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I have a 5 gallon tank with one male betta, one albino cory cat, and one mystery snail. It's decorated, and has a suction cup plant near the surface where the betta likes to hang for most of the day. The three of them have been together since January, with no problems.

About three weeks ago, I noticed that the cory's fins started to look shredded. At first I thought there was something wrong with the tank, but the water tests to nearly perfect, and there aren't any sharp edges anywhere.

Turns out it's the betta who has been dive-bombing the cory cat. He sits at the top of the tank, lines up the perfect shot, and flies into the cory cat. He hits so hard that I can hear the crunch of gravel being moved, and the water is shaken up, too! There's no damage to the betta, but the cory cat's fins have almost dissapeared.

I've tried creating safe areas for the cory cat to hide, but the idiot likes to lay on the gravel in the middle of the tank, wide open to attack. In fact, after about a week of the hiding spots being on the bottom of the tank, the betta is using them!

Is there any way to get the betta to stop hunting the cory cat?! I mean, after 6 months, why did this start now?!

I would either move the cory to another tank, or, if you dont have one give it to a friend or petstore. If you leave him in there hes going to die of stress. bettas need some room and in that small of a tank it would be hard for it to get along with other fish. the only thing you can do in the meantime is maybe move some things around in the tank to help and create new territories which may slow down the agression for a day or 2.

also cories dont like to be by themselves. they prefer to be in groups.

The best thing is to move the Corydoras to another tank & add some more Corydoras, as they like to stay in schools.


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Unfortunately, this is my only tank, and I have no money and no safe place to set up another one. (With 4 cats, fishtanks pretty much have to be bolted down in this house.)

My other problem is I have no friends who have fish. I tried talking a few into setting tanks up last year when I picked up the hobby, but no one was interested.

I really don't know what to do now....

Hi there,
You have a little poblem there. I have both of the fish in question, the cory does like the open space and my betta tends to attack my silver gourami (twice it's size). I can only imagine the stress that your cory is going through.

My Betta took a few month to settle in before he started to get aggressive. Maybe he just needs this time to get to know his environment then he sets his territory.

If your LFS will not take the cory of you, perhaps swap for an otto (dont think they are a schooling fish) or a juvenile plec (brisstle nose). The latter can overgrow your current tank, but is a very slow grower. He's a fast mover too so he should have no prob with the fiesty betta.

Hope this helps,
Achiilles



UK Betta seller -
www.bramsbettas.com

try to give the cory back to the fish shop, if they wont do that, try placing an add in the classifieds here, maybe there is a menmber close to you that will take it.

Otos dont school but they do shoal, id have at least 3. However i wouldnt put them in a 5.

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