Am I Overstocking?

[azotemia]

I have a 20 gallon tank, in it, 4 albino tiger barbs, 2 green tiger barbs, 2 banded barbs, 3 cories, 1 oto, 1 paradise fish and a wood shrimp... is this too much??? all are 1 inch or less...

 

[Corleone]

I think it's alright, but watch the paradise fish. Tiger barbs are nippy. Keeping them in groups is enough to protect most fish, but they can find long finned fish irresistible.

They're all small now, but will grow, so you have to account for how big they will get, as fish don't stop growing to fit the tank. Most of the fish are in the 2-3 inch range as adults (otos top out under 2 inches, though), and wood shrimp can get fairly big. At adult sizes, you're a bit over the inch-per-gallon rule, but if you wait a while the tank will probably take a bit more. I'd suggest a 2-3 more corys, as they're more active in bigger groups.

 

[azotemia]

I think it's alright, but watch the paradise fish. Tiger barbs are nippy. Keeping them in groups is enough to protect most fish, but they can find long finned fish irresistible.

They're all small now, but will grow, so you have to account for how big they will get, as fish don't stop growing to fit the tank. Most of the fish are in the 2-3 inch range as adults (otos top out under 2 inches, though), and wood shrimp can get fairly big. At adult sizes, you're a bit over the inch-per-gallon rule, but if you wait a while the tank will probably take a bit more. I'd suggest a 2-3 more corys, as they're more active in bigger groups.

thanks for the reply! does it matter if I put different kinds of cories? or do I have to stick with the same ones ( panda cory+panda only) or ( julii+ panda)

 

[Corleone]

In my experience, they're most active in same-species groups of at least 5-6. There is some difference of opinion on that, though, some people do have mixed corys behave normally.

 

[NonstickRon]

I think it's alright, but watch the paradise fish. Tiger barbs are nippy. Keeping them in groups is enough to protect most fish, but they can find long finned fish irresistible.

They're all small now, but will grow, so you have to account for how big they will get, as fish don't stop growing to fit the tank. Most of the fish are in the 2-3 inch range as adults (otos top out under 2 inches, though), and wood shrimp can get fairly big. At adult sizes, you're a bit over the inch-per-gallon rule, but if you wait a while the tank will probably take a bit more. I'd suggest a 2-3 more corys, as they're more active in bigger groups.

thanks for the reply! does it matter if I put different kinds of cories? or do I have to stick with the same ones ( panda cory+panda only) or ( julii+ panda)

I can answer this. Whoohoo! (love questions my noobness can manage to answer with authority)

Ok, I read that in the wild sometimes corys will mix. SO I took this to mean that if I was going to get three of them, each could be different and that would be find. Well, I put a peppered in my tank at home before I even knew they were schooling fish and bought a peppered, an albino and an emerald in my tank at work. Well, the emerald ended up being extremely shy, hid constantly. The albino acted like it didn't have a care in the world and the peppered in with them was kinda somewhere in between. It didn't mind moving around with either one really. Sometimes it would pair up with the albino, sometimes it would sit in back with the emerald.

I decided to move the Serpae tetra out of my home tank put them in my work tank and take everything but the albino out of my tank at work and bring them home. The peppered and the emerald I brought him were so happy to be in the tank at home. The tank at home had dark sand and the work tank light sand by the way. The emerald seemed to really love the dark sand and is very active now, and the two peppereds are constantly moving around together. I've thought of returning the emerald and getting another peppered but the emerald seems happy enough now in the dark substrate tank...it has some great wood pieces that give some great cover.

The albino started acting really nervous once it was without any other corys in the tank. I also noticed the Serpae had a keen interest in messing with it...its a juvinile and still pretty small and the serpae are about twice the size of it. I found some full grown albino corys at a local shop and bought two and plopped them in my work tank with the solitary albino. WHAT a difference. The small albino now follows either of the full grown ones alll the time. Its very common for me to seem them moving around as a trio looking for food. Its really great cause the Serpae keep their distance from the full grown corys...they're a little longer than the tetra and much more robust.

What kind of corys do you have. Another reason I'm thinking of trading my emerald for another peppered is the emerald corys get up to an inch longer than the peppered ones do when fully grown. Some get up to 4 inches I believe...my friend has an emerald thats about 4 inches. Some corys never get bigger than 2.

Oh, in summary, yes it does matter. Corys are much happier being with others of the same type.

Well, thats the extent of my amatuer experience with corys. Hope it helped.

 

[OldMan47]

Ron is on the money suggesting that you are better off with the same type you already have. My own experience is that the larger the cory school, the more you will see them playing around in the tank. In my own case I try to never keep less than 6 in a tank and in most tanks I can find room for 8 or more. He says you can get cories as small as 2 inches but I keep corydoras hastatus that will likely never get longer than 1.3 inches. I also keep corydoras habrosus that will never get bigger than 1.4 inches. As he said, the aeneus will get well over 3 inches when full grown so it depends how big your tank how many of what kind you can have.

 

[azotemia]

Thanks for sharing guys! right now I have 3 pandas and I saw a couple of cories which really caught my attention. 1st one was a gold/green cory and 2nd is a orange striped cory. I wanted to get them but wasnt sure if they will school with my pandas . should I gamble or should I stay safe? coz I dont really wanna get them if they will end up lonely and uneasy...

 

[NonstickRon]

Thanks oldman, I just said 2 inches cause I didn't feel like looking up exact numbers and didn't know for sure off the top of my head. I'll look those two you menioned up though, you've got my interest.

Azotemia, look up the full grown sizes of your fish, figure out you inch/gallon ratio (google is your friend!) and if you have enough left over for AT LEAST 3 of one of those types you're interested in, I'd say you could get away with it. 2's company 3's a crowd after all eh? As oldman says though, the more the merrier.

Do you know the names of the ones with the orange stripes? Orange being my favorite color, I'm very curious.

Edit: Very cute Oldman...mid level shoalers? That sounds interesting.

 

[azotemia]

i believe they are called neon orange cory. check em out

 

[manc37]

should be ok