Neons and Betta not getting along

So I had just recently set up my old 10 gallon tank and I had gotten a Betta with some plants in it after doing some cycling. (It has the whole setup lights, two filters -external and internal-,a heater and an airstone). About a month after, I put 7 neons in the tank with the Betta. They were doing just fine for a while. The Betta had is own area and the neons had theirs.
For a while I was working on getting rid of fin rot in the Betta and when he is finally seeming to be through, it looks like the neons are nipping at him. I'm not entirely sure what to do about it. It would be nice to figure out a solution before having to give one of them to someone else.

 

Upgrade them to a 20g. Having more space may give them more room to have their own territory.

 

That's true, and that may be the problem. However, I don't have much choice with tank size. My parents restrict me with a 10 gallon.
Would it be wiser to take out the Betta and put in like two-ish dwarf gouramis?
I had seen combos of Bettas and neons in other 10 gallon aquariums before so I had thought my combination was safe.

 

Dwarf gourami need 20 gallon or higher and should not be housed with more than one. Males are extremely aggressive with one another (most cases) and females are very rare to come across.

It may be better to return the neon tetras and opt for something like chilI rasboras instead. Theyd be more suited for a 10 gallon than neons are

 

Thanks for the advice! The neons are a bit feisty so that might be the ways to go.

 

Thanks for the advice! The neons are a bit feisty so that might be the ways to go.

Even better would be getting 6-10 corydoras hastatus instead, as theyre very docile and temperature compatible with bettas. They're a dwarf cory species suitable for a 10 gallon (most cories need a 20 gallon and up, but dwarf and pygmy cories work for 10 gallon fine)

 

Where could I get some like that? My availability to specialized aquarium stores is very limited.
Could I possible pair them with the Betta and some rasbora's? Or would that be too much? My Betta likes to tuck himself in weird positions in my plants so it is very hard to differentiate from him and the plants. I bought the neons in hope for a bit more activity in the tank.

 

Id move the Neons out. You have a few things working against you:

First, Neons do well in larger schools with cooler temps (74/76 ideally). Theyre really hard to keep happy in a 10, especially with other fish, as there's just no swimming room for them. Your Betta wants much warmer water idealy (80/82). A 10 is pretty jammed with 6 Neons and a Betta, and since the Neon school is so small and the swimming room limited, theyre going to take their frustration out on the Betta. Totally normal.

 

I was also thinking along the same lines. I have more if an emotional attachment to the Betta so it would be hard to trade him out.
What else could I get to spruce the tank up a bit? It's hard with a 10 gallon to make combos. I also have 3 cherry shrimp in the tank as well but they are amazing at hiding.

 

You could get certain rasboras, like chilis.

But harlequins are too large for a 10g.

But many of the small rasboras run a risk of the betta eating them.


If you are in USA you have a good chance of ordering fish online too.

 

What would be some reputable sites to buy some off of?

 

Some people like aquabid.

I'm in Canada, so I have no expertise there.
FinalFins may be able to suggest some good places, I think theyre American?

 

Awesome! I'll have to look into them! Thanks so much

 

Chillis can be bought off Aquabid for sure, remember to check the seller rating. Also check some places like Flip Aquatics, Aquatic arts, The Wet Spot, all of those places are reputable. I'm sure I'm missing some more places