# Help For Betta-Compatible Tankmates



## Sakura8 (May 12, 2011)

I decided to set up this thread for anyone who has betta-compatible tankmates and needs help with them. These include guppies, platies, swordtails, cory cats, otos, snails, shrimp, tetras, and pretty much any other small fish you can safely house with bettas. I know when I branched out into other fish beside bettas, I had a hard time finding a non-betta forum that offered help and info so I always ended up back here. I'm rationalizing this thread by saying they're BETTA-compatible tankmates, lol. Post questions about the health of your non-betta tankmates, as well as any concerns you might have about housing said tankmates with your bettas. This isn't a stocking advice thread, though, more of a health thread. 

So, my current betta-compatible tankmates are 4 panda cory cats, 6 danios, and 3 platies. The platies are new (3 days) and won't eat anything I offer, including New Life Spectrum Small Fish formula pellets, Omega One Veggie Flakes and Color Flakes, frozen bloodworms, spirulina pellets, or pretty much anything else. Any suggestions?


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## cajunamy (Apr 28, 2011)

I was under the impression guppies wouldn't work? If they do that's awesome news cause I'll be putting all my girl bettas in my 55 gallon tank, and I'd love to have guppies, tetras or something else in there with them! So any more info would be much appreciated.


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## Pitluvs (Jun 22, 2011)

I personally wouldn't put Guppies in a tank with male Bettas but not sure about females. I am sure if they were plain Guppies it would work!


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## cajunamy (Apr 28, 2011)

plain as in ... female? or as in your normal everyday guppy? It would be whatever I find in pet stores - I haven't ventured into looking at fancy guppies (yet) lol


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## Sakura8 (May 12, 2011)

So far all I've seen are fancy guppies at my pet store, but the females are pretty drab. Drab in a nice way, of course.  I think you'd be okay with guppies and your girls in a 55g because it's so big, there would be plenty of room for everyone. If you got tetras you might want to get ones that are bigger than neons so the girls don't pick on them. 

Sigh, I wish I had a 55g to play with.


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## BETTA DET (Jul 29, 2011)

Khuli loaches, they like the same parameters as bettas and they bother no one and no one bothers them. The only thing is they like to hide, but when they come out they are clowns. Easy to care for, clean the bottom. One of my favorite fish since I was a kid. They are social so get at least 2. Good gravel cleaners as well.;-)


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## Sakura8 (May 12, 2011)

I heard if you have at least four, they'll ball themselves up in a cave to sleep.  I wish I had a tank big enough for a lot of kuhli loaches. But if I could have a really big tank, I'd get one big enough for three or four clown loaches. Sigh. If only.


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## BETTA DET (Jul 29, 2011)

Sakura8 said:


> I heard if you have at least four, they'll ball themselves up in a cave to sleep.  I wish I had a tank big enough for a lot of kuhli loaches. But if I could have a really big tank, I'd get one big enough for three or four clown loaches. Sigh. If only.


 They do fine in pairs, Ive alway kept them in pairs and they always were fine. They dont take up much space at all. They live a long time too. They only get about three inches long but they are less then half an inch thick. They grow on you fast.


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## Sakura8 (May 12, 2011)

Loaches are fun little fish. Do kuhlis make clicking sounds?


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## BETTA DET (Jul 29, 2011)

No I cant say that Ive ever heard them make any clicking sounds, they also dont eat snails like other loaches. They are much more active in the dark as well.


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## Sakura8 (May 12, 2011)

Sigh, I wish I had room for a huge community tank. Kuhlis sound like a lot of fun and I'm glad you suggested them as betta-compatible tankmates. I think kuhlis get overlooked as tankmates for some reason.


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## BETTA DET (Jul 29, 2011)

Look at that cute face.


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## Sakura8 (May 12, 2011)

That's an awesome pic, did you take that yourself? Are those the cheek spines I've heard about or are they barbels/whiskers?


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## BETTA DET (Jul 29, 2011)

No I got the pic off the net. They have barbels, whiskers around thier mouths and horns or spines on thier head. The spines are tiny and hard to see.


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## Sakura8 (May 12, 2011)

It's a great pic. The barbels are cute.


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## BETTA DET (Jul 29, 2011)

I will be picking up 2 or 3 in a few weeks to keep my betta company.


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## Sakura8 (May 12, 2011)

Post pics here, I'd love to see them.


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## Wyvern (May 19, 2011)

Ive got about 8 male fancy guppies with my 4 girls. All was fine till this afternoon at 12 when I turned the tank lights on. I immediately noticed a few torn fins on 2 of the girls (fortunately nothing major) and one with a few scales missing. But it seems like Queen Inara (she is definitely the culprit even tho I havent seen her misbehaving since she is the only one with out a mark) decided to play tag with all the fish in the tank and a few of my poor guppies lost a few pieces of their tail fins to her. Only 2 of the guppies tho seems to have gone under attack. For now the queen is in a breeding net and Im letting the others relax.


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## Sakura8 (May 12, 2011)

I've heard stories of male guppies hitting on female bettas. One even caused a betta to plaster herself to a tank wall for hours just to escape his unwanted amorous attention.


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## Wyvern (May 19, 2011)

See I havent seen the guppies even look at the girls. But then I noticed that it is Inara that is a bully. So she is in a time out in the breeding net. Still trying to get out and try to attack the boys and girls in the tank. Maybe in a day the others will have made peace and she can go back. Ironically she was in the bag (we get our fish in bags half filled with water and oxygen) with Kaylee for a few hours and they had no issues. Also no trouble the first few days, she just turned a bit aggro over night!


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## Sakura8 (May 12, 2011)

Crazy girl.  I hope the time out works and she settles down.


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## cajunamy (Apr 28, 2011)

Pretty much a gamble then. I'm thinking no on guppies.

I have had black kuhlies in my 15 gallon sorority, They are awesome little fish. I'd like to find some striped ones.

I might go platies ... unsure. They look pretty similar to girl bettas come to think of it (a tad smaller though I think?) I'd really like some livebearers as a source of live food for my bettas. Sorry if that sounds cruel.


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## Wyvern (May 19, 2011)

Strangely enough she was picking on the duller of my guppies. The colourful boys she left alone.


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## Sakura8 (May 12, 2011)

cajunamy said:


> Pretty much a gamble then. I'm thinking no on guppies.
> 
> I have had black kuhlies in my 15 gallon sorority, They are awesome little fish. I'd like to find some striped ones.
> 
> I might go platies ... unsure. They look pretty similar to girl bettas come to think of it (a tad smaller though I think?) I'd really like some livebearers as a source of live food for my bettas. Sorry if that sounds cruel.


I've had 2 platie girls and a guy for a week in "new fish QT" and already got a small batch of fry. Trust me, if you get a guy and a girl, you will definitely have a steady source of live food. 

And all I can say for sure is definitely no danios. They're too hyper. I tried a few bettas in with my danios and each one did poorly. The females got stripey (my teal girl looked like a danio herself) and my male just headbutted any danio that passed by him. Which they did frequently because they're not too bright and never tried to avoid him.


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## cajunamy (Apr 28, 2011)

What about black knife fish? Probably no, but I love them and now have a nice big tank for some if I can manage it lol


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## Sakura8 (May 12, 2011)

Those guys are so neat looking! And they can swim backwards AND forwards. But don't knifefishes get anywhere from 12-40" long depending on the type?


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## cajunamy (Apr 28, 2011)

Yes, I saw 18-20" though. And it's a no no definitely for a betta sorority, they are predators 

I'd love to get another 55 or even a 75 and get 2-3 of them though!


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## Sakura8 (May 12, 2011)

Oh if only we had room for all the big tanks we dream of. I'd love a big one with clown loaches and couple of the bigger gouramis.


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## copperarabian (Apr 27, 2011)

Black knife fish are interesting fish, I saw a huge 15" at a pet store. they need a 75+ aquarium as they grow bigger.


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## Sakura8 (May 12, 2011)

So two questions:
1) Do cory cats tend to bury themselves in the substrate? I'm missing one panda cory. I can't find him anywhere. I checked the filter, checked all around the tank, swept under the dresser, checked the decorations, raked the sand. Can't find him.

2) I have nine platy fry in a 3.75g kritter keeper. They're 4 days old. How long can I keep them there until I need to move them to a bigger tank?


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## dragonflie (Aug 5, 2011)

Sakura8 said:


> So two questions:
> 1) Do cory cats tend to bury themselves in the substrate? I'm missing one panda cory. I can't find him anywhere. I checked the filter, checked all around the tank, swept under the dresser, checked the decorations, raked the sand. Can't find him.
> 
> 2) I have nine platy fry in a 3.75g kritter keeper. They're 4 days old. How long can I keep them there until I need to move them to a bigger tank?


I can only answer your first question somewhat.

I've had sterbai corydoras for 2+ years now and never seen them bury themselves. They've only ever rooted in the top layers of my sand bed. I don't THINK that is normal behavior, but as I've only kept them for 2 years I cannot say for certain. I hate to suggest it...but is it possible one died and was eaten? Even if there were no other inhabitants...corydoras won't pass up a free meal, and can be opportunistic. I hate how that sounds and I'm sorry..but it is possible.


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## Sakura8 (May 12, 2011)

Dragonflie, yeah, that's what I'm beginning to think. Can 6 danios and 3 remaining cories totally clean up one dead cory so that not a trace remains? My other thought is possibly my cat ate it when it jumped out but I doubt it for 3 reasons: 1) those spiny fins make 'em hard to eat 2) the space where it would have landed if it jumped out is pretty much right under the dresser 3) I think I would have heard the ruckus of a cat eating a flopping fish.


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## dragonflie (Aug 5, 2011)

Pandas are pretty small, right? I'd say both are plausible explanations...but the others fish probably did it, without knowing for sure. I haven't known my cories to EVER stop looking for food, even when they clearly don't need any. 

Sorry for the gruesomeness but I have no idea what happens to the skeleton. I lost a harlequin rasbora, never did find the remains even though I practically tore the tank apart. Just woke up one day and there were 4.


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## Sakura8 (May 12, 2011)

:shock: I guess . . . maybe they ate the skeleton too? Roughage perhaps? And yeah, pandas are really small, under 2" and these guys aren't even fully grown. I think I'll get bigger ones next time . . .


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## cajunamy (Apr 28, 2011)

Yeah, most likely they were put into the circle of life. I've never found a skeleton either when one goes missing mysteriously


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## Sakura8 (May 12, 2011)

That is so weird. I wonder what happens to the skeleton. Now I feel like putting a camera in my tank to watch at all times. This might explain why the danios look so fat today. I thought I was just overfeeding too . . .


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## dragonflie (Aug 5, 2011)

About the skellie I really don't know...I do know when I eat fish for dinner (sorry my little pets!) they are pretty darn big and the bones are still very flexible. Maybe when they are that tiny they can be eaten easily?? Just guessing here.. lol.


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## Shimizoki (Jul 8, 2011)

I have a cory that I thought had died aswell, after much searching I found that he jams himself in a corner behind a plant under the magnet cleaner... litterally balls himself up in there all day (maybe 1 cubic inch)... I dunno if he ever comes out without me poking him... but he is alive and just fine. Took me 2 days to find him though.


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## Sakura8 (May 12, 2011)

I'll take a good long look when I do my tank cleaning, Shimi. I've heard stories of these guys disappearing before.


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## Sakura8 (May 12, 2011)

Do cory cats eat planaria? I think I just got a planaria bloom.


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## dragonflie (Aug 5, 2011)

Planaria population will dwindle even without the cories, provided you increase your vacuum regimen a bit and feed lightly. I've had a short bloom in all my new tanks, and they never made it longer than a week.

That being said..in the tank with the cories? I saw planaria for maybe 36 hours; they disappeared rather quickly, so I would hazard a safe guess that they probably did snack on them.


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## Sakura8 (May 12, 2011)

I sure hope so. I blame the danios, they eat everything in sight so I put out more food for the cories than I should just to make sure the poor things are eating. I just did a huge water change with lots of vacuuming so I think I got a lot of them. Was seriously gross sticking my arm in that tank when I could see the worms floating around though. Thanks for all your help with cories, Dragonflie.


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## Yaoilover12397 (Aug 12, 2011)

I'm a little worried about my cory. when he was in his bag he was zooming around now that hes in the tank he's just staying on one spot and not really moving....Should I be concerned?


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## Scrambles (Jan 21, 2011)

I keep spotted pygmy rasboras (Boraras maculatus) in my 10 gal w my HM male Betta. They are very inexpensive, have long life-spans, don't eat much food, they're not nippy, and they are very fast so it's fun to watch my Betta chase them around the tank sometimes. Also, they are native to Southern Thailand like Bettas!


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## Pitluvs (Jun 22, 2011)

I love Rasboras <3 I have Harlequins myself and they are so calm and friendly with others. Nice fishes!


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## Sakura8 (May 12, 2011)

Yaoilover12397 said:


> I'm a little worried about my cory. when he was in his bag he was zooming around now that hes in the tank he's just staying on one spot and not really moving....Should I be concerned?


How big is your tank? Cories are schooling fish and very social, they do best with 3 or more (4 and up being ideal). If your tank is 10g and up, get 2 more cories. That said, cories aren't extremely active. Mine will just sit there for a while and then suddenly take off. Did you acclimate your cory?


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## Yaoilover12397 (Aug 12, 2011)

I had him in his bag bobbing in the water for 40 minutes. Then added some water to his bag and let it bob for 10 minutes then added him in. I plan to get another 2-3 Corys. I have a 29 gallon tank.


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## Loralyn94 (Jul 22, 2011)

So, I was wondering how bettas and pleco's do together? I've heard some people say that they are okay with them as for the most part pleco's leave other fish alone and only become territorial to there own. I know most plecos will get too big to be in a small tank with a betta, but the type I want is a clown pleco that is only about 4inches. What do you all think about putting one in with my betta?


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## Sakura8 (May 12, 2011)

Yaoilover12397 said:


> I had him in his bag bobbing in the water for 40 minutes. Then added some water to his bag and let it bob for 10 minutes then added him in. I plan to get another 2-3 Corys. I have a 29 gallon tank.


Yup, you acclimated him all right.  Has he moved at all? Does he sit there and move a bit and then sit again?


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## Sakura8 (May 12, 2011)

Loralyn94 said:


> So, I was wondering how bettas and pleco's do together? I've heard some people say that they are okay with them as for the most part pleco's leave other fish alone and only become territorial to there own. I know most plecos will get too big to be in a small tank with a betta, but the type I want is a clown pleco that is only about 4inches. What do you all think about putting one in with my betta?


How big is the tank? I'm pretty sure if it's 10g and up, it'll work. Clown plecos are cute little things. Needs sand or rounded gravel, though.


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## Yaoilover12397 (Aug 12, 2011)

He's moved like 4 times in about 9 hours. Each time he moved he would settle in a spot then just not move for like ever.


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## Loralyn94 (Jul 22, 2011)

Sakura8 said:


> How big is the tank? I'm pretty sure if it's 10g and up, it'll work. Clown plecos are cute little things. Needs sand or rounded gravel, though.


Its a 10g, I plan to get some more places for him to hid in first and some more plants, but after that I think I'll get one then. I have random mixed stone gravel atm, but i've been wanting to change to sand anyways so this just gives me more of an excuse.  I love the way they look their soo cute.


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## Sakura8 (May 12, 2011)

Yaoi, he could just be settling in to his new home. Mine pretty much sat there the first night too. 

Loralyn, I know, they're cute little guys. I wanted a zebra pleco and my LFS actually had one. I was so happy then I saw the price: almost $500. For a pleco that gets 3" long. Thank you, no, I'll stick with clown plecos.


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## Loralyn94 (Jul 22, 2011)

I've never seen my LFS have any zebra plecos, but I new they were more decorative and more expensive, but WOW, thats outrageous! Yeah, I'm sticking with my clown pleco, with $500, I'm buying some new tanks, big ones.


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## Sakura8 (May 12, 2011)

Haha, I hear ya. With $500 I could by a nice big tank and get a sailfin pleco. Post pics of your clown pleco when you get him.


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## Loralyn94 (Jul 22, 2011)

I will, not sure when I'll get to get him, maybe tomorrow as I have to get a couple of other things for my betta and also some supplies to set up my NPTish shrimp bowl


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## Sakura8 (May 12, 2011)

Sounds like fun. And don't we always need to get a "couple of things" for our betta? ;-)


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## Loralyn94 (Jul 22, 2011)

Haha, the sickness makes you think you do atleast.


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## dbockrath (Jul 29, 2011)

I have a 10 gallon aquarium with a female betta and 3 apple snails. I just got a decent test kit and the ph of the water is really high (like about 7.6). I know that's bad for the betta--she seems happy, but I don't want problems in the future. What's the easiest and safest way to lower the ph for the betta but leave it high enough for the snails not to get damaged shells? I was thinking of just starting to replace a little of the water I use for water changes to distilled water.


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## Sakura8 (May 12, 2011)

Hi dbockrath, welcome to the forum. In answer to your question, don't worry about the pH. Your betta girl will adjust to it. It's much better to have a pH that isn't exactly ideal than to mess with the pH and have it fluctuate wildly. My pH is like yours, 7.6-7.8, and all my bettas are doing fine. Just keep doing your water changes like normal. If your girl is pretty new still, acclimate her a bit to the new water with each water change for a few weeks. After that, she'll probably be used to it.


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## dbockrath (Jul 29, 2011)

Thanks, that's what I was thinking too. I'd rather leave well enough alone than make her sick.


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## hmckin20 (Jul 30, 2011)

Sakura8 said:


> I've heard stories of male guppies hitting on female bettas. One even caused a betta to plaster herself to a tank wall for hours just to escape his unwanted amorous attention.




this is possibly the cutest thing i've ever read.


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## Sakura8 (May 12, 2011)

When I read that thread, I couldn't even begin to believe it. I had to ask several times to make sure I was reading it right. But nope, she would hurl herself right out of the water and cling to the tank glass like a decal. We suggested he move her to her own tank but to the best of my knowledge he never posted back about whether or not he did. :shock:


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## ChelseaK (Oct 23, 2010)

BAHAHA that's hilarious! I had horrible luck with guppies in my 55 gallon sorority. I will never mess with guppies and bettas again. I only have one surviving female guppy.


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## Sakura8 (May 12, 2011)

I had horrible luck with guppies in general. Two were pregnant when I got them and died in frybirth and the remaining guppies didn't understand that the stuff floating on top of the water was food. I had a heckuva time getting them to eat. They went back to the petstore and I got platies. They're not so bright about food either but they're better than the guppies.


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## ChelseaK (Oct 23, 2010)

I LOVE my platy! I read earlier that someone was having trouble getting their platy to eat? I never had that issue. My only issue with them is the boys harassing the girls so much. My girls usually die after they have fry too, but I guess I expect it. I have had two platy fry actually survive somehow in the sorority and they are the most adorable things!


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## Sakura8 (May 12, 2011)

I never see my platies. They're always hanging at the top or hanging at the bottom, either way they're behind plants. >.> I have 9 platy fry in their own 3.75g right now, they're about 5 or 6 days old. This is my first batch so I'm going to raise them. The next batches though will be fish food . . .


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## Pataflafla (Jun 2, 2011)

My sister got a few Platys (2 girls, 1 male, and 1 that we're not so sure on) and her lyre tail gave birth the first night she was in the tank. Around 23 fry and they're all still alive and growing. All the adults are just fine too.


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## Sakura8 (May 12, 2011)

Awesome. What do you plan on doing with all the fry?


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## Pataflafla (Jun 2, 2011)

We're probably not going to keep any of them, but we've got a friend with a nice 45 gallon tank that would be able to take some. And I'm sure there are some more family friends and members that would want a few. Right now 3 of the adults are in a 5 gal with a female betta (testing to see if she'll be permanent or if we need to try Yorick since she's not working out with the sorority). The fry and 1 female (square belly so most likely going to have some more soon) are in a 10 gal. I think they're going to be a month old soon or already are.


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## Sakura8 (May 12, 2011)

That's great you can find homes for them.  I'm thinking I'll have to take some of mine to a LFS and see if they'll take them because I can't keep all of them. And I didn't know Yorick was a girl. For some reason I thought it was a male. Or am I reading that wrong? Brain is moldy tonight.


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## Pataflafla (Jun 2, 2011)

Yorick's a dude, but he's pretty chill and probably wouldn't have any problems with the platys. He's my biggest crown tail, so he's got a little more presence than a little female. Ping (the manly female) is in with them now because she's too mean for the sorority. That makes 2 girls that my sister has that are way too aggressive for the sorority and also look like boys, but they still have very prominent ovipositers and they haven't matured into little boys in the time we've had them.


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## Sakura8 (May 12, 2011)

Ah, I get it. I think platies are pretty easy-going and don't nip fins so a long-finned male should be okay. But that's too bad Ping and the other aggressive girl can't go into the sorority. It saves so much on space being able to put (most) girls together.


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## Pataflafla (Jun 2, 2011)

We're hoping to reintroduce Frog to the sorority once she gains some more weight, she's got her pep back now that she isn't carrying parasites. Now it's just the long haul on getting her fat like the sorority girls. My sister keeps everyone in practically breeding condition, which has turned out to make them all fat and pretty lazy. Oak, Elm, and Sicamore can be in the same cup for a transfer without so much as a freak out (Found this out as an complete accident when trying to cup just one. they like to hang out together). At least Hester is finally able to be in the sorority, though it won't be for too much longer with how her back deformity is progressing.


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## Sakura8 (May 12, 2011)

Back deformity? Oh dear, that doesn't sound good.


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## Pataflafla (Jun 2, 2011)

She's got a curved back, I can't really explain it too well, wish I had a pic to show you. It's basically like a sharp angle downward that's slowly been getting worse and curving a little bit since we've had her, but we bought her with the deformity since she was at Petsmart for weeks. She was one of the last intentional females they had. It causes her discomfort that we can see, but it looks minimal, and makes swimming a little more work for her so she gets tired easily. We're keeping a close eye on her and Courage since they'll both need to be put down since she's got a worsening back deformity and Courage has a tumor right above his eye that's getting a lot bigger and turning white.

Googled for it and this si the closest I've found. So imagine the angle being a little steeper and on a female betta in roughly the same spot.

http://lh4.ggpht.com/_dGYXB-I0LpE/S8EIHhRcM4I/AAAAAAAABDA/vPf4svHRJws/DSC_2682cropped.JPG


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## Sakura8 (May 12, 2011)

Aww, poor girl. It sounds like a degenerative disease. She doesn't have any open sores or ulcers on her body, does she? She's not getting super thin? I doubt it's fish TB since you keep the water nice and clean but just thought I'd ask. And I'm sorry to hear about Courage too, that stinks that you will soon lose two of your bettas.


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## Pataflafla (Jun 2, 2011)

No open wounds of any sort, actually gaining some weight with the krill we feed them. I don't think it would be TB because we've had her for a while now and it's supposed to kill pretty quickly. I think she's just got a back problem that just needs to be carefully monitored. She's the most active girl in the sorority though, which works to her favor since the others are too lazy to chase her and are more interested in getting food.

We're going to order some clove oil so we can do that method for both of them. But they still have quite a bit of kick in them and courage actually seems to feel a little better with tetracycline in his tank for the recommended period and then fresh water. He builds the best bubble nests our of all our males and gets mad when my sister's cat sits on or next to his tank.


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## Sakura8 (May 12, 2011)

I'm glad to hear they have some fight left in them. It's funny Courage gets mad at the cat.  Yeah, I seriously doubted it was fish TB too but just wanted to make sure. I wonder if Petsmart just gets some deformed bettas sometimes, that's where I got my betta with a back issue from.


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## Pataflafla (Jun 2, 2011)

They do get a few fish that probably should have been culled as fry (not to be mean or anything). Both Hester and Courage are from Petsmart. Courage was in the first shipment of the dragon scale bettas ours got. He's about the same color as Courage the Cowardly Dog, so we named him for his shyness and for his color. He's also a butterfly too, the edges of his fins are white. He would be really pretty if it weren't for the giant tumor on his head being visible from both sides now.


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## Sakura8 (May 12, 2011)

Aww, poor Courage. So he's kind of pinkish? That must be quite stunning. But I agree, I think the Petsmart suppliers don't cull as aggressively as they should. It might sound cruel but it would save some of these bettas a short life of misery. Ours were lucky to be adopted by us but there must be some deformed bettas that weren't.


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## Pataflafla (Jun 2, 2011)

I'm gonna try to get a good picture of him tomorrow so I can maybe get some help finding relief for him in the mean time. He's got a bull dog face too, very squat and pouty looking. Hopefully he'll stay still long enough to get at least one that isn't blurry.


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## Sakura8 (May 12, 2011)

That's the hard part, isn't it? Why are they so fast? And usually so camera-shy. But I do hope you can get a good pic, someone on here must be able to help.


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## cajunamy (Apr 28, 2011)

So the general consensus is platies are ok for sororities? I really want some livebearers


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## Sakura8 (May 12, 2011)

Yeah, I would say platies are the best livebearers for a sorority.


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## Sakura8 (May 12, 2011)

So I have a bit of a dilemma. I love my panda cories but they keep dying. I'm down to 2. Now I know they ought to be kept in groups of 4 or more but I'm thinking panda cories don't like my water so I was going to try a hardier cory like the bronze cory. Would it be all right to keep the 2 panda cories and get 2 bronze cories or do I need to have 4 of one kind only?


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## kumi (Apr 23, 2011)

I've never had cories, but I read on here that you can mix them and they will school together. Have you gotten some others yet?

Kumi



Sakura8 said:


> So I have a bit of a dilemma. I love my panda cories but they keep dying. I'm down to 2. Now I know they ought to be kept in groups of 4 or more but I'm thinking panda cories don't like my water so I was going to try a hardier cory like the bronze cory. Would it be all right to keep the 2 panda cories and get 2 bronze cories or do I need to have 4 of one kind only?


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## Sakura8 (May 12, 2011)

I was going to get more panda cories but the pet store was out of them and when I went to look at the bronze cories, they just seemed so big, I was afraid my little pandas would never get to eat. Then I ended up falling in love with some otos so I got those instead. I know my cories should be in groups of four or more but they seem happy with just the two of them. I hope. So now I have the two panda cories and three otos along with the three platies and ten neon tetras. My community tank is officially stocked. Oh, and one betta girl is in there but she seems to think she's a platy because she hangs out at the top with the two platy girls.


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## dragonflie (Aug 5, 2011)

Sakura8 said:


> So I have a bit of a dilemma. I love my panda cories but they keep dying. I'm down to 2. Now I know they ought to be kept in groups of 4 or more but I'm thinking panda cories don't like my water so I was going to try a hardier cory like the bronze cory. Would it be all right to keep the 2 panda cories and get 2 bronze cories or do I need to have 4 of one kind only?


I think in ideal circumstances 4 of the same is best, but I don't necessarily think it's wrong to do what you suggest. To be honest? My cories don't spend alot of time together anyway, UNLESS they are scared (which you would want to fix anyway, as in my SAE), or trying to spawn. The rest of the time they feel comfortable enough to be on their own. I have some peppereds in with my sterbai; and they seem quite happy to follow each other around sometimes.

Have you tried pandas from a different store? Maybe their stock is weak...or maybe their water is vastly different from yours in chemistry. I have hard water where I live so I take approximately 2 hours to acclimate any new fish, exchanging very small amounts of tank water with their bag every 5 or 10 minutes.


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## Sakura8 (May 12, 2011)

So far the store I got mine from is the only store I've found that carry them out of about 6 LFS in my area. I have heard that pandas are more delicate than other cories so that may be my problem. I also know my pH is probably higher than they like but I've read plenty of articles that say they'll adjust. I think my pH is 7.8. The two I have are doing well so I don't know what happened to the one that died and the one that went missing is a mystery to me.  It's like it just vanished. I love the peppered cories but if I got two to go along with my pandas I think I would be seriously overstockng my tank. Do you think I should return the otos and get two peppereds?
10g
10 neons
3 platies
2 cories
3 otos
1 betta girl (hopefully temporary)


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## dragonflie (Aug 5, 2011)

Well I don't know much about some of that list, so I fear I can't be of alot of help. Neons I've always run scared from and never tried, because of the dreaded NTD. Platies I've never kept. I've never kept otos, but what I know comes from what I've read and seen in the other forum sites I belong to; they do best in a mature tank with a healthy amount of algae, and are rather sensitive to younger tanks, especially in a 10g because fluctuations can occur rather rapidly. 

I know I'm biased but I love cories.  They warm my heart more than any other fish. I have a video of mine in some other thread, but I honestly don't recall where it is so here it is again: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4tLL_CpAQu0


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## Sakura8 (May 12, 2011)

Hmm. I can definitely say my tank is not mature, I've been into fishkeeping only since April. They're pretty active right now, definitely not lethargic but maybe I should return them before they get sick and die on me and get two peppereds. I'm sure I don't have enough algae for the otos. And they do poop an awful lot. Someday when I can have a nice big natural planted 20g, I'll get otos again. I'll have to think on this for a few hours.

Your cories are so cute! I really love them too, they're so much fun to watch as they scuttle around. I loved watching my pandas when I had four of them. 

Thanks for all your help, Dragon.


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## BETTA DET (Jul 29, 2011)

Picked up three platys the other day. Just plain old orange ones. I tell my daughter she can pick any of the platys she wants and she chooses them.:? Two gals and a guy. So far Freedom doesnt seem all too interested in them, besides for the occasional quik chase, and just continues to flair at every reflection he can find of himself, the heater, and of course the filter.:roll:

Next up KHULIS!!!!!!


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## Sakura8 (May 12, 2011)

2 gals and a guy means you'll have platy fry on a regular basis. Food for Freedom or you can try and raise them and see if there's an LFS that will take them for money or credit.


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## tlyons01 (Jul 5, 2011)

Hi everyone, I am hoping to get some advice in this thread. I have looked all over the net and read this entire thread to find answers and have not been able to as of yet. Here goes...

I have a 55 gal bowfront that currently houses 4 peppered corys and Fred, my veil tail. I have had the corys for say almost a month i think. When I fist brought them home, I also had 3 silver dollars and I had just moved Fred in there. That lasted a week, I found that Fred had some torn fins and i would never see the corys, unlike the first day or two, when they were all over the place. Needless to say, I rehomed the Sd's and now have the others. It took a few days before I actually saw the corys out of the hidey holes they were in. Used to they would lay on top of each other under one of those fake logs. Anyway, I really don't see them active when the lights are on. When they are off, I can see them fluttering about the tank floor and decor and sometimes even playing in the current. Most times when the lights are on, there are 3 in one place and a 4th all alone in a log. Is this normal? I plan to get at least 2 more and hope that will help. That also leads me into my next question, how the heck can I feed them without bloating up Fred? He eats EVERYTHING!!! I have shrimp pellets that sink and I try to use those most often, changing a bit to broken pieces of algae wafers and I always feed frozen bloodworms and brine shrimps at least once a week each. I see Fred bloat every time I try to feed the corys. I have tried feeding him on one side and dropping pellets on the other, have tried feeding when lights go out. Fred always finds them too. I wonder if I need to put Fred into a breeding net or something to give them time to eat before he explodes himself... Any suggestions?

Another questions. K, So I have so much room and I am trying to come up with a stocking plan. I want some middle tank action. I have decided so far that I am getting the following
7-9 Otos
2 more Corydoras for a total of 6
6 panda corys, though that is just a thought so far

I have plenty of brown algae that keeps growing for the otos to eat, I have to scrub my walls each week when water changing. My tank is cycled, has been up and running for months so I know I have a good amount of bacteria. Last time I checked my water all my readings were looking good, 0 amm, 0 nitrites, 5-10 nitrates and ph is always 7.6-7.8, which is what it is out of my tap.

I was thinking about neon tetras or rasboras or something that I can get about 10 of or more...

And when getting that many otos at one time, how do I feed them algae and keep them QT? Right now I have no where to QT them, but thought I might get a critter keeper, I have never even seen one but I read many people use them. Does that have to be heated, filtered etc for them for the week or so they will be in there? And is that too many to put in a small area to QT? 

Gosh I probably should have broken these questions down to different posts, cause I just have so many. So if anyone has any advice, I would love love love to get it!! I wanna do right by my fish and these questions just can't be answered just looking at other peoples discussions.. Thanks in advance for any thoughts!!!!!


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## Sakura8 (May 12, 2011)

The thing about cories is that although they are a social, schooling fish, they don't NEED to be in a group all the time. They will wander off on their own, wander back and kind of check on each other and then wander off again. Not like, say, tetras that always stay in a bunch. So I think it's normal for one cory to be alone every now and then but watch him for any signs of illness or stress just to be sure.

As for Fred, sadly, I think the best thing you can do is remove him from the tank. I had the exact same problem when I tried to keep cories in my sorority. It lasted one night because during that night, as I tried to feed the cories, my girls ate themselves silly until they looked like golf balls. And the cories ending up with nothing. Also, a 55g is a big tank for a little betta who has to cart a big tail around. Something shallower would be best for him.

I love otos, they're adorable but the thing I learned when I kept them (briefly) is that they poop. A lot. They're like earthworms, in one end and out the other. So I think you can get maybe 5-6 otos and be okay with that number. Of course getting 2 more cories is great, they like having each other around. And I have panda cories and they're adorable. I loved peppereds but they were too big for my little 10g. Pandas are nice and small, about 1.75-2". That does great for bottom dwellers so for mid-top dwellers, I'd say tetras. But I'm partial. I really love the flash of my neon tetras a lot. There are lots of other great tetras, too, like the bigger black neons, diamond neons, glowlights etc. I think a true schooling fish would look spectacular in your tank. For a 55g that's understocked such as your tank, you could probably get 12-15 neons for a beautiful school.

Probably the best way to QT that many otos is in a 10g and feed them algae wafers. Or get only a 2-3 otos at a time and keep them in a 3g kritter keeper. Again, algae wafers will have to do until they can munch on real algae. And again, you'll need to clean the kritter keeper on a daily basis because otos are poop machines.


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## tlyons01 (Jul 5, 2011)

Thanks for responding Sakura, I appreciate your thoughts. You really think Fred needs to go smaller? He seems to be so happy with all that space. I see him playing in the current alot and he just seemed so happy. That is something to think about. I was just at the pet store and did not buy anything new. Partially cause I was waiting for advice and the other part was their otos were not that great looking and so small, and there were only a few of them in stock. Did not see any peppered corys, but they did have emerald ones. Not sure if mixing the 2 types would give them the security I was looking for or not. I was thinking tetras, the neons look very nice. The size you mentioned is about the size I was thinking, about 15 or so. I think I might have to get a breeder net or something for Fred, until a decision is made, so that I can be sure the corys get enough. I know they are eating, because i see them, but I just don't know how much. Man, I have 2 tanks currently cycling so I am going to have to buy a new one and get it started. My husband is not going to be very happy... Well, thanks for sharing your thoughts. How is your rescue coming along? My shimmer is doing very well. He started a new nest last night and this one is quite large for him. He is much more active. I also read your post about the pellets and what to look for in the ingredients, and I was able to find them some better quality pellets. Thanks again, have a great day!!


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## Sakura8 (May 12, 2011)

Hmm. Well, if Fred is happy in the 55g, then you can certainly leave him. It does sound like he can dive down easy enough to eat the food, anyway, haha. Have you seen the betta logs? Maybe get him one so he can perch up near the surface. 








Although, when you get tetras, keep an eye on them because they have been known to nip at a betta's long flowing fins. 

As for feeding everyone without Fred exploding . . . how long does it take your cories to eat? My problem was my cories take all night, literally, to eat, so I couldn't leave anyone in a breeder. If they only take a short time and you don't mind the extra work, you can certainly put Fred in a breeder while they eat and that way keep him in the 55g as long as you want to.

I'm glad to hear Shimmer is doing well.  I was thinking about him the other day.


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## tlyons01 (Jul 5, 2011)

Yes, I love that log. I want one so bad, but it seems small. I have been considering a medium sized ceramic log, I have seen a few in town, but siliconing suction cups and putting it near the surface. Haven't made a decision there yet either. I do have a hammock near the surface for him to rest as well as some floating live plants that he blew a nest around after I put them in there. My mind races with so many ideas and wants, but I have spent so much money so far on this hobby of mine. I am currently waiting for 40 lbs of new substrate that I ordered. I found it at petsmart, Carib Sea Amazon, and like the smaller size of it but they only sold 5 lb bags and for 8$ each. I wanted the corys to have something softer, and I like sand, but that is too much for me to take on right now. One day, one day I will be happy with what I have and not need to change things so much... LOL maybe. As for how long they need to eat, I have no idea. I have left the lights out all day today but I am going to have to experiment to find out. At least I won't be bored here at home!!!


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## Sakura8 (May 12, 2011)

It's called Multiple Tank Syndrome and like the Betta Bug, there is no cure, haha. I can't wait to see what your tank looks like when you get it all set up and stocked. Definitely post pictures.


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## tlyons01 (Jul 5, 2011)

Sure will!!


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## Porthos (Aug 17, 2011)

*Male Bettas and Aquatic frogs*

Does anyone know if a male betta and aquatic frogs would get along? Or should I just go with Rasboras?


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## tlyons01 (Jul 5, 2011)

Porthos, I was just looking up African dwarf Frog information today and they would certainly get along with a Betta. It is recommended that you have 1 gallon per frog and they would be happy in groups too. Just be sure your tank isn't too tall because they are not good swimmers and they do come up for air occasionally.. Rasboras are compatible as well.


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## 920fish (Aug 15, 2011)

African frog will harass betta btw. I used to have one with my betta and they would bite the betta fins. I wouldn't recommend them.


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## nel3 (May 29, 2011)

im checking out in my VT wouldnt mind a 2.5g tank atm. if all goes well i'll be lookong for a 5g. im thinking of dividing it or maybe going for a tank buddy. is 1 shrimp or 1 snail the limit for a betta in a 5g?


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## rocketshipwalker (Aug 28, 2011)

Are there any Betta compatible fish/snails/frogs/etc. that would be okay with a male Betta and a moss ball or two in a five gallon tank or is that too small of a tank?


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## tlyons01 (Jul 5, 2011)

Well, I am not speaking from experience, not yet anyway.. I think that as long as you stick to the general rule of thumb for your 5 gallon, one inch per gallon, you should be able to keep maybe an african dwarf frog or two. Ghost shrimp seem to be pretty popular these days, as well as tetras or glofish. They stay pretty small so maybe you could look them up and find out how many can be in a tank of your size. Then again, I think the tetras are schooling fish and should be in groups of around 6, so that might not work. I know in the above postings it was said that ADF are fin nippers. I do not know from experience, but I did read that if they are hungry they might well nip, but that it should be harmless to the Betta. It might be stressful though, depending on your bettas temperament. Who knows though, your betta may very well not want another fish to share his home with, so back to the shrimps... I hear that they are good cleaners, they have a small bio-load so for your size tank it might be a good fit. I have no clue about snails, so I really can't comment on them. Good luck finding mates. I am going to be looking for some mates for my 5 gallon as well. I am leaning more towards the ADF


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## thePWNISHER (Jun 18, 2011)

I just moved from Cali to AZ and I saw a tank full of glo-fish, I'm going to pick some out for my 10g, I don have the heart to divide it for my male CT. Does anyone know the bioload for glowfish? I mean they stay between 1.5-2in so I imagine you could pack 5 in there with 1 betta okay in a 10g? Also anyone have some experience with glowfish with a male betta? I figure they are fast enough to scurry away . I have it planted and decorated pretty well with a nice mid level area for them to frolick so I know they have lots of hiding spots.


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## Yaoilover12397 (Aug 12, 2011)

I havn't been doing this for long but I keep Glofish with My betta. They don't seem to irk him. The only issue I've had is you need to have 4+ Glofish atlast because if not they will pick/hurt/kill each other. I personally would reccomend getting at least 5 of them. 

I think bioload wise from what i know as long as you keep it to like 5 glofish and the one betta you should be fine. Also Maybe a marimo moss ball? They kinda sorta eat fish poopie.


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## Sakura8 (May 12, 2011)

Glofish are basically genetically altered danios so with that in mind, you can probably keep 5-6 and one betta in a 10g.


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## thePWNISHER (Jun 18, 2011)

My 3 yr old loves going to the pet shop and look at fish, I can't wait to see what her face will be like when my snail is done QT and I go pick some of them up. I'll let her pick them out. I'm guessing I'll have mostly the pink(starfire red) ones.


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## Sakura8 (May 12, 2011)

They're really pretty. I'm interested to know if they're as active and hyper as zebra danios.


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## Yaoilover12397 (Aug 12, 2011)

They are but they are also so pretty and fun. Ig you want ones that really glow I would go with the orange ones and possibly yellow. I don't own the ywllo ones but i owl the blue, red, orange and purple ones. The Orange are the only ones that glow.


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## Sakura8 (May 12, 2011)

They really do glow under darklight?


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## Yaoilover12397 (Aug 12, 2011)

Yup, under a black light the orange ones glow liek really glow and the blue, purple and red ones kinda glow. Not sure on the yellow ones.


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## Sakura8 (May 12, 2011)

Wow, so cool. Too bad they're illegal in CA for some reason.


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## hedgehog (Sep 1, 2010)

Sakura--I've never personally owned a glofish but they should have all the same personality traits as regular danios. The addition of the GFP gene doesn't delete or replace any genes so it shouldn't affect anything other than the ability to glow.

Yaiolover--The yellow/green ones definitely should glow since they produce green fluorescing protein. Perhaps the light you were seeing them under wasn't conducive to the spectrum of light they emit. 

PWNISHER--just a heads up I've read (and seen) that glofish are more prone to early death than other fish. It doesn't seem to be illness related but rather genetic. Many glofish end up with curved spine deformities as they age. Some of them never develop it however and go on to lead long healthy lives.


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## Yaoilover12397 (Aug 12, 2011)

Oh i didn't say the green/yellow don't glow just that i dont own them to know.


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## Sakura8 (May 12, 2011)

Cool, thanks for the extra info on them, Hedgehog.


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## hedgehog (Sep 1, 2010)

Yaoilover12397 said:


> Oh i didn't say the green/yellow don't glow just that i dont own them to know.


Ok sorry I must have misread. I would think based on the genetics of the fish that they should glow the most actually.


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## thePWNISHER (Jun 18, 2011)

Actually that will work better for me because if they dont last as long it means more frequent trips to replace them for my 3yr old. I don't mind them not lasting at all. They are more of a situational fish for me since I didn't plan on having anything in the 10g but maybe an algae eaters but these guys are small enough and since they are very appealing to a 3yr old its worth the investment. Besides after getting my degree in genomics its great to see a product of my field of study. They aren't created out of cruelty just hapstance before they are even born. I wish California would repeal it since they do not survive or bother the natural waters there. One can only hope. Just like ferrets. I'm tempted to get one since I could be possibly moving back and this could be my only chance to buy one.


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## hedgehog (Sep 1, 2010)

I didn't know they were banned in California--doesn't quite make sense since they aren't damaging to natural wildlife and I thought that transgenes would generally be lost after a certain number of breedings.

What I'm curious about is why they end up with bent spines. It would make sense in first generation glofish since you have to pierce the egg to get the gene in but I thought glofish in pet stores were past the first generation. I wonder if danios have the same problem since generally the GFP gene can be inserted into essentially any creature without deleterious effects. /bionerd


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## thePWNISHER (Jun 18, 2011)

basically from my research, (online, wiki, etc..) they are mostly infertile, very rarily do you find a fertile one. the gene alteration is done by piercing the amnionitic sac within the egg I'm pretty sure which although does not directly affect the genetic make up of the fish, it has other phenotypical affects just like humans when they do amniocentesis during human pregnancy. There are many adverse side effects that can not be explained and the results of glofish deformites go along with the human counterparts in a similar fashion.


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## Loralyn94 (Jul 22, 2011)

Sakura8 said:


> Haha, I hear ya. With $500 I could by a nice big tank and get a sailfin pleco. Post pics of your clown pleco when you get him.


So this has been forever ago, but i figured I'd finally make good on posting a picture of my clown pleco. 










He's so tiny right now! Currently he's in a QT tank until im sure he didnt come with any unwanted tag alongs.


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## Loralyn94 (Jul 22, 2011)

Also, to input myself into the glofish discussion, from what i've always understood they are not infertile, the first generation is inserted with the gene that makes them glow and then after that it is passed down and inherited. 

This is also what it says on the official Glofish site, http://www.glofish.com/faq.asp.

"Do you have to add a fluorescence gene to every fish before it hatches?
No. Today's GloFish® fluorescent fish are bred from the offspring of fluorescent zebrafish that were originally developed several years ago. Each new GloFish® fluorescent fish inherits its unique color directly from its parents, maintains the color throughout its life, and passes the color along to its offspring."

"Does the fluorescence harm the fish?
No. The fish are as healthy as other zebrafish in every way. Scientists originally developed them several years ago by adding a natural fluorescence gene to the fish eggs before they hatched. Today's GloFish® fluorescent fish are bred from the offspring of these original fish."

So according to them, glofish are just like zebra danios except they glow. The second claim I'm skeptical on as it may be somewhat marketing bull, but as for the first I see no reason why they'd say something that isnt true about breeding them. 

Personally I have three glofish atm, (had for but the yellow one died and just havent gotten another one). In my experience they do do better in higher numbers, even four is better than three. As for colors my pink/red and the orange one are the brightest with the blue being the dullest. Yellow/green is in the middle, and I've never owned purple.


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