[Finster]

I have a ten gallon with a pair of Betta imbellis in it. They get along great and have not shown much interest in breeding yet. I would like to make this tank a small community tank, and was concidering adding ottos and or celestial pearl danios. The imbellis adopted a feeder guppy that I used to cycle the tank, when it was very small, so I think they will accept any small fish I care to add. I don't know much about otos or celestial pearl danios, exept that I like them! I don't want to overload the tank by too much, so I need to know how many of each I should add. Do either of these fish do better in a school of a certain number?

Thanks in advance.
Joe

 

[stpeteplanter]

Maybe otos, I wouldn't know, but I think danios might be a little much. They're very quick and dart all over the place non stop unlike that feeder guppy. I'd imagine your Bettas wouldn't take to this action all that well, but I'm no expert by any means.

 

[RcScRs]

I'm doing the same...

10 CPDs
4 Ottos
2 Wild Bettas...

 

[lauraleellbp]

10 CPDs
4 Ottos
2 Wild Bettas

Sounds overstocked to me.

 

[Finster]

Sounds overstocked to me.

Wow, me too. I was thinking 6 CPDs, 1 or 2 Ottos, (if they don't need to be kept in groups), and the pair of imbellis. Does that sound workable?

Joe

 

[lauraleellbp]

I've no experience with B. imbellis, but the bioload sounds better.

 

[Cardinal Tetra]

I'm doing the same...

10 CPDs
4 Ottos
2 Wild Bettas...

You should be fine unless your bettas are one of the larger types i.e. Betta bellica. That's not an excessive amount of bioload for a planted tank. CPDs are puny and otos just eat the algae. I've gotten away with more... over a hundred dwarf shrimp, 3 otos, a dozen boraras, and 5 rice fish in a 10 gallon tank. A lot of people can get away with it with tiny fish and the plants take up a lot of the waste especially with higher light and CO2. Idk if the bettas you want are a threat to your other fish but that would be greater concern.

 

[peter_l]

Otos do best in groups. 6 or more if you can. That might be a little much in a 10 gal., unless you feed them very well.

 

[webgirl74]

I have 6 CPDs in my planted 20 gallon and they are very small and do not bother the other fish in the least. A very non-threatening kind of fish, although they do dart around and chase eachother a bit. Nice fish though and stay very small so a small group would look nice in a 10 gallon.

 

[jaidexl]

If CPDs are as small as B. brigittae, then I could see it being very easy to push the limits on the bioload. My B.b school is unable to produce enough nitrogen to keep up with low tech plants, so without larger fish present I have to dose ferts. Just commenting on bioload, I don't know what you can do because I'm not familiar with that Betta. I think Otos is easy no matter what, they're like chameleons, out of sight out of mind even to other fish sometimes, non intrusive etc, great roomies.