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Cardinal Tetras & Angelfish

Akasha72 said:
peppered cories are twice the size of panda cories so if you are limited to space panda's might be a better choice 
Indeed, I would have recommended one of the two "dwarf" species, C. hastatus (Tail-Spot Pygmy Cory) or C Pygmaeus (Pygmy Cory), as they are very small and have the charming habit of frequently schooling with/alongside tetras.
However, I fear the Angels may eventually attempt to eat them...
 
yes, if a fish is small enough to fit in an angels mouth it will always have the potential to become food
 
There are some problems arising now...
 
First on the corys.  Temperature is extremely important, and if you intend keeping the tank warmer (around 80F) do not get panda corys, this will burn them out.  This species comes from small creeks in the Peruvian Andes and needs cooler water, I would say 76/77F is max, preferably a tad lower.  Same holds for Corydoras paleatus (peppered cory), no higher than 77/78F.  Corydoras sterbai do fine in warmer tanks, often chosen to accompany angelfish, or discus, etc.
 
The "dwarf" species mentioned, C. pygmaeus and C. habrosus, also need less warm water, but I would not recommend these with angelfish in any tank for the reason Jeremy mentioned.  These diminutive species are best in smaller tanks where they will not be "lost," and better matched to other upper species.  These also spend more time in the upper water, so more vulnerable to large fish likely to see them as food.
 
Second, on this comment
My area where I live has very hard water so I can imagine all fish that is bread here is tolerable to that.
 
 
This is not actually so.  Jeremy said "farm-raised fish tend to be a bit more tolerant" [his italics] and I concur.  I don't know why so many still believe that a fish which has evolved over hundreds of thousands of years to physiologically function best in very specific water parameters and environment can within a few years somehow be totally re-made.  It doesn't happen.  Some species have the ability to tolerate or manage outside their preferred parameters, while others do not.  The physiological aspects of the detrimental effect of inappropriate parameters (or environment, thinking of the aquascape needs of some species) are not always readily evident to us.  Often a shorter lifespan occurs, and we just assume the fish died for no reason, but there was a very good reason...the fish burnt itself out by having to battle stress caused by the inappropriate conditions, and its physiological systems could not function properly.
 
The fish in any store are hopefully not going to be in the store tanks for very long, so the store is not too bothered about parameters for specific fish.  Also, it is unlikely the fish were raised locally anyway.  Most of the "bread and butter" fish are raised on farms in SE Asia, Florida, etc., and who knows what parameters might be involved.  Many of these facilities are outdoors as well, in ponds.
 
Aside from this, we have already determined your water is not very hard, it is moderately hard.  Those species that can manage outside their preferences will not find this too stressful, though this is not a given either.
 
Byron.
 
I'm commenting on so many threads at the moment that I'm forgetting where I'm at!
 
I would agree with Byron that most of the cory species like the water cool. My tank runs at 25 degrees. I've acclimatised my angelfish to a slightly lower temp and found a happy medium for my cories. When I got my angels I wasn't aware of how warm they prefer it and had I of known I would have reconsidered getting them. The down side of the cooler temp is that my angel pair have stopped spawning and the cooler temp seems to be the reason why 
 
Akasha72 said:
I'm commenting on so many threads at the moment that I'm forgetting where I'm at!
 
I would agree with Byron that most of the cory species like the water cool. My tank runs at 25 degrees. I've acclimatised my angelfish to a slightly lower temp and found a happy medium for my cories. When I got my angels I wasn't aware of how warm they prefer it and had I of known I would have reconsidered getting them. The down side of the cooler temp is that my angel pair have stopped spawning and the cooler temp seems to be the reason why 
 
I would think you are correct Akasha, on the breeding and temperature.  Raising the temp is usually one of the recommendations for breeding.  Tank-raised fish can live very well at the normal "tropical" range around 25/26C (77-79F) but spawning is more likely at higher temps.  B. 
 
This is all great info about the Cory's

I ended up buying 4 Black Neon Tetras today, they are super cute! Will get 3 more :)

Lots to think about, I'll hold off on the Cory's.

I'm going to a huge fish store in a couple days so maybe I'll find something exciting there.
 
carmstrong said:
This is all great info about the Cory's

I ended up buying 4 Black Neon Tetras today, they are super cute! Will get 3 more
smile.png


Lots to think about, I'll hold off on the Cory's.

I'm going to a huge fish store in a couple days so maybe I'll find something exciting there.
 
On suggestion, always buy the entire group of a shoaling species (like the tetras).  So here, acquire all seven together (assuming they had more, if not, fine).  The reason is that some species will work out their hierarchies and having more of them is better.  But all species will settle in to a new environment much faster and better the more there are.
 
Byron.
 
Byron said:
 
This is all great info about the Cory's

I ended up buying 4 Black Neon Tetras today, they are super cute! Will get 3 more
smile.png


Lots to think about, I'll hold off on the Cory's.

I'm going to a huge fish store in a couple days so maybe I'll find something exciting there.
 
On suggestion, always buy the entire group of a shoaling species (like the tetras).  So here, acquire all seven together (assuming they had more, if not, fine).  The reason is that some species will work out their hierarchies and having more of them is better.  But all species will settle in to a new environment much faster and better the more there are.
 
Byron.
 
 
They ran out, shipment was coming Thursday so i'm going back to get more, but thanks for the tip
 
OK, that's different.
 

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