I usually release mine shortly before the lights go on. That way then can explore a bit in the moonlights, but I can keep a better eye on it for the next few hours.
As for feeding time, I generally drop the food all around them - they take care of it fast. Even with 11, I can make sure everyone gets at least a few pellets. My one girl who doesn't like the surface usually joins the tetras and eats the sinking mini pellets. She's started coming up with the other girls, so there's hope that she knows she's a betta and not a tetra!
My Petco rescue Curious Grace was somehow trained by someone to swim into the tub that she was housed in. she associates cup=food. So she's actually happy to swim in there.
I guess cupping and feeding will help and I think I might train my other girls to do that when they come it. bettas are smart fish as i have noticed.
Honestly, I think a lot of people over think sororities. I just used to put my females all in and if anyone fought too much they got separated out into a breeding net.
I have had at least 50 odd females and only around five or so could not cope in a sorority environment.
When introducing a new female to an existing sorority, I would just feed everyone else up the front and release the newcomer up at the back of the tank. I never bothered with rearranging everything or letting fish out one at a time.
I agree with over thinking it. The girls sort of just figure it out on their own without too much interference.
With a smaller group, you can regulate exactly how much everyone is eating. When I had 5, I could count them each out pellets. With 11 hungry girls, there is way too much crowding and excited fish flailing at feeding time for me to have any hope of putting a pellet in front of a girl and expecting her to get to it first.
It IS fun to take a pinch of the sinking pellets, hold it underwater, and have your fingers nipped, swum through, and jumped at by a school of bettas. They do learn fast.
Lol, to be honest, I'm still too scared to stick my hands in the tank because my bettas follow them around and I don't want to get bit. Most of that is because my blind fish, who I feed with a skewer, latched on to it once and it scared me so bad that I pulled it out of the water with him still attached. So his jaw is strong enough to hold on to something while he's just hanging off of it? My ten pound dog can't even do that when we play tug-o-war, lol.
I guess my question was really, do they fight when the lights go out? I'm not to concerned about introducing them according to what time lights out is, because chances are, I'll introduce them when I have the time, whenever that will be...
Lol, to be honest, I'm still too scared to stick my hands in the tank because my bettas follow them around and I don't want to get bit. Most of that is because my blind fish, who I feed with a skewer, latched on to it once and it scared me so bad that I pulled it out of the water with him still attached. So his jaw is strong enough to hold on to something while he's just hanging off of it? My ten pound dog can't even do that when we play tug-o-war, lol.
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hahahaha, this is very vivd description, i like your betta
I have wild bettas juveniles that grow around 10cm, and my God they scare the daylights out of you when they latch onto your hand. It actually almost hurts because their mouths are so big.
Honestly AyalaCookiejar, I wouldn't worry about the fighting too much. Not sure if you have the actual females already, but if you are concerned about possible fighting, you can always purchase sibling or very young females, and this should be an easier transition.
For a few days it may look ugly, and you may need to separate one or two troublemakers out. However, it's not like you are going to put them all in and they are going to start murdering each other. Generally most of the time they are fairly stunned when first introduced to the tank, and it's only once they have settled in that fights tend to break out.
If your tank is very heavily planted and there is lots of cover, they should be fine. Of course there is never any 100% guarantees with these fish, but I used to chuck random females into existing and newly started sororities all the time and never had any fatalities or serious harm done.
I have wild bettas juveniles that grow around 10cm, and my God they scare the daylights out of you when they latch onto your hand. It actually almost hurts because their mouths are so big.
Honestly AyalaCookiejar, I wouldn't worry about the fighting too much. Not sure if you have the actual females already, but if you are concerned about possible fighting, you can always purchase sibling or very young females, and this should be an easier transition.
For a few days it may look ugly, and you may need to separate one or two troublemakers out. However, it's not like you are going to put them all in and they are going to start murdering each other. Generally most of the time they are fairly stunned when first introduced to the tank, and it's only once they have settled in that fights tend to break out.
If your tank is very heavily planted and there is lots of cover, they should be fine. Of course there is never any 100% guarantees with these fish, but I used to chuck random females into existing and newly started sororities all the time and never had any fatalities or serious harm done.
LBF, I think you're the one who posted the wild betta info on one of your threads for me. I never got to say thank you. I did read it, but because I was at work I didn't have time to sign in & say thanks. It peaked my interest in them for sure, but that a future project for after I move to the country in a couple of years.
Super helpful! I have a single female now, and honestly, I think they are much more appealing than males! I can't wait to get out of the dorms in college and have room for a sorority tank. Thanks so much for the info, I will refer back to it when I move out!!
By the way, don't jump down my throat for this, but what exactly is cycling?
Cycling is the process of causing beneficial bacteria to grow in your filter, which convert ammonia into nitrates. :) There's a lot more to it than that, but that's the gist of it. It basically is what makes the filter effective, and if you have a filter, a 5+ gallon tank and a fish, it will pretty much happen by itself. However, it can be stressful for the fish, as ammonia, nitrites and nitrates spike during the cycle, so if you can do it fishlessly, it is better to do so. :)
Check out the eBook Betta Fish Care Made Easy
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