My Betta attacked my cory!?!?

iamgroovy

iamgroovy

Nature Lover
Jul 7, 2005
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PA USA
I got my betta two weeks ago and when I first added him to the tank he flared at my cory (the only other resident of my 16g)but then has ignored him since. My husband and I have kept a close eye on them because of the initial flaring but everything had been fine until yesterday when I saw the betta chasing the cory and discovered that the cory had a few chunks missing from his dorsal fin:eek3::eek: I quickly scooped the cory out and put him in my 20g with some melafix. Poor little guy seemed a little confused at first but now seems very content and is still eating very well. The only good thing is now that he's in the 20g I can get him a few more friends than I was planning on (he's better off in the larger tank anyway).
Has anyone had anything similar happen to them? Why would my betta do this after two weeks of peaceful coexistance:confused:
 
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iamgroovy said:
I got my betta two weeks ago and when I first added him to the tank he flared at my cory (the only other resident of my 16g)but then has ignored him since. My husband and I have kept a close eye on them because of the initial flaring but everything had been fine until yesterday when I saw the betta chasing the cory and discovered that the cory had a few chunks missing from his dorsal fin:eek3::eek: I quickly scooped the cory out and put him in my 20g with some melafix. Poor little guy seemed a little confused at first but now seems very content and is still eating very well. The only good thing is now that he's in the 20g I can get him a few more friends than I was planning on.
Has anyone had anything similar happen to them? Why would my betts do this after two weeks of peacful coexistance:confused:
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Is the betta not eating well?
Sometimes their personality is just quirky and they are apt to be confrontational with fish they generally get along with.

A small school of corys is always neat. I'd suggest 4 as a minimum in any setup 20g or larger.
 
The betta is eating very well! He comes right to the top of the tank and practically takes the food out of my hand.
I wonder if seeing his own reflection could have caused this? i inadvertantly set a shiny vase next to his tank and as soon as he saw himself he started flaring (I moved it immediately). That was a few hours before the attack.


My cory started out with two friends but they passed away shortly after I got them (several months ago). I was planning on getting him some more friends and had thought about moving him to the larger tank anyway.
 
iamgroovy said:
The betta is eating very well! He comes right to the top of the tank and practically takes the food out of my hand.
I wonder if seeing his own reflection could have caused this? i inadvertantly set a shiny vase next to his tank and as soon as he saw himself he started flaring (I moved it immediately). That was a few hours before the attack.


My cory started out with two friends but they passed away shortly after I got them (several months ago). I was planning on getting him some more friends and had thought about moving him to the larger tank anyway.
Click to expand...

Seeing his own reflection shouldn't really change his personality. He's probably seen other bettas as he was sitting in the pet store before you bought him. I bought a little mirror for mine & let him flare up at himself a couple times a day. No problems with the other fish. (5 corys, lots of tetras and danios)
 
Bettas are a relative of the Paradise fish - and I found I absolutely could not even keep any Paradise fish in with even my corys. So it doesn't surprise me that your betta went after your cory. Granted, the paradise fish is much more pugnacious than a betta - a swifter swimmer and a meaner hunter - but I think your Betta was only doing what is natural to his species. They don't come from communities - they are often found as the sole inhabitant of a little muddy hole in a rice field. Females would flip from place to place checking out potential mates - but none of them would typically coexist with eachother in a single location - they're very territorial. So keep the cory out - and get the cory some cory friends asap. Cory's get very depressed and do not show normal personality when they are alone. Cory's are the opposite of the betta - they hate being alone.

But also - quarantine anything new for several weeks before adding new fish.

Good luck!

PS: Don't ever keep a paradise fish with anything small or mellow. They are even fast enough to catch fast zebra danios.
 
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