Can You Please Recommend Some Cories For A Beginner?

[Barracuda518]

I also would recommend the C. Aeneus. Remember, cories like to be in groups. You will see them much more if you keep them in groups of 4 to 6. If they are kept in pairs or on their own, they will try to hide most of the time.

 

[ey2006]

the albino is just a colour mutation of the bronze c.aeneus

i had a pair of babies, they're now a trio in my brothers tank.
it's handy to have some hidey holes in the tank anyway
and small gravel or sand as substrate for them to snuffle around in, nothing sharp! they'll damage their barbals.

they did like to snuffle around together, they're very sociable little fish.

I'm getting confused when the corys are referred to by their scientific names, like c.aeneus!

i have ornaments with hiding spots but plan to get a driftwood to act as a cave or a putting pot at the bottom of the gravel. i've got soft gravel as substrate, hopefully they wont damage their barbals.

its funny that you say they like snuffling around together, because i just went to 6 different LFS in my area (!) and the only corys they had were, bronze and albinos! However, they all just sat on the substrate and looked very tired and was barely moving. The ones that were swimming around, were swimming so slow they looked like they were floating!

I'm assuming these ones aren't healthy and as a result, i'm going to check the LFS that i always go to. they have the healthiest fish around, but the problem is, they don't have any bronze or albinos, they only have panda corys, are pandas still hardy enough for a newly cycled tank?

there actually have been cases of corys living up to 18-20 years.. with 10 years being not uncommon

the reason for me asking is i haven't really seen sites list the life span of corys...but 10 years would be really great, especially for a group of corys to live together all that time!

 

[ey2006]

i also had mix at first and it was soo cute when the smaller bronze swam up and found the pepper in the main tank...then he'd like swim with him all over the place and eat together..it was like a little brother following the big brother around...corys should be fine with ur tank i think...i just had a problem with a CAE, which luckily/unluckily died as the cae's tend to attack corys and stuff...

thats a very cute story neon_platys! what is a CAE?

 

[ey2006]

I also would recommend the C. Aeneus. Remember, cories like to be in groups. You will see them much more if you keep them in groups of 4 to 6. If they are kept in pairs or on their own, they will try to hide most of the time.

Hi Barracuda518

Yes, I do intend to buy at least 3 corys (of the same species) when I do find nice and healthy ones!

The corys that I saw today at a few LFS didn't seem to be as active as I thought they would, most of them stayed on the substrate at the bottom and barely moved! I took this as a sign that they weren't really healthy and hence didn't buy them.

 

[dwarfgourami]

I've got peppered cories and I love them! I thought they looked quite dull in the shop, but their colours are a lot brighter now. They were shy at first, though I bought 5, but now come out a lot more, particularly since I added some smaller dither fish. They have spawned for me several times, though I've never been
able to rear any fry.

Cories must be some of the most peaceful fish in existence- they never attack anything! They even have what looks like giggly, cuddly sex

Mine are usually most active in the morning and evening and have a resting period in their cave in the middle of the day.

I feed them catfish tablets, but give them a treat of jellied bloodworm or daphnia or brine shrimp twice a week; it's great fun to watch them hoovering it up. They never touch the vegetables I put in for the livebearers.

 

[flumpit2]

hi,iv got 4 peppered cories that iv had for 6 months now and i think there the best fish ever!!they hardly ever hide away,they do have there quite moments during the day when there resting up but as soon as someone walks by there swimming around goin mental (obviously after food the greedy monkeys!!).when it is feed time they swim in the mid section of the tank with my goldfish (who are soon going to a pond),until i put the food in then they go back to the bottom again.another thing they do is every now and again they dart up to the surface to take a gulp of air (this is quite normal) and zoom back down again.it always suprises me how they dont crash in to the sand they go that fast!!a few weeks ago i was lucky enoughto catch them in there spawning dance,soooooo cute!!i only managed to save 20 eggs as the goldies & peppers were eatin them but i now have 16,2 week old fry.so in the right enviroment they will breed for you as long as youv got males & females.iv got 2 males (who seem to have a greeny tint to them) & 2 females (who look blueish),which was quite lucky since when there young you cant really tell the sex!
cories are a most delightful fish & only grow between 2 & 3 inches so wot outgrow the tank.im a complete novice & if iv manage to keep them for 6 months with no problems & 2 spontanious spawns in that time,then id say anyone can keep them!!!its just a matter of regular water changes & regular gravel/sand vacs. x

 

[nmonks]

Don't be!

Latin names (or scientific names) are used to simplify, not complicate. By referring to a fish as Corydoras aeneus everyone knows what you're talking about, whether they're in France or Fiji. Moreover, if you weren't told bronze cories and albino cories were the same species, would you know they were by their names? No; but if you're told they're both Corydoras aeneus, the fact they look different doesn't matter! You know they need the same conditions and the same care.

Once you get the hang of Latin names, you find they actually make life much easier. Using vernacular names is much more likely to confuse people. I can think of at least four different families of fishes with species referred to as "gars", each of which needs totally different conditions: one coldwater, one soft and acid tropical, another brackish, and yet another completely marine!

Cheers,

Neale

I'm getting confused when the corys are referred to by their scientific names, like c.aeneus!

 

[Barracuda518]

I also would recommend the C. Aeneus. Remember, cories like to be in groups. You will see them much more if you keep them in groups of 4 to 6. If they are kept in pairs or on their own, they will try to hide most of the time.

Hi Barracuda518

Yes, I do intend to buy at least 3 corys (of the same species) when I do find nice and healthy ones!

The corys that I saw today at a few LFS didn't seem to be as active as I thought they would, most of them stayed on the substrate at the bottom and barely moved! I took this as a sign that they weren't really healthy and hence didn't buy them.

The cories you saw might have still been in shock from the shipment to the fish store and have not adjusted to their surroundings. I would not but any if they looked sick either. There is a lot of activity in a fish store too, and they might have been scared because of that, especially if they didnt have any where to hide. If you get young cories they should be very active in your tank, swimming all around. Im sure you will find some nice cories and you will be happy with them

 

[jollysue]

Coradoras are insectavores. They love worms. I feed live blackworms. I've never known a cory to nip or bite other fish. They might feed on a dead fish, but their natural food is insects. They seem to totally ignore veggies and algae tabs. Otos, another catfish species, are algae and veggie eaters only.

A shoal of at least five is right. Aeneus get pretty big for a school in your 29 gal with other fish. My peppers have not gotten very large--about 2". I have 6 in a 100 usg and they are the life of the tank and out all day and night. Larger schools of same species seem to be bolder and more visable.

It is not unusual for cories to sit in a line at the tank front to wait for feeding time.

Some hobbiests do very well with pandas. They are small and cute. But they are reported to be sensitive and fail to thrive at times. I have a clan and they are doing well. They like their tankmates (other small black and white cories) and feel secure. But I lost several before they stabalized. They feel threatened with some tank mates like botia/loaches who are rough and tumble. I wouldn't recommend them for a beginner, but you might be one of the exceptions to the rule.

Cories will do well in a newly cycled tank. Just do regular water changes, and keep it clean. If they make too many trips to the top to gulp air, do a water change. Watch the cories barbells and noses to see that they keep their barbells and don't get sore noses trying to dig in the gravel.

 

[dwarfgourami]

About the algae wafers- can we just clear one thing up? Do they actually consist of algae? The ones sold in my lfs still seem to contain a fair proportion of fish products, as well as the spirulina (algae).

Still, I feed my cories the ones labelled catfish tablets rather than algae wafers; I think they have a higher protein content. And they certainly don't ignore those, far from it. I do feed bloodworm and similar twice a week though; can't really do it much more often out of consideration for my livebearer's little tummies. No good telling them they're supposed to ignore food fed at night.

My large peppered female is at least 3 inches, and my other female is not much smaller, I'm not sure they're usually smaller than bronzes.

 

[jollysue]

Yes I've heard that peppers get large, but mine haven't--yet. B) Planet catfish lists peppers/C. palaetus as 2.8" and C. aeneus as 3".

Bottom feeder tablets are omnivore food and contain more fish products. Most tropical fish food is for omnivores, and cories will gobble them from the bottom. Algae tabs are veggie based with some fish product, and my cories ignore them. Clean live blackworms are high protien low fat compared to blood worms which are high fat content--or so I've been told.

The Hikari Algae Wafer bag says it is for algae eaters, rich in veggies. Coradoras are definately not algae eaters. Again, Coradoras are considered insectivores.

What is a fair proportion? My algae bag lists 3 fish products included and at least 8 veggie products. The biggest difference between the Hikari Algae and Sinking Wafers seems to be the fiber content: 12% for algae and 2% for sinking. I think that says it all.

 

[Neal]

Before getting corys, i'd say up the number of neons to maybe 5 or 6. 1 Neon is going to be very lonely, and you don't see their full pottential unless there in a decent sized school.

 

[jollysue]

Good suggestion

 

[Neal]

Thanks, never thought i'd provide good advice, but hey presto, I think I just done it!

 

[jollysue]