Cory's sensitive to 4 year olds...

muddyfox wrote:

Hi,

Thanks for that.

I can easily change the water twice a week and I always give the gravel
a good going over when I do that.

In an established tank gravel vacuuming can be counterproductive, as the
mud -albeit a bit unsightly- actually contains useful bacteria. You
don't want an operating theater, but a working biological system.


I don't think the pH should be too much of a problem since the LFS
suffers with the same mega hard water that we have here so they should
be acclimatised.

IMHO it is much better to keep fishes that fit the water one has. Second
best option is to alter the water to fit the fishes one likes to keep
(e.g. reversed osmosis). Puting fishes into water with very different
params from what they require may harm them in the long term, for
example there are reports that neons get kidney stones in hard water.


In terms of space and tank size there is plenty of room in the tank
for swimming from one end to the other unimpeded but I'll take on board
what you said. (My LFS said that these would be perfect for a 5G tank
too!) I'm in the process of setting up a 60-65 litre planted tank

Corys are swarm fishes, group size should be no less than half a dozen
and the more the merrier. At about 5 cm each that means a minimum of 60
l for the tank (approx 15 gal), better more since they are so active.
Indeed as a rule of thumb tanks of 100 l (25 gal) or more tend to be
more stable and easier to maintain than the very small ones.

which will have a lot more space for fun and frolicks. It may also be
more acidic since I'm thinking of using ADA Aquasoil which buffers the
water to about pH 6.5 ish.

I have made bad experiences with pH-lowering chemicals. At least some
contain phosphate as buffering agent, I wonder which homo hebes got that
idea. Better use peat or oak leaves (corys love to play with those!).

It won't have a bubble stream though
because that would dump my CO2 out of the water.

Do you add CO2 to your tank? That is not realy necessary, plants grow
just fine with the CO2 that the water contains in equilibrium with air.
The money for the CO2 unit is better spend on a larger tank, IMHO

On Thu, 16 Mar 2006 16:48:47 +0100, Dr Engelbert Buxbaum
wrote:


In terms of space and tank size there is plenty of room in the tank
for swimming from one end to the other unimpeded but I'll take on board
what you said.

I'm envisioning a jungle animal pacing back and forth in his
"generously sized" cage.

(My LFS said that these would be perfect for a 5G tank
too!) I'm in the process of setting up a 60-65 litre planted tank

All too often, some LFS people will tell you anything to make a sale.
There are very few fish that will thrive in a 5 gallon, especially if
more than a single fish is being considered. Surviving is not the same
as thriving.

Corys are swarm fishes, group size should be no less than half a dozen
and the more the merrier. At about 5 cm each that means a minimum of 60
l for the tank (approx 15 gal), better more since they are so active.
Indeed as a rule of thumb tanks of 100 l (25 gal) or more tend to be
more stable and easier to maintain than the very small ones.

My dozen Corys are only about half grown, and they use every inch of
their 15 gallon tank. I am already planning for their 20 Long, which
will give them lots more horizontal space - they love zooming back and
forth and back and forth, sometimes together, other times as if they
were playing a game of tag. The more space they have, the more fun
they are to watch. And without going overboard with the
anthropomorphizing (I love that word), I think they're having fun.

which will have a lot more space for fun and frolicks. It may also be
more acidic since I'm thinking of using ADA Aquasoil which buffers the
water to about pH 6.5 ish.

I have made bad experiences with pH-lowering chemicals. At least some
contain phosphate as buffering agent, I wonder which homo hebes got that
idea. Better use peat or oak leaves (corys love to play with those!).

I agree. I have never felt secure with chemical pH adjusters. I found
myself testing all the time. I'm much more comfortable with stuff like
peat or crushed coral, depending on which way I want to go. The fewer
chemicals I add, the less chance of something going wrong. My water is
very soft, 2 or 3 DH at best, and the 7.0 pH from the tap settles in
at 6.6 within a couple of days. I have a pile of oak leaves I want to
add to the Cory tank, but I don't know what that will do to my pH.
With so little carbonate hardness . . . I want to increase my
carbonate hardness a little without getting things complicated. Maybe
I'll try a little crushed coral in the filter.

It won't have a bubble stream though
because that would dump my CO2 out of the water.

Do you add CO2 to your tank? That is not realy necessary, plants grow
just fine with the CO2 that the water contains in equilibrium with air.
The money for the CO2 unit is better spend on a larger tank, IMHO

I have grown beautiful aquarium plants for most of my life, in the
pre-CO2 days. Of course, we didn't have the high tech lighting and
fertilizers that we have today, but I'm going to give stuff like
Flourish Excel, and I just read in a catalog that someone else is
producing a carbon fertilizer, a very good trial before I even
consider CO2. I really think one needs to master, no, there are few
masters, how about "gain knowledge and experience and success" with
some of the less demanding plants before investing in CO2, investing
meaning either money (full system) or time (DIY). And for certain, if
there are fish in the tank, learning their care should always be the
first step for a beginning aquarist.

-- Mister Gardener

Mr. Gardener wrote:

I'm envisioning a jungle animal pacing back and forth in his
"generously sized" cage.

They usually spend a lot of time playing with each other in the bubbles
and a lot of time swimming in and out of the plants and rocks looking
for scraps on every surface.


All too often, some LFS people will tell you anything to make a sale.
There are very few fish that will thrive in a 5 gallon, especially if
more than a single fish is being considered. Surviving is not the same
as thriving.

Yup - and I want thriving if I can arrange it. The main fish I wanted
in the tank was the male betta and my feeling is that he's quite happy
there. The FS suggested a couple of Corys to clean up the bottom and I
went for it. (I really love those little guys.) This may have been a
mistake, although, saying that they seem happy again now I've upped the
water changes again.


My dozen Corys are only about half grown, and they use every inch of
their 15 gallon tank. I am already planning for their 20 Long, which
will give them lots more horizontal space - they love zooming back and
forth and back and forth, sometimes together, other times as if they
were playing a game of tag. The more space they have, the more fun
they are to watch. And without going overboard with the
anthropomorphizing (I love that word), I think they're having fun.

That sounds really lovely. I think that's definitely one of the
biggest joys of fishkeeping for me - when you get it right and are
rewarded by happy, healthy fish. It's certainly what I'm aiming for!

Regards,

Muddy

On 16 Mar 2006 10:27:17 -0800, "muddyfox"
wrote:

Yup - and I want thriving if I can arrange it. The main fish I wanted
in the tank was the male betta and my feeling is that he's quite happy
there. The FS suggested a couple of Corys to clean up the bottom and I
went for it. (I really love those little guys.) This may have been a
mistake, although, saying that they seem happy again now I've upped the
water changes again.

It sounds like you're doing right by them. No one's going to suffer
and die in your current combo. Just a little more diligence on your
part to keep up the water changes. And two corys sound happier than
one.

-- Mister Gardener

Thanks for all the advice - it's much appreciated.

Dr Engelbert Buxbaum wrote:

snip

I've always been a little suspicious about posts with "MISMATCH" in the
path (see below). And when they start using phrases like "homo hebes"
my suspicions become conclusions.

Into the bozo bin with Englebert!

sn-us!sn-feed-sjc-01!sn-xt-sjc-10!sn-xt-sjc-01!sn-xt-sjc-05
!supernews.com!207.217.77.43.MISMATCH!elnk-pas-nf1!elnk-nf2-pas!n

--
It's turtles, all the way down

"Larry Blanchard" wrote in message
...
Dr Engelbert Buxbaum wrote:

snip

I've always been a little suspicious about posts with "MISMATCH" in the
path (see below). And when they start using phrases like "homo hebes"
my suspicions become conclusions.

Into the bozo bin with Englebert!

sn-us!sn-feed-sjc-01!sn-xt-sjc-10!sn-xt-sjc-01!sn-xt-sjc-05
!supernews.com!207.217.77.43.MISMATCH!elnk-pas-nf1!elnk-nf2-pas!n

--
It's turtles, all the way down

I don't see the post you mention, but if you're referring to Buxbaum -
he's great poster (imo) - technical, on-topic, does his research, never a
mean thing said to anyone. His English can be a bit stilted (I think
he's more at home posting in the German chemistry newsgroups), but rafm
has had the good fortune of the Dr's contributions for quite a long time.
Perhaps some forgeries are at work? Is this really Larry?
*as the sound of The Twilight Zone starts in the background ;~)*
--
www.NetMax.tk

NetMax wrote:

"Larry Blanchard" wrote in message

I've always been a little suspicious about posts with "MISMATCH" in
the
path (see below). And when they start using phrases like "homo
hebes" my suspicions become conclusions.


I don't see the post you mention, but if you're referring to Buxbaum -
he's great poster (imo) - technical, on-topic, does his research,
never a mean thing said to anyone.

I hate to disagree with my favorite poster, but yes, that was me. And
Buxbaum did use the phrase "homo hebes" in the post you missed. I've
had a few Jewish friends over the decades and that phrase really ticked
me off.

And now you tell me he's probably German. That makes such language even
worse. Sorry, but I'll stick to my opinion unless he offers an
explanation and an apology.

And now, back to fish :-). I've got a parttime job in a woodworkers
store (another hobby) and I can now afford that 40 gallon breeder tank
I've been drooling over. Now if I can just decide which rare species
of rainbowfish I want to put in it!

--
It's turtles, all the way down

Dr Engelbert Buxbaum wrote:

In an established tank gravel vacuuming can be counterproductive, as the
mud -albeit a bit unsightly- actually contains useful bacteria. You
don't want an operating theater, but a working biological system.

Absolutely, I'm trying to find a balance where there isn't excessive
build up of waste material or too much distubance to the bacteria.

IMHO it is much better to keep fishes that fit the water one has. Second
best option is to alter the water to fit the fishes one likes to keep
(e.g. reversed osmosis). Puting fishes into water with very different
params from what they require may harm them in the long term, for
example there are reports that neons get kidney stones in hard water.

This has always been my approach. My difficulty has been the range of
data available. For example, two of my freshwater tropical aquarium
books state that Corydoras spp are happy in a wide range of water types
and one says that they prefer slightly acidic water. How does one know
who to believe? My LFS said that the 2 corys would be fine in a pair
and would be ideal for a 5G tank, in fact they took me to the tank and
recommended them to go with my betta, but their expert advice appears
to have been quite far out.



I have made bad experiences with pH-lowering chemicals. At least some
contain phosphate as buffering agent, I wonder which homo hebes got that
idea. Better use peat or oak leaves (corys love to play with those!).

The ADA Aquasoil will sit on a bed of peat and mulm. I don't know how
the Aquasoil reduces the pH - maybe it's the peat. My understanding
from folk on an aquatic plant forum (Aquatic Plant Central) is that the
pH comes down and then stays there stable for months and years rather
than days and weeks. Tom Barr might know more details - I believe he's
used Aqua Soil quite a bit. Also, I didn't choose the Aquasoil for
it's pH changing ability but for it's excellent effect on plants. My
intention is to set the tank up, fully plant it, run a fishless cycle
and then add fish which will thrive in the conditions I have. I just
thought that the Cory's might be good candidates.


Do you add CO2 to your tank? That is not realy necessary, plants grow
just fine with the CO2 that the water contains in equilibrium with air.
The money for the CO2 unit is better spend on a larger tank, IMHO

No, I don't have any CO2 in that tank. I was talking about the new
60-65 litre planted tank I'm in the process of setting up. I was
wondering if the Corys might be happier there, especially if I get 3 or
4 little pals for them to school with. They're Corydoras pygmaeus so
they only get to be 2-3 cm long maximum.


Thanks for your comments and insights,

Muddy


(PS: Sorry if this message is duplicated - my little boy was mucking
about with the computer earlier today and I lost my forst attempt to
reply!)

"muddyfox" wrote in message
oups.com...


(PS: Sorry if this message is duplicated - my little boy was mucking
about with the computer earlier today and I lost my forst attempt to
reply!)


Dont feel bad, i have 3 boys, my 6 year old Luke will sometimes start
hitting keys while i am replying to someone, one day he will send it and
every one on here will think i am crazy or very board
-------looks something like this--------
jreijgrejgrakgrjgere

Nikki