need help on territory

[WhiteDevil]

Ok here is a rundown

1 betta
2 angels
3 peppered cories
3 black kuhlis
6 neons
3 serpaes


what can I do to keep the peace in the tank? I am planting live plants in the tank to help with softness and fins however I need to do something to give my betta its territory.

What should I do? plant the plants heavily in one corner of the tank?
should I get rid of the serpae's? ( they chase eachtoher around the tank but make no contact) or what?

I did remove plants plastic ones to please the wife now I have onery fish.

I can replace the plants I took out but then again they are plastic and defeats my purpose.

I cant pinpoint if its the cories or the serpaes causing all the headache in there but something is telling me the serpaes are responsible for the hostility in the tank. help please

water parameters are O/O amm and nitrite, nitrAte is at 20ppm I think maybe 15ppm and the Ph is at 8.2 this morning.

The Ph is fine, im not adjusting it at all, spent 50 bucks trying and nothing yet the high Ph has caused me to lose NO fish while it was at 7.0 I lost 4 fish.

 

[HN1]

What size tank is this?

The angels and serpaes aren't really good tank mates for a betta. They simply nip, it's in their nature. Also, the angels once larger will feed on neons. The more plants the better. Good call on leaving the pH alone. Artificially adjusting it seems to almost always cause trouble. If the fish are fine and the pH is stable, don't sweat the number.

 

[WhiteDevil]

they are even more stable at an 8.6 they are calmer


See thats where I have heard ALOT of wrong, bettas and angels are suppsoed to make great tank mates, im not even having an issue with the angels and I keep more then enough protein in there where fin nipping isnt an issue as a lack of protein.

I though my peppered were eating my bettas tail and again last night after a few hours of observation the cories are using the bettas tail for a bull towel( red thing that pisses a bull off) thats the only way I can describe it.

Ive had no fin loss, no fights since I got rid of the rainbow shark about a month ago, just alot of hostility it seems.

its a 26g
yes I know too small for angels already got that plan scribed before the angels were purchased. I like angels and 26g is all I can have right now due to the wife's dictatorship( married men know this all too well) so my LFS does show tanks and ponds ect, for businesses and hotels he will take my angels on trade and set me up with smaller ones. I get em big he uses them like I said for displays ect.

the only numbers I worry about are the nitrite and the ammonia. its very well established and all oh wel I think I need to go pick up my plants they should be ready for the tank this morning.

 

[WhiteDevil]

ok did some research again.

serpaes are down right mean little fish, my angels are starting to show parts of their tail missing, Im waiting on my buddy to call me back he has a 20long with some tiger barbs and a red tail, do you think this move is wise since they will be with other fish of their same behavior?

 

[HN1]

They'd be better off with the barbs and red tail IMO. No fish are "mean" (well, I did have a vicious gold ram from hades), they just behave do what's in their nature.

 

[WhiteDevil]

Its a 10g he has with 5 barbs and one red tail, he turned it down, but tried ever so hard to plead his case for a much larger tank, not sure it worked we will see when he calls me later to come set it up.

I am giving all my tetras to my LFS( its petsmart but its the person not the store getting em) today when I get back from the county sheriff's office( got a summons waiting for my kids). I am thinking I will then turn around and pick up the plants and plant the tank tonight.

I do not have my CO2 reactor up yet, how long can the plants go without the CO2( sunday is when it gets installed)?

I know its off but i figure its my thread and since I got alot of questions now not to make new ones and get the answers here.

Is there any certain way to arrange the plants in the tank or just put em here I like but compromise and make thick cover for the fish?

I know its behavior but im sticking to laymans terms so everyone can understand.

There are some mean fish out there. its nature but its still anger( just got done with Anger Management courses so I got alot of new twists on things LOL, what a joke. LOL.)

 

[HN1]

Its a 10g he has with 5 barbs and one red tail, he turned it down, but tried ever so hard to plead his case for a much larger tank, not sure it worked we will see when he calls me later to come set it up.

I am giving all my tetras to my LFS( its petsmart but its the person not the store getting em) today when I get back from the county sheriff's office( got a summons waiting for my kids). I am thinking I will then turn around and pick up the plants and plant the tank tonight.

I do not have my CO2 reactor up yet, how long can the plants go without the CO2( sunday is when it gets installed)?

I know its off but i figure its my thread and since I got alot of questions now not to make new ones and get the answers here.

Is there any certain way to arrange the plants in the tank or just put em here I like but compromise and make thick cover for the fish?

I know its behavior but im sticking to laymans terms so everyone can understand.

There are some mean fish out there. its nature but its still anger( just got done with Anger Management courses so I got alot of new twists on things LOL, what a joke. LOL.)

The plants will be fine without CO2 for awhile if the tank is high light / high nutrient. Longer or for good if lower light. The aquascape is entirely up to you. Check out the photo galleries and get some ideas and then go with what YOU like.

Whether or not fish experience emotions is not a debate that I care to enter. Some species are nippy because on their natural schooling habits, some are boisterous, some ambush hunt, etc.

I did have a Gold ram (nice peaceful community species right?) that killed EVERYTHING he was housed with including angels and cories. That little... :censor:

 

[WhiteDevil]

I fish ALOT, have learned alot from it as to behavior and instinct patterns in different fish. Ill leave it at that. That ram must of had ambitions to be a human postal worker.