betta with neon tetras and pygmy corys?

[MrFantastic74]

I know that a male betta can be housed with a school of neon tetras OR a school of corys (or any other non-aggressive fish that does not have long flowing fins), but what about with two schools: neon tetras AND pygmy corys? Would this be asking for trouble? Has anyone housed a betta with multiple schools with success?

I have an 11.5 gallon tank with lots of silk plants and places to hide and low current. I currently have seven neons (I had more but a few died due to ich, but that's been taken care of and it's been a few weeks since) and I'm thinking about adding some pygmy corys (maybe six) and a male betta. If this is doable, in what order should I add the new fish to avoid stress and aggression?

I understand that all bettas are different, and if there are any problems at all, I will return it to the shop.

 

[Mebbid]

They should all be fine together disregarding the fact that some bettas are psychotic.

As to the order, I would add the pygmy corys last simply because they are more sensitive.

 

[erla]

Be careful... My Betta ate 2 of my pygmy cories. I've learned that he is not good with tank mates!

 

[MrFantastic74]

I checked the aqadvisor bioload calculator to check on stocking, and a warning popped up that said bettas shouldn't be housed with more than one school. I wonder why?

I just noticed some territorial behavior in my neons last night. Could it be because their bigger school (pre-ich) has been reduced to seven and they feel stressed now? If that's the case, should I opt for a bigger school of neons instead of adding the corys? Or do you think that the presence of other fish, especially the betta will make them more docile again?

I do worry about the betta being a bully/murderer. Is there any way to gauge it's aggression level in the shop before buying?

 

[Tropical Aquarist]

7 neons is still a good size, and they do spar a bit, but they won't hurt each other. I would add 7-8 of the pigmy cories, but first the betta.

It's hard to tell with the bettas, it's best to get the youngest and then monitoring him very closely after adding him.

Aqadvisor is just a tool, it's not perfect...

 

[MrFantastic74]

Thanks for the advice. I'll go ahead and add the betta first and see how it goes. If all is well, I'll add the corys.

Can anyone recommend some good floating plants that don't require lots of light OR some nice looking floating silk plants/ leaves? I want the betta and neons to feel as comfy as possible.

 

[Tropical Aquarist]

Dwarf water lettuce is the best! It grows fast and sucks up nitrates!

I'm throwing it away weekly, if your in the US, I can send you a huge amount! (just pay shipping, which is $5-6)....

 

[MrFantastic74]

Dwarf water lettuce is the best! It grows fast and sucks up nitrates!

I'm throwing it away weekly, if your in the US, I can send you a huge amount! (just pay shipping, which is $5-6)....

I would love to use dwarf water lettuce, but I can't seem to find it anywhere near me. Thanks for the offer, but I'm in Canada, and I think shipping plants across the border would be difficult without permits, etc. That would have been totally great though!

 

[Tropical Aquarist]

I would love to use dwarf water lettuce, but I can't seem to find it anywhere near me. Thanks for the offer, but I'm in Canada, and I think shipping plants across the border would be difficult without permits, etc. That would have been totally great though!

Aww too bad! Yeah shipping to Canada from the US is expensive...

Hope you find some! Water Sprite also does great floating... Have you checked eBay? Might be something there.

 

[Luananeko]

A great trick to test which betta is likely to tolerate tank mates best: Take their cup over to the tanks where the fish you're considering are in (assuming the betta is in a cup). Hold it up to the glass and see what he does. If the bettas are housed in tanks with other fish already, that's usually a sign they've already passed the "community tank candidate" test.

If he flares and gets agitated, pass on him and try a different one. If he shows interest in the activity but doesn't flare, dance, or seem otherwise aggressive, he should be a good community tank candidate. If he shies away and hides on the far side of the cup he probably is too shy for a community. If he just doesn't care at all then he's either super laid back and placid or not feeling well.

Younger bettas are generally more adaptable and less likely to have issues, while older ones are usually more set in their ways and too used to being alone.

Hope this helps

 

[Tropical Aquarist]

A great trick to test which betta is likely to tolerate tank mates best: Take their cup over to the tanks where the fish you're considering are in (assuming the betta is in a cup). Hold it up to the glass and see what he does. If the bettas are housed in tanks with other fish already, that's usually a sign they've already passed the "community tank candidate" test.

If he flares and gets agitated, pass on him and try a different one. If he shows interest in the activity but doesn't flare, dance, or seem otherwise aggressive, he should be a good community tank candidate. If he shies away and hides on the far side of the cup he probably is too shy for a community. If he just doesn't care at all then he's either super laid back and placid or not feeling well.

Younger bettas are generally more adaptable and less likely to have issues, while older ones are usually more set in their ways and too used to being alone.

Hope this helps

I don't know about that completely, the betta will be surprised and definitely flare a few times to scare of these new comers since he's been isolated for quite a while.... Know what I mean?

 

[Luananeko]

I don't know about that completely, the betta will be surprised and definitely flare a few times to scare of these new comers since he's been isolated for quite a while.... Know what I mean?

Sometimes, but its the method I've used for the last 20 years and have had pretty good results (only one passed the initial test then decided to snap at tankmates later, and that was a female. All my males have proven reliable). You run the risk of putting back a betta that could calm down with time, but I figure better to err on the side of caution.

 

[Mebbid]

Sometimes, but its the method I've used for the last 20 years and have had pretty good results (only one passed the initial test then decided to snap at tankmates later, and that was a female. All my males have proven reliable). You run the risk of putting back a betta that could calm down with time, but I figure better to err on the side of caution.

Just like anything you have to monitor the behavior and health of your fish. Many fish are perfectly fine but will get grumpy with age. You're also never going to see their natural behavior when you're swinging them around in a cup with your big giant hand surrounding them and huge face leering at them.

By and large most bettas are perfectly fine with other fish, the psychos are the rarity.

 

[MrFantastic74]

Aww too bad! Yeah shipping to Canada from the US is expensive...

Hope you find some! Water Sprite also does great floating... Have you checked eBay? Might be something there.

I've tried eBay and other online sources without success. I will contact the local shops and try to get some leads.

 

[MrFantastic74]

I will try to gauge the relative aggression of the bettas as best I can before I chose one. Ultimately, though, I'll probably just chose the prettiest healthiest one and hope for the best.