Need Suggestions on Tank Mates please!

[Oldman47]

I have kept lots of small fish with my bettas. Right now I have platies, otos, shrimp and cories with them but I have kept other small fish as well. If your other fish are not excessively flashy and not very nippy, they should be fine.

[willow]

Originally Posted by okiemavis

Lol- I read that link flashy. Why yes, 1 angelfish and 1 betta in a 10 gallon seems like a great mix- NOT! I can't imagine someone keeping angels and bettas together in a properly sized tank, never mind one that's waaay too small for the angel.

you think that's bad how about someone keeping angel fish with dwarf puffers
even when i tried to help her she still carried on with her purchase
along with the help of the young employee.

[SST]

When calculating the bio load, apple (mystery) snails generally need about 2.5 gals of their own.

[Togiran]

Okay. 2.5 for the Snail. I have no idea how much the Betta takes up, or how much the cories will take up. Help please!

[okiemavis]

Well, there's no exact science. You should just start slow and work your way up, monitoring your water parameters throughout. There are experienced fish keepers who keep tanks that some people are shocked to hear about- but you really can't judge the tank without knowing the filtration and water change regimen. There is are clearly overstocked tanks, but many are just full and could be judged either way.

Nothing about stocking 1 betta, 1 snail and a shoal of cories in a 10 gallon tank makes me uncomfortable, and it seems that other experienced fish keepers on this site agree. I think this is perfectly reasonable for your tank and long as you give it the proper maintenance, and wouldn't really try to calculate the 'exact bioload' and there is no such way to calculate that.

[Togiran]

Thanks for the advice okiemavis. I chance 25% of my water every other day or so.

I'm having a problem finding pygmy cories though. I literately called 15 fish stores and none of them have pygmy cories. Am I getting the name wrong or something?

[okiemavis]

There are a few different kinds of pygmy cories, although the stores will probably know what you're talking about if you just say pygmy. I know my LFS almost always has one kind in stock. Most good LFS will order some for you if you ask.