Could I Keep Cories?

[Mogs26]

I have fishless cycled my tank-finished about 3 weeks ago. Stocklist and tank size as below. I will be upping the numbers of tetras and harlequins to 6 of each over the next few weeks. I have only just discovered cories, having seen them at the lfs-don't know why I didn't consider them before, but having read many of the posts on here, I think there are some things against me having them. Firstly, my nitrates out of the tap are 40ppm. I have some java moss and will be getting java fern and I am adding some frogbit too-long story in another post!- and am hoping that these will lower the nitrates. However, my substrate is gravel. I am very reluctant to change to sand, as I have not long set up. I don't really know if you would describe it as pointy or sharp, it's more like coarse sand-rough perhaps. It's this that I think might make keeping cories a no-no. Am I right? I do weekly vacs, and 30% weekly water changes as the rainbows are sensitive creatures. I guess what I am saying that I'd like to keep cories, and am hoping that you will say it's ok, but fear that you will tell me it's not

 

[Coryologist]

hoping that you will say it's ok, but fear that you will tell me it's not

Many people claim to keep Corys healthy on a gravel bed, but it's not something that I would do, except for the absolute largest species that are actually capable of bulldozing that gravel around. Your proposed tank maintenance and WC schedule sound OK.

Personally, I keep all my Corys on fine sand. No harm in getting a couple of the least expensive Corys that you can find and see how they do, over the course of a few weeks. Inspect their barbels with a magnifying glass when the sit next to the front glass and check for deterioration and redness.

That's about all that you can do. - Frank

 

[Mogs26]

Thank's for the advice-what are the sort of species that might bulldoze my tank if I did decide to go ahead and try them? I have limited space available once I have topped up the little fish, but I have a bare area at the bottom of the tank-originally thought bn, but think cories look more interesting.

 

[Coryologist]

what are the sort of species that might bulldoze my tank if I did decide to go ahead and try them?

Most of the larger Corys are quite hard to find and very expensive. Look at C. pantanalensis, any of the long-snouted species and/or any of the Brochis species.

You can search the Cat-e-log on planetcatfish.com, by size. Good luck. - Frank

 

[Mogs26]

Many thanks Frank-just the sort of help I needed
Carole x

 

[Coryologist]

Many thanks Frank-just the sort of help I needed. Carole x

My pleasure.

- Frank

 

[Mogs26]

I have been reading for hours on here again, considering changing the substrate to sand, as it definitely seems the best for cories, but my filter is a wet/dry trickle and its intake is quite close to the bottom. I think it might muck up the filter to change to sand-and I have nowhere sensible to keep my fish while I change it over either. I also think it's unfair to try out a couple of cheap fish in case I might manage to keep them without harm-just because they're cheap doesn't mean I wouldn't be upset if they got sick-cos I'm a big softie at heart so I will just have to look at your beauties with envy! Maybe next time I set up a tank eh?
Thanks for all the advice!

 

[Coryologist]

I also think it's unfair to try out a couple of cheap fish in case I might manage to keep them without harm-just because they're cheap doesn't mean I wouldn't be upset if they got sick

The idea is to watch tem closely and pull them at the very first sign of trouble. Do you really think that I would ask you to sacrifice Corys? lol. - Frank

 

[Mogs26]

I also think it's unfair to try out a couple of cheap fish in case I might manage to keep them without harm-just because they're cheap doesn't mean I wouldn't be upset if they got sick

The idea is to watch tem closely and pull them at the very first sign of trouble. Do you really think that I would ask you to sacrifice Corys? lol. - Frank

Lol. No Frank, sorry I didn't mean it to sound like that! I meant that if they got sore barbels I would be sad that I had to rehome them I know that you of all people wouldn't tell me to actually sacrifice them lol!

 

[twodoctors]

I have been reading for hours on here again, considering changing the substrate to sand, as it definitely seems the best for cories, but my filter is a wet/dry trickle and its intake is quite close to the bottom. I think it might muck up the filter to change to sand-and I have nowhere sensible to keep my fish while I change it over either. I also think it's unfair to try out a couple of cheap fish in case I might manage to keep them without harm-just because they're cheap doesn't mean I wouldn't be upset if they got sick-cos I'm a big softie at heart so I will just have to look at your beauties with envy! Maybe next time I set up a tank eh?
Thanks for all the advice!

I'm guessing we have the same tank. AR980? Not a lot of tank out there is 215L and trickle filter...

I successfully changed to sand last weekend. Took me a couple of hours to do as I have lots of plants/wood/rock. Did it because I had worms in the tank. I also was using rough gravel. Turned out I had lots of crud at the bottom.

Anyway, I has 12 tiger barbs at the time. I put them in a bucket of the aquarium water and put my heater in there. They stayed there for about 4-5 hours while I went out to get the fine gravel, wash it, take the old gravel out, put new one in, redecorate and half fill the tank. The only stressful part for them was catching them in the first place, when my green tiger barbs turn into almost silver barbs. They have recovered by the time I put them back. Obviously I won't recommend you doing that too often but it is not impossible.

The intake tube is adjustable so leave a clearance of about 1". My other tip is on the outlet, if you plug the "extension" bit from the top, then you will create a 4th chamber, where you can put more biomedia for bio-filtration. If you do that make sure the top of the tube is below the tray, otherwise it doesn't work properly. I can show you a pic is you want...

Adrian

 

[Mogs26]

I'm guessing we have the same tank. AR980? Not a lot of tank out there is 215L and trickle filter...

I successfully changed to sand last weekend. Took me a couple of hours to do as I have lots of plants/wood/rock. Did it because I had worms in the tank. I also was using rough gravel. Turned out I had lots of crud at the bottom.

Anyway, I has 12 tiger barbs at the time. I put them in a bucket of the aquarium water and put my heater in there. They stayed there for about 4-5 hours while I went out to get the fine gravel, wash it, take the old gravel out, put new one in, redecorate and half fill the tank. The only stressful part for them was catching them in the first place, when my green tiger barbs turn into almost silver barbs. They have recovered by the time I put them back. Obviously I won't recommend you doing that too often but it is not impossible.

The intake tube is adjustable so leave a clearance of about 1". My other tip is on the outlet, if you plug the "extension" bit from the top, then you will create a 4th chamber, where you can put more biomedia for bio-filtration. If you do that make sure the top of the tube is below the tray, otherwise it doesn't work properly. I can show you a pic is you want...

Adrian

Thanks Adrian-yes it's the AR 980! I would like to see a picture of your 4th chamber please Changing to substrate doesn't sound too bad, but as I have lots of fish in already, and 11 of them are jumpy rainbows, I would need to cover the bucket lol! I haven't noticed that the intake is adjustable on the filter-I will have to have a closer look, although I do have about an inch or so above the substrate anyway-the post I read said 6", which I definitely don't have-ooooh decisions decisions!

 

[twodoctors]

I bought mine from eBay and being a man, I didn't look at the instruction. So this mod is really an accidental discovery. Look at the picture. I plugged the extension to the outlet pipe the wrong way round, creating a 4th chamber. It should have been plugged in from the bottom up. I have flooded all 4 chambers with lots of filter media as well, which is probably why my setup probably looks different to yours. The important thing with this mod is to make sure the top of the extension tube is below the "hole" in the bottom left of the picture. Otherwise the water will exit from the the lowest point of the setup ie that hole.

Hope that helps!

Adrian

 

[Mogs26]

Interesting! I don't have that high a water level in my last chamber, but I wonder whether it would go that high with media in it? Does it slow down the flow into the tank? I have replaced the missing harlequins today, so that I can prevarocate even longer, but I think that as my fish are sensitive, especially the dwarf neons, I will avoid upsetting them by moving home twice in one day, I think I will revert to the plan of having a bn, or a few smaller catfish! Thanks for the advice
Carole x

 

[twodoctors]

Interesting! I don't have that high a water level in my last chamber, but I wonder whether it would go that high with media in it? Does it slow down the flow into the tank? I have replaced the missing harlequins today, so that I can prevarocate even longer, but I think that as my fish are sensitive, especially the dwarf neons, I will avoid upsetting them by moving home twice in one day, I think I will revert to the plan of having a bn, or a few smaller catfish! Thanks for the advice
Carole x

The high water level is cause by the "incorrect" placement of the extension to the outlet. There are 2 pieces to the outlet, the pipe and the "funnel". You can just plug the funnel from the bottom and use the extension on the top to raise the water level, but as I said, make sure it is lower than the big hole. Otherwise water will escape from there as well.

Adrian

 

[moochy13]

if you are concerned about sand getting sucked up in your filter, leave a patch of gravel round the bottom of the filter, and make the rest of the tank sand. my tank was like this until recently, when i decided i didnt want the gravel at all. my cories would venture onto the gravel and rummage about, but spent most of their time on the sand.