180 Gallon: Cory Suggestions

[MyraAlam]

Here's the list I have now for the 180 gallon that I am planning on getting:


6 Boesemani rainbowfish
20 Zebra danio
20 Harlequin rasbora
10 Swordtails
4 Keyhole Cichlids
4 Blue Rams
30 Cardinal Tetra
15 Diamond Tetra
5 Pearl Gourami
8 clown loach
? cories
? khuli loaches
? bristlenose plecs


I really want to keep sterbai's and adolfo's. Any suggestions on how many? Oh, and if you can suggest numbers for the khuli's and bristlenoses, it'd be appreciated also!

 

[Inchworm]

Hi MyraAlam

What temperature will your tank be kept at?

As a general rule, the larger the school of corys you can keep, the better they like it. In a nice big tank like yours, you might want to give some thought to getting some brochis instead. They are very similar to corys, but are a little bit bigger.

http/www.planetcatfish.com/catelog/genus.php?genus_id=31

 

[MyraAlam]

Hi MyraAlam

What temperature will your tank be kept at?

As a general rule, the larger the school of corys you can keep, the better they like it. In a nice big tank like yours, you might want to give some thought to getting some brochis instead. They are very similar to corys, but are a little bit bigger.

[URL="http/www.planetcatfish.com/catelog/genus.php?genus_id=31"]http/www.planetcatfish.com/catelog/genus.php?genus_id=31[/URL]

*gasp* I've heard about you! You're inchworm, you dominate the tropical fish discussion forum. Haha, how does it feel to be famous? Thank you so much for your suggestions. As for the temperature, I'm actually still working on my research and am trying to come up with a temperature that would make everyone happy. What would you suggest? I'd love it if you could please check out my other thread (180 gallon: taking fish suggestions) and give me a tad bit of advice there! I have my new list up at the moment, any words of wisdom would be appreciated. Thank you!

 

[MyraAlam]

Hey there cory experts! Help me out:


My current setup plan includes the following:


6 Boesemani rainbowfish
20 Zebra danios
20 Harlequin Rasboras
10 Swordtails
4 Keyhole Cichlids
4 Blue Rams
30 Cardinal Tetras
15 Diamond Tetras
8 Clown Loach
10 Kuhli Loach
15 Cories
either bala sharks or glass catfish


I originally wanted Sterbai cory or Adolfo cory, but I've been told that they would probably do better in a tank with a higher temperature. (I'm going to keep this one in the mid 70 range). Any suggestions as to what type I should keep? More than one species would be appreciated since I'd like to mix and match as much as possible while keeping everyone comfortable. Thanks!

 

[minxfishy]

With rams/keyholes in the tank you will want to keep the temp around the 26-28c mark. I would say stick to 26 as the rainbows and some of the others wont appreciate it much higher. Sterbai will be fine with that as would albino/bronze cories.

 

[MyraAlam]

With rams/keyholes in the tank you will want to keep the temp around the 26-28c mark. I would say stick to 26 as the rainbows and some of the others wont appreciate it much higher. Sterbai will be fine with that as would albino/bronze cories.

Oh, I see. *takes notes* Thank you very much So keeping it at 78 should be fine. Along with Sterbai and Bronze, can anyone name me one more species of cory that would do well in this arrangement? It's not really about me keeping all of them, I'd just like to check them out and see who I like best

 

[Inchworm]

Hi MyraAlam

*gasp* I've heard about you! You're inchworm, you dominate the tropical fish discussion forum. Haha, how does it feel to be famous? Thank you so much for your suggestions.

Thank you, but I'm just an ordinary fishkeeper who loves corys. You flatter me too much!


As I mentioned in your other thread, 78 F. is at the high end of the temperature range for most corys.

Here are some other corys for you to think about.

C. schultzei (black) and C. arcuatus

C. robinae

CW010 (orange lasers)

C. nattereri

C. schultzei (gold shoulders)

CW010 (green lasers)

C. weitzmani

C. bilineatus

And this is just for starters. I wanted to give you some idea of the possibilities. What do you think now?

 

[MyraAlam]

Hi MyraAlam

*gasp* I've heard about you! You're inchworm, you dominate the tropical fish discussion forum. Haha, how does it feel to be famous? Thank you so much for your suggestions.

Thank you, but I'm just an ordinary fishkeeper who loves corys. You flatter me too much!


As I mentioned in your other thread, 78 F. is at the high end of the temperature range for most corys.

Here are some other corys for you to think about.

C. schultzei (black) and C. arcuatus

C. robinae

CW010 (orange lasers)

C. nattereri

C. schultzei (gold shoulders)

CW010 (green lasers)

C. weitzmani

C. bilineatus

And this is just for starters. I wanted to give you some idea of the possibilities. What do you think now?

They all look so awesome! My favorite is the skunk & bronze combination, how gorgeous. You're right though, 78 is certainly at the higher end of their temperature range, they would probably do better at a lower temperature. I think for right now, I'm going to keep corys in mind and when the time comes, I'll make the decision. I love them but I'm not sure if pushing them to their limit in terms of temperature is such a great idea. Oh, and this doesn't exactly belong in a cory thread, but I wanted to mention I took balas off my list. I know, I know, I keep going back and forth But I thought about it for awhile and you're right...no point keeping them and terrorizing all other fish. So with them gone, can you suggest any other top/middle dwelling fish? I'm debating about the blind cave tetra, the glass catfish, or the lemon tetra. Any other ideas?

 

[jelloz]

I thought that the Green Lasers were CW009?

 

[Inchworm]

I thought that the Green Lasers were CW009?

Sure enough! Thanks for catching that, jelloz.

Oh, and this doesn't exactly belong in a cory thread, but I wanted to mention I took balas off my list. I know, I know, I keep going back and forth But I thought about it for awhile and you're right...no point keeping them and terrorizing all other fish. So with them gone, can you suggest any other top/middle dwelling fish? I'm debating about the blind cave tetra, the glass catfish, or the lemon tetra. Any other ideas?

Don't worry about it, MyraAlam. It's hard to stay on track when you have more than one thread going.

I tend to stick to corys and just a few other fish these days, but used to have a community tank, so I have experience with a few different fish, but not too many. If I were setting up another one, I'd look for a variety of different shapes, colors, and habits. IMHO, this makes for an interesting community. That's why I kept and suggested the glass cats, BN plecos, and the blind cave tetras. They would just play a small part in the overall picture, but would give you something different to see when you looked in. Kuhli loaches would fit in this category too. They are all good conversation pieces too. Your nonfishkeeping friends will enjoy seeing them.

I've had good luck with glolight tetras. They are softer in appearance than cardinals and neons and did well for me.

Since you're still in the planning stage, you will begin to see all the different fish at the lfs in a different light. Who knows, but you just might find something wonderful and change your plans completely. That's a lot of the fun of setting up a new tank. The possibilities are endless.

 

[MyraAlam]

I thought that the Green Lasers were CW009?

Sure enough! Thanks for catching that, jelloz.

Oh, and this doesn't exactly belong in a cory thread, but I wanted to mention I took balas off my list. I know, I know, I keep going back and forth But I thought about it for awhile and you're right...no point keeping them and terrorizing all other fish. So with them gone, can you suggest any other top/middle dwelling fish? I'm debating about the blind cave tetra, the glass catfish, or the lemon tetra. Any other ideas?

Don't worry about it, MyraAlam. It's hard to stay on track when you have more than one thread going.

I tend to stick to corys and just a few other fish these days, but used to have a community tank, so I have experience with a few different fish, but not too many. If I were setting up another one, I'd look for a variety of different shapes, colors, and habits. IMHO, this makes for an interesting community. That's why I kept and suggested the glass cats, BN plecos, and the blind cave tetras. They would just play a small part in the overall picture, but would give you something different to see when you looked in. Kuhli loaches would fit in this category too. They are all good conversation pieces too. Your nonfishkeeping friends will enjoy seeing them.

I've had good luck with glolight tetras. They are softer in appearance than cardinals and neons and did well for me.

Since you're still in the planning stage, you will begin to see all the different fish at the lfs in a different light. Who knows, but you just might find something wonderful and change your plans completely. That's a lot of the fun of setting up a new tank. The possibilities are endless.

Definitely...I'm guilty of carpet threading, I'm afraid. Thanks so much for all your suggestions and advice. I'm going to continue looking around, although I have to say, C. sterbai has certainly made an impression with me. I'll keep you posted!

 

[MyraAlam]

Nothing to do with corys but I figured if there was one place I'd find you Inchworm, it'd be here! The list now looks like...


6 Boesemani Rainbowfish
20 Zebra Danios
20 Harlequin Rasbora
10 Swordtails
4 Keyhole Cichlids
4 Blue Rams
30 Cardinal Tetras
15 Diamond Tetras
5 Pearl Gourami
8 Clown Loach
10 Kuhli Loach
10 Corydoras Catfish (probably all C. sterbai)
? Blind Cave Tetra
? Glass Catfish

Can you please help me fill in the numbers? I've heard that the blind cave tetra doesn't need to be kept in shoals, is that true? Would you say that choosing one of these species is better than keeping both? In that case, which would you say I go for? I think I'm partial towards the glass cats, but do tell which one would be better for the setup as a whole.

 

[Inchworm]

Hi MyraAlam

C. sterbai are a great choice for your warmer tank. They are sometimes available in an albino variation too, but they are not as easy to find.

I don't think blind cave fish need to be kept in a large group. I just have two and, while I'm pretty sure I have a pair, they totally ignore each other. They are very independent and sturdy fish.

On the other hand, glass catfish can be timid and like to be in a fair sized school. They are a more delicate fish than the corys and it might be a good idea to wait until you have stocked your tank and given it a while to get established before adding them. By then you will have a good idea of how much room you'll have and you can get as many as you think appropriate.

The same goes for the kuhli loaches. Wait until the tank has settled and you're happy with the arrangement of plants, etc. Since they tend to be seasonal, have patience and wait until you can get ones that are active and brightly colored. They are worth the wait.

 

[MyraAlam]

Hi MyraAlam

C. sterbai are a great choice for your warmer tank. They are sometimes available in an albino variation too, but they are not as easy to find.

I don't think blind cave fish need to be kept in a large group. I just have two and, while I'm pretty sure I have a pair, they totally ignore each other. They are very independent and sturdy fish.

On the other hand, glass catfish can be timid and like to be in a fair sized school. They are a more delicate fish than the corys and it might be a good idea to wait until you have stocked your tank and given it a while to get established before adding them. By then you will have a good idea of how much room you'll have and you can get as many as you think appropriate.

The same goes for the kuhli loaches. Wait until the tank has settled and you're happy with the arrangement of plants, etc. Since they tend to be seasonal, have patience and wait until you can get ones that are active and brightly colored. They are worth the wait.

Thanks a lot! The glass cats will be added much much later, and I'll keep in mind what you said about a fair sized shoal of them. The same goes for the kuhli's. As for the blind tetra however, I think I'll probably keep a pair. Now that my fish list is mostly set, I can work on setting up the tank, cycling, and doing more research. Thank you for all your help!