Getting a companion for kevin, advice needed

[daintree]

hey guys,

i just got a pink orchid male and put him in a 7g tank, he was loving it but then i thought he looked kinda lonely. i did some research and found out that males can usually live with females, especially if i had a divider, so i got a female and put her in a breeding tank. when i first put her in, he freaked out - flaring and swimming all over the place. i left for a bit and when i came back, he was chillin' but whenever he saw her through the plastic, he didn't flare. she seemed pretty into him too, swimming around him and stuff. so i was curious, what would happen if i let her out? (don't worry, i was ready to scoop her up if needed). at first, he didn't see her, but when he did, he took off after her, flaring and chasing her around. she got stuck in the corner and he was poking at her pretty hard, so i put her back in the breeder tank. she's doing okay now and he's back to normal, but he still kinda dances by her tank - no flaring though. what's going on here? should i have just let it play out?

[roygun_1]

Males and females, in my opinion, are best kept together only during breeding. After that, the female should be removed right away. Keeping them together long-term isn't a good idea, as the male's hormones can cause the female to become egg bound and stress her out big time. If I thought my male looked lonely, I'd try giving him a toy, like a fluorescent ping pong ball, to keep him company - not another fish to attack.

[whetu]

You gotta take her out or let them breed, those are your only two options.

[daintree]

Males and females, in my opinion, are best kept together only during breeding. After that, the female should be removed right away. Keeping them together long-term isn't a good idea, as the male's hormones can cause the female to become egg bound and stress her out big time. If I thought my male looked lonely, I'd try giving him a toy, like a fluorescent ping pong ball, to keep him company - not another fish to attack.

I came across info on some sites saying females can coexist with males, especially with a divider in the tank. I actually tried it out by putting her in my community tank, and she did great at first, but things took a turn when she started going after my female mollies, so I ended up moving her back to her original spot.

[daintree]

You gotta take her out or let them breed, those are your only two options.

I was thinking of breeding them, but I called her my 'baby girl' for a reason - I don't think she's even developed eggs yet. And the way he was going after her was just too much, I didn't want to see her get hurt.

[roygun_1]

hey guys,

i just got a pink orchid male and put him in a 7g tank, he was loving it but then i thought he looked kinda lonely. i did some research and found out that males can usually live with females, especially if i had a divider, so i got a female and put her in a breeding tank. when i first put her in, he freaked out - flaring and swimming all over the place. i left for a bit and when i came back, he was chillin' but whenever he saw her through the plastic, he didn't flare. she seemed pretty into him too, swimming around him and stuff. so i was curious, what would happen if i let her out? (don't worry, i was ready to scoop her up if needed). at first, he didn't see her, but when he did, he took off after her, flaring and chasing her around. she got stuck in the corner and he was poking at her pretty hard, so i put her back in the breeder tank. she's doing okay now and he's back to normal, but he still kinda dances by her tank - no flaring though. what's going on here? should i have just let it play out?

Above is why I advise against keeping fluxx in the same tank, it's just not worth the risk. Aggressive fish, like this betta, should really be kept solo, especially when it comes to community setups. On a side note, mollies thrive in hard water, whereas bettas are much better off in soft water.

[daintree]

I wouldn't recommend keeping her with your male betta, even with a divider. The aggression you've seen is a clear sign that it's not a good idea. As for keeping her, you could consider a separate tank for her, but you'd need to ensure it's suitable for a female betta. Mollies and bettas have different water requirements, so it's not surprising she did well in your community tank initially. However, bettas are generally better off in single-species tanks due to their specific needs.

[roygun_1]

hey guys,

i just got a pink orchid male and put him in a 7g tank, he was loving it but then i thought he looked kinda lonely. i did some research and found out that males can usually live with females, especially if i had a divider, so i got a female and put her in a breeding tank. when i first put her in, he freaked out - flaring and swimming all over the place. i left for a bit and when i came back, he was chillin' but whenever he saw her through the plastic, he didn't flare. she seemed pretty into him too, swimming around him and stuff. so i was curious, what would happen if i let her out? (don't worry, i was ready to scoop her up if needed). at first, he didn't see her, but when he did, he took off after her, flaring and chasing her around. she got stuck in the corner and he was poking at her pretty hard, so i put her back in the breeder tank. she's doing okay now and he's back to normal, but he still kinda dances by her tank - no flaring though. what's going on here? should i have just let it play out?

You could consider dividing the tank with a sheet of glass or acrylic, siliconed down the middle, so they're not sharing the same water. This would essentially turn your 7-gallon tank into two separate tanks, each requiring its own filter and heater. This might be the best option, aside from getting her a tank of her own, which can be pricey. Keep in mind, they'd each have only 3.5 gallons, so you'd need to closely monitor the parameters. Using a non-transparent glass or acrylic divider would be best, as it would prevent them from stressing each other out. It's clear your bettas were behaving as they did because they thought they were going to spawn. If you're planning on breeding them, I'd recommend researching the necessary steps and preparations for a successful spawn. It can be a bit of a process, but it's definitely rewarding.

[daintree]

I can see why you'd want to keep her, you've grown attached. If you can't afford another filter right now, the heater will help, but keep a close eye on the water quality. You'll need to do more frequent water changes to keep her safe. As for the pet store, I'd recommend Petco, they usually have a better selection of aquarium supplies.

[roygun_1]

hey guys,

i just got a pink orchid male and put him in a 7g tank, he was loving it but then i thought he looked kinda lonely. i did some research and found out that males can usually live with females, especially if i had a divider, so i got a female and put her in a breeding tank. when i first put her in, he freaked out - flaring and swimming all over the place. i left for a bit and when i came back, he was chillin' but whenever he saw her through the plastic, he didn't flare. she seemed pretty into him too, swimming around him and stuff. so i was curious, what would happen if i let her out? (don't worry, i was ready to scoop her up if needed). at first, he didn't see her, but when he did, he took off after her, flaring and chasing her around. she got stuck in the corner and he was poking at her pretty hard, so i put her back in the breeder tank. she's doing okay now and he's back to normal, but he still kinda dances by her tank - no flaring though. what's going on here? should i have just let it play out?

She'd need daily water changes, like when you're raising fry in a jar. You can find a cheap air pump and sponge filter online, that'd work. I'm clueless about Petco or Petsmart though, we don't have those in the UK.