I did it! Drax has tank mates!

[DormDrax]

... How does that all sound Drax?

.... Drax?
.....................

*Pokes water*

*Pulls up hand with only 4 fingers*

I don't think he likes the idea of moving to a new tank heh...
(Plus I don't have the room)


but how do I RESEARCH these fish... what do you think I'm asking you all for!

I'll return........ do I just put them all in the bag they came in? The other fish tomorrow.... well today (2:30am) ....... ugh.

I'll try 4 neons...

As for that substrate idea of yours Baylee............................. I'll keep it in mind if nothing works.

[LeroyTheBetta]

Sand would be a very good substrate for the cories, as trono said. One little thing it needs is a gentle little stir occasionally to release toxic gas bubbles that build up in it (it compacts and doesn't release these bubbles), but that's no big deal. Just run your finger slowly through the open areas is all you need to do, shouldn't stir it up much.

[DormDrax]

*Sighs*

I give up...

Tomorrow I'll return the fish and keep Drax in the vase...

Take the tank apart and give it a sand substrate.

OK... BUT...

It's a 10gal tank thats about... oh foot tall... maybe 14inchs... ish...

How MUCH sand like... bags... what kind... how deep... etc... >.>; how do I add water without creating a giant tank of mudd...

and... could I get the cories at this time and just keep them in a smaller container for the few hours this will take? (I hate going back and forth to the store) and... what are those sinking pellets they'll like called?

[DormDrax]

... I'll get some salt pepper cories...

Anyway...

I'm tired... and worn out.

Ciao for now. I'll check back in about 8hrs.

Danka! For All your concern!

[LeroyTheBetta]

[quote=DormDrax;686321but how do I RESEARCH these fish... what do you think I'm asking you all for!
I'll return........ do I just put them all in the bag they came in? The other fish tomorrow.... well today (2:30am) ....... ugh.
I'll try 4 neons...[/quote]


Hmm, how do you research these fish?... lol. Aww, c'mon! <gives DD a slap in return>

Ok, I'll take your question seriously.....

Google "tropical fish", or "tropical fish and bettas", or something similar. I just now googled "tropical fish types" and here are a few links that list lots of different fish and their requirements. You (should) already know your betta's requirements and you know what you have (as far as equipment) and what you're able to get in the future....

I didn't choose these links for any reason, I just had a quick look and they have lots of info:

http://www.justtropicalfish.com/A-Z_Common_Name.html
http://www.freshwater-tropical-fish-...ical-fish.html
http://www.marinemaster.com.au/Tipso...2/Default.aspx
http://www.thetropicaltank.co.uk/Fishindx/fishindx.htm

You can ask everyone.... but you are ultimately responsible for the choice and knowing what you're getting. Gee, life's hard, ain't it? lol Now get to work! :)

[LeroyTheBetta]

Peppered cories get to be about 3". They need to be in groups, too. Great little fish. Is 10 gal too small? IMO, yes. But good luck with your fish.

[LeroyTheBetta]

Originally Posted by DormDrax

and... what are those sinking pellets they'll like called?

Sinking pellets.

[trono]

Originally Posted by DormDrax

*Sighs*

I give up...

Tomorrow I'll return the fish and keep Drax in the vase...

Take the tank apart and give it a sand substrate.

OK... BUT...

It's a 10gal tank thats about... oh foot tall... maybe 14inchs... ish...

How MUCH sand like... bags... what kind... how deep... etc... >.>; how do I add water without creating a giant tank of mudd...

and... could I get the cories at this time and just keep them in a smaller container for the few hours this will take? (I hate going back and forth to the store) and... what are those sinking pellets they'll like called?

I believe the standard is about 1 pound per gallon, so (like I did) get about 10 pounds (the bag I bought was 20 pounds, so I used half of it and have leftovers). There are several types of sand you can get (google it) and you'll want to clean the sand thoroughly before you add it to the tank (I'd recommend removing the betta before the sand is added, as it will make the tank quite cloudy at first. Also, you'll want to turn the filter off as the sand will clog the impeller). Adding water won't create a tank of mud. The sand will get stirred up and the tank may be a little cloudy right after a water change but it will clear up shortly. Again, it is wise to turn off the filter when doing a water change in a tank with sand as it will clog the filter impeller.

I understand this post is somewhat vague, but just search about adding sand to an aquarium and you should find the info you need. And, of course, feel free to inquire further if the googled information seems confusing. I was very confused at first when researching sand.

The food I use for my cories is Omega One Sinking Shrimp Pellets.

And like someone else said, normal sized cories might be too big for a 10 gallon tank. If you can find them locally, I'd recommend some sort of dwarf cory and get about 5 or 6 of them (I have 6).

(As an aside, I bought white SuperNaturals sand from PetSmart. It is more expensive than other types of sand, but I really liked the look of it.)

[LeroyTheBetta]

I have Wardley's (brand name) Shrimp pellets. They sink and sort of bloat up and disintigrate. I'm not sure what brands are available in the US suited for cories, but I'm sure the shop will help you choose some.

My cories also vacuum up leftover food on the bottom..... they're in my community tank and there's a bit that falls down. They're omnivores and will eat whatever they get. I'm sure not much goes to waste in my tank as my cories and bn, as well as the mollies and neons are down there picking all the time. Nitrates are usually never higher than about 10 in this tank due to lots of plants and my fish pick up extra food.

Just keep an eye on your cories condition.... look that their abdominal area isn't too thin. Not sure what types and numbers of fish you'll have in your tank with them, but they may get some of their food stolen by your betta when he recognizes that the pellets are food! So, if the pellets appear to be eaten all the time, don't just automatically assume the cories are eating it.

[LeroyTheBetta]

I had been checking out sand for my future larger goldfish tank, as they like to take mouthfulls of the substrate and spit it out.... some say that gravel could possibly get stuck, so I thought sand might be better.

As trono said, rinse it very thoroughly. Get a bucket and put some sand in it. Do this outside as it could be too messy for an inside job, and unless you're cleaning it up yourself, I'm sure your mom will appreciate this gesture! :) So, fill bucket of sand with water and just vigorously mix the sand up with your hand for a minute, let it settle for a minute, then dump off most of the water. Fill again with water and repeat this many times until you see the water you're dumping is fairly clear. If you don't, you'll have masses of crap in your tank, and.... from remembering your past posts, you wouldn't like THAT! lol <DD shudders at this>