About Cory Cats

[l.michelle]

I posted in the Tropical Chit Chat, but I think i might get better answers from you guys, I am wondering if i can put some cory cats in my ten gallon tank, I would like to house them comfortable, and i am wondering what their temperment is, as well as what living conditions they like best.

I know nothing about cory cats, so i would like information before i get any of them

thanks!

 

[emma12321]

Hi,

What other fish were you planning on having in the 10 gallon? Corys are peaceful fish that won't bother any oher fish, shrimp or snails.

For a 10 gallon tank you would be better getting one of the dwarf varieties (habrosus, hastatus, pygmeous) i have all three of these and find thet only the habrosus have typical cory behaviour, rooting around at the bottom, the other types swim at all levels of the tank. If you go with a dwarf variety it will allow you to have more fish.

Remember to get sand or rounded smooth gravel as a substrate then the corys won't damage their barbels.

Emma

 

[l.michelle]

I don't know about mixing them, unless you think they will go with my one male betta, I have 3 bettas, a female, and 2 males, however one is kind of sick right now, and vry very old (over 3) So i don't want to put him with other fish

How many corys do you suggest i put in a 10 gallon? And could yu please let me know what they like in their tank? Lots of plants? whether they would like a heater? and what kind of food they prefer.

I would really like to start getting into new fish, and I think the corys are the way to start. Thank you for all your information!

 

[emma12321]

Hi,

If you get one of the dwarf you could have 8, mine are on sand which they love to root through and i have lots of live plants in the tank, they will need a heater. I feed my tank about 6 varieties of food but the corys mainly eat shrimp pellets which are like pink tablets, catfish pellets which are little brown balls and blood worms. There are lots of sinking foods available that they will eat.

You could keep a betta with them depending on the temperament of the betta but i would get habrosus corys if you do as they grow a bit bigger and spend more time on the bottom.

If you can't get hold of dwarf corys you could have another type but only have 4 as most grow 2.5 - 3 inches.

Emma

 

[l.michelle]

I first want to thank you so much for giving me such helpful information!!

Someone on the other part of the forum said pygmy cory cats, are these the same as dawrf ones?

I will be getting the sand for the tank, now i have never used sand before, only gravel, so how long would you suggest leaving the sand in before the fish go in, in order for the sand to settle? or does it even need to settle? I don't know this.

I don't have any live plants, are fake ones okay? If not, what kinds of live plants would you suggest?

I have a heater, what temperature would you suggest?

I have read some people on here have caves and such for their corys, so i am guessing that would be a good thing to get as well?

Again, thank you for your patience with me on this, I want to make sure i get everything right, so i can make sure the corys are happy

 

[Inchworm]

Hi l.michelle

I just saw your post in the Betta section that directed me to this thread. Corys are very entertaining fish and they usually do well with a betta in the tank.

I've noticed that some bettas will become more active and interested in their surroundings with corys. In fact I had one called Ruby that thought he was a cory. I would even find him squeezed into their cave with them. He would follow them all around and watch everything they did with much concentration. The corys, of course, ignored him. IMHO, this is so much better for bettas than just having a boring and lonely existence by themselves.

There are three species of corys that are very tiny. They are C. pygmaeus, C. hastatus and C. habrosus. While they are fine to keep, they are not nearly as interesting as the full sized corys. A ten gallon tank could house many of the tiny ones, or up to 4 or 5 full sizes corys with a betta. This would assume that it's completely cycled and that you do weekly water changes, of course.

Corys like caves and they make good tank decorations. All you need is three rocks and a flat piece of slate to go on top. Plants are good too, especially floating ones so they can break up the water current from the filter and make it more comfortable for the betta.

A heater is a good addition since it will keep the temperature steady and you can keep the tank at a comfortable temperature for them. What temperature you keep it at will depend on the kind of corys you get because some species prefer warmer water and others cooler.

Bronze or albino C. aeneus are the species I usually recommend to beginning cory keepers. They are easy to find, have great personalities, and can do well in temperatures between 70 and 78 degrees F.

Please let us all know if you decide to get them.

 

[l.michelle]

Thank you very much for your reply, I was thinking of cycling my tank for about 2 months, is that a good period of time? And could you please tell me what to use to cycle for corydoras?

I am not sure the temperment of my younger male betta, the other male is too old to be placed with other fish (he's over 3) have you ever had any problems with bettas in with the corydoras?

I can't wait to get the corys!