30g Betta Sorority?

[whatwhat]

If I were to do a 30 gallon sorrority what would be a good combination? A lot of bettas and some bottom feeders? Or like 5-7 bettas and another school of fish and some bottom feeders? I have never kept one before so I was wondering whether or not I should.

[Sena Hansler]

Basics for a sorority:

TONS of plants (silicone, fabric, silk, live) that are low, medium and tall plants, along with perhaps some floating.

For a 30, you could do with bettas for the top level, a type of fish for the middle level, and bottom feeders such as cories, or even shrimp (with hiding spots!!)

Suitable mid-dwellers:
- Glassfish
- Head and Tailight Tetra
- Rummy Nose Tetra

Do note all fish tend to wander to the surface or the bottom for scavenging/food or other reasons, so no one will stay in their "level" of the tank... I would avoid long finned, super colorful, or aggressive/nippy fish. Female bettas can be worse than male bettas, and they can gang up on other fish, so keep the colors softer, pastel-like, and fins short!

[whatwhat]

Would this combination work for a 30 gallon?
6 female bettas
2-3 kuhli loaches
4-5 dwarf gourami ( do they school?)

[Sena Hansler]

I'd avoid gouramis with bettas. Bettas, are of the gourami family and they will not get along.

Kuhli loaches.... I am no expert on them, but I know you can have them with a betta sorority. Not sure if you need sand or not!!

[djembekah]

i think you do need sand with loaches, i think Sakura8 has dojos. maybe they're different, but i'd do sand with loaches! i have sand with my cories. they love it, and so do my snails :)

my 29 gallon sorority has 4 female bettas, 7 zebra danios, 5 bronze cories, a bristlenose pleco, and 3 rabbit snails. aqadvisor says its 99% stocked, so i have to keep up the water changes and testing really well. and i have live plants.

[Sena Hansler]

I find my siamese algae eater likes to dig for food... I think for most algae/bottom feeders, although not all, sand is good to use :3

[kaila]

I've had kuhli loaches with and with out sand, I didn't notice any difference with them. They definitely need A LOT of hiding places. haha when I would turn the light off at night they would swim in circles (bottom to top) around the side of the tank. they keep to themselves mostly, probably a great idea with some female betta

[tropical tailfin]

In my current 20gal my betta is with a rainbow shark and 2 kuhli loaches. The rainbow shark and betta have never fought ( well maybe a stare-down on the first day, but thats it). Having a rainbow shark will narrow down other tank mate options, i had to remove my rosy red minnows (they were his punching bags) because they looked too much like him. I love kuhli loaches once they lose their shyness and get used to their tank they will zoom around the tank.

[MSG]

TropicT, how big is your rainbow shark? The shark I had was about 5-6" & was housed with a 10" pleco before it was given to me.

It was extremely territorial and aggressive towards any fish that went near his claimed space.

My 3" bengal loach had a very similar personality. Basically he was a 3" miniature version of the shark.

[tropical tailfin]

Msg, my rainbow is 3" he is territorial to my honey gourami, but for some strange/awsome reason he gets along with the loaches. Im guess its because they are a dull grey color and the gourami is bright orange.