Cories

[Snowbrumby]

Hello,

I know that cories are happier in a school but do they all have to be the same type/colour? I would like 6 cories for my 36g tank. Can I get say 2 Albinos, 2 Bronze and 2 Pandas or should I get 6 Albinos or 6 Bronze or 6 Pandas??
Thank you.

 

[breezer40]

Corys do mix but prefer to be with their own kind so I would go for 6 of the same.

 

[Snowbrumby]

Damn Thank you for the reply though Just have to decide which ones to go for I guess. I have two Albinos in a 20g and they are such fun to watch, just was thinking of a different type is all. Any suggestions as to which is the most entertaining??

 

[Inchworm]

Hi Snowbrumby

There is no hard and fast rule, but I've found that corys seem to prefer being with others of the same size. In my cory communities they all get along fine and interact well.

Pandas are a different matter though. They seem to be more shy and like to stay with their own. They are also much more difficult to keep than the others. They tend to be prone to bacterial infections and sudden unexplained death. I would not recommend them to anyone who does not have a good amount of experience keeping corys.

On a happier note, both the bronze and the albinos, that are usually found at the lfs, are usually the same species: C. aeneus. They are just color variations of the same fish and love to school together. If you want to get 3 of each, don't hesitate to do it. They will be just fine.

 

[clutterydrawer]

I agree with Inchworm, pandas seem so prone to sudden death that I think in most cases they're not worth the risk. I really recommend albino/bronze though, they were the first fish i ever got and I still love them!

 

[WILDER]

Had my cory panda's a couple of weeks now and they are getting quite big, read that once they get to a bigger size that they can be hardy is this true.

 

[Inchworm]

Had my cory panda's a couple of weeks now and they are getting quite big, read that once they get to a bigger size that they can be hardy is this true.

Hi Wilder

It's hard to say, but if you keep your water conditions perfect and do very frequent water changes, your chances of keeping them are much better than if you don't.

I don't ever think they could be hardy in the way the C.aeneus or the C. paleatus are. These are very sturdy fish that tolerate a wide range of temperatures and can even be kept with goldfish.

I can say that as mature adults, when they get sick they are more apt to recover than when they are younger. If they show symptoms, I've had good luck treating them with MelaFix and water changes. It's just that they are prone to dying without any warning, something that the other corys seldom do.

 

[WILDER]

Thanks inchworm, keeping a very close eye on them and they are active and always looking for food which is a good sign, and cleaning tank twice a week, which i normally do on smaller tanks anyway, thanks again.

 

[Snowbrumby]

Thank you for the info Inchworm - 3 Albinos and 3 Bronze sound like a good mix to me. Glad I can have some variety and still keep the fishes happy Just have to wait for the tank to finish cycling first. I think I'll stay clear of the Pandas until I have a lot more experience with Cories Thank you.