Betta in 10 gallon with...
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Let me start by saying i'm a newbie, so take this advice as that..
I would think it'll be okay as i had my betta in a 5 gal with 1 cory (untill i setup my 10)
There was no hostility by my betta to the cory.. The betta would sometimes check out what the cory was pickin at in the sand, quite funny actually... However, it was only for like a month, and it could be my betta was young and therefore not as hostile..
Maybe someone more experienced has contrary info.. i dunno..
but my initial reaction is .. it should be okay
I would think it'll be okay as i had my betta in a 5 gal with 1 cory (untill i setup my 10)
There was no hostility by my betta to the cory.. The betta would sometimes check out what the cory was pickin at in the sand, quite funny actually... However, it was only for like a month, and it could be my betta was young and therefore not as hostile..
Maybe someone more experienced has contrary info.. i dunno..
but my initial reaction is .. it should be okay
Sounds like a good set up, if a bit, well, boring. Ten gallons is an awful lot of space, and your cories won't use it all. The betta would be a nice centerpiece, but with slow movements and a tendency to want to just chill, not a whole lot of action.
Have one betta and three cories in a five gallon tank. That would be a nice set up with a lot less wasted space.
Or trade some of the cories out of the ten and get yourself some white cloud mountain minnows. I have kept white clouds with bettas before without any difficulties. A school of five or six white clouds, a betta, and three cories shouldn't stress out a ten gallon too much at all provided you are doing regular, -weekly-, 4 gallon water changes and not over feeding.
As I said before, ten gallons is an awful lot of water for so little active a fish as a betta. You'd be better off with the betta in five gallons and saving your ten for a school of much more active fish that will keep your attention/interest longer.
Other than that, yeah, your betta and five cories in ten gallons of water will work provided regular weekly water changes and not over feeding.
~~Colesea
Have one betta and three cories in a five gallon tank. That would be a nice set up with a lot less wasted space.
Or trade some of the cories out of the ten and get yourself some white cloud mountain minnows. I have kept white clouds with bettas before without any difficulties. A school of five or six white clouds, a betta, and three cories shouldn't stress out a ten gallon too much at all provided you are doing regular, -weekly-, 4 gallon water changes and not over feeding.
As I said before, ten gallons is an awful lot of water for so little active a fish as a betta. You'd be better off with the betta in five gallons and saving your ten for a school of much more active fish that will keep your attention/interest longer.
Other than that, yeah, your betta and five cories in ten gallons of water will work provided regular weekly water changes and not over feeding.
~~Colesea
Rubbish Colesea,
The more space the more active the betta, especially if its heated! Ya, some bettas like to lounge around, mostly small unheated tank bettas. There is nothing more attractive than a betta that has room for his long fins to show and not get nipped at!
Leave the 10gallon alone, the cories will stay at the bottom mostly and the betta at the top mostly, minows and other 'middle' fish will invade both spaces in a small tank like that.
The more space the more active the betta, especially if its heated! Ya, some bettas like to lounge around, mostly small unheated tank bettas. There is nothing more attractive than a betta that has room for his long fins to show and not get nipped at!
Leave the 10gallon alone, the cories will stay at the bottom mostly and the betta at the top mostly, minows and other 'middle' fish will invade both spaces in a small tank like that.
Hey Iggy, to each their own I guess.
My betta has a whole six gallons to swim around and play with his two cory tankmates. He doesn't do much. Likes to hang around in the rock cave, but that's about it. He's been there for five years now. He has more than enough room to spread his fins if he wants. The only time I've ever seen him reach cruising speed is when there is food in the tank.
What's the difference between a six gallon and a ten gallon. Just four gallons.
I was simply offering an alternate opinion. Thank you for disagreeing with it so strongly. A tank with a single betta just looks very empty to me. Heck, my six gallon doesn't even seem to have fish in it most times. I like active fish and a "full" looking tank. A betta in ten gallons just won't do that for me without a few minnows to liven things up. Perhaps I need to buy more expensive IBC pedigree bettas, perhaps there is something more "fulfilling" about them then the regular petstore type. *shrug*
~~Colesea
My betta has a whole six gallons to swim around and play with his two cory tankmates. He doesn't do much. Likes to hang around in the rock cave, but that's about it. He's been there for five years now. He has more than enough room to spread his fins if he wants. The only time I've ever seen him reach cruising speed is when there is food in the tank.
What's the difference between a six gallon and a ten gallon. Just four gallons.
I was simply offering an alternate opinion. Thank you for disagreeing with it so strongly. A tank with a single betta just looks very empty to me. Heck, my six gallon doesn't even seem to have fish in it most times. I like active fish and a "full" looking tank. A betta in ten gallons just won't do that for me without a few minnows to liven things up. Perhaps I need to buy more expensive IBC pedigree bettas, perhaps there is something more "fulfilling" about them then the regular petstore type. *shrug*
~~Colesea
Sorry Colesea, I did not want it to come across so strongly. I just pictured someone reading this thread and thinking all bettas are lazy, unattractive fish that need other fish to make them look good, which is not what you were saying at all!
I guess I have it lucky, all my bettas are within eyeshot of each other (in seperate & divided tanks), so that keeps them all active, and likely the reason my perspective is different than others.
I agree some bettas are not as active as say... minnows or other fish, but don't cramp the space just because he is not always moving around.
Wow, a FIVE year old betta, cudos to Colesea!
I guess I have it lucky, all my bettas are within eyeshot of each other (in seperate & divided tanks), so that keeps them all active, and likely the reason my perspective is different than others.
I agree some bettas are not as active as say... minnows or other fish, but don't cramp the space just because he is not always moving around.
Wow, a FIVE year old betta, cudos to Colesea!
Thanks for all the replies, everyone. The reason why I want to do this is, I want my Betta to be in a heated tank(my 2 gallon isn't heated). And I also want to seperate my ADFs and Cories that are in the 10 gallon I have now. I also wanted to see the Cories become more active, so I figured a few more friends of the same species need to be added. I'll be making sure there is plenty of cover for the Cories with the caves and plants. And I'll see how it goes.
I say it'll be an awesome tank
I've got a betta and six pygmy cories (plus two adfs and two big snails) in my 10g and I love how it makes the betta the centerpiece of the tank. He's a very active one too.
I'm confused as to if there are going to be danios in the tank too. That wouldn't be such a great idea....but, if you want to add movement, add in six neons
I've got a betta and six pygmy cories (plus two adfs and two big snails) in my 10g and I love how it makes the betta the centerpiece of the tank. He's a very active one too.I'm confused as to if there are going to be danios in the tank too. That wouldn't be such a great idea....but, if you want to add movement, add in six neons
Yeah, five years old, I can't believe it myself either. I got him when I first started at Petco. I worked there for a year, then started school and have been there two years going on three, add one year because most petshop bettas average that old by the time they hit the store, and you've got four, going on five since we're half-way though four already. By graduation in June he'll be five.
He really looks it though. His tail and dorsal fins are kinda stubby now and he doesn't flare anymore like he did when he was younger. There is some spinal curvature that only lets him swim in quick bursts of circles, which makes me wonder exactly how he is eating anything at all. He is a bit on the thin side, which has me worried, since it seems the muscles on his caudle peduncle are a touch atrophied and makes him seem like he as some sort of wasting disease. His color is shot to heck, his face is grey and his purple is faded. He really just lies on the bottom all the time now, not depressed or anything, just hangs there on his side waiting for the food from heaven.
Hs eyes are still bright, and he's still kicking. I'm afraid to do water changes now because I don't know what is going to be the final thing that does him in. Short of kinda hand feeding him, I don't know what else to do. He doesn't appear to be sick, no fin rots, no cloudy mucus membranes or inflamed gills, not really lethargic, not stressing out to breath. The water is well maintained. He just seems to be a really old betta. Since I've never had a betta get this old before, is this how they are suppose to act? My great-grandmother is 96 and does the exact same things. She's frail, has a walker, doesn't get out much, but her mind is still sharp as a tack and her eyes still lucid. I figure in betta years my fish is probably the same age as my great grandmother at this point, yes?
~~Colesea
He really looks it though. His tail and dorsal fins are kinda stubby now and he doesn't flare anymore like he did when he was younger. There is some spinal curvature that only lets him swim in quick bursts of circles, which makes me wonder exactly how he is eating anything at all. He is a bit on the thin side, which has me worried, since it seems the muscles on his caudle peduncle are a touch atrophied and makes him seem like he as some sort of wasting disease. His color is shot to heck, his face is grey and his purple is faded. He really just lies on the bottom all the time now, not depressed or anything, just hangs there on his side waiting for the food from heaven.
Hs eyes are still bright, and he's still kicking. I'm afraid to do water changes now because I don't know what is going to be the final thing that does him in. Short of kinda hand feeding him, I don't know what else to do. He doesn't appear to be sick, no fin rots, no cloudy mucus membranes or inflamed gills, not really lethargic, not stressing out to breath. The water is well maintained. He just seems to be a really old betta. Since I've never had a betta get this old before, is this how they are suppose to act? My great-grandmother is 96 and does the exact same things. She's frail, has a walker, doesn't get out much, but her mind is still sharp as a tack and her eyes still lucid. I figure in betta years my fish is probably the same age as my great grandmother at this point, yes?
~~Colesea
Sounds like a really well cared for betta. I can only hope mine live as long as yours Colesea.
Ps. I have heard from quite a few people now that bettas seem to live longer in 5gal+ non-community tanks than in the smaller tanks. I think the constant heat and room to keep the muscles moving helps prolong their otherwise short lives.
I am still putting together my adult betta barracks tank, it will will have at least 3.5 gallons of water per adult, with shared heating and filtration.
Ps. I have heard from quite a few people now that bettas seem to live longer in 5gal+ non-community tanks than in the smaller tanks. I think the constant heat and room to keep the muscles moving helps prolong their otherwise short lives.
I am still putting together my adult betta barracks tank, it will will have at least 3.5 gallons of water per adult, with shared heating and filtration.
Colsea you had me laughing so hard comparing your betta to your grandmother...somehow I dont think that would be an accepted comparison anywhere except somewhere like this I think it sounds like the guy is just old and tired...trying to live out his fishy years in peace lol (eating 'manna from heaven') lol
I have my first betta and he's doing quite well...their tank sits next to my computer and he actually sits by the corner of the tank watching my computer sometimes He lives with a snail and some guppies...everything seems to work there...so I dont think I'd have any qualms putting cories with a betta as long as they weren't too crowded T/A. (just to second or third most everyone's opinions)
I think it sounds like the guy is just old and tired...trying to live out his fishy years in peace lol (eating 'manna from heaven') lolI have my first betta and he's doing quite well...their tank sits next to my computer and he actually sits by the corner of the tank watching my computer sometimes
He lives with a snail and some guppies...everything seems to work there...so I dont think I'd have any qualms putting cories with a betta as long as they weren't too crowded T/A. (just to second or third most everyone's opinions)