[Modestlysublime]

Hi,
I have an 11g cycled tank that currently houses a male Betta and a Zebra nerite snail.
I wanted to add some more fish, but I'm wary of stocking levels and compatibility with my Betta. He takes great interest in my snail but has never attacked him - and the fish shop has assured me I can return the fish if he is aggressive towards them.

I travel to a more specialist fish shop rather than my local pet shop, and they seem to think the stocking is fine. AqAdvisor suggests it is just under full capacity. But I wanted to see what you guys thought:

1x male Betta
1x Zebra nerite snail
4x black corys
3x ottos

I would probably do two 10% water changes a week unless you think one larger change would be better.

 

[Nordic]

Those fish will be ok in an 11g.
My betta bit a cory on the eye once, but he is a meany.

I'd do 30 or 40% once a week. The less time we spend mucking about in our tanks, the less chance for something that shouldn't have, to go wrong/get in.

 

[nel]

Cories and ottos are shoaling fish, 6 sound like minimum to me.

 

[houseofcards]

I would just add the otos OR the corys and see how it goes. Always better to add just a few at a time. The AqAdvisor is a good general guideline, but it's never going to be precise (I think they even mention that). There is a big difference on what one can stock based on water changes, plants and other maintenance habits.

 

[ilovekillis0852]

I would just add the otos OR the corys and see how it goes. Always better to add just a few at a time. The AqAdvisor is a good general guideline, but it's never going to be precise (I think they even mention that). There is a big difference on what one can stock based on water changes, plants and other maintenance habits.

+1 to this, i use aqadvise as a guideline too.

 

[ROYWS3]

As someone already mentioned, both groups are shoaling fish but your tank is on the smallish side so your numbers should be ok. Do you have open bottom or is most of the substrate plant covered? That is something that needs to be considered when housing cories.

Also as someone else mentioned, add one group at a time

Also remember that just because these fish get the label of "cleanup crew", they both will need to be fed and will not survive on just algae or "poop"

 

[Modestlysublime]

I have a lot of plants, but they are mostly around the edge and in the back corners so there is a lot of open bottom.

I'd definitely only add one lot to start with, which are better to introduce first?

I have Betta specific flakes and algae wafers - would I need an alternative food for either corys or ottos?

 

[ROYWS3]

I don't think it would matter which you introduced first although I would probably make sure the otto's are doing well in the store before you bring them home. They tend to be more sensitive. Although cories will eat both of your food choices, neither is ideal. The betta flakes are "meaty" but not designed for substrate feeders. The wafers are but have more vegetable matter than protein. Chose a product that combines the two. There are a lot of good protein based sinking wafers and pellets on the market.

You're very lucky to have a local shop where you can get black cories.Where I am in the States, I'd have to mail order to get them - nothing but the big box chains in my area where I'm lucky if I see more than one or two species of cories in their tanks. I'd have to travel over an hour to get to a specialized LFS

Good luck.