Tanks and tank mates

In captivity, male B. splendens are best housed alone since, as their name implies, they will aggressively attack and kill (or be killed by) another male in their territory. Putting female and male specimens together is not recommended either (except for breeding, in which the female should be removed immediately after the process) as they will often still attack each other. Female bettas can be kept together in groups of three in larger tanks with hiding places for the less-aggressive females. Male bettas have been successfully housed in large community tanks with other fish that have similar tropical temperature and water quality requirements. Bettas might harass and nip at other species that are colorful or have long, flowing fins, and may be nipped at by aggressive tank mates. Careful research should be carried out before selecting tank mates. Although many retail pet shops market amazingly small "bowls" for B. splendens and the fish can, in fact, survive in a small container for periods of time, for optimum health and vigor larger tanks should be considered. A commonly accepted tank volume is is 2.5 gallons, or 9.6 liters.