# female bettas and scavengers/algae eaters



## maxima423 (Jun 28, 2010)

can any one tell me if they are compatible with otos and corys??? i am looking forward to having 5-7 female bettas in my 20g high tank and planning to add some otos and corys, can anyone tell me if this is a good idea? 

this tank will be finished in a month or so, starting my cycle soon after i fix my temp problems... ranging from 86-88 degrees because of summer >___> when AC is on, gets around 84deg sometimes a little lower


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## dramaqueen (Jul 7, 2008)

Bettas get along fine with otos and corys.


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## maxima423 (Jun 28, 2010)

and shrimp?


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## BartTheFish (Jun 15, 2010)

depends on the size of shrimp.. ghost shrimp... they would eat lol


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## Adastra (Jun 18, 2010)

20 gallon highs are a bit difficult to manage with a sorority logistically--remember that you will need decorations from top to bottom since many bettas sleep on the substrate, and all must go up to breathe. You will likely need a variety of large floating plants to help you with this. 

Back to the original topic, most cories and otos will be fine with bettas. I suggest you get at least six cories--if you go with pygmy cories you will be able to get more fish than you would if you got a larger species. The little ones are totally adorable anyway.

Otos are also a social fish, that need to be in groups of at least 3. They are only suited to stable, established aquariums since they are typically wild caught and will eat exclusively algae--and many are very particular about what kinds of algae they will eat. They are not suited to new setups for this reason.


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## Ashcan Bill (May 30, 2010)

I recently added otos to a betta tank. Here's a little bit of the knowledge I've gained.



 First, otos have a notoriously high mortality rate when first purchased and added to a tank. Many times they're stressed, starving and ill from their journey and will suddenly die without warning. If they survive in your tank the first three weeks or so, then they most likely will be fine. Having an established tank with plenty of algae for them to feed on is important to get them past these first few weeks.



 Sooner or later they will run out of algae and need supplemental feeding. Mine like algae wafers. So far they haven't shown any interest in the blanched vegetables I've given them, but I haven't stopped trying this approach. Figure out ahead of time what you plan to feed them.



 They are very social and like to hang out together. I lost one of my original three, but the two survivors love to stay close to one another. Eventually I may give them more company, but for now they seem quite happy with each other.



 While the male betta they share the tank with seems willing to tolerate them, he does occasionally chase them. But he's fairly aggressive and goes after snails as well. Luckily he could only catch them in his dreams. Bettas are slow - otos are quick.



 It's important to have a tank large enough for the fish to be able to avoid each other. They need their own space, and room to run in. I would say a 7-8 gallon tank is the bare minimum, with 10 or above being better.



 And live plants help the otos quite a bit. Not only will they eat algae off the plants, but it gives them shelter from the betta.
 
Hope that helps some.


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## xswornxoffxjello (Mar 18, 2010)

My sorority has 4 female bettas and 3 corys (used to be 4 corys but one died suddenly) and they get along just fine. (Well, they mostly ignore each other, but I suppose all things considered that's good.)


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## dubdukes (Jul 5, 2010)

*female bettas and cory's*

I have one female betta and 2 cories, along with several fake plants. problem is, i noticed in the last few days that my cory's seemed to not be swimming around as much as they used to. finally found them tonight and pulled them from the tank as one was dead and the other was dying. Upon closer inspection of the cories, i found that the dead one had his (i dont know how to tell the gender on the cories sorry) caudal fin completely gone and the second cories was half gone. my only guess as to the reason for this is my female betta started fin-nipping them after a month of being in the same tank. No, there isnt anything sharp or that can catch the fins in my tank. 

has anyone else experienced this problem? Recommendations? I was considering getting a few more to put back in there, but don't want to keep going through this every other month, if not more often. 

please advise.....

tank specs: 10 gallon, filtered, heated, and all chemical levels within norms. 
Plenty of fake plants and hiding places. 
Fed every other day.


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