# Betta buddies?



## BettaBeGood195 (May 27, 2016)

HI! I'm new to the forum and to Betta care.
I decided to get a Betta and to make sure to do my research before buying a new fish.
I bought a 5.5 gal aquarium set with heater and filter, and started cycling it yesterday, and I though it'd be fun to add some small tank mates! I was wondering in this size of tank would an apple snail and some ghost shrimp together with a Betta make my tank filthy? And would all the critters get along? 
Also how long should I run the filter before adding a fish?
Any advice is welcome! I want to be sure to do everything as best as I can! 
Thanks! :grin2:


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## Aluyasha (Sep 2, 2010)

I would say no on the apple snail (they grow large and are very messy). You can go for a Nerite snail or some red cherry shrimp, they will help with cycling too.


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## RussellTheShihTzu (Mar 19, 2013)

First, Welcome to the Forum! :wave:

About tank mates. It's not a simple thing if you take the needs of both the Betta and the tank mates into consideration.

While Betta do well with a fish-in cycle (see link). Shrimp...not so much. They require a heavily-planted tank that is fully mature and at the least two or three months stable. Otherwise you are shortchanging them. Introducing shrimp to a new tank and a tank without enough hides to evade the predator Betta are the two main reasons shrimp die.

I would advise you cycle your tank and get to know your Betta well enough to decide if he or she is even suitable for tank mates. If he or she is then I would suggest some small bottom dwellers like Habrosus Cory. I have five or six in each of my 5.5 tanks with a Betta. Bottom dwellers do not invade the Betta's level so make better tank mates, IME, than critters that are all over. If the Cory are doing fine after a bit then you could add some Ghosties....if the tank has enough plants and hides so they can safely get away from the Betta when they molt.

Unlike the Apple Snails, the Cory and the Ghosties have next to no bioload so should be fine with your Betta as far as that goes.

http://www.bettafish.com/101-betta-...ies/555434-cycling-two-sentence-tutorial.html


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## carrohason (Aug 23, 2013)

I have a cycled 5gal with my really mellow guy and he currently has 4 neon tetras and they are all doing very well. In the past, he has had 2 snails (black mystery and black racer nerite) with no obvious problems (he had 2 ADFs, but the tank wasnt quite cycled yet, so they died pretty quick).


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## EJHath (May 10, 2016)

Depends on the betta. My daughter's snail was promptly attacked by her betta. Had to regime the snail quickly.


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## MysticSky22301 (Apr 16, 2016)

I have one boy who is amazingly mellow he's in my guppies community tank he has never attacked any one, not even the multitude of fry swimming around! He did however chase my male gourami when it decided to nip his butt the gourami decided THAT was a bad idea VERY quickly and left him alone lol! I only have one male I'm afraid to put another fish with he even flares up at food. I'm really good at picking calm non vicious fish haha especially with 16 Bettas total


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## Aluyasha (Sep 2, 2010)

RussellTheShihTzu said:


> First, Welcome to the Forum! :wave:
> 
> About tank mates. It's not a simple thing if you take the needs of both the Betta and the tank mates into consideration.
> 
> ...


I forgot about the cory. They are hard to come by where I live so I have not got the chance to own them. 
Getting to know your betta, good advice! I have had some bettas that could not tolerate any tankmates. I guess if one really wanted to try I would make sure to have a backup tank ready for the other fish in case it does not work out.


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## BettaBeGood195 (May 27, 2016)

Thanks everyone for the awesome advice! I'll just let my Betta get nice and comfy and used to his tank then I'll maybe try a Cory or some tetras if he seems docile enough for a tank mate 
Soooo much help seriously, especially the cycle advice and such! Loving this forum, there is so little info to get from pet stores and even online. I'm learning a ton!!!


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## MysticSky22301 (Apr 16, 2016)

I'm letting some ghost shrimp loose in my community in a little bit I love them here's hoping my corys and Betta don't eat all the babies they have


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## RussellTheShihTzu (Mar 19, 2013)

BettaBeGood195 said:


> Thanks everyone for the awesome advice! I'll just let my Betta get nice and comfy and used to his tank then I'll maybe try a Cory or some tetras if he seems docile enough for a tank mate
> Soooo much help seriously, especially the cycle advice and such! Loving this forum, there is so little info to get from pet stores and even online. I'm learning a ton!!!


You can't try *a* Cory. They are a shoaling species and minimum number is six. There's safety in numbers for them and keeping just one (prey) with a Betta (predator) is the same as putting one horse in a pasture with a wolf. You may know the wolf is gentle but to the horse it is still seen as a potential killer.


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## RussellTheShihTzu (Mar 19, 2013)

MysticSky22301 said:


> I have one boy who is amazingly mellow he's in my guppies community tank he has never attacked any one, not even the multitude of fry swimming around! He did however chase my male gourami when it decided to nip his butt the gourami decided THAT was a bad idea VERY quickly and left him alone lol! I only have one male I'm afraid to put another fish with he even flares up at food. I'm really good at picking calm non vicious fish haha especially with 16 Bettas total


Gourami are also an Anabantoid and should not be kept with Betta; especially if it's two males. It's near the same to keeping two male Betta in the same tank.


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## MysticSky22301 (Apr 16, 2016)

I'll get pokey moved then, though I have honey gouramis not your typical dwarf or pearls I've also kept I very good watch on them knowing they come from the same family


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## BettaBeGood195 (May 27, 2016)

Good to know about the corys! 
I'm starting to think I'll probably just get a nerite snail for my tank, but only after I let the Betta get used to his new home and stuff. I haven't gotten a Betta yet I'm getting to know how things work before actually involving animals.


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