[amelia98]

I am trying to decide what to put with my male betta in a 20 Gal long. When I first got him I also placed 6 inpaichthys kerri (royal tetras) in with him on the recommendation of the fish store owner. Within a week, 5 of them had died, we think it was a bacterial infection somehow, so we treated the tank. The last kerri tetra lasted for two months, before just dying this week. It managed to get sucked up onto the filter intake while I was getting a replacement sponge to place over it (it was overnight, I didn't realize it would get sucked up so quickly. I did notice the tetra and my betta would chase each other around the tank, but never any aggression/flaring by the betta, and no tail nipping by the tetra. It seemed more like socialization. I loved the kerri tetras but the fish store no longer has them in stock - I am scared to order them online. I would love to get Rummynoses but every time I have kept them they have died. Does anyone have any suggestions?

Some background, I am newish to the hobby, haven't been able to get into real plants yet as I can't keep them alive out of water haha. I originally had a 10 gal, that I kept about 5 neons and 3 red eye tetras in. I decided to upgrade them to a 20 gallon, but after the switch, they all died within a day or two - I think the move may have been too stressful. So after waiting a few months and letting the tank settle, I decided to start slow with the 6 Kerri tetras and the betta. Also my water has been tested multiple times at my fish store, and they cannot see anything wrong with any of the levels.
I have attached photos of my betta (Jerry) and the tetra before she died.

 

[fishowner550]

If you are still looking for suggestions i highly recommend corydora catfish. Of course its up to you and some bettas dont like corydoras. Hope that helps.

 

[amelia98]

Yes! I still need some suggestions on what I should do about the tank mates. I have thought about them, I just really like the look of colorful fish schooling about, which is why I'm so drawn to tetras, but maybe I could look more into the corys and see if I like them. Thanks!

 

[RussellTheShihTzu]

It would be best if you could figure out why the Tetra all died so you don't lose more. However, sometimes one never knows.

Would start out slow with one shoal (6+) of whatever you choose.

I have found at least six of the following do well with Betta in a 20 gallon:

Ember Tetra
Dwarf Moscow Guppies (males only unless you want a bunch)
Endlers (pure or hybrid) (again, males only)
Chili Rasbora or any other small Rasbora
Green Neon Tetras (less nippy than regular Neons)*
Habrosus Cory aka Salt and Pepper Cory (one of three dwarf Cory species)
Various of the larger Cory
Male Fancy Guppies

*regular Neons tend to direct aggression out of the shoal if it's less than 15+

There are really too many for me to list. Here is something that will help you decide if your tank is overstocked.

www.aquadvisor.com

 

[amelia98]

Okay, I’m not sure if there’s a way I’d be able to find out what killed the tetras, because our water quality was great, the temperature was great and the tank is well established. Maybe I will try bringing another sample of water to the local fish store, and see if there is anything at all. I did a treatment of triple sulfa on the tank after the first 5 tetras died, because the fish store owner couldn’t find anything wrong with out water quality, so he figured somehow it was a disease. But it was strange that the betta and one of the tetras were fine.

 

[RussellTheShihTzu]

Can you post a photo of the entire tank?

Sometimes when prey fish are put in with predators some individuals will stress to the point of weakening their immune systems. www.msjinkzed.com is one of this countries foremost authorities on Nano fish; she told me small prey fish should be in shoals of no fewer than 10-12 if kept with a predator.

I've had Betta community tanks for 40+ years....starting back when it was believed all Betta killed everything and could never be in communities. I have found a tank that is about 75% planted has the best chance of success. The only "clear" spot is in the front; back and sides are solidly planted. This assures the Betta and the other tank mates places to retreat.

 

[amelia98]

Okay, that makes a lot of sense. When I bought the tetras originally, I knew I wanted to have a larger group, but the fish store owner recommended against it because it could spike the nitrate levels by adding too many fish at once.

This is how it’s set up right now, I could probably add more of the plants before I get any new fish. I don't really know how to do live plants yet, I am assuming I would have to change the substrate to be smaller. I do have a bowl I could set up to place my betta in while changing things up if you think that would be beneficial. However, I do have aquarium salt in my water as well which I would have to get rid of in order to plant the tank. Or would getting more variety of fake plants be alright? I could buy enough to cover the sides and back of the tank.

 

[RussellTheShihTzu]

I order all my fish online so I often introduce 30+ to a tank. I dose with SeaChem Stability for eight days as if I were starting a cycle. On the bottle it notes it is good to use when introducing new fish to prevent overwhelming the nitrifying bacteria. I've not had a mini-cycle, cycle crash or increase in any parameters since starting. You might think about that. Just make sure to do the entire eight-day dosing: Double on Day 1 and normal Days 2-7.

I bought this plastic plant to see if it was soft enough for a Betta tank. It is.

MARINELAND Bamboo for Aquariums & Terrariums, 3-ft - Chewy.com

Buy Marineland Bamboo for Aquariums & Terrariums, 3-ft at Chewy.com. FREE shipping and the BEST customer service!

www.chewy.com

 

[amelia98]

Okay thank you so much for your advice! I will look into that SeaChem Stability. Do you do that 8 days and then add your new fish? Or while you add the new fish? I will look into getting that plastic plant, I think I could make that work!

 

[RussellTheShihTzu]

Sorry for the delay. Add the Stability when you add the new fish. It helps the nitrifying bacteria cope with the added bioload.