IheartmyOscars

I'm seriously considering getting a male betta for my 10 gallon. currently it has lots of nice tall plants and 2 otos. Are there any other fish that are truly compatable with the betta?

COBettaCouple

All of our bettas get along fine with cory cats. The Bettas even were in the tanks first and only flared a little at the corys when we added them, then they've just been good tankmates with no problems since, other than the silly Bettas wanting to eat the algae wafers & shrimp tablets.

I hear that Otos are pretty good with Bettas. I've not tried them myself, but you've already got them in the tank so that should help the Betta feel less territorial. Bettas have such a range of character that it's hard to say 100%, but I'd be willing to try Otos. We almost bought them, but went with Julii Corys at the last minute.

poefox

Some people...SOME...have kept them with peaceful tetras like bloodfins (which more or less mind their own business regardless of who is with them) or livebearers such as platties. However you are kind of gambling when doing that--some bettas will like the company, others will detest it like death.. Always have a backup plan when considering betta tankmates is now my rule of thumb.

Phloxface

I would just get Cories or maybe 2-3 more Otos and that's it. A ten gallon isn't that big and a Betta with a few peaceful bottom-dwellers like Otos and/or Cories is just perfect. There's just too much potential for trouble when you start mixing other fish in with Bettas and of course there's the issue of over-feeding as the Betta will steal the other fish's food. Over-feeding is very dangerous for Bettas! I had a hard time making that work when I had my 5 female Bettas together (I had to separate them all due to fighting). At feeding times it was impossible to control exactly how much each fish was eating. Bettas are SO prone to constipation you really need to religiously control their food intake.

COBettaCouple

poefox & Phloxface are totally right - with a Betta & tankmates you do need a backup plan.. not just for if the Betta doesn't like his new buddies, but a plan for if the Betta likes his new buddies AND their food. (Like the Bettas we have who would gorge on algae wafers & shrimp pellets - that did lead to a BAD case of constipation in our little Super Mario which weakened him in his fight with fin rot and opened the door for the dropsy that killed him.)

Check with where you're buying your Betta - most will accept a return on a Betta should you find him incompatible or hungry for the Oto's food. That could be your backup plan.. or a friend who wants a Betta and will give him a good home.. or another 10g tank for the Betta if you have the room.

Oh.. and if the Betta does like their food, you could try hiding a smaller quantity of the Oto's food and see if the Betta shows signs of having eaten it in the morning. Hopefully though, you'll get a male Betta like our Sora who initially flared at his new Cory buddies to let them know he ruled the tank and has been great with them since.. and he has 0 interest in their food.. being finicky for blood worms & peas.

IheartmyOscars

thanks for the info. I think I'm gonna go for it. One more question: do Bettas often become ill, with fin rot, etc.? I saw the announcement on this page about Metifix (sp?) but I've never had the need to treat any of my other fish for any reason, except for a case of ICH from some mollies bought at petco. thanks again.

COBettaCouple

Finrot seems to be a bit of a problem with Bettas, but also relatively easily treatable. Usually the main reason they get it is picking it up at the LFS, like the 2 we treated. Keeping good water & avoiding decor that would tear the delicate fins really reduces your odds of having to treat finrot, I think.

We successfully treated the 2 Bettas with the Fungus Clear tabs by Jungle Labs.. Just get a box of those cheap disposable gloves (we try not to touch anything that could cause cancer in humans) and take anything out of the tank you don't want dyed blue-green by the tablets when you use it. Take the carbon out of the filter & drop a tablet into the tank is all you have to do to treat the finrot - no temp. raising & stuff like that. Your betta can stay in his tank and even keep live plants and decor you think won't get dyed - so less stress for him & you. I used it because experienced Betta owners said it was good and it worked for me too. I'd always keep a box of it as part of your 'first aid' kit for your Betta. If you ever need to treat for finrot, you could always move the Otos to a temp. container but I think they could stay in the tank while you did the treatment. You may want to start a new thread & ask the experts here on whether or not you can.. they'd know better than I do and let you have a plan you're sure of just in case finrot rears it's ugly head so you can nail it fast & clear it out.

0morrokh

Bettas do seem more susceptible to diseases than other fish, who knows why though. I agree that finrot is especially common though due to their long fins. As long as you pick a healthy Betta from the store, don't overfeed, and maintain good water quality, hopefully you shouldn't run into any problems.

As far as tankmates, I think Cories may be pushing the bio load a bit since you already have Otos. I would get some more Otos. A lot of people (including myself, until I can free up the q tank to get more) keep Otos in smaller groups, which is fine but they do look cute in a bigger shoal.

Oh, I almost forgot to mention. Just make sure you get any other catfish before getting the Betta. Bettas don't like it when new fish are added to "their" territory, but generally are fine with catfish as long as they were added to the tank first.