Really want a betta friend

[Francis2122]

Greetings everyone, I am new to this website and reletively new to fish keeping and need some help. So I really want to add a betta to my aquarium and I have a few questions.

1. I have a 10 gallon tank with 4 albino corys and 3 ghost shrimp. I was wondering if I could add a betta and have them coexist?
2. I have read some fourms on here and saw that bettas require slow water movement. The filtration system I have in my tank is for a 20 to 30 gallon. Is that way to powerfull for a betta? If so can you please recomend what type of filtration system I should get.
3. This kind of falls in with #2. I have a bubble maker should I remove it?
4. I have also read that bettas can easily contract fungal infections. What can I do to prevent this from happening?
-this also is part of #4. This is worst case scenerio. I have my beta and it gets a fungal infection. I have read that a salt bath helps but my corys are extremely scensitive to salt, is there any other way to treat the infection with out harming my corys. Again this is just for precaution.

I have always wanted a betta. I went into a petsmart the other day and saw them stacked ontop of each other in cups most dead,hurt, or dying. It made me really mad, I want to at least resuce one. I really want to provide my future buddy with a nice home. So any help will be greatly appriciated

-Peace

[Littlebittyfish]

IMO, i think they usually are pretty compatible...however...some bettas are more aggressive then others so it may be wise to have a backup plan just in case.I have peppered corys with my one betta and they get along great...The only issue i have had is keeping my betta away from the corys food! bettas are such pigs!
The filter you have should be fine as long as you baffle it..there are two ways to do that...with a water bottle or an aquarium sponge.I use a sponge rubber banded infront of the outtake to slow the flow.
http://www.bettafish.com/showthread.php?t=30139
page 4 has a picture of aquarium sponge baffle.
incase of betta getting sick it is a good idea to have a quaratine of some sort..You can use the cup he comes in to treat him in with 100% daily water changes..Or you can set up a separate tank for treatment. I use a one gallon critter keeper for treating sick fish. I think it is easier to do 100% water changes on.

[Sakura8]

Originally Posted by Francis2122

Greetings everyone, I am new to this website and reletively new to fish keeping and need some help. So I really want to add a betta to my aquarium and I have a few questions.

1. I have a 10 gallon tank with 4 albino corys and 3 ghost shrimp. I was wondering if I could add a betta and have them coexist?
2. I have read some fourms on here and saw that bettas require slow water movement. The filtration system I have in my tank is for a 20 to 30 gallon. Is that way to powerfull for a betta? If so can you please recomend what type of filtration system I should get.
3. This kind of falls in with #2. I have a bubble maker should I remove it?
4. I have also read that bettas can easily contract fungal infections. What can I do to prevent this from happening?
-this also is part of #4. This is worst case scenerio. I have my beta and it gets a fungal infection. I have read that a salt bath helps but my corys are extremely scensitive to salt, is there any other way to treat the infection with out harming my corys. Again this is just for precaution.

I have always wanted a betta. I went into a petsmart the other day and saw them stacked ontop of each other in cups most dead,hurt, or dying. It made me really mad, I want to at least resuce one. I really want to provide my future buddy with a nice home. So any help will be greatly appriciated

-Peace

If you're going to rescue a sad Petsmart betta, then you'll want to pick up that critter keeper while you're there. Your betta will most likely need to go straight into a hospital/QT tank for salt treatment and recovery before he's introduced to his new friends.

Also, you'll want a small heater for the hospital tank, if you can. I assume with your corys that you have a heater for your 10g? 78-79 degrees farenheit would be ideal for your corys and your betta.

As long as your bubblemaker doesn't cause too much current, you could keep it. But if you're in doubt, you can remove it.

Hmm, about the ghost shrimp. Some betta owners who tried to keep ghost shrimp with their bettas experienced the "Disappearing Ghost Shrimp" phenomenon. This is where the ghost shrimp population shrinks day by day while the betta gets fatter and fatter . . . just be aware that if you're really attached to your ghost shrimp, you may want to move them to their own tank before your betta makes a meal out of them.

Good luck! Be sure to post pics of your new betta. Oh, and welcome to the forum. Glad to have you.

[Francis2122]

Great, thank you both for the information. It was really helpful