Care of Female Bettas

Decide if you will have a single betta or a community. Unlike their male counterparts, female bettas can live in groups without hurting each other. If you want to house multiple fish, keep in mind you will need a bigger tank than you would for just one. Additionally, female bettas thrive in communities of three or more. Though females are less aggressive than males, they will still fight if placed in pairs.

Purchase a fish bowl or tank large enough to house your fish. A single female betta can live in a tank as small as a gallon, but a 3-5 gallon tank is recommended for the fish to live comfortably. For aquariums that will house multiple females, use a tank big enough to house each fish individually. For example, if you want to keep four bettas, the tank should be at least between 12 and 20 gallons. Betta communities are most likely to succeed when each fish has ample space to itself.

Prepare the tank. As their natural habitats include rice paddies and shallow ponds, bettas enjoy living with vegetation. You can purchase suitable plant life for your tank at any pet store. You can use gravel to anchor plants within the tank, but it will need to be cleaned thoroughly. Being excellent jumpers, bettas need their habitats to be covered to keep them from leaping out. Make sure the cover has holes or openings - bettas breathe air from the surface rather from the water.

Fill the tank with water and carefully monitor its temperature. Bettas are tropical fish and their ideal water temperature is between 75 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit. Consider purchasing a small heater if your water is cooler than room temperature. Keep the tank out of direct sunlight and away from drafts, as these conditions can significantly alter the water temperature.

Acclimate your betta to its new habitat. Because the water in the tank is likely different from the pet store's, you will need to gradually mix the two to avoid shocking your new pet. Add a small amount of water from the tank to the water your betta came in and let it sit for several hours. If your bought your betta in a bag, floating the fish in the bag on the tank's surface can help acclimate the fish. Be patient; rushing the fish into new water too soon can shock its system and kill it.

Introduce your bettas to each other. Female bettas form a "sorority" when placed in groups, which involves figuring out a pecking order. When the fish come into contact with each other, they will lightly pick on each other until they establish a dominant fish. After doing so, they should calm down and leave each other alone. Allowing multiple females to float in their bags near each other can help introduce them to each other.

Monitor interaction among bettas. Females should stop nipping at each other shortly after being introduced, but each fish has its own personality. If one betta is a bully and continues picking on other fish, it might have to be removed from the group.

Provide a diversified diet. Bettas are naturally carnivorous, and while they can survive on simple flake food, they prefer live food or freeze-dried blood worms and brine shrimp. Rotate types of foods to ensure the best possible health for your fish. Feed your fish only as much as it (or they) can eat in two to five minutes. Food that goes uneaten can grow bacteria, leaving your fish vulnerable to disease.

Clean your fish tank regularly and thoroughly. For a single betta living in a 2-gallon tank, you should clean the tank and change the water every seven to nine days; for multiple fish or a smaller tank, cleaning should be more frequent. Make sure to carefully wash any gravel in the tank and rinse off all soap before refilling the tank with water. While cleaning the tank, keep your betta in a separate container filled with tank water. It is wise to re-acclimate the fish for 10 to 20 minutes in the new tank water before letting it swim freely.