Best setup for corydoras

[Beastije]

I have been toying about moving my corydoras into a new tank and I spoke with someone and he suggested a special way to setup a tank for corydoras to enjoy
I would appreciate some other sources though.

What the person suggested was long, shallow tank, sand ofcourse, built into dunes, leaf litter but a strong current, strong enough the change the shape of those dunes for the fish to "play in". Not sure how plants or other fish would fit into this, that is why I wonder about other sources, also about the current itself

Thanks

 

[GaryE]

To me, ideal would be a fair floor size, with depth unimportant. Sand, rocks, and a filter on the end. You wouldn't need a flow that reshapes the sand, but a good flow in places would be good. You would place rocks to create shelter areas. I'd have the flow broken by larger rocks, as Corys move through faster water, but also like slower zones. It's hard to manage this in a fishtank. You'd need a 2 metre tank to start.
When you try to have nature type flow in a tank, you come up against corners and flat walls. We can get a lot of unnatural turbulence in a tank when we try to approach natural conditions, and we have to compromise. Also, consider the changes even in a few metres of stream. A 2 metre tank is huge to us, but it's a few steps in a stream. It's hard to emulate nature in that.

 

[Beastije]

Sounds nice. Would you have a picture in mind? A rough one even, so I can imagine it better
Thanks

 

[TwoTankAmin]

Consider spending some time on Youtube looking for vids of corys in the wild.

Bear in mind that the current state of searching may be the worst I have experienced since the first day Google was available. No matter how you search, you will be bombarded by things you did not ask for but which will get pushed at you. So when you do a search for corys in the wild expert to get more results involving them in captivity, Ignore them all unless you want more conflicting "information."

Bear in mind that corys live in all sorts of substrate conditions and in some cases they move between varying substrates during any given day. Corys are found in a variety of countries in just S. America alone. They can be found in current and in still water. Here are a few examples.

And this one makes reference to how this habitat is almost an aquarium

 

[Beastije]

I started with that, searching for "best tank setup for corydoras, best biotope, sand substarte, corydoras how to" and oh wow such wrong answers

I saw the amazon ones already, will check out the others

thanks

 

[GaryE]

You can't do better than the youtube vids. They're how I design tanks, or at least try to.

I had a great tank for Corydoras concolor, but it was a very old and often repaired one, and it started to leak. If I can find a used tank that size again (1.3 metres) I would redo it for Corys as I described.

 

[Beastije]

So sad news for me, i can't have a tank larger than 80x35x35 due to weight restrains. I wonder if this will even work.

Is it still worth moving my 12 sterbais and rest of my pygmy corydoras (and bump them up to like 25) or should I leave my sterbais in the 360 liter, where they are now, 120x50x60 cm. I have to say they are a bit small after the two years and i don't have much luck feeding them, that is why I was thinking of a new tank

 

[Beastije]

Setup has been started, I will add the leaves after the weekend, I am still waiting for the plant holders to go in the tank, and once I see those, I will consider a lid. In the summer I dont think the lid is necessary, I wont keep the water level all the way to the top so they cant jump out easily, but there is no risk of corydoras getting a cold, given we have super high temps now

I will go collect some river rocks this weekend and use them to weight the branches down.

BTW I accidentally moved some baby shrimp on the filter sponge, I have to wait till they are older to catch them out of this tank. There are also some worms from the substrate, since it was sitting outside for three weeks, so maybe detritus, maybe something else, anyway, the corydoras will enjoy eating those (the worms are small)

 

[GaryE]

I like it. It will need some cover - caves or shaded areas. I have always found my Corys like to be under something at various times of the day - an overhang, a plant with broad leaves etc, and they always choose a place like that at night. They often congregate around the base of a geographically incorrect Cryptocoryne.

 

[Beastije]

For sure, I want to wait a bit to see how the wood will look once it sinks, will do a large leaf litter and add the house plants with large roots, that should do some fun cover, and then will consider adding more

 

[GaryE]

My Corys will wander beside the leaf litter, but never go into it. They like the open sand.
I have groups of melini, punctatum and brevirostris in a 120 gallon/450 litre, 6 foot/2 metre tank. I notice they like overhanging rocks, and large leaf plants. That's where they spend most of their time. The water moves in that tank, from two large power filters, and there are shoals of tetras as well.

 

[AdoraBelle Dearheart]

Setup has been started, I will add the leaves after the weekend, I am still waiting for the plant holders to go in the tank, and once I see those, I will consider a lid. In the summer I dont think the lid is necessary, I wont keep the water level all the way to the top so they cant jump out easily, but there is no risk of corydoras getting a cold, given we have super high temps now

I will go collect some river rocks this weekend and use them to weight the branches down.

View attachment 344900

BTW I accidentally moved some baby shrimp on the filter sponge, I have to wait till they are older to catch them out of this tank. There are also some worms from the substrate, since it was sitting outside for three weeks, so maybe detritus, maybe something else, anyway, the corydoras will enjoy eating those (the worms are small)

I really like the driftwood style wood pieces!

They often congregate around the base of a geographically incorrect Cryptocoryne.

My sterbai are much more shy than any of the other cories I've kept, although I'm sure you've kept more species than I have, @Beastije ! They appreciate hiding areas, even if it's not quite a strict biotope type set up, it still seems more suited for them to my mind to have some geographically incorrect crypts they can dart away into, when we're working within the limits of a home tank. I got a big cave like chunk of bogwood mainly for my plecos, but the cories love it as a hidey spot too, when they're not behind plants, or out in the open sand areas.

 

[Beastije]

I have had this group for about 3 years now, and while they initially hid, past year or so, they just sit on the substrate. I fail at feeding them well, hence the move, but they are not shy in particular. They will sit under my driftwood, but most often, sit in open areas, on top of plants,... I will monitor them int he new tank and will see how it goes

 

[Beastije]

So. The tank was cycled, the wood is there, the leaves are there, but there is also a problem. I am slowly working on tearing down the big tank to remake, but I managed to catch my corydoras (and one ember tetra, but not the others) in a bottle trap and I have only 4 sterbais left and the one large paleatus.
Over the years I got burnt on keeping corydoras, they got sick, I had numerous issues that I didnt understand, when I wanted to increase the group size I killed half of all I had (despite quarantine) and now, only 3 years later, on a fish that could live 10, I have 4 left.

They look great in the new tank, I am enjoying them so much more. I will move the embers over the weekend. The lid still may be a problem, covers only 3/4 of the tank and since I have the plants on top, I dont know if this will be enough come winter, given the tank is next to a window and I do open it to vent.

Now. Should I buy more corydoras and give that fish species one more chance, given it may be a commitment for 5 years, or should I leave these be and once they are gone, get a fish I havent tried yet (like an apistogramma). If I were to add, which species should I go for ,the paleatus, to keep the behemoth company, or sterbais again.

I am just... unsure and scared that the issues I had before was me failing to take care of them and it will repeat once more.

 

[Sparx]

I’d say stick with the corys, but that’s me, I have such a soft spot for them, and the sterbais are sooo pretty
But ultimately it’s up to you - if you want to try something new then give it a shot. What’s your heart telling you?