Admitting I was wrong and learning

[Luna0341]

So about 6 months ago I got into it with another user on this site, she told me my female Betta would not work in community tank and that my Cory cars would end up dead. I didn't listen and things went good for awhile, but eventually my Betta ate or killed all the Cory., I was wrong and should have listened.

 

[GaryE]

I've spent the past few decades learning how wrong I can be - welcome to the club.

Still, it would take a Betta days to eat a Cory, even if they were scavengers. They eat small insects that land on the surface in nature, not armoured fish. Their upturned mouths are not good for eating bottom oriented fish, and their teeth aren't going to get far on a body like a Cory has. It doesn't seem believable to me - you would have seen it happening. If you don't know if the Betta killed the Corys and ate them for sure, then inattention to the tank, and dead fish you missed polluting the water seems way more likely.

If you are going to find a long term solution, you have to have watched closely. The advice about not keeping the two together is solid, if it is a small tank. That's a mistake a lot of people make.

We live and learn.

 

[Archerfish]

So about 6 months ago I got into it with another user on this site, she told me my female Betta would not work in community tank and that my Cory cars would end up dead. I didn't listen and things went good for awhile, but eventually my Betta ate or killed all the Cory., I was wrong and should have listened.

Imagine, and aquarist who is free from pride and arrogance! In my case, to borrow a Beatles songs, 'The long winding road,' it was decades! Welcome to the 'I should have better' crowd. You made it! So, now take what you have learned and share it with other aquarists!

 

[Luna0341]

I've since moved my female Betta to her own 5 gal. With a floating log and some plants, she seems much happier, my ten gal. Has two surviving Endlers males, I added three white male guppy, and a male pink tuxedo guppy, and two yellow tail swordtails, one of which is female, only female in tank but the male swordtail doesn't harrass her, I choose these fish because of the size of my tank and because I have really hard water . I understand it may be slightly over stocked but I do 10% water changes

I've spent the past few decades learning how wrong I can be - welcome to the club.

Still, it would take a Betta days to eat a Cory, even if they were scavengers. They eat small insects that land on the surface in nature, not armoured fish. Their upturned mouths are not good for eating bottom oriented fish, and their teeth aren't going to get far on a body like a Cory has. It doesn't seem believable to me - you would have seen it happening. If you don't know if the Betta killed the Corys and ate them for sure, then inattention to the tank, and dead fish you missed polluting the water seems way more likely.

If you are going to find a long term solution, you have to have watched closely. The advice about not keeping the two together is solid, if it is a small tank. That's a mistake a lot of people make.

We live and learn.

Well you would think, but the Cory were pretty small, I'm positive the Betta swallowed them whole, no body left behind, and my Betta bloated huge, the one I did find was probably too big. Regardless, I've gotten her, her own tank, and learned a lesson.

 

[Luna0341]

That being said I'm looking for guidance on my current set up, so I don't make similar mistakes. I live in north Florida, have very hard water, I did my research, because of my tank size (10gal) my opinions were limited. So I got two male Endlers, 3 white male guppy, 1 pink tuxedo male guppy,, 1 male and one female yellow swordtails

 

[Luna0341]

I do 10% water change probably 2-3 times a week. And change my filter every 3 months

 

[Luna0341]

My main concern and reason for posting is .... One of my white guppies is only swimming on the surface, for days, doesn't seem to be eating, water has tested with very good conditions, I don't have a bubbler, so maybe I should get a bubbler. None of my other fish are acting funny. People keep saying low oxygen, but I think it's a bully issue, all males, and it's the smallest, I think it's stressed. What can I d? More plants maybe?

 

[Luna0341]

Imagine, and aquarist who is free from pride and arrogance! In my case, to borrow a Beatles songs, 'The long winding road,' it was decades! Welcome to the 'I should have better' crowd. You made it! So, now take what you have learned and share it with other aquarists!

So I'm in fact a beginner, my first tank was a failure, but I've learned a lot from it, and I've done a lot of research, I really want to upgrade to a much larger tank and do a species only tank ( I'm thinking rainbows) but I can't till I move to a more permanent home. So I decided to do a guppy Endlers tank wit my 10gal. Got two swordtails as well. I understand it's slightly overstocked but just by a little, I clean and do water changes several times through the week. I'm concerned about one of my guppies. Every guppy and Endler is male. I got two swordtails, 1 male and 1 female, but no one bothers her, they stay together, and they the big fish in tank so I don't think they stressed at all. I'm just worried bout one of my white guppy swimming on surface for days now

 

[Fishmanic]

You should be doing one large water change a week...not 10%, but 50%.

You should try to replace your filter cartridge with a properly cut sponge. Then at least once a month, rinse the sponge out in a bowl of tank water and reuse it.

 

[JuiceBox52]

You came back and asked for help and admitted you were wrong. I respect that, it takes courage. We all make mistakes, and we learn from them. Best of luck in your future fishkeeping journey

 

[GaryE]

Corys have spines in their dorsal and pectoral (side) fins, In a worst case scenario, getting eaten by a much larger fish, they lock those fins in place. It lodges them in the throats of the predator, which dies if they can't cough them up. I'm not really crazy about fancy Bettas, but your guy is falsely accused. Since a lot of people could read the thread - bettas can't eat live Corys.

The next tank will work better. It's a matter of not becoming discouraged.

 

[emeraldking]

We all have made mistakes which we hopefully have learned from... And we learn every day more...

 

[Luna0341]

Corys have spines in their dorsal and pectoral (side) fins, In a worst case scenario, getting eaten by a much larger fish, they lock those fins in place. It lodges them in the throats of the predator, which dies if they can't cough them up. I'm not really crazy about fancy Bettas, but your guy is falsely accused. Since a lot of people could read the thread - bettas can't eat live Corys.

The next tank will work better. It's a matter of not becoming discouraged.

Where the dead Cory bodies though? They just vanished over night

 

[Luna0341]

You should be doing one large water change a week...not 10%, but 50%.

You should try to replace your filter cartridge with a properly cut sponge. Then at least once a month, rinse the sponge out in a bowl of tank water and reuse it.

Like a regular sponge? Or is it like a special aquarium sponge?

 

[Fishmanic]

an aquariun soecific type sponge such as the one aquaclear filters come with