Adding cories to 20 gallon Platy tank

[Man with the platy fish]

Where would you suggest buying play sand?

 

[Byron]

Here is what i have so far on cories:
Cory catfish should be kept in a tank of 72 to 78 degrees Fahrenheit with sand substrate. They should be fed sinking pellets specifically for their species, and they also scanvenge for leftover food and algae. They get to a size of 2 to 3 inches and get along with platies : ). They should also be kept with at least 5 others of their kind. Anything else i need to know?

Cories are not good scavengers; I have never seen them eat flake food that falls to the bottom. And they certainly do not eat algae. They will graze all surfaces looking for microscopic critters but not algae.

Good sinking foods are shrimp pellets (Omega One brand is the best for these as they are whole fish and no "meal"). Omega One's Veggie Rounds is also good, as this gets some veggie matter into them which improves the intestinal health of fish. Bloodworms and worms in general are fine as treats but not staple foods in their diet. A once weekly treat of frozen bloodworms will be appreciated. Frozen brine shrimp is OK.

When it comes to temperature, the range is generally fine but aim for 75-77 for cories. No issue here for platies either.

 

[Byron]

Where would you suggest buying play sand?

If you are in North America, the Home Depot and Lowe's both carry Quikrete Play Sand, which is what I have in all my tanks. It comes in a buff tone and a dark grey; the latter is especially good, but either will work fine. I cannot advise if you're in the UK or EU, as I've no idea what may be available.

 

[Man with the platy fish]

Byron i really appreciate the help. Now i think i have the info i need for cories

 

[Man with the platy fish]

Thanks for the like Byron... I am trying to figure out how to like u back. One last thing, what health effects do keeping cories in schools/shoals give?

 

[eaglesaquarium]

Word of warning on the play sand.... RINSE IT!


5 gallon bucket... pour in some sand (outdoors... on a windy day is best... from about 2-3 feet above, and let the wind blow away the lightest dust).

Then, using your hose, add water and mix the water in stir and stir... then pour off the cloudy water... rinse repeat.

Then... add it to the tank and redo it all again with some more sand.


Also, there are other ways to keep the 'dust' from getting into the tank. But, this is the 'easiest'.

 

[Man with the platy fish]

Yea, you should always clean your substrate before use. Fish's safety first

 

[Byron]

Thanks for the like Byron... I am trying to figure out how to like u back. One last thing, what health effects do keeping cories in schools/shoals give?

Thank you.

Shoaling fish are species that live in groups, frequently very large (hundreds). This need is programmed into the fish species' DNA. The fish "expects" to be in groups of its own, but if this is not provided such as in the aquarium, the fish will be stressed. I'll come back to stress momentarily, but to continue with shoaling...there are beneficial reasons for this. Safety in numbers obviously. Some species develop an hierarchy within the group. Evolution has designed the species to function at its best physiologically in this environment. Stress impacts the fish's physiology and metabolism, and that means health issues.

The numbers in an aquarium obviously cannot duplicate the habitat except in the largest public aquarium tanks. But scientific studies have now shown that when a shoaling species is maintained with less than five, the individual fish develop increased aggression as a direct result of the frustration and stress. Aggressive species (angelfish was one tested) become much more aggressive, and normally peaceful species (black neon tetra was one species tested) become aggressive, which is outside their norm. Less often the fish's reaction is to withdraw and literally waste away. So the numbers within the group clearly impact the fish. We also know that there are species where the group must be much larger than the minimum five or six, and we use the fish's health and longevity to assess much of this.

Now on the stress. Stress is the underlying factor for 95% of all fish disease in the aquarium. The pathogen/parasite obviously has to be present, but it is stress that puts the fish in the position of being unable to deal with the issue. This is because stress severely weakens the immune system. It also affects negatively the metabolic processes so the fish is now having to spend much more energy just to maintain the "normal" internal processes. Not surprisingly, this "extra effort" adds even more stress, so things simply continue to spiral downward for the fish. At some point, it will be unable to "fight back" and dies. Fish do not die for no reason, but aside from predation it is stress that usually causes it. Stress on its own can cause the fish to die, or the stress can make it impossible for the fish to fight off pathogens and disease.

The minimum number for groups of a species are just that. minimum; I can think of no case where having more beyond the minimum is not going to improve the fish's health. The more the merrier is generally true. Which is why tank space is so important; the space must be able to allow the group to be large enough that the fish gain maximum benefit rather than being constantly "on edge."

 

[Man with the platy fish]

Wow i just learned a lot there

 

[Gourami36]

What species of corydoras? I’m assuming it is corydoras aeneus (bronze or albino or sometimes green).

 

[Man with the platy fish]

I have decided to start up a new tank just right for cories, and after the cories it will become a community tank

 

[eaglesaquarium]

Uh oh... MTS has set in. That didn't take long.


(Multi-tank syndrome)

 

[Man with the platy fish]

Ive been looking to start a community tank for a while

 

[Moss Ball]

Cories are great, i have 5 julis and its great to watch them scuttling about, they cause no problems to my other fishies and dont be worried if you see them swim to the top then dive back down head first into your sand,lol, they love shafy spots too