# Betta and Albino Corys



## Amba1027

Yesterday I got a couple of albino corys to put in with my male betta. I now have some questions about having the together. 

First, I know you do not need an air pump with the betta since they breathe from the surface but I assumed that one would be needed for the corys so I got one and set it up. I have since notice the corys darting to the surface of the water like they are taking a breath. Do they need the air pump? 

Second, I usually put aquarium salt in my tank after changing the water. I was wondering if it still safe to do this with the corys in there. My thoughts were that they might try to eat the salt off the bottom or something and so it might not be safe. I don't know if that is a silly thought or if there is some other reason I shouldn't continue with the salt.

Third, I was searching for info on some other threads and came across a post with the aqadvisor site in it. I went on there and it came up with this warning for me:

Warning: Betta [Male] is not recommended to be with Albino Cory - further research is highly recommended.

Anyone know what the problem putting them in together is? Is it just because bettas can be aggressive?

That's all I can think of for now. I'm sure I will have more questions as I go on though.


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## KPainter

Cories do go to the surface for air occasionally. That's just regular cory behavior.


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## thekoimaiden

1) You don't need an air pump in any tank unless the filter isn't producing enough surface agitation. I only use one in my goldfish tank because they have such high oxygen demands. I'm pretty sure you will be fine without one in your tank

2) You have no need to add aquarium salt unless you are treating a specific illness. Just stop adding the salt. 

3) Aqadvisor isn't perfect. Keeping other fish with betta seems to be a case-by-case basis. Some are just too aggressive to be kept with other fish; and some are chill enough to keep with fish. A lot of this is affected by tank size and how much cover (live plants or decor) is in the tank. Tanks larger than 10 gallons with lots of decorations tend to succeed. What size is your tank?


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## Amba1027

I have a 5 gallon tank. My betta seems to be pretty relaxed about having new tank mates. I think the extra water agitation from the air pump was stressing him out so I'm glad I can turn it off.


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## thekoimaiden

Some betta don't react well to filters at all; many actually benefit from having them off. 

But there is a problem with your tank. Corydoras need a larger than than a 5 gallon tank, and it's not recommended to keep betta with other fish in a tank smaller than 10 gallons. There just isn't enough room for the fish to get away from the betta when he decides to get angry. You should either upgrade to a larger tank or return the cories.


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## Amba1027

I could've sworn I'd been told on another forum that a 5 gallon would be big enough. So a 10 gallon will be big enough for my 3 guys? Which leads me to another question. Is there anyway to tell if my cories are male or female? Are they often kept in th same tank at pet stores? Just wondering so I can prepare myself for babies if that is a possibility. And one last question for now. How much should I be feeding the cories?

I will definitly be upgrading my tank soon. Thanks for all the advice so far!
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## thekoimaiden

A 5 gallon is the minimum for keeping a betta with other critters (snails and shrimp), but a 10 gallon is the minimum for corydoras catfish. When you do get the 10 gallon tank you can also get more cories. They love the company of other cories. If you're on a tight budget, try looking at second-hand stores. You can often find tanks there for very little there, but they don't know exactly what size these tanks are. The best way to tell is by measuring the length of the tank. A 10 gallon tank will be 20 inches long, and a 20 gallon tank will be 24 inches long. 

As for sexing the cories, it's difficult. They don't have any obvious differences between the sexes aside from females being a little more plump. But I don't think you need to worry about babies. They spawn in large groups where the ratio is two males to every female.

Feeding the cories with the betta present is sometimes a little tricky as bettas are little piggies. Some people feed the cories right after they feed the betta so the betta is distracted. Some people feed them on different sides. I like to feed my bottom dwellers after lights out as most bottom dwellers hunt by smell and don't need to see to find food.


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## jaysee

Amba1027 said:


> I could've sworn I'd been told on another forum that a 5 gallon would be big enough. So a 10 gallon will be big enough for my 3 guys? Which leads me to another question. Is there anyway to tell if my cories are male or female? Are they often kept in th same tank at pet stores? Just wondering so I can prepare myself for babies if that is a possibility. And one last question for now. How much should I be feeding the cories?
> 
> I will definitly be upgrading my tank soon. Thanks for all the advice so far!
> _Posted via Mobile Device_


Opinions on how to keep the fish will vary, though you won't find many people suggesting a 5 gallon for anything more than a betta.

I would not keep full size corys in less than a 30 inch tank. It's not that a few can't be kept in a 10 gallon, but the school they should be kept in is just too much for such a small tank. Also, albinos can be one of the larger corys (depending on the species). In my experience keeping them in tanks as small as 10 gallons, they are not active and just sit around. Really, there's nothing else for them to do as there is no room for them to forage.

It's all a matter of how much swimming space you want your fish to have. Having kept corys in tanks from 10 to 90 gallons, I certainly get way more enjoyment watching them swim around the tank rather than sitting around.


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## Geomancer

I have to agree with the others.

5 gallon for a Betta is okay with a small snail or shimp.

10 gallon minimum for a Betta and Corys.

Corys are schooling, should be kept in numbers 4+ with 4 really being a minimum. Provide lots of cover, natural driftwood can provide an excellent 'cave' underneath.

Temperments of Bettas are all over the board, some are okay, some are not. You may not see aggression, look for signs of stress or damage to the corys.

Do not add aquarium salt, none of these fish are brackish or salt water fish. Salt is an irritant to them and causes stress. It is sometimes used as a treatment because the irritation causes the fish to up their slim coat, but it should never be used all the time. Often there are alternative medications that are better on the fish than using salt anyways (Ich comes to mind).

Corys can do okay in lower oxygen levels, and them going to the surface for a breath is not unusual. I agree that the filter likely creates enough agitation on its own. Check for signs of oxygen deficiency (staying near the surface gasping).


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## Amba1027

Thanks everyone for the helpful posts. I'm heading off to get the 10 gallon shortly. The cories seem to be doing well so far. They swim around a lot.

I have another question, not really related to the things we've been talking about but i figured I would ask here instead of starting a new thread. There's a lot of algae growing very quickly in my tank these days. I used to live in an apartment and the place where I kept the tank got no natural light. The place I keep my tank now is next to a window so it gets a lot of light. Could this be what is causing the algae? Or is the some other reason?


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## Geomancer

Amba1027 said:


> Thanks everyone for the helpful posts. I'm heading off to get the 10 gallon shortly. The cories seem to be doing well so far. They swim around a lot.


When you set up the 10 gallon, move the substrate and decorations over to the new tank (along with additional substrate to account for the added area). You should also put the old filter media into the new filter. The reason being, you do not want to loose your cycle. Which brings up the question... was the tank cycled before adding the fish?



Amba1027 said:


> I have another question, not really related to the things we've been talking about but i figured I would ask here instead of starting a new thread. There's a lot of algae growing very quickly in my tank these days. I used to live in an apartment and the place where I kept the tank got no natural light. The place I keep my tank now is next to a window so it gets a lot of light. Could this be what is causing the algae? Or is the some other reason?


You are correct, it is the light. You'll want to put the new tank away from windows if possible.


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## Amba1027

Yes the tank was cycled. I originally had a 3.5 gallon with just the betta, then I got the 5 gallon and moved everything over. That was back in March.

I should be able to move the tank over a bit and have it not be in the sunlight. I hope that works because I don't really have a better location for it.


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## Amba1027

Well, I held off on getting the 10 gallon because I found a free 20 gallon on craigslist. I would like to give them as much room as possible so I'm checking with my boyfriend to see if he will agree to the 20.


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## jaysee

The 20 would be far better than the 10.


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## thekoimaiden

The dollar per gallon sale is currently going on at Petsmart, so a 20 gallon tank is only $20. You'd be challenged to find one in almost new condition for that little with secondhand stores/websites.


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## Amba1027

Unfortunately I wasn't able to get the 20 gallon right now. It would not fit on the kitchen counter. I don't have enough money for a stand right now so the counter is the only place I can put the tank. Hopefully I can get a bigger tank some time soon. I would love to keep more fish.

So I got the ten gallon, got it all set up and moved everybody over. I also got a couple more cories. My next question is about plants and decorations. I didn't get very many new things to put in the larger tank because I didn't want it to be too crowded but looking at pictures of other peoples tank on here I think I might not have enough. I attached a picture of my tank so you can take a look. Do I need more plants?


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## jaysee

I think you could reposition a few of them to be more aesthetically pleasing, as well as functional.

I would also raise the water level to the top.

I would also get a background on there. Aside from looking better, it will help to keep light from the window out of the tank.


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## Amba1027

I had the water that low because of an issue with the position of the filter and forgot to raise it after I fixed the filter issue. Thanks for reminding me!

Also thanks for the idea of putting on a background to keep the light out!


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## Geomancer

You really don't want light from that window getting into the tank... you'll very quickly run into an algae issue if it is placed in direct sunlight.

The best control of algae is controlling the light in addition to your weekly water changes.


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## Amba1027

I got the background and put it on so hopefully that will help the light situation some. I'm also going to look into getting curtains or blinds for that window.


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