6 Females and...

[Euphie101]

I have a 20G tank I was planning on having a sorority with 9-10 girls in it, but recently I've been wondering, what other fish can live with female bettas? I was going to have 6 and maybe get some other fish. These are some I would like to maybe have (if compatible), and I also know it would depend on all my females' personalities if they could have tank mates, but here are some fish I was wondering if I could have:

- Mickey Mouse Platies Xiphophorus maculatus
- Zebra Danios Brachydanio rerio (I'd get a couple of them)
- Sunset Platies
- Dwarf Gourami Colisa sp.

If anyone has any other sugestions (or if any of these fish won't do well with the girls) please let me know. I'll be glad to hear it.

[puppyrjjkm]

I woudn't do gouramis, they could cause some tension. I've had girls with platies and haven't had problems. I really like the color platies can bring to a tank. :) Danios may be too fast for the girls so I would stay away from them. But in a 20 gal 6 girls may be perfect stocking wise. Maybe a couple bottom feeders instead? Like a mystery snail or ghost shrimp?

[marbledplakat]

Bettas tend to swim in the top and mid water levels of the aquarium which is also the preferred area for many livebearers including platies. With six female bettas already you risk having fin nipping by adding fish that share the same tank space. I would recommend bottom dwellers. I keep cory cats and African dwarf frogs in with my females.

[Euphie101]

Hmm, okay. Using a stocking calculator 6 girls in a 20G is 43% stocking. I'm not looking to stock over 90% but I would think 6 girls could live with some platies in a 20G no problems with stocking? I don't really want bottom feeders or shrimp ust yet though. Maybe a little later, when the tank is more developed.

[Euphie101]

I guess I could consider bottom feeders. Would panda cories do well with the girls?

[Adastra]

Cories or zebra danios would be your best option. I'm not a fan of the betta-platy mix--they don't enjoy the same water parameters and platies can be aggressive. And I don't really like the look of bright platies with bettas--yuck. But that's my personal taste. I would definitely go with a small species of cory like pandas or better yet, pygmy cories, so that you can fill out a nice big school.