When to introduce tankmates

[eMel]

Hey all!

I was wondering about when it should be safe to add more lifeforms to my betta's tank. I added him this past Tuesday and while the pet store where I bought him advised not adding anything else to his tank, they also suggested waiting two weeks if I insisted. My first planned additions are going to be a pair of ghost shrimp. The water as it stands now is just fine Ph-wise as well as Nitrite and Nitrate, though the General and Carbonate Hardness are high given the newness of the biowheel. Also, the water is near crystal clear aside from the occasional slight cloud that sometimes passes by near the surface.

So, should I wait two weeks or might it be safe to cut that in half and add the shrimp one week after Sir Max's introduction?

eMel

[doggyhog]

What size is the tank?

[eMel]

It's a 12-gallon tank.

[doggyhog]

I'd say, Go for it!! You could also get some Cories, a 12 gallon tank is great for a Betta, ghost shrimp, and 3-4 cories!

[eMel]

I'm definitely putting all of those in together, I'm just a tad concerned I might alter conditions too far if I add them too early.

[eMel]

Well, I could not resist and bought a pair of ghost shrimp a little while ago and Sir Max's discovery that he had tankmates was interesting!

Max was doing his usual patrol along the length of the tank near the bottom when I noticed him take a turn and head back under a plant very slowly, back where I had seen one of the shrimp under the heater. I peeked around and Max was flared up, his side fins a blur, as he backed the shrimp into the corner, next to the filter intake. Max got close enough to nibble on one of the shrimp's antenna, which caused the shrimp to jump onto the intake cover. Max coasted to where the shrimp had been, and the shrimp then jumped over Max's back and landed behind him.

That's when the other shrimp, who was exploring, came around the corner and joined the chaos. Max turned and now there are *two* new things in his tank. He approached them, they split up, and Max simply swam away, leaving them totally alone.

Now Max is simply patrolling again, passing them and while he can't miss seeing them, he has not made a move towards them since that one nibble, so it looks like my tank is going to be a peaceful place. :)