swordtailsrock
Fish Fanatic
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Okay, it seems to me that the same questions are asked in these forums over and over, so to help clear up the forums
I have posted some Corydoras info that everyone who needs the information, doesn't have to post it.
Okay, let's begin:
DESCRIPTION:
Corydoras are members of the catfish family, and are bottom-dwelling fish. Popular because they are active, are relatively easy to keep, will eat most food given to them and can keep a community tank clean of uneaten food. Commonly called corys, these fish are small to medium sized. Sizes range from a couple of millimeters to a few inches
HOUSING:
Corys are very peaceful fish and can be kept with almost any schooling or semi-aggressive fish, provided that the fish is not drastically bigger than the corydoras. Should be kept in groups of 6+ to make them really happy. They SHOULD NOT be kept with huge goldfish or koi, or any other fish much bigger than the cory, as they may try to eat the corydoras and the cory, being a catfish, has spines on it's fins and can stab the goldfish or koi. You may end up losing both your fish in the process. If you are keeping corys in a species only tank then the bottom should have sand or small rounded pebbles, to avoid damage to the barbels you should not use sharp gravel. Sand would be your best option. if you have a community tank, you should have a small patch of soft substrate (sand!) for the corys to feed in. Should not be kept with mollies or other salt or brackish water fish, because corys have an almost ZERO tolerence level to salt.
BREEDING:
Corys are generally easy to breed, they will even spawn sometimes without the keeper knowing! Seperate the males and females for a week or so and feed them foods with lots of protein, such as: brine shrimp, blood worms, black worms, and frozen brine shrimp. Set up a small tank, usually 10 gallons or less, without gravel and with a cycled sponge filter. Add an airstone to help induce spawning, and turn it and the filter up to full blast. Make the temperature about 5 degrees cooler in this tank than in their regular tanks. Once you add the fish, they usually will spawn in a frenzy. A little while after you add the fish, they should assume the T-position. The T-position is the position corydoras assume when mating, after this encounter, the female goes and lays her eggs on the glass and on any plants in the tank. Corys are egg eaters and should be removed from the eggs as soon as the female has finished. Oddly, corys may eat eggs but will not eat fry.
SEXING:
To tell between a male and a female cory, put them in a small container and look at them from above. The female will be bigger and fatter than the male. Another method is to look at the dorsal and pectoral fins, the males fins will be more pointed and the females will be pointed but slightly, this is not the best method, though. Females also when filled with roe (eggs) should be plump and have a belly that will keep their nose off the gravel when resting.
FEEDING:
Corys should not be treated like scavengers to pick up what other fish leave behind, they should be fed separately with their own special food. Corys will eat any live fish food available, including: brine shrimp, blood worms, black worms, white worms and other small wriggling creatures. They will also eat any frozen varieties of these live foods. Nonliving foods (exluding frozen) they will eat are: catfish pellets, algae wafers, sunken flake, peas, and some cucumber. Peas and cucumber should be fed only once a week. One shelled pea for 1 cory, as for cucumber give them a pea-sized piece.
Any uneaten food should be removed immediately. Algae wafers should also be fed once a week.
That's it, any questions you may have regarding corys I'll be sure to answer them.
I have posted some Corydoras info that everyone who needs the information, doesn't have to post it.
Okay, let's begin:
DESCRIPTION:
Corydoras are members of the catfish family, and are bottom-dwelling fish. Popular because they are active, are relatively easy to keep, will eat most food given to them and can keep a community tank clean of uneaten food. Commonly called corys, these fish are small to medium sized. Sizes range from a couple of millimeters to a few inches
HOUSING:
Corys are very peaceful fish and can be kept with almost any schooling or semi-aggressive fish, provided that the fish is not drastically bigger than the corydoras. Should be kept in groups of 6+ to make them really happy. They SHOULD NOT be kept with huge goldfish or koi, or any other fish much bigger than the cory, as they may try to eat the corydoras and the cory, being a catfish, has spines on it's fins and can stab the goldfish or koi. You may end up losing both your fish in the process. If you are keeping corys in a species only tank then the bottom should have sand or small rounded pebbles, to avoid damage to the barbels you should not use sharp gravel. Sand would be your best option. if you have a community tank, you should have a small patch of soft substrate (sand!) for the corys to feed in. Should not be kept with mollies or other salt or brackish water fish, because corys have an almost ZERO tolerence level to salt.
BREEDING:
Corys are generally easy to breed, they will even spawn sometimes without the keeper knowing! Seperate the males and females for a week or so and feed them foods with lots of protein, such as: brine shrimp, blood worms, black worms, and frozen brine shrimp. Set up a small tank, usually 10 gallons or less, without gravel and with a cycled sponge filter. Add an airstone to help induce spawning, and turn it and the filter up to full blast. Make the temperature about 5 degrees cooler in this tank than in their regular tanks. Once you add the fish, they usually will spawn in a frenzy. A little while after you add the fish, they should assume the T-position. The T-position is the position corydoras assume when mating, after this encounter, the female goes and lays her eggs on the glass and on any plants in the tank. Corys are egg eaters and should be removed from the eggs as soon as the female has finished. Oddly, corys may eat eggs but will not eat fry.
SEXING:
To tell between a male and a female cory, put them in a small container and look at them from above. The female will be bigger and fatter than the male. Another method is to look at the dorsal and pectoral fins, the males fins will be more pointed and the females will be pointed but slightly, this is not the best method, though. Females also when filled with roe (eggs) should be plump and have a belly that will keep their nose off the gravel when resting.
FEEDING:
Corys should not be treated like scavengers to pick up what other fish leave behind, they should be fed separately with their own special food. Corys will eat any live fish food available, including: brine shrimp, blood worms, black worms, white worms and other small wriggling creatures. They will also eat any frozen varieties of these live foods. Nonliving foods (exluding frozen) they will eat are: catfish pellets, algae wafers, sunken flake, peas, and some cucumber. Peas and cucumber should be fed only once a week. One shelled pea for 1 cory, as for cucumber give them a pea-sized piece.
Any uneaten food should be removed immediately. Algae wafers should also be fed once a week.
That's it, any questions you may have regarding corys I'll be sure to answer them.
