Ember Tetras Vs Pygmy Corys

[Georgia_ofthejungle]

I currently have a 40 litre tank with an apple snail, and a veil tail betta. My betta is pretty placid, and when I use to have mollies and platies he was fine with them.
 
I am wanting to get either a school of ember tetras or pygmy corys, but I'm wondering which one? I have sand substrate so my tank is ideally set up for either of the two. It would be a school of 8 fish.
 
So which one is going to be better for me? My tank currently has one piece of drift wood and 3 silk plants in it, planning on getting more though especially when I have my school.

 

[eaglesaquarium]

Well, your tank isn't really suited for both.  Pygmy cories are fish that prefer cooler temps than the betta.  The ember tetras would be more appropriate, but I've never kept them with a betta.  The color of the tetra might actually cause the betta to be 'less placid'.
 
I'd mention that a 40 L tank is way too small for a mollies or platies.

 

[Chad]

I would recommend the pygmy cory for that size of tank. Even though the embers are small they do tend to like a lot of swimming room. I generally recommend 20 gallons for them rather than 10.

I've got a dozen of the pygmy and they are great fish. I've found they do well at tropical temps. I keep mine at 76-78 depending on time of year.

 

[eaglesaquarium]

The concern I have, tcamos, is the bettas can be susceptible to fin rot with the temps under 80.  I keep my bettas at 81F.

 

[Georgia_ofthejungle]

My tank is set at 26 degrees celcius, I haven't had any problems with fin rot

 

[Chad]

The concern I have, tcamos, is the bettas can be susceptible to fin rot with the temps under 80.  I keep my bettas at 81F.

I really don't think that's a worry for him. I realize Arizona has naturally warmer temperatures but I've actually never kept a betta in warmer than 78 degrees. For me in that environment fin rot has never been a problem. I'm wondering if dirty water is really the deciding factor in that equation perhaps with the temperature just being a exacerbating factor. But really, from my experience that's not an issue for either fish. 

 

[eaglesaquarium]

Lower temperatures do tend to retard the fish's immune system, so you could be correct.  

 

[Byron]

I would not add the Ember Tetra, or indeed any "upper" fish.  Aside from the space (and I agree with whomever said this 10g is too small for platys), past behaviour is not always consistent when different fish are introduced.  And with characins, you enter another reverse issue, fin nipping.  All characins have lots of teeth, and they will use them; the flowing fins of a male Betta may be a temptation too great.  And such behaviour is intensified the smaller the space.
 
Pygmy corys might be OK, provided the temperature is kept no higher than 76F.  Adult pygmy corys should be able to stay out of the Betta's way when surfacing for air, and as corys do not have teeth, you don't need to worry about fin nipping.
 
I consider male Betta to be stand-alone fish; they are beautiful enough to deserve their own home.
 
Byron.

 

[HAMBONE]

My tank is set at 26 degrees celcius, I haven't had any problems with fin rot

we all know that things are different on the other side of the equator.. toilets flushing backwards and the like.. There was a reason J.L Tolken filmed The Hobbit in New Zealand.. You guys still has dragons, and eels that kill people..
 
https/www.youtube.com/watch?v=_H_gulX0NVA