Corydoras or Kuhli Loaches?

[AquaBarb]

Ive just had to make this decision and gone for cories instead of some loaches or a rainbow shark. I think the activity of the cories will bring more to a tank. Im going for 15 bronzes

 

[Salty&Onion]

The pleco is bristle nose, and is a juvenile. Had him since he was half an inch baby.
By asking about water hardness I am trying to rule out the water and by which I'm assuming my mollies are sick. They clamp their fins, they shimmy, female gets popeye constantly, they gasp/gulp at the surface, my gold dust female molly has a squared off skinny belly, they stay near surface most of the time.
Veggies are no problem to get in cories way.

 

[Salty&Onion]

Ive just had to make this decision and gone for cories instead of some loaches or a rainbow shark. I think the activity of the cories will bring more to a tank. Im going for 15 bronzes

I'll be going for C. aeneus, which I am assuming are easy to breed so I won't have to buy 6-9 more

 

[Byron]

I'll be going for C. aeneus, which I am assuming are easy to breed so I won't have to buy 6-9 more

We covered numbers previously I think, but in a 33g tank which is presumably 36 inches/90 cm in length, a group of 8-9 cories is advisable. There is no reason to deprive them of what they need/prefer when you have the space to provide it. They will be better for it.

As for breeding, this is not likely to result in fry in a community tank unless you remove the spawning pair or the eggs.

 

[Salty&Onion]

I've got a nice clump of anacharis where they possibly would spawn and some eggs would survive

 

[Waterstrider]

I have a bias because I do like cories, whereas I am not enamoured with kuhlii type loaches. But the kuhlii lopaches might never be seen, or rarely, because they are primarily nocturnal. Cories on the other hand are usually out and about most of the day. I have a 40g with 41 cories, and if I did not have this tank/fish I doubt I wold even bother with tanks. The enjoyment they give me is considerable, compared to my other tanks of different fish.

If you decide on cories, you need a decent number, and in a 36-inch/90cm length tank (which we are assuming is the 33g, correct?) you want 12-15. I am always saying this, and I appreciate that others have difficulty understanding the logic or the importance, but this really does make a big difference to the well-being (health) of the fish.

"Overstocking" means different things to different people, and while it is certainly possible to have more fish in a tank than the system can be expected to support, there is also the fact that more of a shoaling species can often have less impact on the biological system than too few. The fish "live" differently. Not easy to explain.

Filters have less to do with it than people realize. The filter moves the water around, and creates surface disturbance, and this is really their only benefit. The biological filtration they do in a tank of small fish is not even needed, if you have a sand substrate (which is where the vast majority of bacteria live) and especially with plants, and floating basically solve any issues.

I don’t know, I love my loachies. I’m not a fan of Cory, I have experienced the opposite, my loaches hide much less then the Cory I’ve had. I see them all the time.

 

[Salty&Onion]

I don’t know, I love my loachies. I’m not a fan of Cory, I have experienced the opposite, my loaches hide much less then the Cory I’ve had. I see them all the time.

You had one cory? They need a group of 6 or more so they feel secure and not stressed and hide.

 

[Byron]

I've got a nice clump of anacharis where they possibly would spawn and some eggs would survive

Earlier in this thread a member asked for the species in this tank and the info wasn't provided, but every fish will eat the eggs of any fish it comes across, and shrimp will too. Over the years I have had a very few cory eggs survive and hatch (seeing a fry at about 1/2 inch was the only evidence this occurred). Pygmy cories in a tank on their own do survive, they are less likely to eat their eggs.

 

[Salty&Onion]

I've got there swordtails, mollies, guppies, pleco, shrimp, platies and white clouds (used as dithers)
@JuiceBox52 , sorry I did not see your post before ..

 

[Byron]

I've got there swordtails, mollies, guppies, pleco, shrimp, platies and white clouds (used as dithers)
@JuiceBox52 , sorry I did not see your post before ..

OK, the chances of any cory egg surviving this is rare indeed. Most of mine, with a couple of exceptions I mentioned, were pulled into the canister filter and I retrieved cory fry every time I cleaned the canister, sometimes just one, sometimes a couple, once there were five of three different species in there.

 

[Salty&Onion]

OK, the chances of any cory egg surviving this is rare indeed. Most of mine, with a couple of exceptions I mentioned, were pulled into the canister filter and I retrieved cory fry every time I cleaned the canister, sometimes just one, sometimes a couple, once there were five of three different species in there.

Well. Maybe once I'll find one cory egg

 

[Waterstrider]

You had one cory? They need a group of 6 or more so they feel secure and not stressed and hide.

No I had a dozen, so no

 

[Waterstrider]

My loaches just don’t hide at all. They swim and play pretty freely. It would be easy for them to hide or dig, they just don’t.

 

[dmpfishlover]

Personally, I like both Cories and Kuhli Loaches, but if I had to choose, I would go with Cories...They have great personalities, plus a real "cute factor"

 

[I nEEd mEnTAl HeLP]

My corydoras usually eat the bug bites that the other fish haven't stolen yet. Lol.