# 15gal tank :o



## Bondance (Jan 30, 2012)

Hi! I've just registered with the forum today, but I've been lurking for the past few days now to learn :shock:

I'm new to keeping a betta and I originally had a 1gal tank, but ran into some problems with Andy's [my betta] health, due to a lack of proper water "cycling" and the resultant water quality. Thanks to the info I found here I decided to upgrade Andy's living conditions and headed off to Petco.

I originally wanted to find a tank in the range of 5 to 10 gallons but wound up purchasing a 15gal tank package >.< that was nicer and cheaper than any of the 10 gallon tanks I saw. But now I have this huge tank for my single fishy and it looks kind of barren and desolate.

So given that I have a 15gal tank and 1 male Betta... what else could i populate this tank with without causing problems for Andy or overpopulating the tank?

My spouse is in the military and so it's very likely that we'll be moving sometime in the near future, but wherever we go I fully intend to bring our fish with us, so I'd prefer that there were only 2 or 3 of them.

Would a goldfish get along with Andy? I'm very fond of orandas and my spouse really likes ryukins, but any suggestions at all are welcome!

Thanks for your responses and sorry this post was so verbose.


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## hedgehog (Sep 1, 2010)

Bettas and goldfish are not good tankmates. Goldfish are coldwater fish and bettas are tropical fish preferring a temp of about 78*. Goldfish also produce a lot of ammonia so they need large tanks--generally recommended 20-30 gallons for one fish. Success in keeping tank mates with bettas depends on the betta's temperament. Some bettas are too aggressive to be kept with tankmates so you'll want to have a backup plan when adding new fish. It's recommended to remove the betta, rearrange the tank decorations, add the new fish, and finally add the betta. This way it's a new territory for the betta with fish that already reside there as opposed to new fish invading the betta's established territory. My favorite fish as tankmates are cory catfish. They are bottom dwellers that occasionally go to the surface so they rarely bother bettas. They need to be kept in groups of at least 4 of the same species. In a 15 gallon you could do 5-7 of the larger species like bronze/emerald/albino cories (all C. aeneus just different colors).


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## MaisyDawgThirteen (Dec 7, 2011)

Other options are
-5 endler's live-bearers
-8 neon tetras (these can be a hit or miss. . .)
-7 ember tetras
-6 large cory catfish (bronze, albino, emerald)
-10 dwarf cory catfish 
-8 harlequin rasboras
The cories, endlers, rasboras and ember tetras are probs your best bets. 

+1 To no goldfish.


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## animallover (Dec 10, 2011)

You already got great advice! But I do have to say, thanks to everyone here, my 4 Julli Catfish and Betta are getting along great! Although, my Betta tries to hog the food, that's getting better lol.  Good luck.


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## Olympia (Aug 25, 2011)

You could do 5-7 kuhli loaches as well.. they are interesting little fish.

Sadly most fish that are betta compatible are schooling fish and only feel safe in large groups. For a smaller amount, I think you could do 2 otocinclus or 1 bristlenose pleco (be sure it's a bristlenose, because other types get huge). You would have to supplement them with dried algae wafers you can buy in stores ^-^


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## MandiceP (Jan 7, 2012)

tank dividers and more bettas? xD


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## Bondance (Jan 30, 2012)

Thanks for all the suggestions =] Going to the store now to see what sorts of fish they have.


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## Bombalurina (Oct 10, 2011)

Just make sure you don't rely on advice from the petshop assistants without double-checking it first - that way lies disaster! 
Someone once tried to sell me a clown loach for my 14.5 inch tank...yeah, that would have worked. *rolls eyes*

I think kuhli loaches would be amazing, and I'd be extremely jealous of you. They generally make great betta tankmates.


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## Olympia (Aug 25, 2011)

When I first joined here, everyone was obsessed with loaches. Now it seems to have moved on to cory cats.. xD Either way, loaches are very cool, and the more hiding places they have the more often you will see them.


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## Bombalurina (Oct 10, 2011)

Pfft, I'm still obsessed with loaches. I want a 500 gallon tank full of clown loaches.


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## Olympia (Aug 25, 2011)

Lmfao, go snorkeling with them?


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## Bombalurina (Oct 10, 2011)

You betcha.


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## Bondance (Jan 30, 2012)

I just got back from the store and didn't see any loaches =[ but they did have some cory's. We wound up only getting one though, an emerald, because the saleswoman started telling us that a 15gal tank isn't big enough for more than that. "You can get two, I can't stop you if you want to buy two, but if you do one WILL die." She was kinda pushy and I didn't feel like arguing, so we just got the one.

Is this true though? I thought the previous posts had implied that I could get several for a 15gallon tank, and I'm more inclined to believe you guys than that saleswoman, but now I'm confused...


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## hedgehog (Sep 1, 2010)

Bondance said:


> I just got back from the store and didn't see any loaches =[ but they did have some cory's. We wound up only getting one though, an emerald, because the saleswoman started telling us that a 15gal tank isn't big enough for more than that. "You can get two, I can't stop you if you want to buy two, but if you do one WILL die." She was kinda pushy and I didn't feel like arguing, so we just got the one.
> 
> Is this true though? I thought the previous posts had implied that I could get several for a 15gallon tank, and I'm more inclined to believe you guys than that saleswoman, but now I'm confused...


That's definitely not true. I have two adults and three juvies in my ten gallon. I plan on upgrading them to a 15 gallon and it wouldn't be overstocked. Cories also are social creatures. They are schooling fish and should be kept in groups of four or more. Since you don't want to many fish due to the future move I would recommend just the minimum four. They'll be okay together and the tank won't be overstocked. They really won't die because you have two in a fifteen gallon her information is incorrect.


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## Olympia (Aug 25, 2011)

Hahahah, oh sales people. They are crazy 
15 gallons is plenty of room for the cories. Don't forget the dried algae wafers.


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## Shirleythebetta (Jan 9, 2012)

So is the whole. 5 gallons per cory true? I know opinions differ but that opinion seemed weird and I am curious what you all think of that.


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## Olympia (Aug 25, 2011)

Well I don't think so.. o-o I was told it was safe to do 6 betta girls + 4-5 medium cories. I think as long as you keep up with water cleanness its fine.


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## hedgehog (Sep 1, 2010)

I don't personally believe it's true. Aqadvisor which is usually pretty generous in how many gallons each fish gets doesn't think so. I've had four adult cories in a ten gallon but now I'm at two adults and three juvies. I know it's a little overstocked but I have live plants and good filtration. My cories tend to sit right next to each other all the time. I can't see how they would need five gallons. I think what's more important with cories is the footprint of the tank since they are bottom dwellers. For example, you can put more cories in a 20 long than a 20 high since there's more surface at the bottom.


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## Shirleythebetta (Jan 9, 2012)

alright, makes sense thanks guys


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## MistersMom (Aug 9, 2011)

no pictures?
lol


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## Bombalurina (Oct 10, 2011)

To go with your new emerald cory (and yes, ignore the crazy saleswoman) you can also get the other two types of cories that are in the species corydoras anaeus - bronze and albino.


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## Bondance (Jan 30, 2012)

So this was his old tank:










This is his new tank! 15x as big :shock::










And this is his neighbor, hiding near the fake lantern. They actually both kinda hang out down there and ignore eachother:


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## Bondance (Jan 30, 2012)

Bombalurina said:


> To go with your new emerald cory (and yes, ignore the crazy saleswoman) you can also get the other two types of cories that are in the species corydoras anaeus - bronze and albino.


Oh thanks! I actually was wondering if it was safe to get different kinds of corys.


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## hedgehog (Sep 1, 2010)

Bondance said:


> Oh thanks! I actually was wondering if it was safe to get different kinds of corys.


It's safe to get different kinds of cories as long as they are the same species. Cories school with members of their own species and will only school with members of other species out of necessity like when there are only two cories in the tank. They are much less stressed when hanging out in groups of at least 4 with members of the same species. You happened to pick the species that has three color morphs though. There's bronze, albino, and green. They will all school together, they can spawn will each other, etc. I like this species because I have several of the different colors in my tank and I can tell all my fish apart. I am having a little difficulty now that the babies are getting bigger--one looks exactly like the dad and is getting close in size to daddy.

Edit: I forgot to mention that if you ever see a big tank with multiple cory species in it you will see the proper schooling behavior. The store I got two of my fish from had a huge cory specific tank with peppered cories, bronze cories, albino cories, and panda cories. They all stayed will similar sized fish that were the same species as them. It's really pretty cool.


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## Olympia (Aug 25, 2011)

I love your new tank! The decor is awesome, and I love how you made the gravel have little hills and valleys instead of just flat!


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## MistersMom (Aug 9, 2011)

very pretty set up, i luv it


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