New Member & Betta Here!

[little_mermaid]

Well I am going to the pet store to look into getting a Cory. I will see how Loretta treats it, and if they get along, great; if not, well I'll make sure I can return it.

Some of ya'll say yes, others say no...I guess the only way to find out is to just give it a shot.

 

[lilfishie]

your tank isn't big enough for a cory and they need to be kept in groups

 

[little_mermaid]

your tank isn't big enough for a cory and they need to be kept in groups

Well if you read above others think it would be perfectly fine.

 

[SharonCC]

Yes, groups, and a cycled tank, that has been stable for three months. It may be hard to keep an overstocked 3 gal. tank stable, and the Cory won't do well.

 

[lilfishie]

well from keeping cories myself they can be very fragile, i started with 6, then 3 died, so got 2 more and they have now died, they are very sensitive fish and need very mature tanks, my tank has been running for over 6 months, if your really set on getting anything a snail or African Dwarf Frog are the only options for a tank that size

 

[SharonCC]

I just finished reading your other post, and your tank has just been set up. Did you read about cycling, as suggested there? You definitely should NOT add more fish. You may have trouble with Loretta, if you don't test water, and do necessary water changes. Brittany, everyone is just trying to help, so Loretta stays well...

 

[lilfishie]

have a read though THIS! and follow the instructions

 

[little_mermaid]

I just finished reading your other post, and your tank has just been set up. Did you read about cycling, as suggested there? You definitely should NOT add more fish. You may have trouble with Loretta, if you don't test water, and do necessary water changes. Brittany, everyone is just trying to help, so Loretta stays well...

I understand and I appreciate it. And I will not be getting anymore fish as of right now. I just got done reading about cycling, and in ways it's helpful, but I am still a bit confused- it's not all fitting together for me. I have had Bettas for most of my life and all of ours have done well; and they were kept in bowls without filters, temp. gages, etc. Our Bettas lived for 2+ years too. SoOo I am not used to all of this. This is the first time that I recall of ever having a Betta in a filtered tank. I am doing the best I can (and afford).

 

[SharonCC]

Bettas are pretty hardy fish, and Loretta should be fine while the tank is cycling. The problem is if you were to add tankmates, increasing the Ammonia produced before the filter can handle it. Once the tank is cycled, then you can consider what fish you might like to add....although it will have to be chosen carefully, as the tank is so small. I'd love to see some pics of Loretta...

 

[ReMz]

I think you are misconstruing what we are telling you are compatible tank mates and tank mates that are compatible for your tank.

There are quite a few fish that might work with a betta (some bettas don't like anything). With 3 gallons I would honestly stick to 2 Otos. They are very small and don't have ridiculous requirements.

Consider just having a betta in there though. 3 gallons is not a lot, even for a single betta fish.

 

[sb_onefish]

I would just stick with Loretta in that size of tank. I have a 2.5 gallon, very similar size to yours. It has in-tank filter, heater, one plant and a rock tunnel, and it's full. There is one male betta in there and even with the filter, I sometimes have to do water changes more than once a week to remove ammonia. Sorry this probably isn't what you want to hear. You seem really disappointed that you shouldn't have more fish in this tank, but you asked for advice and everyone is giving you their best advice, probably learned the hard way.

 

[LauraFrog]

Just because the tank might be able to handle the bioload of one or two more fish doesn't mean you should add them. Mollies are definitely not suitable for a tank this small, and neither are platies. I would not recommend keeping either in less than 7 or 8 gallons (and keeping mollies in less than 20 is madness IMO). Also, mollies are brackish fish and need a considerable amount of salt in the water which Loretta will not appreciate. A cory cat kept alone, or tetras kept in groups on one or two, will be miserable. They need the company of their own kind to thrive. A three gallon tank is too small for any tankmates except the fish I suggested in my last post, but I did forget the catfish - otocinclus, two or three, would be suitable, as would dwarf cories. If you have your heart set on keeping corydoras, I would recommend getting three of C. habrosus, C. hastatus or C. pygmaeus. These are only a few cms' long when full grown but still need to be kept in groups. They are also sensitive to water quality and I would not normally recommend them to a beginner, but if you have kept bettas for a long time and are used to changing water you should be fine. It is cruel to keep a large cory (some can reach 10cm) in a three gallon tank, especially without the company of its own kind.

Have you considered a second tank? Even a 7 or 8 gallon (preferably a 10 or 20 though) would allow you to keep a small group of tetras or one male betta in the three, and then move Loretta into the larger tank. That way you could keep multiple females, and a larger tank is also a lot more flexible with tankmates. You could consider keeping some of the smaller 'big corys' - not the large ones like C. paleatus, but not true dwarfs either. Because it's easier to maintain the water quality in a larger tank, it's also safer to overstock it - IF you are certain you can handle the water changes.

 

[little_mermaid]

Well I appreciate everyones comments. I wouldn't say I'm really disappointed, though I did get excited when I learned of potential tank mates. But I love Loretta and I'm content with having just her in her tank. Besides, I honestly don't have the time right now for worrying about other fish producing harmful things. If money and time wasn't an option, I would be all for getting more tanks- larger tanks; so that I could have a nice display of fish; but that's going to have to be down the road 'cause I got a horse to care for that takes up most of my time, energy, and paycheck!

As of right now, the only thing I'm concerned about and trying to comprehend is all this cycling business. When I went to the pet store today, I saw the kit that someone on this forum had mentioned, and it was 30 bucks! One of the gals that was working in the fish department said that the kit was too much of a hassle and that I should stick to test strips...I'm just hoping this all comes out to be "painless" and not so expensive! I ended up getting nothing to test my water 'cause I had no clue what to get! And even if I did get it, I wouldn't know how to do it! Blah! I'm sure I could eventually figure it out, but I'm no expert when it comes to chemistry!

 

[ReMz]

No worries. you don't absolutely have to monitor the water if you are performing regular water changes.

If money is that tight, just be diligent about keeping the water clean. The all-in-one test strips are not all that bad to give you a general idea. I used them for a while. Think they are $10 or so. Only downside is that they do not test for ammonia.

 

[Syphoniera]

Hi, little_mermaid,
1st - The bubble-blowing thing kind of has me wondering - are we actually sure that Loretta's a girl and not a plakat male assumed to be female because short-finned?
Pet stores/employees do that a lot, and vice versa as well - even when you point out the little white egg tube underneath.
Does Loretta, assuming she's not an infant, (haven't seen first post and I'm working without a brain, as usual) have a little white tube underneath, showing that she'd stand by her man, rather than flashing out of accidental drag for a brawl?
This may not matter now, but if you ever decide to set up a sorority...

I've just been reading the excellent advice you've been getting from some very knowledgeable people, and thought I'd mention that you can very often get used 10 gal. tanks very cheaply.
I've acquired several used 15's which I personally think are perfect for Bettas (rather have long 20's but they seem to be hard to come by out here) and which provide room, particularly in a planted tank, for other fish, especially if the Betta's introduced last, which reduces the problem of a territorial reaction.
This also gives you room to design the bottom, do themes if you like, put in lots of pretty plants which will help to keep your fish and water healthy, have fun.
You can have a watergarden in which your fish can enjoy a everchanging environment as her plants grow - possibly, if you wish, in a sorority of female Bettas.
By the way, the pygmy cats, in case you haven't noticed this yet, are also the cutest things in the known universe.
They're happiest in schools and once you've started watching 6 or 8 tiny cats shoaling and zipping around your tank...

I'm just trying to imagine my otos, around 2 inches long, in one of the little desk-top emergency tanks around that size that two young, (one still sick) little Bettas are recovering in, and I can't.
But I can all too easily imagine a bored Betta in a 3 gallon tank possibly harassing the heck out of other little fish with nowhere to get away to...