muahaha, I'm having too much fun setting up this tank! I'm setting up a spilt 10 gal in two 5gals, a betta to each side. I wanted to put in a tank mate on each side. I was wondering what my options were in that size. I was thinking a frog in one side, and a cory or an otto in the other? I love the little froggies XD
Tank Buddies?
- Thread starter Jessica.M
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most of the fish you can keep with bettas are better kept in pairs or more.
I'm really not familiar with frogs at all, but don't they do better in a terrarium with land?
Otos are a really good choice with bettas. You could easily keep 2 on one side. On the other side, maybe consider a couple pigmy cories. Just do not add all of these fish at one time if the tank is not cycled. You'll also need to make sure that both sides of the tank are being filtered properly (as in make sure that one side not getting much water flow).
Of course those are not your only options. You just run the risk of other compatible tank mates being "nippy"
Syphoniera
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Hi, ReMz,
I suspect Jessica's referring to those adorable little dwarf aquatic frogs, which are often kept in with bettas.
The only issues with them that I can think of offhand are that they sometimes need direct feeding, as they are said to be rather slow and tend not to notice food passing nearby or look for any until after it's eaten by other inhabitants, and are apparently escape artists, so it's best to have netting or some such thing securely fitted over any holes in the tank canopy - including tiny ones for air hoses which people thought they couldn't fit through...
But they are supposed to do well with bettas, if fed by 'hand' in the case of slower frogs, as apparently many of them are.
Jessica.M, this is probably stuff you know but I thought I'd mention a few points to consider, just in case.
Cories and otos are both sociable creatures which aren't very happy or at their best on their own.
You'll note ReMz recommended a pair in either case, and one hears from fanciers that three is minimal.
Too often, if algae isn't available, otos may prefer starvation to spirulina tablets or offered vegetables, so an established tank with existing (if not necessarily visible) algae is generally recommended, and a planted tank specifically, for a variety of reasons, and I've heard 1 oto per 5 gallons is best, to assure a steady supply of algae.
Doesn't mean people haven't kept them in a variety of conditions and they haven't survived in many cases, but while some are tank bred, many otos sold have apparently often been captured from the wild through the use of toxic chemicals and other damaging methods, leaving them with a reputation for being delicate often verified by all-too-frequent deaths.
2 otos probably would be fine, but I wanted to mention this, as I know mine have refused to eat for lengthy periods because they were being moved and no algae was available.
If it's a new tank set-up with little or no algae yet formed, you'll have to hope they will eat something you can easily provide, which they might.
But there's an unfortunately good chance that any otos bought may arrive half-starved and damaged/depleted from the capture and shipping to receive no food at the pet store, as typically no algae is left in sales tanks, and may not recognise anything you have as food, if no algae is available.
Panda and other small cories aren't as small as pygmies, but may be a safer bet if the betta's temperament isn't known - pygmies tend to swim around midlevel and are small enough to be easily injured.
Again, pygmies are probably fine and a MUCH better size for such a small area, not to mention the most adorable things going.
I know I do have a betta I wouldn't put them in with, although my others are, or probably would be, fine with them.
A divided 10 gal. is far more stable and forgiving than 2 five gallon tanks would be, both regarding water quality and temperature.
But there's the same lack of 'get-away room' in both cases - not to mention restricted roaming area - actually less in any standard ten gallon divided in half, as they're taller with relatively less ground/surface space.
In a heavily planted tank with nooks and crannies in which a smaller fish cannot be trapped (i.e., more than one exit/escape route) more options - and fewer tensions - are possible - as the betta is more likely to become bored and to notice other fish in such a smaller area which has little cover or swim-through activity - and there'll be nowhere for the fish to go if the betta becomes persistent or outright aggressive.
Most fish can easily outswim the average betta, but a persistent chase by a slower fish would be stressful and wearing, at the least.
Otos and cories, like plecs, are generally accepted by bettas with little or no problem, but betas are very individual and it's hard to generalize.
But personally, I'd want to have some kind of a back-up ready, just in case.
I suspect Jessica's referring to those adorable little dwarf aquatic frogs, which are often kept in with bettas.
The only issues with them that I can think of offhand are that they sometimes need direct feeding, as they are said to be rather slow and tend not to notice food passing nearby or look for any until after it's eaten by other inhabitants, and are apparently escape artists, so it's best to have netting or some such thing securely fitted over any holes in the tank canopy - including tiny ones for air hoses which people thought they couldn't fit through...
But they are supposed to do well with bettas, if fed by 'hand' in the case of slower frogs, as apparently many of them are.
Jessica.M, this is probably stuff you know but I thought I'd mention a few points to consider, just in case.
Cories and otos are both sociable creatures which aren't very happy or at their best on their own.
You'll note ReMz recommended a pair in either case, and one hears from fanciers that three is minimal.
Too often, if algae isn't available, otos may prefer starvation to spirulina tablets or offered vegetables, so an established tank with existing (if not necessarily visible) algae is generally recommended, and a planted tank specifically, for a variety of reasons, and I've heard 1 oto per 5 gallons is best, to assure a steady supply of algae.
Doesn't mean people haven't kept them in a variety of conditions and they haven't survived in many cases, but while some are tank bred, many otos sold have apparently often been captured from the wild through the use of toxic chemicals and other damaging methods, leaving them with a reputation for being delicate often verified by all-too-frequent deaths.
2 otos probably would be fine, but I wanted to mention this, as I know mine have refused to eat for lengthy periods because they were being moved and no algae was available.
If it's a new tank set-up with little or no algae yet formed, you'll have to hope they will eat something you can easily provide, which they might.
But there's an unfortunately good chance that any otos bought may arrive half-starved and damaged/depleted from the capture and shipping to receive no food at the pet store, as typically no algae is left in sales tanks, and may not recognise anything you have as food, if no algae is available.
Panda and other small cories aren't as small as pygmies, but may be a safer bet if the betta's temperament isn't known - pygmies tend to swim around midlevel and are small enough to be easily injured.
Again, pygmies are probably fine and a MUCH better size for such a small area, not to mention the most adorable things going.
I know I do have a betta I wouldn't put them in with, although my others are, or probably would be, fine with them.
A divided 10 gal. is far more stable and forgiving than 2 five gallon tanks would be, both regarding water quality and temperature.
But there's the same lack of 'get-away room' in both cases - not to mention restricted roaming area - actually less in any standard ten gallon divided in half, as they're taller with relatively less ground/surface space.
In a heavily planted tank with nooks and crannies in which a smaller fish cannot be trapped (i.e., more than one exit/escape route) more options - and fewer tensions - are possible - as the betta is more likely to become bored and to notice other fish in such a smaller area which has little cover or swim-through activity - and there'll be nowhere for the fish to go if the betta becomes persistent or outright aggressive.
Most fish can easily outswim the average betta, but a persistent chase by a slower fish would be stressful and wearing, at the least.
Otos and cories, like plecs, are generally accepted by bettas with little or no problem, but betas are very individual and it's hard to generalize.
But personally, I'd want to have some kind of a back-up ready, just in case.
Yes I was talking about the aquatic dwarf frogs. We have them at work so I know they can be a little bothersome to feed, but really, my betta is as well XD. You have to drop the food bit by bit, wait for him to swallow then repeat, or he just lets it float away.
I wouldn't get an algea eater untill I had the tank a little more matured, and I do plan to plant it up. I did know the cories needed buddies, but wasn't sure if they would fit together in a 5 gal section, which is why I posted XD. And if I had a super agressive betta I wouldn't put anything in with him. Plus, working at Petcetera, theres no shortage of back-up otions to seperate them if problems arise. XD
I wouldn't get an algea eater untill I had the tank a little more matured, and I do plan to plant it up. I did know the cories needed buddies, but wasn't sure if they would fit together in a 5 gal section, which is why I posted XD. And if I had a super agressive betta I wouldn't put anything in with him. Plus, working at Petcetera, theres no shortage of back-up otions to seperate them if problems arise. XD
tibby25731
Fish Herder
I have 2 froggies in with my most docile betta, and I can honestly say he never seems to notice them, even when they shoot past his face! Works well, plus he is not greedy and only steala a few of their bloodworms... rare for a betta to know when to stop eating! My other bettas certainly don't have that self control! Frogs are really cute, make sure you can see them against the gravel though!
be careful, some of those aquatic frogs get big and have been known to eat small fish. ottos should be in groups of over 3 and in tanks of more than 10G. same with corries. you could maybe get 3 dwarf corries.
tibby25731
Fish Herder
that's the albino ones, they get huge and are definitely not dwarfs! Make sure they have no claws 
Night61
Fish Herder
i just tried putting frogs in with my betta. i looked over to check on them and rayne had the frogs arm in her mouth. i yelled at her and she let go then looked at me like "what."
tibby25731
Fish Herder
oh dear! I got lucky with Baby and my froggies, i wouldn't trust any of the others with ANY tank mates whatsoever! I gave Neptune 2 large shrimp to clean his tank and he bit their bums off and left the corpses for me to find 
I would not have minded so much if he had actually wanted to EAT them. Darth dived at the shrimp as soon as they hit the water so i rescued them, and Darth pretended not to notice but I caught him chasing them later, so now no shrimp live with them!
I got lucky with Baby and my froggies, i wouldn't trust any of the others with ANY tank mates whatsoever! I gave Neptune 2 large shrimp to clean his tank and he bit their bums off and left the corpses for me to find I would not have minded so much if he had actually wanted to EAT them. Darth dived at the shrimp as soon as they hit the water so i rescued them, and Darth pretended not to notice but I caught him chasing them later, so now no shrimp live with them!
Night61
Fish Herder
bettas are spoiled little brats arn't they. my storm lives with three snails and flares t them constantly, actually has one turning tail and running from him.
honestly, the only thing i would consider in a divided 10g is a couple otos on one of the sides (it is recommended you keep 3 or more, i've kept a pair for over a year). All of the info Syphoniera provided you with is spot on and very good advice.
If it were my tank, I would just keep 1 betta on either side. Tank mates can be troublesome with such small swimming spaces, but it can certainly be done. My initial post was just meant to help you keep your options open.
As far as your concern with keeping cories, I wouldn't even consider them unless I had a 10 gallon tank for them to roam in it's entirety. Of course this is just my opinion....
If it were my tank, I would just keep 1 betta on either side. Tank mates can be troublesome with such small swimming spaces, but it can certainly be done. My initial post was just meant to help you keep your options open.
As far as your concern with keeping cories, I wouldn't even consider them unless I had a 10 gallon tank for them to roam in it's entirety. Of course this is just my opinion....
Syphoniera
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Super, glad to hear it's all planned for, just thought I'd mention a few things not everybody's always aware of.
I've wanted some of those little frogs myself for quite a while, and someday, when I have a Houdini-proof tank suitable for them, in accordance with Murphy's Law, I'll probably discover they've become impossible to find...
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