Betta with Pygmy Corys?

[gabrielle7mc]

Hello all!
I recently revived my ten-gallon tank after several years of disuse, and decided to bring home a betta fish. He's a very shy little fellow so far. I love him, and I wouldn't want to cause him stress (or stress any other fish), so I want some second opinions--would adding pygmy corydoras be a bad idea? I've been keeping fish since I was seven, but I've never had a betta tank, and I don't know exactly how they fit into a community, if they do at all (I've read many, many conflicting articles on bettas and community tanks). Does anyone have any thoughts about pygmys and bettas, or about other possible tankmates?

 

[Byron]

Generally speaking, a Betta is not a community fish. It should be maintained in its own tank. Non-fish creatures like shrimp and snails are fine (some Betta might see shrimp as food) but no fish. Generally.

This is important from two perspectives. Betta are bred to be overly aggressive, and while individual fish can vary, they frequently take exception to other fish sharing their space. The other aspect is the other fish; many small shoaling fish will see the flowing fins of a sedate Betta as something to nip, and this stresses the Betta as well as damages its fins.

Having said that, fish like pygmy cories may sometimes work, because they are not colourful, they tend to remain lower down, and they will certainly not fin nip. But it is still a risk, as individual Betta may see things differently. Pygmy cories do spend more time in the upper water than many cories, and this can be an issue for the Betta.

My advice is to keep a Betta alone, as this is certainly better. Risking fish is not responsible.

Byron.

 

[gabrielle7mc]

Generally speaking, a Betta is not a community fish. It should be maintained in its own tank. Non-fish creatures like shrimp and snails are fine (some Betta might see shrimp as food) but no fish. Generally.

This is important from two perspectives. Betta are bred to be overly aggressive, and while individual fish can vary, they frequently take exception to other fish sharing their space. The other aspect is the other fish; many small shoaling fish will see the flowing fins of a sedate Betta as something to nip, and this stresses the Betta as well as damages its fins.

Having said that, fish like pygmy cories may sometimes work, because they are not colourful, they tend to remain lower down, and they will certainly not fin nip. But it is still a risk, as individual Betta may see things differently. Pygmy cories do spend more time in the upper water than many cories, and this can be an issue for the Betta.

My advice is to keep a Betta alone, as this is certainly better. Risking fish is not responsible.

Byron.

Thank you very much!! I was thinking along those lines--my boy seems quite happy alone in his new tank.

 

[Tyler_Fishman]

Never had a problem with keeping
Bettas and pygmy cories, the only time the bettas interacted with my pygmy cories is when I first put them in the tank, a little curiosity chase, but it died down after a minute and the bettas never even looked at them again.

 

[NickAu]

I don't know exactly how they fit into a community

It depends on the Betta, I have found Plakats to be the most highly strung. Some Bettas are fine with tank mates some are not, the type of tank mate is irrelevant.

I know of Bettas that live with Guppies without a problem, and I had a male Crowntail that would even attack my fingers, He killed a BN pleco, I have also had a male who happily lived with a big colony or red cherry shrimp, I once had a female who lived with Hengali Rasboras for about 4 months, then she just snapped and killed 3 in the space of a few hours.

If you think keeping 1 Betta is fun, Try keeping 4 female Bettas, 5 Kuhli Loaches, A Mystery Snail and a bunch of cherry shrimp all in 1 tank. Check it out here My sorority rebuild



Can you post a photo of the fish and the tank,

 

[Tyler_Fishman]

It depends on the Betta, I have found Plakats to be the most highly strung. Some Bettas are fine with tank mates some are not, the type of tank mate is irrelevant.

I know of Bettas that live with Guppies without a problem, and I had a male Crowntail that would even attack my fingers, He killed a BN pleco, I have also had a male who happily lived with a big colony or red cherry shrimp, I once had a female who lived with Hengali Rasboras for about 4 months, then she just snapped and killed 3 in the space of a few hours.

If you think keeping 1 Betta is fun, Try keeping 4 female Bettas, 5 Kuhli Loaches, A Mystery Snail and a bunch of cherry shrimp all in 1 tank. Check it out here My sorority rebuild



Can you post a photo of the fish and the tank,

Ive had two females live together in a 10 gal

 

[NickAu]

I have 4 females living together.

 

[Tyler_Fishman]

I have 4 females living together.

Great steup