of water volume for each betta fish, and that is still pushing it. To be really safe you should have around 15 or even 20 gallons of space for each betta fish you have. So, you can see that having more than two betta fish in the same tank will require a seriously big aquarium.
Next betta fish love to swim in, over, and around things, plus they also like their privacy. This means having a whole lot of their own territory, plants, toys, rocks, driftwood, and ornaments. These things really like having their own territory where they can frolic in, hide in, take it easy, and most important of all, rule over the domain. So, if you want more than one betta fish in a tank, you need to be sure to have many different plants, pieces of driftwood, and lots of hiding spaces in general.
Next, if you are going to try having two betta fish in the same tank, you need to add them to the tank at the same time. This will seem more normal to them than if there is one in the tank and a new one gets introduced. A new betta fish being introduced to the already established territory of another betta fish will undoubtedly cause a fight to the death. The betta fish need to both be added at the same time so they can go about individually establishing territory at the same time.
Can You Put A Male And Female Betta Fish Together?
The short answer to this question is, yes you can house a male and female Betta fish together. It is widely acknowledged that betta fish are aggressive animals, but this is more in reference to the males than females.
Yes, males can be very aggressive and territorial, often bullying and killing other fish. So, males cannot be housed together. However, males, generally speaking, will not get into fights with females, and if they do, it is usually nothing serious.
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Conclusion
If you are going to even attempt to put two betta fish in the same tank, you absolutely need to take all of the necessary steps to prevent them from fighting. One little thing you miss and they will undoubtedly fight and one, or both, will most likely end up dying.
Image Credit: panpilai paipa, Shutterstock
