Fish People--Would this work?

So, I was thinking about doing a fish tank again. I love bettas, and always have wanted females, but I also like guppies. I know guppies tend to breed easily, and I know I don't want to try to separate out and find homes/set up new tanks for tons of baby guppies.

Soooo, I was thinking, how would it work to throw several female bettas in with the guppies and have the bettas feed on the guppie fry?

Some people have luck with keeping female bettas together, I've never tried it. I know it tends to go better the bigger the tank and the more the bettas. The more there are the less likely it is for them to single out fish to pick on, and the bigger the tank, the more space to create different territories.

However, the guppies will actually eat their own fry, so you don't NEED bettas to do it. I know you love bettas and want them, just thought I'd point that out anyway. If you try keeping the female bettas together, you should have another option for them (rehoming or separate tanks) for if it doesn't work out. As long as you have that, I don't see the harm in trying!

It would probably work. Although with my guppies they did a fine job of eating fry all by themselves - the little cannibals.

I would be able to separate the females if I had to. I read somewhere that female bettas that grew up together do better than ones that came from different places and are just bring put together. Most places around here sell female bettas in individual cups but there is one fish place where I have seen several in a tank, so maybe I will get them from there....

Yeah, it'd definitely be a good idea to get them from a place who sells them together already if you can. I saw a place keeping tons of females together and everyone was getting along great as far as I could tell.

When I had a female betta set up I made sure that there were at least 4-5 girls to balance things...

With 3 you get the two stronger ones ganging up on the weakest.

Also lots of plants and hiding spaces are a good idea.

That combo would make me nervous, but as long as you have the means to split them up if it comes to that go ahead and try. And like Moth said, lots and lots of plants and hiding spaces - you need the space to be broken up so vulnerable fish can get out of the line of sight of dominant/aggressive ones.

I had a tank of platys and guppies at one point. All it took was a single female betta to prevent any of their fry from surviving.

Why not just a single female? She'd have a blast with all the chow, hehe.

If you are set on a group though try reading this:
http://www.ultimatebettas.com/index.php?showtopic=12193
The first post has lot's of info and the whole thread has some good discussion. I've done 3 successful sororities, however it is not something is always works out and can often end in death. Keep in mind that some females might find the adult guppies fun to pick on too.

When I tried to put a female betta in with my tank of guppies to keep the population down, the guppies ate the betta :yikes: But I did feed out a lot of fry to my male (in a different tank).

I was sort of worried a single female bette would be ganged up on by the guppies. I wish I could have a male betta in there but I know that would not end well....

I don't think the guppies would bother the betta. None of my guppies are aggressive in any way at all.