If it’s your first time arranging a betta tank, then this article will give you the best answers to the question how many betta fish in a tank. To be honest, it depends mostly on your expected tank size and the gender of the bettas.
For example, in a 5 gallon tank, you can hold only one betta (male or female) while the 20-gallon can keep up to 4 females or only 1 male betta. Yet, to look for deeper information, scroll down ASAP!
Table of Contents
How Many Betta Fish to Put in a Tank?
You can easily calculate the ideal betta individuals for your tank by following the rule “5-gallon of water for a female betta and 20-gallon of water for a male one”.
Based on this general estimation, you can conclude that 1 gallon, 3 gallons or any aquarium size smaller than 5 gallons can all cause harm to your pets. Or else, refer to this table is also a way to go:
| Tank Sizes (Gallons) | Number Of Male Bettas | Number Of Female Bettas |
| 5-7 | 1 | 1 |
| 10 | 1 | 2 |
| 15 | 1 | 3 |
| 20 | 1 | 4 |
| 29 | 1 | 5 |
| 30 | 1 | 6 |
| 36 | 1 | 7 |
| 40 | 2 | 8 |
Depending on this table, raising 2 female betta fish in a 10-gallon tank is possible while you should at least prepare a 40 gallon aquarium to keep 2 male bettas.
In case you wish to keep male and female bettas in the same tank, then their living areas should be divided with some kind of dividers (making your aquarium look like a betta condo).
Trust me, you won’t want any of your beloved pets to die from fighting.
Can You Have More Than One Betta Fish?
Yes, you can put 2 betta fish in one tank (or even more than that), as long as the tank is large enough to accommodate them. They should have enough space to swim around.
What Can Bettas Live With?
Fish keepers frequently attempt to make their aquariums more lively by integrating different species in the same tank. As a result, here are my picks for the best betta tank mates:
- Kuhli Loaches
- Guppies
- Cory catfish
- Malaysian Trumpet Snails
- Ghost shrimps
- Ember/Neon Tetras
- African dwarf frogs
Beside the species you can keep betta fish together, you should steer clear off the species below:
- Angelfish (they will fight with the others)
- Tiger Barbs (they tend to nip the other fish’s fins, same to silvertip tetras and serpae tetras)
- Goldfish (they requires different living condition compared to bettas)
Therefore, before building any betta community tank, always remember to conduct some tank mate compatibility research to avoid any undesirable consequences.
Multiple Betta Tank Setup Ideas
Since many novices find it difficult to decide which tank styles to follow, kindly take a quick look at my advice here. I promise they will surely be helpful.
- A betta fish tank for two females decorated with green, live plants
- Low-maintenance aquascape for bettas
- A mangrove aquascape betta aquarium for 1 betta
- Lucky bamboo betta tank
- Simple setup for a 5 gallon betta tank
- Natural nano tank
Note: If you have no idea how to choose your betta’s tank mates, you can consider letting 1 Bristlenose Pleco, 4 Rummy Nose Tetras, 4 Cory Catfish, 4 Amano Shrimp live with one betta in a 40-gallon tank.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many bettas can I put in one bowl?
Bowls have never been an excellent location to nurture bettas, thus I strongly encourage you to put them in a real tank instead. If you don’t have enough room for a big tank, you may use the aquarium setup suggestion above to create a 5-gallon one for a single betta.
Is 10 gallons enough for a betta?
Yes, it is. Aside from the fact that a 10-gallon tank is more than enough for a betta, this tank dimension is also perfect for newbies since it’s much easier to manage than bigger tanks.
Why can’t betta fish be in the same tank?
Bettas are famous for their “short-temper”, aggressive characteristic, so in most cases, you should avoid putting these fish in the same tank with their fellows (especially the males).
Yet, depending on the provided information above, I confirm that it’s possible to keep multiple bettas in a tank. All you should do is to prepare a big tank and use tank dividers.
Can we keep male and female fish in the same tank?
No, you shouldn’t. While it’s normal to have two betta fish live together, you need to ensure they have the same gender. The reason lies in their territorial nature and they will fight with the others, even if they are males and females.
Don’t worry, when breeding season arrives, feel free to mate the female betta with the chosen male because they tend to coexist peacefully with the others.
Can we keep 1 male betta and 3 females together?
It’s a firm no. No matter if you try to put 1 male and 2 female or more, they will still fight to the death and that’s why this idea is highly not recommended.
What does betta sorority mean?
The term “sorority” refers to a group of female bettas living together. To successfully set up a sorority tank, you should have a 20-30 gallon tank and 4 to 5 female bettas. The members of this group can be up to 10, but shouldn’t be more than that.
What is the ideal tank measurement for betta fish?
Betta fish should be put in at least a 3-gallon tank featuring a heater and a filter for them to grow healthily.
Conclusion
Hopefully, I have provided you all the information you need in this article, from “how many betta fish in a tank” to “can betta fish live with other fish” and so on.
If you have any other questions related to this topic or some other pretty betta tank setup ideas to suggest, please comment below. Loving is sharing.