Betta/molly Compatibility

[GetItSahn]

Hi, If you're reading this then thank you for your time!
 
I just recently bought my first aquarium. I have a 29 gallon tank with a heater and Aqueon quiet filter. I bought two Black Mollys and 1 male betta 5 days after my tank had been setup. I asked for same sex mollys to prevent having babies. Little did i know that the woman at Petsmart gave me a male and female. Needless to say the female started to become very stressed out and shortly became covered in ich. According to a different woman at petsmart (who seems very intelligent) the black molly tank was contaminated with ich when i purchased the fish. I ended up taking back the very sick fish and the highly aggressive boy and got two female black mollies and two non-contaminated dalmation females. I have been treating the tank for about almost a week with Rid Ich and no fish have visible signs of ich. I would like to introduce more life into the tank pretty soon. So after i re-insert the carbon in the filter and all traces of medicine are gone...I would like to know what are some good fish/inverts that could go in my tank? i don't want tetras so please don't suggest those. It would be nice to have a pleco of some sort but i don't have the tank for a common one. I am open to top, mid level, or bottom swimmers. If anyone could give some reasons on why or why not to get a certain fish, shrimp, or snails i would appreciate it very much.
 
Also, my betta has an extremely calm disposition. Never chases or nips at any of my fish. i have a medium amount of silk plants, a cave, and some rocks with a gravel substrate.

 

[TallTree01]

How about some corydoras catfish? They're cute little catfish who like living in schools of seven and will eat sinking food like catfish pellets.
There are Plecos which can live in a 29 gallon. My favorite is the bristlenose Pleco. I have an albino one and he's dead gorgeous.

 

[GetItSahn]

thanks for replying TallTree. Cories sound like a great addition to my tank but i read you need to get at least 6 of them. i'm afraid it wouldn't leave room in my tank for other animals

 

[TallTree01]

If you get the dwarf varieties ( hastatus, hasbrosus, pygmaeus, panda ) you should still have ample room for other fishes with a nice school of 6-7 cories.

What other animals are you thingy by the way?

 

[GetItSahn]

I think the BN Pleco looks AWESOME. I'd like to get a school of cories, a brittlenose, and possibly some ghost shrimp.

 

[TallTree01]

That sounds like a good plan.

 

[Mylesmom08]

I have false juliies (sp?) and panda cories in my tank. They get along awesome with my Bettas and Bristlenose Pleco. I know Mollies are supposed to get along with Bettas, but before I bought my platies I got some Black and Dalmation Mollies and had to take them back the next day because they were attacking my Bettas. I traded them for some platies and now my tank is 100% peaceful!     So just keep an eye out. Then again, I know many people who keep Bettas and Mollys together just fine

 

[Blondielovesfish]

If you want cory's then I recommend that you get a sand substrate as gravel can sometimes damage their barbels.

Also, is your tank cycled?

 

[GetItSahn]

@Mylesmom08 i wanted platys myself but i heard that since some are bright colored the betta will go after them.
I had the same problem as you with my male molly, he always followed and tried to nip at my betta.
 
@Blondielovesfish i don't know if i want to go through the hassle of getting sand and replacing my current gravel. I might just have to miss out on the BN. Yes, my tank is cycled.

 

[Mylesmom08]

Yeah, bettas definitely can make choosing tank mates more difficult lol but as for what blondie was saying, the bristlenose doesn't need sand as he will be mostly on the glass or decorations, its the cories who need soft substrate, otherwise it can cause damage to their barbels and possibly their bellies, leading to infection and death.

 

[GetItSahn]

so i need to get sand to have cories? i obviously don't want to get them only for them to be unhealthy and die

 

[Mylesmom08]

Sand is definetely the best and most used with cories. You can find rounded river rocks or gravel too, however, these too can contain sharp edges and still hurt the cories. Popular, money friendly sand that can be used is pool filter sand (about $10 per 50 lbs) or play sand (about $3 per 50 lbs) if you do not perfer to spend the $20-50 sand at the LFS. Both must be rinsed really well and given a 48 period to 'settle' when added.

 

[GetItSahn]

alright, thanks for your help

 

[Mylesmom08]

No problem! I had the same issue. I wanted cories but had gravel. Its a pain switching, but it was so worth it! good luck!