PlanetCatfish.com

I'm sorry for snapping at you people. I'm having a hard time with school right now. Anyways. I have small smooth gravel and medium planted with a fake rock cave and plenty of open space to roam in my 10 gallon. It has a male betta and 3 albino corries. How many more could I add with the fish being happy when they are full grown? I've heard that the more the marrier but don't these corries get around 2inches? I would like to add 3 more if that would make them happy and keep them that way. Water tests fine BTW and these are the albino aneus corries as well. I would also like to know if I could add a apple snail to this mix somewhere down the line to keep algea in check.

Also when I bought one of my albino corries he was missing 1 of 4 barbels. Will it grow back?

School can be rough.
Let the Betta settle in with these three corys for a while and keep your water clean. In a couple of weeks, providing the Betta is not bothering the corys, you can add two more corys, if your water tests out good. But you must keep an eye on that Betta. If you see the corys constantly dashing for cover, it means he's harrassing them. Barbels grow back in the right conditions. You must keep your water pristine, and avoid sharp objects in the tank, and keep an eye on the Betta.

Apple snails are pretty, but they can get to tennis ball size, and put out so much waste. Also, you need to get the right one. The channeled apple snail is a voracious plant eater, and will mow down a tank overnight. Check out snails at a snail forum like http://www.applesnail.net.
If you would like to try some small ramshorn (Planorba sp.) snails, instead of the apple snail, I have plenty and could easily mail some to Michigan. Just send a PM.

Deborah

What about mystery snails? I've heard good things about them. Also The betta was given to my nephew today, his died and I felt bad. I'm thinking dwarf gourami and the corries. No problem there?

Mystery snails and apple snails are one and the same.
The genus is Pomacea (pomme for apple) and bridgesii is the species you want. They have a shell with a prominant spike, and a siphon. Gold, black, and ivory are popular colors. I think if you want one of these snails, you should get one, now that you have given the Betta away. I still suggest reading over the snail website first.

A Betta is basically a gourami-type fish so the some of the things that apply to Bettas apply to gouramis. Dwarf gouramis have a smaller bioload, and are peaceful on the whole, but in a smallish tank you should probably keep only one. I think females are rarely offered for sale, so check that out. If you want a group, the variety known as "sparkling" gourami may be the one for you. Keep more females than males, and don't re-introduce a Betta to this group.

Deborah

Thanks for the help so far. I can't get any smaller gourami other than dwarf and I'm going with one male of the regular varity. It's my understanding that mystery snails only get 6cm in most cases but I am reading up on them before I get one.