Can I Keep Any Corries?

[Ben M]

hi, i have a 4 ft 216l aquarium. i have recently changed the substrate from 6mm pea gravel, to 2thirds sand, and the left third 3mm rounded gravel. i intend to plant heavily, and i have a large open sand foreground, which i intend to keep unplanted. i have 4 kribs, [1 breeding pair, 2 other females, (i am thinking of getting rid of the 2 other females)], 20 hengels rasbora's, 7 cherry barbs, 5 cardinals, 5 rummynoses, 4 serpaes, 5 SAE'S and 3 ottos the rummynoses and cardinals are really old, and are slowly dieing off, and i don't intend to replace them, although i am thinking of getting some more serpae tetras. the temp is 26c, slowly being dropped to 24c. could i keep any corries in there? i no it is not recommended with kribs, but they aren't at all aggressive to the other fish, even when breeding. so, what do you think?

cheers

 

[Harlequins]

I personally wouldn't add cories with Kribs,like you say its when the kribs are breeding,because cories are bottom dwellers,kribs become very possesive of the tank near the bottom especially when they got fry,if a cory gets in the way the kribs may harm or even kill cories for being there.

I love to have kribs,but i won't take the chance,obviously a lot depends on the nature of your kribs.Just my personal opinion

 

[Ben M]

hi, thanks, personally, i think that they would be ok. but i've read that the kribs can kill the corries. my kribs seem fine with all of the other fish, the most they ever do is chase them away from their cave, never resulting in injury, even when the otto's try to get into the cave. do you think it is definitely a bad idea? bearing in mind that my kribs are very peaceful.

thanks

 

[Ben M]

hi, i've been thinking about it, and think it is worth a go. i'm sure that the corries will be fine. my kribs are never aggressive, and only guard about 20 sq cm of the tank floor. i have a large open foreground that is about 3ft x 1ft, not including the bit the kribs guard. do you think it's worth a try? as i said, the kribs are really gentle, and they have lots of space. if you think it's ok, i think i'll either get c. sterbai, or trilineatus. i'm not too keen on the bronze or peppered ones, although they seem to be the cheapest. i did think about the panda corrie, but i think that they are a bit small. how many do you think i should get to start with, and which species do you prefer?

cheers

 

[Harlequins]

Its up to you,

if you do you would probably be better with sterbai has they're bigger than trilineatus.

 

[Ben M]

do you think size is much of a problem? i have 20 Trigonostigma hengeli, at about 1.5cm, and they are never bothered by the kribs. also, i would like to breed them. do you think there is much chance of them breeding. TBH, i prefer the c. trilineatus, but might the kribs bother them.

cheers

 

[Harlequins]

Hmmm dunno..

The hengeli aren't bottom dwellers,so the kribs probably won't be too bothered by them anyway,unless they get hungry...

My trilineatus breed,but i think alot depends on whether the cories are happy in their tank and if their eggs get eaten...

 

[Ben M]

hi, i would give the corries good food, and i'm going to be making a taiwan moss wall right across the back of the tank, and a small riccia carpet, not too big, so they still have a large open area. would the eggs/fry be hidden in this? and i can alter the temp slightly for the needs of the species i choose.

EDIT: i've just thought. a while ago i read that when fish breed, they release hormones into the water. and that if you take some water from a tank in which some fish are breeding, and put it in a tank that you are trying without success to breed the fish in, then they will breed. and the kribs in my tank are breeding, so could that encourage my future corries to spawn?

cheers

 

[Harlequins]

From my experience with cories,they tend to dot their eggs here,there & everywhere although mine do tend to hide them under leaves on plants and decor,very rarily on the glass,its hunt the eggs when i know they've been spawning.

I haven't heard of hormones from breeding,i know livebearer fry release growth hormones...

 

[mattbond]

saw this and i want to warn you, because i dont want you losing out on some nice cories through a simple mistake, i had 5 peppered cories in a similar tank with a breeding pair of kribs, after about 2 months i returned them to my lfs, because i had 3 cories left, of which, the large female had no eyes, the only male only had one, and also i lost neons, ottos, kuhlis that were already in the tank

few people reccomend synodontis catfish or my clown loach were the only things that the kribs avoided in the tank x

 

[Inchworm]

saw this and i want to warn you, because i dont want you losing out on some nice cories through a simple mistake, i had 5 peppered cories in a similar tank with a breeding pair of kribs, after about 2 months i returned them to my lfs, because i had 3 cories left, of which, the large female had no eyes, the only male only had one,...

This is not the first time I've heard of this. Kribs (and other cichlids) have been known to go for their eyes. Here's a cory that I bought out of a mixed cichlid tank at the lfs.

 

[Ben M]

hmm, this is really frustrating. i'm getting a bit tired of the kribs, because i have to be really careful which fish i can keep with them. i'm starting to think that maybe i should get rid of the kribs. do you think my lfs would give me much for them, considering i have a breeding pair? the only problem is that my parents don't like me to sell fish or plants, because they think that when i have bought them that i'll want them for ever.

thanks

 

[mattlee]

hmm, this is really frustrating. i'm getting a bit tired of the kribs, because i have to be really careful which fish i can keep with them. i'm starting to think that maybe i should get rid of the kribs. do you think my lfs would give me much for them, considering i have a breeding pair? the only problem is that my parents don't like me to sell fish or plants, because they think that when i have bought them that i'll want them for ever.

thanks

lfs are not bothered if they are a breeding pair or not to them they are just 2 more fish. lfs near me will take fish in but wont give you anything for them, some wont even touch them as they could be full of disease and arent worth the risk and some if purchased from there and if you have a receipt then they will give half the purchase cost back as store credit. kribs arent expensive fish so you will be lucky to get anything for them unless someone on here wants a breeding pair but then they will no doubt want photographic proof of the breeding, eggs, fry etc etc. there are alot of people out there saying they have a breeding pair of fish that have just spawned and deposited eggs, they have no idea if the eggs are fertile as most the time they havnt made it to the free swimming stage. for example a pair of angel fish can lay 100's of eggs but they can both be female so the eggs dont get fertilised and therefor dont hatch. even if the eggs are fertile from a male and a female the fish may eat the eggs. what im saying is have your kribs had eggs that have hatched and been raised? if not then they arent a breeding pair anyway. it took my angels quite some time and several loads of eggs before they stopped eating them even when they were fry and free swimming......

also in my eyes corys and kribs are a defo no no as corys will wander all over the tank without a care in the world and as soon as they wander too close to krib teritory they will be attacked, as the pic above in inchworms reply shows a cory with no eyes. do you really want this....?

 

[Ben M]

course i don't want them to get hurt. they are sort of breeding pair, but they are quite young, so they aren't very good yet, the best they have done is raised the babies to a couple of weeks old, so i suppose they aren't really a proper breeding pair. i don't think i have the receipt from them as i bought them about a year ago. i'll ask my mum if i can sell/give them to my lfs.

if she lets me, then i'll get maybe a dozen trilineatus, or less if they are too expensive. they are £5 each at my lfs, but i haven't looked elsewhere. is a fiver a good price, or are they just that expensive at my lfs because they are wrongly labelled julii?

thanks

 

[lilacamy931]

I would say £5 is average to top price, they are around 4-5 down here in the South. Just explain to your mum the hobby changes as you progress with it and your interests have changed! As long as you find good homes for them that should hopefully be ok, best of luck with them x