Can Half Moon bettas be kept together in pairs?
The reason why most breeders sell their bettas in pairs is for breeding purposes. When you are breeding fish (and most animals actually) inbreeding is a very useful tool in preserving desirable genetic traits, such as the halfmoon tail. Usually if you breed two siblings together, the offspring will look very similar to the parents. Females are less likely to kill each other when they are housed together, but can still be very aggressive. I have a tank filled with females, and it is one of the most beautiful setups I have ever seen, but occasional fights do break out. “Wild” species of bettas (i.e NOT Betta splendens…the kind you normally see on display) are usually much more tolerant of the presence of members of their own species. I however don’t have any personal experience keeping these fish.
