# 10 gallon tankmates?



## sabrinah (Jan 2, 2015)

I upgraded by male betta into a 10 gallon some months ago. It's planted, has two decorations for hiding, a piece of driftwood, and sand substrate. His only current tankmates are a nerite snail and some little pond snails. 

I've been wanting to get something else to add to the tank, preferable something that will eat the detritus. 

My betta has had tankmates before and has shown no aggression to any accept Hannibal Lecter and the occasional pond snail. In all fairness, Hannibal was a jerk. He was the largest of the ghost shrimp that made it his mission to murder and consume all the other shrimp. He also liked to steal food out of my betta's mouth, occasionally climbing up his tail to do so. Hannibal had it coming in my opinion. 

Anyway, would pygmy cories be suitable? Or should I try some ghost shrimp again and hope I don't get a jerk? My options are pretty much limited to Petco and Petsmart. The small fish stores around here are absolutely awful and I refuse to ever step foot in them again. Also, would a bubbler make it difficult for my betta to swim? I assume I'll be needing one, as the filter I have now is horribly noisy if I leave the water level low enough for sufficient surface agitation.


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## aussieJJDude (Jun 9, 2012)

As long as there's ripples on the surface, there is oxygen diffusing into your tank. However if you feel worried about your fish(es) not getting enough, then feel free to add an air system. I just would look for a smaller unit; they way your not wasting your electricity bill, betta isn't going to find it hard to swim against and you still increase oxygen diffusion.

But I would totally reccomend a school of pygmy cories, especially if you have sand! However they not a substitute for tank maintenance so you still have to make sure that your sand is clean - to reduce infection. They do help stir up the detritus so that way your filter can pick it up, but overall they not vacuum cleaners.


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## Euro (Nov 13, 2015)

I'm glad I'm not the only one that names murderous inverts after hannibal characters, I have a CPO who is called Buffalo Bill and hes serving solitary for the cold blooded murder of my shrimp.

+ 1 for the pygmy cories. You could also try many other nano fish such as chili rasbora, exclamation point rasbora, emerald dwarf rasbora etc. Could also try neons or lambchop/harlequins I've had luck with guppies and bettas, but up to you. I wouldn't go for CPDs as small as they are simply because they are really active. I think 20" is really too short for them, aka the length of a 10 gallon tank, that and they prefer cooler waters as opposed to 78-80+ degree waters that a betta needs.


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## Shidohari (Sep 21, 2008)

What are CPDs? also I like the look of endler livebearer males in my community tank, they don't get more than 1 inch. (note my community tank doesn't have a betta in it so I don't know how they'd react.


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## NickAu (Sep 28, 2015)

*CPD Celestial Pearl Danio (Danio Margaritatus) or Galaxy Rasbora or Microrasbora Galaxy  *



Video is NOT my work or of my fish.


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## Shidohari (Sep 21, 2008)

I should have known that acronym as I'd heard it before, but I didn't remember it Nick. Also cherry shrimp or ghost shrimp if you have hiding places for them, as they may become...dinner...

Possibly a nerite snail to clean algae from the glass, just watch them because they are escape artists.


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## NickAu (Sep 28, 2015)

> Also cherry shrimp or ghost shrimp if you have hiding places for them, as they may become...dinner...


LOL I think my Betta is fed up with shrimp they are not even afraid of him any more.


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## Shidohari (Sep 21, 2008)

Really because I really do love my cherry shrimp...they currently hide in the java moss on the rock in my 20 gal tank maybe I will consider a betta for that tank as it's currently established..that was the only warning I got from aquadvisor for putting a betta in that tank.


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## NickAu (Sep 28, 2015)

Red Cherry Shrimp feel safe in numbers the more the merrier.

Bettas and tank mates warning.

Some bettas are fine with tank mates others are not, It depends on the Betta.


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## Shidohari (Sep 21, 2008)

True...very true


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## themamaj (May 11, 2015)

I have had dwarf orange crayfish, shrimp, and cardinal tetras in a 10 gallon with betta. I have another 10 gallon with 6 cory cats and betta. African dwarf frogs make really nice tank mates as well and are very funny to watch. Nerite snails are so cute, but will ditto they are master escape artist. As long as good cover for tank they will be fine. Other snails that are great are malasian trumpet snails. If you have sand, especially, they do a great job of aerating the substrate since they burrow. Good luck with your search for tankmates. My community tanks are some of my favorites.


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## sabrinah (Jan 2, 2015)

Well I just got back from a trip to an absolutely wonderful aquatics store and bought some new additions that are currently floating in the tank! I bought 3 shrimp, one yellow, one a powder blue, and one that's yellow and red, as well as 6 Pygmy cories and a new plant. I'm excited to see how it all goes!


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## RussellTheShihTzu (Mar 19, 2013)

I know you're excited, but unless your aquarium is densely planted and, especially, has moss and hiding places the Betta can't invade you won't see much of your shrimp. And as NickAu said, the more the merrier...and more secure. In my tanks with a Betta I have no fewer than 15-20 shrimp. If you find they are hiding there's something wrong with their habitat.

They need steady parameters as even .25ppm Ammonia will kill them. A tank at the least four months past a completed cycle is best. And they have specific TDS (Total Dissolved Solids) levels. If you see them suddenly jumping backwards that means they can't molt because the TDS level is too high and their carapace is too hard. You measure TDS with a meter that's about $15.00 on eBay.

Not to be a Debbie Downer, but forewarned is forearmed. Shrimp are not as easy as one would think. That being said, I hope yours do well. I love mine and when all of them are out an about ...which is 75% of the time... it's quite a spectacle.


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## NickAu (Sep 28, 2015)

> I know you're excited, but unless your aquarium is densely planted and, especially, has moss and hiding places the Betta can't invade you won't see much of your shrimp. And as NickAu said, the more the merrier...and more secure


Then there are my shrimp.


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## sabrinah (Jan 2, 2015)

I do have a ton of plants and a hunk of driftwood, all which I rearranged to make as many hiding places as possible, even though it doesn't look very pretty. My betta has lived with ghost shrimp before and all went well between them. The only aggressive one in that situation was a macro shrimp that was given to me with the ghost shrimp. Needless to say I am never buying shrimp from PetSmart again. The macro shrimp killed all my ghost shrimp, tore apart snails, and attacked my betta until my betta finally got sick of it and killed him. It was quite an event. This tank has also been running for around 5 months and the water parameters are always perfect


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## sabrinah (Jan 2, 2015)

If there was anywhere around here that I could get red cherry shrimp for a good price (the shrimp I bought today were $8 each), or ghost shrimp that don't contain hidden macros, I would gladly buy more. My original plan was to get 10 shrimp but for the price I paid I couldn't do it.


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## RussellTheShihTzu (Mar 19, 2013)

Where do you live? JDAquatics of this forum sells gorgeous Orange Sakura and Bloody Mary Shrimp (very deep red) for reasonable prices. I bought the BM and they were gorgeous and healthy. I'll try to think of others from whom I've ordered.

If you can buy and have shipped I highly recommend CPO (Dwarf Orange Crayfish). They are not as sensitive as shrimp and really fun. I also buy those from JDAquatics.

Next Saturday, March 19, is the AquaBid SNE. You'll find a lot of good buys on shrimp and other inverts there.


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## suizokukan (Mar 12, 2016)

you can try neons but they generally like more space then a 10 gallon would offer. ember tetras or endler livebearers would be your best bet.


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## sabrinah (Jan 2, 2015)

I'm in California, the Bay Area. Shipping is a bit too pricey for me. I have very little money. Everything I got today was actually a belated birthday gift


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## RussellTheShihTzu (Mar 19, 2013)

I'll look to see if I have any shrimp people I trust in that area.

BTW, Pygmy Cory are great, too. I prefer Habrosus, also small, because they are bottom dwellers while the Pygmy are more middle. But Pygmy are the cutest little things! I have them and the similar Hastus Cory in three of my tanks.

Before I divided them up I had 20 Pygmy Cory in my 20 long and it was great and so much fun to watch!

Edit: I'll find out how much for RCS and shipping to CA and let you know. Just for future reference. I believe the Bloody Mary are around $5.00 and RCS $2.00 or less.

Shipping for one pound a bit over $7.00; two pounds a bit over $10.00.


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## sabrinah (Jan 2, 2015)

So far all is going well in the tank! I was extremely cautious while acclimating my new fishies and gave them around 40 minutes in the tank, lights off, without the betta, then another 40 minutes with the betta and no lights to let everyone adjust. The shrimp and cories are all extremely active. My betta looks just like a teenager put in a room with toddlers. He is curious about their antics but wants to be nowhere near them.


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## SimplyXt (Mar 27, 2016)

Sabrinah, I'm curious to know how all your new tankmates are doing??


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## sabrinah (Jan 2, 2015)

They're all getting along great! My betta likes to follow them around but doesn't act aggressively at all. The Pygmy cories are extremely comfortable in the tank. They swim everywhere and will even sit and rest on the betta's tail for a few seconds. The only problem comes with feeding, because my betta has now taken a habit of searching the bottom of the tank when the lights go out for the good I toss down there for the cories. I might have to stop feeding him dinner because he just helps himself to theirs anyway and I don't want him getting fat!


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## Captain Balu (Aug 4, 2015)

RussellTheShihTzu said:


> BTW, Pygmy Cory are great, too. I prefer Habrosus, also small, because they are bottom dwellers while the Pygmy are more middle.


This.
I was told that Pygmy Corys are more lively and need a bigger tank than the usual Betta size. The Corydoras Habrosus are more suited because they are not so active and prefer only the bottom, which gives a Betta his top-level kingdom all for himself and because they are less active swimmers the Habrosus won't stress a Betta so much as the Pygmy Corys.
I have 10 Corydoras Habrosus in my Betta tank and they behave exactly like they're described, meaning they prefer the bottom and don't swim around much (unless it's feeding time).


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