Appropriate tankmates for Corydoras

[newguy62497]

Hi I'm planning to start an aquarium with a small variety of corydoras. I
was planning on putting 5 of them together in a 12 gallon aquarium. I
haven't purchased anything for the tank yet so any advice on aquarium
furniture (I was thinking aquarium wood) and appropriate live plants would
be great. Would guppies be a good tankmate for them? If not what would be a
good choice? I would like to avoid neon tetras or zebra danios as I already
have another tank with those types of fish. As I'm sure you can tell from
this post I'm pretty green when it comes to home aquaria so I would like to
avoid any highly demanding plants or fish. Thanks for any advice!

[Dick]

On Sat, 30 Jun 2007 08:48:17 -0700, "newguy62497"
> wrote:

>Hi I'm planning to start an aquarium with a small variety of corydoras. I
>was planning on putting 5 of them together in a 12 gallon aquarium. I
>haven't purchased anything for the tank yet so any advice on aquarium
>furniture (I was thinking aquarium wood) and appropriate live plants would
>be great. Would guppies be a good tankmate for them? If not what would be a
>good choice? I would like to avoid neon tetras or zebra danios as I already
>have another tank with those types of fish. As I'm sure you can tell from
>this post I'm pretty green when it comes to home aquaria so I would like to
>avoid any highly demanding plants or fish. Thanks for any advice!
>
5 seems an over kill. I have 2 each in 2 10 gallon tanks and 4 in a
75.

Plants are great and all of my tanks have "low light" varieties.
However, I rarely see the Corys in the 75 and one of the 10. They
stay hidden in the plants. The one 10 that I do get to see them
hasn't grown so thick as in the other 2.


They seem to get along well with a wide variety of fish, big and
small.

I like Red Serpae Tetras, lots of color, swim a lot, very visible.
Another I like is the Harlequin Raspora. I have 9 of each in their
own 10 gallon tank.

Be careful not to over crowd your tank. That and over feeding is the
beginners biggest problems.

I change 2 gallons of water each week. I believe is the secret to a
healthy tank and is a safeguard to over feeding.

I first had tanks as a teenager. Then when I was in my 50s and here
again at age 72. I worry what will happen to my fish when I die.
They are living longer than I expected. Tanks are not easily moved
about, so try to think long term for the sake of the fish.

[Tynk]

On Jun 30, 10:48?am, "newguy62497" > wrote:
> Hi I'm planning to start an aquarium with a small variety of corydoras. I
> was planning on putting 5 of them together in a 12 gallon aquarium. I
> haven't purchased anything for the tank yet so any advice on aquarium
> furniture (I was thinking aquarium wood) and appropriate live plants would
> be great. Would guppies be a good tankmate for them? If not what would be a
> good choice? I would like to avoid neon tetras or zebra danios as I already
> have another tank with those types of fish. As I'm sure you can tell from
> this post I'm pretty green when it comes to home aquaria so I would like to
> avoid any highly demanding plants or fish. Thanks for any advice!

Hi there.

A 12g tank isn't going to be a lot of room for many of the Cory types.
However, there are dwarf varieties and smaller types to choose from.
Panda cories stay pretty small. The males don't get much over an inch
and half long, I'd say. The females are a little larger, but you'd do
fine with 5 Pandas (mostly males).
Local shops can usually order certain things that they may not always
carry, such as Pigmy Cories.
These little guys are the cutest Cory of all (IMO). They stay very
small (maybe an inch long), school like a group of neons and they
often hover in a group, in mid water level. They're not your average
Cory.
They also have the cutest little faces. You could actually have a good
sized school of them in a 12g.
They'd need plants to perch on though. Again, these little Cories
don't act like the typical Cory cats. They like top perch on plants
too.
= )~
Do a search on them if you've never seen them.

[Dick]

On Sun, 01 Jul 2007 07:30:34 -0700, Tynk > wrote:

>On Jun 30, 10:48?am, "newguy62497" > wrote:
>> Hi I'm planning to start an aquarium with a small variety of corydoras. I
>> was planning on putting 5 of them together in a 12 gallon aquarium. I
>> haven't purchased anything for the tank yet so any advice on aquarium
>> furniture (I was thinking aquarium wood) and appropriate live plants would
>> be great. Would guppies be a good tankmate for them? If not what would be a
>> good choice? I would like to avoid neon tetras or zebra danios as I already
>> have another tank with those types of fish. As I'm sure you can tell from
>> this post I'm pretty green when it comes to home aquaria so I would like to
>> avoid any highly demanding plants or fish. Thanks for any advice!
>
>Hi there.
>
>A 12g tank isn't going to be a lot of room for many of the Cory types.
>However, there are dwarf varieties and smaller types to choose from.
>Panda cories stay pretty small. The males don't get much over an inch
>and half long, I'd say. The females are a little larger, but you'd do
>fine with 5 Pandas (mostly males).

Neither of my species (Emerald and ?) are over an inch.

>Local shops can usually order certain things that they may not always
>carry, such as Pigmy Cories.
>These little guys are the cutest Cory of all (IMO). They stay very
>small (maybe an inch long), school like a group of neons and they
>often hover in a group, in mid water level. They're not your average
>Cory.
>They also have the cutest little faces. You could actually have a good
>sized school of them in a 12g.
>They'd need plants to perch on though. Again, these little Cories
>don't act like the typical Cory cats. They like top perch on plants
>too.
>= )~

I have never seen my Corys perch on plants. Too bad for me, I would
get to see them once in a while. Just the 2 in one of the ten gallon
tanks are out front, often zooming from side to side, up and back
down.

They are good bottom cleaners, for sure.



>Do a search on them if you've never seen them.

[atomweaver]

Dick > wrote in
:

> On Sun, 01 Jul 2007 07:30:34 -0700, Tynk > wrote:
>
>>On Jun 30, 10:48?am, "newguy62497" > wrote:
>>> Hi I'm planning to start an aquarium with a small variety of
>>> corydoras. I was planning on putting 5 of them together in a 12
>>> gallon aquarium. I haven't purchased anything for the tank yet so
>>> any advice on aquarium furniture (I was thinking aquarium wood) and
>>> appropriate live plants would be great. Would guppies be a good
>>> tankmate for them? If not what would be a good choice? I would like
>>> to avoid neon tetras or zebra danios as I already have another tank
>>> with those types of fish. As I'm sure you can tell from this post
>>> I'm pretty green when it comes to home aquaria so I would like to
>>> avoid any highly demanding plants or fish. Thanks for any advice!
>>
>>Hi there.
>>
>>A 12g tank isn't going to be a lot of room for many of the Cory types.
>>However, there are dwarf varieties and smaller types to choose from.
>>Panda cories stay pretty small. The males don't get much over an inch
>>and half long, I'd say. The females are a little larger, but you'd do
>>fine with 5 Pandas (mostly males).
>
> Neither of my species (Emerald and ?) are over an inch.
>

Wow. Healthy emerald corys (brochis splendens) should be two or two and a
half inches total body length...

>
> I have never seen my Corys perch on plants. Too bad for me, I would
> get to see them once in a while. Just the 2 in one of the ten gallon
> tanks are out front, often zooming from side to side, up and back
> down.
>
> They are good bottom cleaners, for sure.
>

Are you sure you're talking about the same fish? Emerald Corys aren't a
cleaner fish. They're heavy-bodied armored catfish, ominvores with a taste
for worms, benthic inverts and insect larvae... What you're describing
(inch-long algae/bottom cleaners) sound more like Otocinclus cats, to me.

Pics;
Brochis spendens
http://www.practicalfishkeeping.co.uk/pfk/images/brochis_splendens2.jpg

otocinclus sp.
http://www.holendry.republika.pl/img/otocinclus_2_1_m.jpg

Regards
DaveZ

[A. Paul Ing]

On Mon, 02 Jul 2007 08:15:49 -0500, Dick >
wrote:

What a ****ing degenerate name "DICK" I just now kids had fun as well
as adults with that name DICK!

[newguy62497]

Yep, those pygmy corys were what I was planning on getting. They swim around
at midwater level? o_O When I go to the petstore they're always rooting
around on the bottom of the tank pretty much like a smaller version of
regular corys. At the time of the post I couldn't remember the name. When I
posted "a small variety of corydoras" I guess I wasn't very clear lol. I
still haven't decided on what I want to put in there with them. If they do
turn out to hang around midwater I guess I wont need to put anything else in
the tank! I put 3 plants a rock cave thing and a piece of aquarium wood in
there as perches so hopefully it will all work out. I plan on taking in a
water sample to the aquarium store on Wednesday to see if this fishless
cycling thing has worked. If it did I'll be bringing some home!

Thanks for the advice on the tank cleaning and overcrowding Dick. I think I
may have had both of those problems when I tried fishkeeping previously in
'95. I also made the mistake of having one or two of several different types
of schooling fish in there together. Because I wanted to try some of
everything. If I had the internet back then so I could talk with fellow
aquarists things would have gone a lot better I bet.

Anyway I have several tanks now and not a single fish death! So I must be
doing something right *crosses fingers* I've stuck to the weekly water
changeouts myself so far and it seems to be working well with my other
tanks. Thanks for all the advice!

"Tynk" > wrote in message
ups.com...
> On Jun 30, 10:48?am, "newguy62497" > wrote:
>> Hi I'm planning to start an aquarium with a small variety of corydoras. I
>> was planning on putting 5 of them together in a 12 gallon aquarium. I
>> haven't purchased anything for the tank yet so any advice on aquarium
>> furniture (I was thinking aquarium wood) and appropriate live plants
>> would
>> be great. Would guppies be a good tankmate for them? If not what would be
>> a
>> good choice? I would like to avoid neon tetras or zebra danios as I
>> already
>> have another tank with those types of fish. As I'm sure you can tell from
>> this post I'm pretty green when it comes to home aquaria so I would like
>> to
>> avoid any highly demanding plants or fish. Thanks for any advice!
>
> Hi there.
>
> A 12g tank isn't going to be a lot of room for many of the Cory types.
> However, there are dwarf varieties and smaller types to choose from.
> Panda cories stay pretty small. The males don't get much over an inch
> and half long, I'd say. The females are a little larger, but you'd do
> fine with 5 Pandas (mostly males).
> Local shops can usually order certain things that they may not always
> carry, such as Pigmy Cories.
> These little guys are the cutest Cory of all (IMO). They stay very
> small (maybe an inch long), school like a group of neons and they
> often hover in a group, in mid water level. They're not your average
> Cory.
> They also have the cutest little faces. You could actually have a good
> sized school of them in a 12g.
> They'd need plants to perch on though. Again, these little Cories
> don't act like the typical Cory cats. They like top perch on plants
> too.
> = )~
> Do a search on them if you've never seen them.
>

[newguy62497]

Wow, I just looked at those Otocinclus cats and maybe I'll put two of those
in with the Pygmy Corrys they looks pretty spiffy too!
"atomweaver" > wrote in message
...
> Dick > wrote in
> :
>
>> On Sun, 01 Jul 2007 07:30:34 -0700, Tynk > wrote:
>>
>>>On Jun 30, 10:48?am, "newguy62497" > wrote:
>>>> Hi I'm planning to start an aquarium with a small variety of
>>>> corydoras. I was planning on putting 5 of them together in a 12
>>>> gallon aquarium. I haven't purchased anything for the tank yet so
>>>> any advice on aquarium furniture (I was thinking aquarium wood) and
>>>> appropriate live plants would be great. Would guppies be a good
>>>> tankmate for them? If not what would be a good choice? I would like
>>>> to avoid neon tetras or zebra danios as I already have another tank
>>>> with those types of fish. As I'm sure you can tell from this post
>>>> I'm pretty green when it comes to home aquaria so I would like to
>>>> avoid any highly demanding plants or fish. Thanks for any advice!
>>>
>>>Hi there.
>>>
>>>A 12g tank isn't going to be a lot of room for many of the Cory types.
>>>However, there are dwarf varieties and smaller types to choose from.
>>>Panda cories stay pretty small. The males don't get much over an inch
>>>and half long, I'd say. The females are a little larger, but you'd do
>>>fine with 5 Pandas (mostly males).
>>
>> Neither of my species (Emerald and ?) are over an inch.
>>
>
> Wow. Healthy emerald corys (brochis splendens) should be two or two and a
> half inches total body length...
>
>>
>> I have never seen my Corys perch on plants. Too bad for me, I would
>> get to see them once in a while. Just the 2 in one of the ten gallon
>> tanks are out front, often zooming from side to side, up and back
>> down.
>>
>> They are good bottom cleaners, for sure.
>>
>
> Are you sure you're talking about the same fish? Emerald Corys aren't a
> cleaner fish. They're heavy-bodied armored catfish, ominvores with a
> taste
> for worms, benthic inverts and insect larvae... What you're describing
> (inch-long algae/bottom cleaners) sound more like Otocinclus cats, to me.
>
> Pics;
> Brochis spendens
> http://www.practicalfishkeeping.co.uk/pfk/images/brochis_splendens2.jpg
>
> otocinclus sp.
> http://www.holendry.republika.pl/img/otocinclus_2_1_m.jpg
>
> Regards
> DaveZ

[Dick]

On Mon, 02 Jul 2007 18:07:47 GMT, atomweaver >
wrote:

>Dick > wrote in
:
>
>> On Sun, 01 Jul 2007 07:30:34 -0700, Tynk > wrote:
>>
>>>On Jun 30, 10:48?am, "newguy62497" > wrote:
>>>> Hi I'm planning to start an aquarium with a small variety of
>>>> corydoras. I was planning on putting 5 of them together in a 12
>>>> gallon aquarium. I haven't purchased anything for the tank yet so
>>>> any advice on aquarium furniture (I was thinking aquarium wood) and
>>>> appropriate live plants would be great. Would guppies be a good
>>>> tankmate for them? If not what would be a good choice? I would like
>>>> to avoid neon tetras or zebra danios as I already have another tank
>>>> with those types of fish. As I'm sure you can tell from this post
>>>> I'm pretty green when it comes to home aquaria so I would like to
>>>> avoid any highly demanding plants or fish. Thanks for any advice!
>>>
>>>Hi there.
>>>
>>>A 12g tank isn't going to be a lot of room for many of the Cory types.
>>>However, there are dwarf varieties and smaller types to choose from.
>>>Panda cories stay pretty small. The males don't get much over an inch
>>>and half long, I'd say. The females are a little larger, but you'd do
>>>fine with 5 Pandas (mostly males).
>>
>> Neither of my species (Emerald and ?) are over an inch.
>>
>
>Wow. Healthy emerald corys (brochis splendens) should be two or two and a
>half inches total body length...
>
>>
>> I have never seen my Corys perch on plants. Too bad for me, I would
>> get to see them once in a while. Just the 2 in one of the ten gallon
>> tanks are out front, often zooming from side to side, up and back
>> down.
>>
>> They are good bottom cleaners, for sure.
>>
>
> Are you sure you're talking about the same fish? Emerald Corys aren't a
>cleaner fish. They're heavy-bodied armored catfish, ominvores with a taste
>for worms, benthic inverts and insect larvae... What you're describing
>(inch-long algae/bottom cleaners) sound more like Otocinclus cats, to me.
>
>Pics;
>Brochis spendens
>http://www.practicalfishkeeping.co.uk/pfk/images/brochis_splendens2.jpg

Brochis Spendens is my fish. I bought 6 of them about a year ago from
an internet vendor. The four I see (2 in each 10 gal tank) seem quite
healthy. The 2 in a 75 gallon tank stay under the bottom growth. I
haven't seen those 2 for awhile.

I have very limited names I recognize. I bought the Emeralds from a
picture the vendor had posted. I don't know Brochis Spenden as a name
as the vendor billed me for Emerald Corys.

Definitely NOT Otocinclus.
>
>otocinclus sp.
>http://www.holendry.republika.pl/img/otocinclus_2_1_m.jpg
>
>Regards
>DaveZ

[Dick]

On Mon, 02 Jul 2007 14:49:40 -0500, A. Paul Ing
> wrote:

>On Mon, 02 Jul 2007 08:15:49 -0500, Dick >
>wrote:
>
>What a ****ing degenerate name "DICK" I just now kids had fun as well
>as adults with that name DICK!

My family thinks of me a Dick, I now introduce myself as Richard. I
am too old to worry about implications. Actually, I never had a
problem with school chums making fun. I don't think the pennis
association was so common back then.

A psychiatrist was showing a set of pictures to his patient. Every
card caused the patient to tell a story with a sexual theme. Finally,
the psychiatrist observed, "You seem to think about sex a lot."
"Well, sir, its your dirty pictures."

[A. Paul Ing]

On Tue, 03 Jul 2007 08:01:40 -0500, Dick >
wrote:

<<>>On Mon, 02 Jul 2007 14:49:40 -0500, A. Paul Ing
> wrote:
<<>>
<<>>>On Mon, 02 Jul 2007 08:15:49 -0500, Dick >
<<>>>wrote:
<<>>>
<<>>>What a ****ing degenerate name "DICK" I just now kids had fun as well
<<>>>as adults with that name DICK!
<<>>
<<>>My family thinks of me a Dick, I now introduce myself as Richard. I
<<>>am too old to worry about implications. Actually, I never had a
<<>>problem with school chums making fun. I don't think the pennis
<<>>association was so common back then.
<<>>
<<>>A psychiatrist was showing a set of pictures to his patient. Every
<<>>card caused the patient to tell a story with a sexual theme. Finally,
<<>>the psychiatrist observed, "You seem to think about sex a lot."
<<>>"Well, sir, its your dirty pictures."
Lame ass joke dickie.......really lame ass.

I can just see your daddy introduciing you.

"And this is my little Dickie" hahahahahahaha

[atomweaver]

Dick > wrote in
:

> Brochis Splendens is my fish. I bought 6 of them about a year ago from
> an internet vendor. The four I see (2 in each 10 gal tank) seem quite
> healthy.

Hey, neat. If they're healthy, you might think about trying to breed
them. A dwarf strain emerald cory would be nifty. My 5 y.o. daughter
wants a small (10-20 gal) tank in her room with cories; pygmies or pandas
are the only permanent choices for that size tank which are widely
available now. I've grown out two c. paleatus in a 10 gallon, and at
2.25 and 3 inches of body length, they're going to have to have a new
home very soon... turns out, they're a mating pair.
Most cories breed pretty readily in a quiet aquarium (the only other
fish in my 10 were three zebra danios... lotsa motion in the mid-tank.
The Cories bred the day after they were removed to keep another tank
cycled, I think it was probably a contributing factor... a little peace
'n quiet and some privacy, ya know? ;-) That, plus good water
parameters, and a cooling water change (from 75, down to 70 degF) were
all they needed...

> I have very limited names I recognize.

NP, that's why I used pictures with the sci names.

DaveZ

[Tynk]

On Jul 2, 8:15?am, Dick > wrote:

>
> I have never seen my Corys perch on plants. Too bad for me, I would
> get to see them once in a while. Just the 2 in one of the ten gallon
> tanks are out front, often zooming from side to side, up and back
> down.
>
> They are good bottom cleaners, for sure.


When I spoke of Cories "perching" on plants, I was speaking only about
Pigmy Cories.
Regular cories do not do this odd behavior.

[Dick]

On Tue, 03 Jul 2007 15:05:35 GMT, atomweaver >
wrote:

>Dick > wrote in
:
>
>> Brochis Splendens is my fish. I bought 6 of them about a year ago from
>> an internet vendor. The four I see (2 in each 10 gal tank) seem quite
>> healthy.
>
>Hey, neat. If they're healthy, you might think about trying to breed
>them. A dwarf strain emerald cory would be nifty. My 5 y.o. daughter
>wants a small (10-20 gal) tank in her room with cories; pygmies or pandas
>are the only permanent choices for that size tank which are widely
>available now. I've grown out two c. paleatus in a 10 gallon, and at
>2.25 and 3 inches of body length, they're going to have to have a new
>home very soon... turns out, they're a mating pair.
> Most cories breed pretty readily in a quiet aquarium (the only other
>fish in my 10 were three zebra danios... lotsa motion in the mid-tank.
>The Cories bred the day after they were removed to keep another tank
>cycled, I think it was probably a contributing factor... a little peace
>'n quiet and some privacy, ya know? ;-) That, plus good water
>parameters, and a cooling water change (from 75, down to 70 degF) were
>all they needed...
>
>> I have very limited names I recognize.
>
>NP, that's why I used pictures with the sci names.
>
>DaveZ


I have 2 Julie Corys also around 1 inch. I have had them in a 75
gallon tank for 4 years.

I bought both the Julie and the Emeralds over the internet, the 6
Emeralds a year ago from Baileys, San Diego, Calif., 858 270 1182.
Their website goes by a different name, but here is a link to their
catfish page:

http://www.aquariumfish.net/catalog_pages/scavengers/scavengers.htm#top2

The invoice includes fish normal size as 1.5 - 2 inches. The website
indicates 2 - 2.5 inches. Mine may be over an inch. They don't stay
still very often to be measured. <g>

[Dick]

On Tue, 03 Jul 2007 22:54:58 -0700, Tynk > wrote:

>On Jul 2, 8:15?am, Dick > wrote:
>
>>
>> I have never seen my Corys perch on plants. Too bad for me, I would
>> get to see them once in a while. Just the 2 in one of the ten gallon
>> tanks are out front, often zooming from side to side, up and back
>> down.
>>
>> They are good bottom cleaners, for sure.
>
>
>When I spoke of Cories "perching" on plants, I was speaking only about
>Pigmy Cories.
>Regular cories do not do this odd behavior.

I have Clown Loaches and Siamese Algae Eaters which do perch. The 9
SAEs dominate the leaves in the 75 gallon tank. I have a 29 gallon
with 3 Clowns and 6 SAEs. The SAEs perch on a rock castle while the
Clowns occupy the interior.

Aren't fish great?

[A. Paul Ing]

Yep fish are great, they remind one of pussy! Pussy from ther females
that hang out in these groups!


On Wed, 04 Jul 2007 08:12:12 -0500, Dick >
wrote:

<<>>On Tue, 03 Jul 2007 22:54:58 -0700, Tynk > wrote:
<<>>
<<>>>On Jul 2, 8:15?am, Dick > wrote:
<<>>>
<<>>>>
<<>>>> I have never seen my Corys perch on plants. Too bad for me, I would
<<>>>> get to see them once in a while. Just the 2 in one of the ten gallon
<<>>>> tanks are out front, often zooming from side to side, up and back
<<>>>> down.
<<>>>>
<<>>>> They are good bottom cleaners, for sure.
<<>>>
<<>>>
<<>>>When I spoke of Cories "perching" on plants, I was speaking only about
<<>>>Pigmy Cories.
<<>>>Regular cories do not do this odd behavior.
<<>>
<<>>I have Clown Loaches and Siamese Algae Eaters which do perch. The 9
<<>>SAEs dominate the leaves in the 75 gallon tank. I have a 29 gallon
<<>>with 3 Clowns and 6 SAEs. The SAEs perch on a rock castle while the
<<>>Clowns occupy the interior.
<<>>
<<>>Aren't fish great?

[Tynk]

Dick wrote:



<<<I have Clown Loaches and Siamese Algae Eaters which do perch. The
9
<<<SAEs dominate the leaves in the 75 gallon tank. I have a 29
gallon
<<<with 3 Clowns and 6 SAEs. The SAEs perch on a rock castle while
the
<<<Clowns occupy the interior.

<<<Aren't fish great?

They sure are!
Siamese algae eaters get larger than Oto's, right?

[peterriitz]

Plant is great, all my tanks "low light " varieties. However, I rarely see Coreys at 75 and one 10. They remain hidden in the plants. A 10, I can see that they do no growth, so thick as the other 2, I like the red Serpae Tetras, a large number of colors, a lot of travel, is obvious. Another I like is the clown Raspora. I've been in each of their 9 my 10 gallon tank.