I removed a lot of moss not long ago to clear out this tank. Not it appears that all my MTS are dead. Would the betta turn assassin on those?
They would be pretty protected in there with the hatch that they can close up, but, if they couldn't come out without being bitten and couldn't get to food it is possible, though! It also depends on the size of the snails. I have a 10 gallon betta sorority running right now (with 5 girls in there), and the girls killed 3 baby MTS in a second. I can't keep adult snails with them, either, because they stalk them obsessively, and every time the snails try to peek out, they are viciously attacked. I tried ghost shrimp with them, as well, and they shredded 2 in a feeding frenzy in less than a minute. They get along perfectly fine with each other- add anything else to the tank, and they turn into the velociraptors from Jurassic Park- TOTAL psychos. On the other hand, my male betta is sweet as pie to everyone, and everything. It all just depends on the fish. Like everyone else said- you can give it a try, but be prepared to remove any tank mates quickly in case of a pursuit. It would help to have heavy cover in the tank (plants, caves, flower pots, rocks, etc), small alcove type areas that can be claimed as individual pockets of territory also help, and tall plants and decorations that break the line of sight, in case a chase breaks out, are also beneficial. I know Walmart sells a full 10 gallon set up for like $30- tank, filter, and hood with light (no heater- but that is like an additional $12 there, too)- maybe have a spare on hand that you could set up with new gravel, and then take the filter from your cycled 10, leaving the gravel with the bacterial colonies in the other tank to have an already cycled tank for your new fish with the matured filter, and the mature gravel in the betta tank to keep the cycle in the original tank, just in case your guy just isn't having the idea of room mates? If it all works out, you can return the extra tank and etc. for a refund. If it doesn't work- make the male betta tank into a terrarium type setting with a lof of interesting plants & rocks, etc that he can chill in alone... and then you'd have a little 10 gal community ready to go, too. Just a thought.
As far as tank mates- there are freshwater shrimp, the cherry shrimp are pretty cool and look like mini lobsters. Shrimp are FANTASTIC at keeping your tank substrate clean in a small tank, a group of 3 or 4 khuli loaches (have a tight lid with no holes!), or a hillstream loach and a mini-school of 5 small, active tetras (glowlight, rio flame, black phantom, x-ray, bloodfin, basically any of them that stay 2" or under, with short fins, and aren't fin nippers, themselves.) - a mini school of 5 harlequin rasboras, You could do 5 short finned zebra danios... they would like 20 gallons a little better, as they are very active swimmers, but, they would be ok in 10... 3 or 4 dwarf cory cats. Maybe a bristlenose pleco- he'd probably like a 20 better, but, just the 2 fish, and he'd probably be ok. You have a few options of what you could do with a 10 gallon- it all depends on what your betta will be willing to agree with. I'd stick with things that are either fast moving, will stay out of his face, or both.
Hope this helps!
