tankmate and reintroduction

[Jess]

hi all, i've had nemo in his 10 gallon for about 2 weeks. i am going to put cory cats in with him, but i was afraid he would be too territorial, not to mention the tank wasn't set up to what a cory cat would like. Today i took nemo out (back to a 1 gallon ) and redid the tank. Some of the things i did were;
1) put in gravel
2) swapped filters from airstone to a whisper carbon filter (adjustable flow)
3) replaced all silk plants with real live plants
4) added tunnels and lots of hideys
5) rearanged EVERYTHING

I plan on putting the cats in and waiting 1-2 weeks (to make sure all are healthy) before re-adding nemo to his "new" tank
my questions
1) did i change enough things that he won't be territorial?
2) what else can I do to make sure Nemo doesn't terrorize the new additions?
3) does anyone else have corey cats with their Bettas?And if so any words of wisdom?
4) does anyone know of a website for corey cats that discusses illnesses and such? (i googled but couldn't find anything like this one)
Thanks in advance
Jess

[ACKislander]

1) did i change enough things that he won't be territorial?

Well, changing things around won't make your betta less territorial. It really comes down to your betta's individual personality. The hidey holes are good to offer your corys a place to hide but if your betta is aggressive you may have to move them or your betta out. It's good to have a plan B when adding any fish to your betta tank. Good news is, often bettas and corys do great together.

2) what else can I do to make sure Nemo doesn't terrorize the new additions?
Hidey holes and lots of plants are a good start.
3) does anyone else have corey cats with their Bettas?And if so any words of wisdom?
I have otos which aren't corys but are close. They eat a lot and require constant supplements. You can't count on them to just eat scraps. (Which is what they're great at) I do know that corys like to dig and sharp gravel can cause injury. They prefer smoother gravel or sand. Also, it's good to vacuum your gravel a little more often then you might have with just a betta, since they will be looking for food down there.

The other thing I wanted to mention was live plants also need to be quarantined. They can cary parasites or at the vary least unwanted snails. (unless you DO want the snails) It's best to quarantine plants and new fish for about 3 or 4 weeks to make sure you're not introducing illnesses to your healthy fish.

Sounds like you're off to a great start. Good luck with your new fishies.