Cory Question - Now They're Here

[newfishies]

i am ordering some corys and the supplier has both panda and schwartzii available. i have had 5 of 6 pandas die on me for no known reasons. (the fifth had some kind of barbel infection that killed him/her). needless to say i am wary of buying them again (although the ones i had before were from petco and another lfs that i am not crazy about, and these are from a much more reliable source)

i think they are both very cute and need to decide which to get.

the pandas have been in the country for 3-4 weeks and the seller says they are doing well and very healthy. he just got the schwartzii in and they will be quarentined for a week. so i have a week to make up my mind!!!

what do you all think?

 

[J_acon]

I would go for the panda corys. Just love them, still trying to get my hands on some. Hard to find in my area and when i do they are $$$.

 

[Tokis-Phoenix]

Only get the pandas if your tank is 6months or older mature as they don't do well in tanks younger than that in general- they prefer sand substrate and well oxygenated water and catfish pelets for food.

 

[newfishies]

you know, my tank is only 4-5 months old... it feels like longer!

 

[Inchworm]

Hi newfishies

Everyone loves pandas, but they are a difficult fish to keep and, although I've kept them for around 2 years now, I haven't figured out why.

I moved a little while ago and when they were set up in the new apartment, both my main panda tank and the one with the young ones I'm raising, went through mini-cycles. I was amazed that I didn't lose any of them at all.

Here's a picture of the young corys:

I do know that they are extremely sensitive to tank conditions and can easily get bacterial infections if your tank is less than clean. Mine get two water changes a week because my water from the tap has nitrates and I try to keep the level of them down. Perhaps they are more sensitive to them than other corys. Maybe this is the answer; I just don't know.

All things considered, if your lfs quarintines the fish for a week, they have had time to adjust to your local water and stand a good chance of living in your tank.

But, I would still recommend the schwartzii.

 

[newfishies]

i am ordering them from out of state, so they will not be accustomed to my water, just the water here in the states. they have been in the US for a few weeks. the schwartzii just came in yesterday, so they will be quarentined for the next week, then i can make my order.

BTW, the little pandas are sooo cute!

 

[J_acon]

Very nice tank Inch

 

[newfishies]

i just found out that the seller also has agassizii avaiable! any opinions on them?

 

[Inchworm]

Hi newfishies

Most corys, agassizii included, will do fine in your tank if you buy them from a reputable mail order dealer or lfs. While you can never tell how good the handling will be during shipping, if they are packed well and your luck holds, the fish will do fine. Of course, remember that they are living creatures that have gone through a lot of trouble by the time you get them.

Here's a link to a thread you might find interesting. The first post outlines just how the fish are caught and make their way to the home Aquarius.

http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=22068&hl=price

Who are you getting them from?

Pandas are different though. I've seen so many people have them die for no apparent reason, or from fast moving bacterial infections that I just hesitate to recommend them to anyone without being sure they know the risk.

 

[newfishies]

thanks for the link, inchworm! that is quite interesting. the schwartzii are wild caught, the pandas tank raised and i am not sure of the agassizii...

i won an auction (aquabid) for a pair of wild betta fusca a while back and was introduced to mark denaro (probably spelled wrong!) of anubias design. he also has a lot of other fish. he had a problem with the fusca and i had to wait, and kept looking at his availability, and decided that my female betta tank needs some cories... so if i am shipping 2 fish, i might as well fill the box.

 

[Inchworm]

Hi newfishies

I am going to send you a PM. Please keep an eye out for it.

 

[newfishies]

well, my new little buddies arrived today. they are acclimating as we speak!!! i ended up getting pandas, because the schwartzii and agasizii tanks came down with something and were not ready for shipping. so i got 7 pandas for the price of 6 schwartzii, not a bad deal!!


don't worry, i'll post pics when they are settled!!

 

[Siamese Fighter05]

Congrats!!! i saw some panda cories in person for the first time yesterday down the lfs, are very nice!!
Good luck with them cant wait for piccys.

 

[Inchworm]

Hi newfishies

I'm so glad that you finally got your fish. I can't wait to see the pictures of them.