Black neon tetras with female betta

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Enchantress

Aquarium Advice Activist
Joined
Apr 2, 2017
Messages
165
Hi guys,
Nice to be back after a super long break:dance:

Before I start - I'll be using metric units here, I live in an area where the imperial system is pretty much non-existent, so bear with me :) I have a 45l tank (about 10gal, from what I could find?), bare bottom, with quite a few live plants - mostly anubias, Java fern and some marimo moss, which is currently home to a large female betta and 5 amano shrimp. The tank is 50x30x30cm, temperature is a constant 25C (77F). I was wondering if I could maybe add a small school of black neon tetras (about 6-7), or would that be considered overstocking? I've read conflicting information on these tetras - some sources say the minimum tank size should be 16 gallons, some say 10 is fine, and tbh I'm confused. These little gems have really caught my eye, but I wouldn't want to make them uncomfortable in a tank that's too small for them. Before you ask - no, I can't buy a bigger tank ;), and although I know that some micro-species of rasboras would be compatible with my setup, I must confess I'm not really a huge fan of them.
So, what do you guys think? Would a school of black neons be too much for my tank? If so, do you have any other tank mate suggestions (preferably ones I can see without taking out a microscope:lol:)?
Thanks in advance (y)
 
Can't speak to stocking requirements but I know that Rummynose Tetras are the go to for a fish that will actually school of you have the room for them and the red nose does make them sort of cute.
 
Your tank isn't big enough. If you want more fish I would upgrade to a 75 liter (20g) tank. Black neons are very active and get bigger than regular neon tetras.

What about ember tetras? Yes they are small but they are bright red.
 
Your tank isn't big enough. If you want more fish I would upgrade to a 75 liter (20g) tank. Black neons are very active and get bigger than regular neon tetras.
What about ember tetras? Yes they are small but they are bright red.
Thanks. That was kind of my hunch, but I'm glad someone cleared it up. I did consider ember tetras, my local lfs has them so it's definitely an option. Green neon tetras & neon green rasboras have also caught my eye, or maybe even a few male (wild type?) guppies or Endlers. Or maybe just inverts :D I briefly flirted with the idea of getting a few more female bettas and risking a sorority, but it seems like too much of a gamble, although the one I currently have seems relatively calm :D Or getting a male, and one or two more females, I've heard a group like that can - at least in theory - be kept in a tank this size (although again, a bit of a gamble, and then there's the risk of breeding, which is something I don't want). (I'm a bit wary of this, I've kept bettas for several years now, but never together.)

Anyway, I'm just kind of throwing ideas around at this point. I'm quite happy with the tank as it is, but I was thinking it would be nice to liven it up a bit (without overstocking). I was also thinking about a small group of African dwarf frogs (~5)? I've had my eye on them for a while, but I was reluctant to get them because I've heard that feeding them can be little problematic as they have rather specific dietary requirements :/
 
Can't speak to stocking requirements but I know that Rummynose Tetras are the go to for a fish that will actually school of you have the room for them and the red nose does make them sort of cute.
They do have a unique look, but as far as I know they get bigger than black neons and need an even bigger tank (upwards of 20gal)...
 
Groups of bettas are definitely a gamble. Some people have seen it work but in a small tank like yours it would be hard to create enough hiding spots etc. and if it doesn’t work you have a bunch of fish who all need separate tanks. (And if you can’t buy a bigger tank; having to get a bunch of smaller ones would probably be a no go too?)

Feeding frogs isn’t that hard; they prefer live food but will happily eat fish food pellets and frozen bloodworms etc. The thing to make sure of is that they are able to get to the food. Too many other fish in the tank and they won’t be able to eat before the fish snap everything up. You could always use live black worms if your lfs has them. They’ll survive in your gravel and the frog/fish can hunt them as they get hungry.

Most inverts like shrimp are likely to be smacked on by your betta. Amanos are bigger and a bit more aggressive so if the fish isn’t too persistent they might get left alone but smaller shrimp are mostly a snack in waiting. This does depend on your fish of course and if yours is used to and doesn’t bother the amanos you could try some smaller ghost shrimp to see how she reacts. If she leaves them alone you could risk some other kinds of dwarf shrimp. Nerites are great little betta tankmates and come in many delightful colors.

A school of little cories could add a lot of activity to the tank at the bottom where the betta probably doesn’t utilize the space much. If your lfs carries Pygmy cories they’re a real treat and you could have a good size school of them since they stay so small. They’ll rest and eat on the bottom but also swim around a lot midwater.
 
A school of little cories could add a lot of activity to the tank at the bottom where the betta probably doesn’t utilize the space much. If your lfs carries Pygmy cories they’re a real treat and you could have a good size school of them since they stay so small. They’ll rest and eat on the bottom but also swim around a lot midwater.
Would they be OK without a substrate? The tank is bare bottom, with just some driftwood, live plants, moss balls and almond leaves.
 
The pygmys probably. I put them in a tank with sand because they are cories but they swim more mid water and don’t seem to dig around in the substrate as much as other cories. As long as there is plenty of cover and plants and leaves to forage in they’d probably be happy.
 
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