I was inspired to make this post here when I woke up this morning and one of the first things I saw on Facebook was a post in an aquarium group where someone woke up to 5 out of the 7 female bettas in their sorority dead. A horribly unfortunate, and increasingly common experience among new fish keepers. And considering keeping bettas in a sorority has a major impact on their health and well-being, I thought it would be fit to discuss it here. 

I will start by saying I’m not here to tell you what to do, I am here to present information, so that people are able to make an informed decision. If you choose to keep a sorority and it works for you, great. I’m not here to discuss that today. 

First, some facts. The common pet store betta with bright colors and (oftentimes) long, flowing fins is a variety of Betta Splendens that has been heavily bred by humans to be highly aggressive and as attractive as possible. This excessive breeding has drastically changed the species in a variety of ways(all of which I will discuss in this group eventually), and they are so far removed from their wild counterparts, that it is unfair to compare the two. Especially when looking at peaceful species who thrive in pairs or groups, such as Betta Channoides. 

Now, you are probably wondering, how did this idea of betta sororities get started then? As you know, female bettas are often not as attractive as the males. This was especially true before the excessive breeding resulted in gorgeous variations like koi’s, that can result in some highly desirable females. But a long time ago, the vast majority of female betta splendens were plain and undesirable to most non-breeding keepers, and as a result, breeders were having to cull females and losing out on money from both the sale and the costs to raise the fish. 

This is where the idea of the sorority began. It was a great marketing tactic to sell lots of females, and keep selling them because people would have issues and come back for more females to replace the ones who had died in the sorority. And having several of these fish in the tank made them so much more desirable, even if they weren’t as attractive as the males, so your average fish hobbyist was becoming interested in keeping them, not just breeders. And breeders started finally making a profit on their females, regardless of the ethics of this decision. 

Occasionally, betta splendens sororities can and do succeed, there is still no denying that putting highly aggressive fish that have been bred to attack and kill their own kind, will not enjoy living with each other long term. We must remember that fish do not have the same emotions and bonds that humans do. Betta splendens is not lonely by being the only fish in the tank, solitary living is encoded in their genetics…as a result of what humans have done to them. Betta splendens do not form emotional or familial attachments to their sisters, and they do not have friendships with each other. They especially are not interested in bonding or playing with each other(this behavior is, more often than not, misinterpreted aggression). These are all experiences that are human, that fish, particularly aggressive types like this, can not feel or comprehend. 

While aggression may not be obvious, or may not be displayed in the tank at all, the incompatible tank set up will leave the fish under a constant state of stress. This stress, regardless of how minor it is, will weaken their immune systems over time. More often than not, even sororities deemed successful, will have a greater occurrence of illness, and decreased lifespan of some or all of the bettas. This is especially apparent when the bettas are from high quality breeders and have a good genetic bloodline, unlike the big box store bettas where appearance is the primary focus and health is pushed to the side. Well bred bettas not from a big box store should have a lifespan of 3-5 years, and when kept in sororities they typically do not reach that length. 

So how can a sorority be successful? It can only be done by highly experienced betta keepers. This doesn’t mean spending a few weeks/months doing research online. This means owning many bettas over a long span of time, becoming familiar with their behavior, and knowing how to best read them so you can identify minor aggressions immediately and remove problem females. This is experience that comes from long term keeping, not reading online. No matter how perfectly you set up your tank, with plants and dither fish and choose what you believe to be the right females, if the real world experience is not there, the chances for *long term* success are slim to none. 

My recommendation to anyone who isn’t an expert in betta keeping that wants to keep a sorority, is to look into wild bettas. There are several excellent wild betta groups to learn in. And wilds have the added benefit of not being so heavily bred, so they are often hardier and live their full lifespans with less issues. While not as attractive as pet store betta splendens, their personalities more than make up for it.