Betta, Tank Mates, A 10 Gallon Tank And More

[sharkydog]

Okay so, I have a betta currently in a 2 gallon tank. He has a mystery snail with him currently, and has shown no signs of aggression. When I show him a mirror he flares, but he doesn't attack the glass or really do much else of anything and then stops flaring once the mirror goes away(in other words he seems pretty laid back to me). He actually likes to go up to the snails face and watch him closely, it's actually pretty cute!

Anyways, I just bought a 10 gallon tank for him, and I was hoping I could put 6 salt and pepper corys, 6 galaxy rasboras, and him in the tank. If it doesn't work out because he is too aggressive, I can always move him back into the other tank, and I have plenty of time to watch him to make sure he doesn't kill the other fish. Also, I'll be adding the other fish and letting them settle for about a week before I add the betta. So, my first question: Is this too many fish for this size of tank? The dimensions of the new tank are 20.25 in W x 15 in H x 10.5 in D.

Also, I am going to have to wait until next week to get decorations and gravel. However I got so excited about the tank that I hooked everything up including the filter (will be buying the heater next week) and have added a bacteria starter and also a water conditioner(I used tap water). Will it be okay that I let it cycle without ANYTHING in it for a week, and then let it cycle again with just the plants/decorations and gravel in it for another week before adding the fish?

And lastly, I was hoping to add real plants to the tank but I don't know much about taking care of aquarium plants. I know that corys like to have plants, and additionally I just thought it would be fun! The only thing I really know about getting live plants, is that I will want to get special 'sunlight' bulbs for the hood. The placement of the tank in the room, it gets very mild natural light. Is there anything else I should know about fresh water plants? Are there certain types that require little to no care?

Here is a photo of the tanks. (note: the small qaurantine tank to the left has my mystery snail in it because my betta is currently recovering from mild fin rot, which he is recovering from very well I might add! yay!)

 

[rpgmomma8404]

I would be ify about putting him in there with that many fish. 13 fish just seems like a lot for a ten gallon. 

 

[sharkydog]

But they are all very small fish at adult size, and just to help put more perspective on it, you can see the betta in the picture right above the Easter Island head. If there were lots of plants and places for the small fish to hide, do you still think it'd be too much in that tank? :s And if so, what number of salt and pepper corys and galaxy rasboras could I put in there that would make all the fish happy?

 

[Blondielovesfish]

Please can you have a read of the cycling link in my signature, it will help your fish a lot. Running a tank for a week or so does nothing except ensure everything is working correctly.
 
IMO you have to choose between the Galaxy Rasboras and the Salt and Pepper Corys. Having both of them and a Betta would be too much for the tank  
On the bright side, only having one school of either means you can have a bigger school of the selected species
 
If you do go with the Salt and Peppers, make sure you use a sand substrate as gravel can hurt their barbels.
 
Some good starter plants are...
Java Fern (Needs to be attached some driftwood or an ornament)
Anubias (Same requirements as Java Fern. Your Betta will love this plant because of its broad leaves)
Crypts
Java Moss (Same requirements as Java Fern)
Moss Ball
Vallis
 
That's all I can think of for now but I'm sure some other people will come along with more plant suggestions
 
What light is currently on the tank? Most lights are fine for growing plants, especially the ones listed above.
 
Remember that with any ornaments/fake plants, run some pantyhose over them to make sure they're safe for a Betta as anything that snags the pantyhose will also snag a Bettas delicate fins.

 

[sharkydog]

Wow, thank you so much! That was incredibly helpful! I am definitely going to look into ALL of those plants!! I was already planning on getting sand subsrate - I had seen somewhere that I could use 'play sand' (aka cheap sand from menards or walmart, i think?) and was wondering if that would be okay as it'd be a more cost effective alternative than the highly priced stuff you find at petsmart(I couldn't believe how much a bag of sand costs!!!). Obviously it will all be thoroughly washed first, but is it just as safe as the sand you'd find at a pet store?

And I am so torn between eithe galaxy rasboras or salt and pepper corys.

I've read up on both of them, and I was just hoping so badly that maybe I could make it work with 5 corys and 6 rasboras or something since they generally live in different levels in the water, and that maybe having a bunch of plants and decor to swim through and hide in would make it seem 'bigger' to them, if that makes sense. I know that you (Blondie) and most likely others, will be leaning on just choosing one or the other... But would it be possible at all? Could JUST the corys and rasboras fit in there without the betta?


Also, how exactly would I attatch a plant to driftwood/an ornament?

 

[CrazyDiamond88]

To attach the plant to driftwood/an ornament, you just need to tie it on with some cotton or fishing line. Or, you can use a little blob of super glue to stick it on. 

 

[ncguppy830]

you really shouldnt get cories for anything under 12 gallons IMO. 10 gallons is the minmum of rthem anyway so id go with the rasboras, them beng the smaller fish.And no you could have both without the betta. BTW The betta could easily kill all the rasboras, IMO they shouldnt be kept for that reason and the fact that in community tanks, alot of times theyll eat flakes which can cause health problems.

 

[sharkydog]

you really shouldnt get cories for anything under 12 gallons IMO. 10 gallons is the minmum of rthem anyway so id go with the rasboras, them beng the smaller fish.And no you could have both without the betta. BTW The betta could easily kill all the rasboras, IMO they shouldnt be kept for that reason and the fact that in community tanks, alot of times theyll eat flakes which can cause health problems.

I'm sorry I am a little confused by "and no you could have both without the betta." Did you mean I couldn't or could?

I think there was a typo there and you meant that I cannot have both, even without the betta, but I am just making sure. Also, aren't Rasboras fast? I've read in a few places that they do well with Bettas and it helps that they're fast cause Betta's are kind of slow? I was under the impression they'd make better tank mates for Bettas rather than Corys.

Are there any other types of fish at a beginner level that I could do so I could have two different types along with the Betta? I know I am being stubborn, I just really want to have a variety in the tank.


Oh, and thank you CrazyDiamond for the info on the plants! I am relieved that it's that easy! Phew!

 

[ncguppy830]

 

you really shouldnt get cories for anything under 12 gallons IMO. 10 gallons is the minmum of rthem anyway so id go with the rasboras, them beng the smaller fish.And no you could have both without the betta. BTW The betta could easily kill all the rasboras, IMO they shouldnt be kept for that reason and the fact that in community tanks, alot of times theyll eat flakes which can cause health problems.

I'm sorry I am a little confused by "and no you could have both without the betta." Did you mean I couldn't or could?

I think there was a typo there and you meant that I cannot have both, even without the betta, but I am just making sure. Also, aren't Rasboras fast? I've read in a few places that they do well with Bettas and it helps that they're fast cause Betta's are kind of slow? I was under the impression they'd make better tank mates for Bettas rather than Corys.

Are there any other types of fish at a beginner level that I could do so I could have two different types along with the Betta? I know I am being stubborn, I just really want to have a variety in the tank.


Oh, and thank you CrazyDiamond for the info on the plants! I am relieved that it's that easy! Phew!

 

I meant Couldnt not could, No cories are bottom dwellers so the bettas wouldnt mind them, and i couldnt see given the fact its a 10 gallon any 2 types of fish that could go with the betta happily.

 

[EllieJellyEllie]

Its quite hard to have any 2 kind of fish in a 10 gallon. You might be able to set up a duel betta tank like me. You use slide on report dividers are canvas.
 
Snail friends would be good

 

[sharkydog]

 

 


you really shouldnt get cories for anything under 12 gallons IMO. 10 gallons is the minmum of rthem anyway so id go with the rasboras, them beng the smaller fish.And no you could have both without the betta. BTW The betta could easily kill all the rasboras, IMO they shouldnt be kept for that reason and the fact that in community tanks, alot of times theyll eat flakes which can cause health problems.

I'm sorry I am a little confused by "and no you could have both without the betta." Did you mean I couldn't or could?

I think there was a typo there and you meant that I cannot have both, even without the betta, but I am just making sure. Also, aren't Rasboras fast? I've read in a few places that they do well with Bettas and it helps that they're fast cause Betta's are kind of slow? I was under the impression they'd make better tank mates for Bettas rather than Corys.

Are there any other types of fish at a beginner level that I could do so I could have two different types along with the Betta? I know I am being stubborn, I just really want to have a variety in the tank.


Oh, and thank you CrazyDiamond for the info on the plants! I am relieved that it's that easy! Phew!

 

I meant Couldnt not could, No cories are bottom dwellers so the bettas wouldnt mind them, and i couldnt see given the fact its a 10 gallon any 2 types of fish that could go with the betta happily.
 


Alright, thank you.

And to EllieJellyEllie: I've already got a snail and my betta LOVES him! ^-^  I may give some thought to the dual thing, but that's a pretty far stretch from my original plan. Either way, thank you for the idea!

 

[Ninjouzata]

Something to think about is that because the rasboras are fast, they can stress your betta out. They might not, but best to not subject him to it if you can.
 
Corys are definitely the way to go, they usually stay at a different level than the betta so the two won't generally meet, and corys are very docile so won't harm your boy.
You just want to make sure you get one of the smaller types of cory, which is what you're going for, I think. It's corydoras habrosus.
 
I'm not 100% sure if the habrosus would be alright here, usually you see pygmys for a 10g, may want to wait on someone elses input for that. 
 
I also like the divided tank idea.

 

[ncguppy830]

Something to think about is that because the rasboras are fast, they can stress your betta out. They might not, but best to not subject him to it if you can.
 
Corys are definitely the way to go, they usually stay at a different level than the betta so the two won't generally meet, and corys are very docile so won't harm your boy.
You just want to make sure you get one of the smaller types of cory, which is what you're going for, I think. It's corydoras habrosus.
 
I'm not 100% sure if the habrosus would be alright here, usually you see pygmys for a 10g, may want to wait on someone elses input for that. 
 
I also like the divided tank idea.

Id say pygmies are the limit in ten gallons, i think the salt and pepper cory might appreciate a bit more.

 

[sharkydog]

 

Something to think about is that because the rasboras are fast, they can stress your betta out. They might not, but best to not subject him to it if you can.
 
Corys are definitely the way to go, they usually stay at a different level than the betta so the two won't generally meet, and corys are very docile so won't harm your boy.
You just want to make sure you get one of the smaller types of cory, which is what you're going for, I think. It's corydoras habrosus.
 
I'm not 100% sure if the habrosus would be alright here, usually you see pygmys for a 10g, may want to wait on someone elses input for that. 
 
I also like the divided tank idea.

Id say pygmies are the limit in ten gallons, i think the salt and pepper cory might appreciate a bit more.
 

To the first person - salt and pepper corys are corydoras hasbrosus. ^-^ They are also called Dwarf corys. Also, I didn't think that galaxy rasboras (also called celestial pearl danios, which may have caused confusion) are nippers and would bully the betta? From what I understand they are pretty friendly and non-aggressive?

To the second - Are you sure about the pygmy's being better for the ten gallon? Just making /sure/ because I could've sworn that somewhere else had said salt and peppers would be better in a smaller tank. In terms of which kind, I actually don't have a preference I just want whichever will be more comfortable!

Sorry I am asking so many questions, I just want to be sure of everything.

 

 

[ncguppy830]

 

 


Something to think about is that because the rasboras are fast, they can stress your betta out. They might not, but best to not subject him to it if you can.
 
Corys are definitely the way to go, they usually stay at a different level than the betta so the two won't generally meet, and corys are very docile so won't harm your boy.
You just want to make sure you get one of the smaller types of cory, which is what you're going for, I think. It's corydoras habrosus.
 
I'm not 100% sure if the habrosus would be alright here, usually you see pygmys for a 10g, may want to wait on someone elses input for that. 
 
I also like the divided tank idea.

Id say pygmies are the limit in ten gallons, i think the salt and pepper cory might appreciate a bit more.
 

To the first person - salt and pepper corys are corydoras hasbrosus. ^-^ They are also called Dwarf corys. Also, I didn't think that galaxy rasboras (also called celestial pearl danios, which may have caused confusion) are nippers and would bully the betta? From what I understand they are pretty friendly and non-aggressive?

To the second - Are you sure about the pygmy's being better for the ten gallon? Just making /sure/ because I could've sworn that somewhere else had said salt and peppers would be better in a smaller tank. In terms of which kind, I actually don't have a preference I just want whichever will be more comfortable!

Sorry I am asking so many questions, I just want to be sure of everything.

 
 


Pygmies are better of because there smaller.