Sorority Questions...

[Aluyasha]

I have never had a sorority before, but I have been thinking alot about having one. :)
I have a 14 gallon, how many females could I comfortably put in it? I know to have a certain number to spread out aggression but to also leave space so they do not feel crowded and stressed.
I also know to get a good amount of plants and hidey places for them but can someone give me an idea on how much decor?
Also, would petstore quality female bettas be ok? I know the petstore ones have unknown backgrounds and whatnot. Aquabid confuses me but would it be cheaper to buy bulk females on Aquabid verses petstore?
Basically I am just really nervous about doing it and have never attempted it before so any information would be great. :)

[LittleBettaFish]

I'd think 7-8 females would be a good number depending on the actual dimensions of your tank. I have 6 females in a 54 litre/14 gallon tub, but mine is long and shallow so it provides them with more room than a tank of the same size but different footprint.

Essentially you want 80-90% of your tank covered. You can never make a sorority too crowded or plant it too densely, as bettas are very much out of sight out of mind fish.

By creating a lot of visual and physical obstructions, you are cutting down on a lot of aggression that is the result of females being in constant eyesight of each other. Additionally, heavily planted tanks make it much more difficult for a particularly aggressive or dominant female to corner and attack anyone.

I use terracotta pots, PVC piping and wood to create lots of hiding places for my females. However, I've found these are less important and less utilised, than middle and surface-level cover.

I purchased a mixed VT group of females online that all went into a sorority as soon as they got here. They have been living in there for three weeks now and I never catch them fighting.

That tank was heavily planted from the start, so instead of constant bickering, each female has a specific area that they will patrol and defend. The high plant mass acts as a visual divider, and ensures that no one feels crowded by the others.

[Tikibirds]

I have a 20 gallon Long tank with 9 females in it. They all came from either walmart or Petco. I didn't get them all at the same time but I did get them all within the last 4 months. Some people say they are less agressive if they are from the same spawn, and other say that is not true. I think it depends on the individual bettas personality and on how the tank is set up. The more stuff you jam into the tank, the harder it is to see each other so they are less likely to fight. But some females are gonna fight with other fish, no matter what.