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Hey to all.

My 5 gallon, lightly planted aquarium is almost done cycling (and boy is Lois, my red female betta, glad for it). A few days after it has stabilized (amm, nitrite @ 0, nitrate around 10ppm at the most), I'd like to do one of two things, and I'd like some input on whether each scenario would work, and which would be the best way to go.

1) Add three of the same small species of corydoras (either panda, julii, or arcuatus, whichever I can find at the LFS). I'd probably add one or two, wait a few days to make sure there's no ammonia spike, and then add the other one or two.

2) Add two more female bettas of different colors. To do this, I would find two other healthy females, then transfer Lois out of the aquarium to a 1 gal bowl for maybe a day so she wouldn't be as territorial, and then add the three at the same time.

I'm pretty sure Lois would be fine with either setup, as I had corydoras in the tank before with her, as well as some tetras (these are all in my friend's tank so they wouldn't be victims of the huge ammonia spike I caused by introducing them all at once to the little 5 gallon), and she never nipped at them or anything. I worry a little about the three females being together, but I've read that they usually form a pecking order and settle down relatively quickly. The bettas setup would be my preference if it would work out, just because Lois has been such a joy to watch and their personalities are great, but let me know your thoughts.

Also, I think I already know the answer to this, but I'll try anyways: Is there any chance at all that, if added slowly over a month or three, I could eventually have three female bettas and three corydoras in this aquarium, as long as I was diligent about water changes (which I have been)? Or is that grossly over the bioload of a 5 gallon? I know I could do it with a 10 gallon, but I'm a poor college kid...

Three females in a 5 gal. is hit or miss. Sometimes it works, and sometimes it really doesn't. I had three in a 5 gal once (until some mysterious ailment killed two of them in one night) and it worked out okay. There was flaring and occasional chasing, but no nipping and no problems with feeding. I had a trio of spawn-sisters, so that may be why they got along as well as they did. I'd say try it, and if it doesn't work out, seperate them or return them.

As for the corydoras, I'd say not in a 5 gal. If they were true dwarf species like c. hasbrosus, pygmeus, or hastatus, I'd say go for it, but I know my corys are boistrous and like to have lots of space to play, and a 5 gal. just doesn't have that.

I hope someone else chimes in because I've been curious about khuli loaches as possible tankmates for bettas in small tanks. A trio of them maybe? THe ones that I've seen havn't been terribly active that they couldn't be fine in a 5 gal.
Then there are of course tankmates like mystery snails, African dwarf frogs, and I personally think that ottos make great tankmates for any small tank.

Hoping that there must be a word for everything I mean...

No cories in a 5g. I wouldn't even put them in a 10g, even though some people keep pygmy cories in a 10. None in a 5g. They are too active.

I think a 5g is only ok for one female betta. Any more than that and they may be aggressive towards each other. Get another opinion about this. You may be ok with 2. I wouldn't do 3 though. Five gallons are really small...so stocking is limited as you can tell. Planted or not, I wouldn't put more than the female bettas in there...and with them I'd only have 2.

If you had a 10g...you could get away with 3. That way they would have room to hide and get away from each other if problems came up.

*Kristin*

Certainly not at all not in that size tank. It would be well over stocked and lead to nasties in the tank and possible deaths of all in tank.

Have a look in [link=My Profile] http://www.fishprofiles.com/forums/member.aspx?id=1935[/link] for my tank info

Look here for my
Betta 11Gal Desktop & Placidity 5ft Community Tank Photos

Keith

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In a very well planted 5g the female bettas might work. For that to happen it's usually recommended to buy them at the same time from the same tank. Here's a link to an article about keeping females together.

Expand the Labyrinth Lounge forum here on FP and search for other posts as well.

Personally I didn't have luck keeping females together (example, [link=example 2]
http://www.fishprofiles.com/files/threads/15794.1.htm?8#[/link]), hopefully if you do try things will work out better for you.

I agree with the other that cories don't belong in a 5g. You could try ghost shrimp, although there's the chance that the bettas may eat them.

Good luck

~~~~~~~~~~~~
There is water at the bottom of the ocean

Maybe 2 Female Bettas, and a few shrimp, but 5s are very small.