Size of tank for betta + friends?

[FishBag]

I'm thinking of starting out my first live plant freshwater aquarium, but I'm not sure what size tank to start looking for. My planned community is as follows:


- 1-2 female bettas

- a school of 10 neon tetras

- a kuhli loach (I'm also open to suggestions on other loaches that are cool w/ bettas!)

- a pygmy cory

- some mystery snails, probably 2 but I have to do more research


I was thinking that a 30 gallon tank would be about the right size for everybody, but does that seem too small?

[SaraB]

Both pygmy corydoras and loaches need to be in schools of 6. I would also do just 1 or the other not both. 20g-30g should be the size you will want to look at. Long is better than tall but the talls come in kits.

[FishBag]

Cool, thanks for your advice!! I wasn’t aware that they like being in a group. Is there any reason to go for 20 over 30, or other than having less weight?

[SaraB]

Nope, go for the biggest tank you can afford/fit.
No problem, they are technically schooling fish so the more you have the safer they feel.

[HannahJo]

Also, be aware, even female bettas can become aggressive and fight one another. Be mindful of this and keep an eye on how they do with each other. Good luck!

[TTUHoopsFans]

Not to high jack this thread, but I have a 40 gallon tank that is more of a cube shape, I guess this is called a tall tank? Are there any fish I should stay away from for this type of tank? I believe in one of my visits to the aquarium stores, they told me to stay away from cichlids since they need the long spaces to swim.

[SaraB]

Yeah, most cichlids (you might be able to keep dwarf cichlids), swordtails and larger schooling fish.
You could do livebearers such as mollies, platys or guppies.