Ram may have a little more specific info here, but you can keep female betas in a community tank, but they aren't normally as popular since they aren't as brightly colored. I know it's not recommended to keep male betas together, I don't know what happens if you keep males in community tanks, I'd be curious to know that myself.
I'm always for people having reptiles for pets, but what I had meant was I never try to talk someone into it, if they aren't interested to begin with. It's very much different, different types of care, different types of possible problems, different types of interaction with the animals. Many people get stressed caring for them, or just get bored. It has to be something you want to do yourself, not need to be"talked into", I suppose that is what I meant. 
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