Cories Don't Count In Stocking?

[fishman3]

It is sort of gross, isn't it?

Let me explain more about the point I was trying to make and maybe some of our more scientifically oriented members will comment on how this works out in the closed environment of an aquarium.

I remember learning that on land, predators and other meat eaters will tend to travel away from the immediate vicinity of their dens to leave their waste, or will bury it. Vegetarian animals will just let it fall where it may and continue to graze. The thought behind this was that meat in the waste products would breed more harmful bacteria than vegetation would. At some level the meat eaters had evolved their habits as a way to keep this from harming them or their young.

Since corys are from moving water, and can simply swim away from what they produce, this would not be a problem in nature, but might be in a tank.

Also, let me point out that corys are not air breathing fish, although they have a means of absorbing small amounts of oxygen from air they swallow when necessary. This is just a means of survival when their streams become muddy and agitated.

I was hoping for ludwig to give me an answer as he obvioulsy sees things differently to the majority.

It appears that on these boards the minute someone has a different opinion about something everyone jumps on the bandwagon to discount it or tell you exactly why their opinion isn't right!! I have seen this happen now on a few threads concerning water changes where the opinons are very much divided.

Ludwig i'm still keen to hear your opinion if you would like to air it?

 

[GSD]

I must admit i tend to look at the individual fish and not use the inch per gallon rule, however i would definatley take into account cories/plecs etc.

 

[Ludwig Venter]

You will notice that I classified this discussion as "controversial", (as it is with water changes per week... Cycling issues etc. etc.. --you know them all, & all of you know them)... & the last thing I wanted to do is 'provoke' a discussion on the issue (without laying down groundrules)

Since it has now happened,....I fully agree that the restricting factor to fish growth rate etc... is the urine concentration in the water, and this has to be diluted every so often by doing your regular water changes and even more so if you exceed the fish size per Liter rule.....

BUT!.... when the fish size per inch of surface area is applied,..... this refers to quite another aspect of the water conditions, namely, the amount of oxygen exchange that takes place at the available "surface area" for every inch of fish you keep in the container.....

However,.... the threashold tollerence levels of certain fish exceeds that of others and in this respect, I find that esp. my Blue Gouramies - 4" or more... (I have about - at least - 4,000 of them in a 4ft x 3ft x 3ft deep container) are prolific and shows no signs of stress for much longer periods than for instance even my (equivalent numbers) of guppies shows in the same size container..... I can only ascribe this to the fact that they are labyrinth breathers and take oxygen from outside atmosphere.

(I also have this size container keeping (even less) convicts, & I have to do at least 3 times as many water changes with them, as I do with the Gouramies).....

So in summary Fishman.... it is based exclusively on my observation and I have no scientific backing literature or evidence as it is with most of my opinions.... (which is why, I'll always stress..."IT IS IN MY OPINION").....

 

[mrtiddles]

seeing as gouramis are labyrinth fish they breath atmospheric air, where as other fish use there gills to respire and ammonia is a by product so im guessing seeing as they breath from the surface they dont produce as much ammonia as a bi product

Which makes no difference- ammonia is a waste product of various metabolic pathways. We get rid of it as urea in urine, for fish it's more convenient to pass ammonia directly into the water. Whether the fish breathes atmospheric air makes little, if any, difference.

I know this is totally off-topic, but I love Dr. Horrible. +1 to you, sir/ma'am.