Cories, Betta, And Plants

[Efishent]

Today I am going out to try to get a 5 gallon tank. Yesterday I got a butterfly betta, and he is very beautiful. However, I feel like the one gallon tank he is in is a bit too small. The filter was also too close to him and dragging him backwards. That's why I want the 5 gal. I was thinking that I could have a lightly planted side for the betta, and another side that was more heavily planted for cories. I was thinking maybe I could get away with 3 cories? I don't know if that is too many. However, my biggest question is concerning plants. I want to have a tank with real plants, no fake ones. The problem is that I don't know how to balance the co2 levels, and all the other things you need to have for plants to grow. And for one more minor question, does a fish tank have to be scrubbed down every once in a while, or is that completely covered by the filter? I don't want to have to put my hand in the same tank is my pictus catfish... he'd probably try to eat it.


EDIT: I did some research and it looks like cories might not be the best for my 5 gal. Now I'm wondering what I could put in it with no issues. Shrimp?

FINAL EDIT: I decided on maybe a 15 gal. Could this be big enough for a betta and 5-6 dwarf cories?

 

[Zante]

To be honest, if what you're looking for is a community tank I'd go no lower than 20 gallons, and even that I'd call a stretch.
 
15 gallons can be a lovely tank for a betta by himself, with a few snails and/or shrimps, as long as he's not a shrimp eater or the shrimps are larger ones like amanos.

 

[eaglesaquarium]

FINAL EDIT: I decided on maybe a 15 gal. Could this be big enough for a betta and 5-6 dwarf cories?

The biggest issue with a beta and dwarf cories is not the tank size, but the temperature. Bettas require warmer water than the cories. Warmer temps for the cories than preferred speeds their metabolism and leads to early death. Lower temp than the beta needs leads to fin rot. It's just not a good mix, regardless of the size of the tank.

Sterbai cories can handle those temps, but they are much larger than dwarfs, much too large for a 15 gallon tank.

 

[Efishent]

Ok. I can't even find dwarf cories in my area. I might just go with a bigger tank for my betta. Is there any way to tell if they eat shrimp, though? I still have my 1gal, should I stick with that? If no, I think I'm going for a 3 gal for my betta.

 

[Zante]

You either don't take the risk or try and see what happens. There's no other way because it varies from fish to fish.
 
If you go for larger shrimp such as the amanos I suggested above, those are too large to be bothered.
In any case, even if the betta won't hunt your adult shrimp, expect him to go down on the little ones.

 

[NickAu]

 
You either don't take the risk or try and see what happens. There's no other way because it varies from fish to fish.

 +1
 
 
I have red cherry shrimp with my Betta and they are breeding faster than she can eat them, They are not afraid of her and I rarely see her chase them any more.

 

[Zante]

I still have my 1gal, should I stick with that? If no, I think I'm going for a 3 gal for my betta.

 
Even if you're sticking to your betta by himself I still think 3 gallons is way too small.
I would consider a minimum to be 10 gallons.