Pygmies With Betta Advice Please

[ellena]

I bought 3 on fri to go with my betta in a 5 gall, with sand substrate. The intention is to get 5, but I didn't want to get them all at once and overload the filter.
There was some chasing and flaring initially, but now he seems to be ignoring them. 1 has died though He had very little tail left when I found him, although I don't know if that happened before or after he died. One of the others has nips in his tail, the other is fully in tact.
They are quite still though. Sometimes, they scurry about, doing their cory thing, but they spend a lot of time resting on leaves. Not really hiding, and they sit there as he swims past them. They don't go to the bottom at all.
I haven't been able to feed them yet either. I tried hikari shrimp cuisine, but the shrimp and betta got to those first. Today I tried crushed up very finely crushed tetra pro vegetable with spirulina, but same happened again. I can't get food close to them as they dart off when I try.
I know they need to be in groups, but I don't want to go out and get more if he isn't going to tolerate them and is the reason the 1 died.
Could their behaviour be put down to the fact there are only 2 of them currently?
Thanks for any advice.

 

[Harlequins]

Sorry to hear you lost a pygmy

Like most cories they do better in groups,being shoaling fish,i don't really know much about bettas with pygmys,so not much help there...

With their feeding,have you tried baby brine shrimp? ,my pygmys love it,i use a turkey baster to put it to the bottom,if you done this to the opposite end of where the betta is ,i'm sure the pygmys will get some You could always do this with crushed flakes,or distract the betta with a tasty morsel and while its busy munching feed the pygmys

 

[mattlee]

if you are finding torn and missing fins then i would say 99.9% that the betta is the culprit as corys wont attack each other. unless they were like this when you first got them...
cory will be more active in larger groups as harlequins said but if the betta is attacking them then they will be frightened and this may be why they arent active and eating........
try the turkey baster as they do get food direct to the source intended but alot of corys will swim straight past food a few times IME before taking it and if other fish are getting it first then try feeding a wafer etc after the lights are out as corys will feed at night and fingers crossed the other fish wont see it as quickly.

 

[ellena]

Thanks matt, I'll try that tonight. I just fed a crushed wafer while giving the betta bloodworms, but he was straight on it once the worms were gone. I can only see 1 cory today, but can't see a body either Maybe it's not such a good combination, despite being quite regularly recommended?

 

[mattlee]

Thanks matt, I'll try that tonight. I just fed a crushed wafer while giving the betta bloodworms, but he was straight on it once the worms were gone. I can only see 1 cory today, but can't see a body either Maybe it's not such a good combination, despite being quite regularly recommended?

i hope the corys are ok.... ideally bettas are best kept on their own or with larger shrimp or snails just because they do have a nasty side but its hit or miss if you get a calm betta or a bit of a #28###.....

they are beautifull fish but also dangerous, they arent called fighting fish for nothing!

 

[Inchworm]

Maybe it's not such a good combination, despite being quite regularly recommended?

Hi ellena

You're right about that. You might notice that it's the folks who start out with bettas that add tiny corys to their tanks, often as an afterthought. I seldom find cory keepers being bored enough to think of adding an unsuitable tankmate just to liven things up or to give their corys something to watch.

C. pygmaeus require a temperature range of between 71 - 78 F. while B. splendens thrive at temperatures between 78 - 82 F. Corys need well oxygenated water and bettas do well in still water since they can breathe air. The surface movement required for corys to have the oxygen content they need can stress the betta, damage his fins, and tire him out when he has to constantly swim against it. Bettas are territorial and corys don't understand that concept. They just hide and offen suffer from weakened immune systems in the presence of aggressive tankmates.

This is on of those internet myths that just keep being perpetuated. C. pygmaeus and the other little species, C. hastatus and C. habrosus are delightful fish who have long and healthy lives in the right environment.

 

[ellena]

I thought I was safe on this one, seen it recommended so many times. The incentive was indeed as something to stimulate the betta and try to stop his tailbiting, having exhausted all other options I could see. I had chosen them as something supposedly suitable though, rather than just chucking anything in.
I have lost another though and I can't find the 3rd one I feel so bad for unwittingly giving them a bad home.
I am convinced it isn't such a great idea and will share my experience when the subject comes up in future.
The 2 shrimp still seem OK, fingers crossed no significant levels of copper were transferred with the filter media when I set my new tank up. If they work out OK, I'll get a couple more.
Rufus, the betta I keep at work, has had 6 amano shrimp in with him since just before xmas and he seems very happy, bubble nesting all the time.

 

[Trabetta]

I thought of getting a albino cory cats to go with my betta fish (5gallon tank) earlyer today but I ended up choosing 2 White Clouds instead. From what I hear Cory cats do better in groups of 4 in smaller tanks with lots of hidding places. Right now in my tank I have 2 live plants and one decor ornament in the tank. I would suggest taking them back to the pet store where you got them if you feel they are not doing well with the betta. Sorry to hear about your loss also.