Different Types School Together?

[Amunet]

Currently we have a single green cory in our main tank. We're getting more, but my bf wants to get these greyish w/ black spots and an orange color on their side fins corys.
I was told somewhere that corys only like schooling with other corys that have the same colors.

Is this true? Or would the green and whatever other cory we ended up getting school together as well?

 

[NEONCORY]

Generally speaking, the Corys do prefer to stay with same species than another species of Corydoras. So it is highly recommended to keep 4 or more of same species but 6+ is even better. Of course, this is not always possible for many hobbiest. Whatever the reason is from tank size to lack of fund, tank maturity.,etc.
So best scenario would be getting nice group of same Corys. But getting many different species of Corys is better than keeping 1 or 2 Corys. Since they do get together now and then even they are not same species.
And yes, similar coloring or marking Cory would blend together more . But still best choice is getting same kind to make good numbered group. Then, you will see them more happier and exhabit more natural behavior.
The Cory with orange fins sound like Sterbai.
Hopefully the tank have enough space to house 6 of each would be best.
They are peaceful fish with nice charactor. They do wink at you if you watch them long enough.
So keep them many and make them happy.

 

[puppyduck]

All our groups of corys stick togther. In the one tank they are all friends, and in our tank with our melanistus corys they all love each. Except the melanistus. Who seem a bit shy.

And they do wink at you. It depends what mood you are in. Sometimes, our bronze cory Jack gives me a disapproving look up and down if I wear a skirt thats too short.

 

[Amunet]

I thought it looked like our cory was winking at me!!! I thought I was just seeing things! rofl...

Anyways thanks so much for the info! I think Sterbai is the kind he wants. That looks very familiar and I do remember that type having an S name heh.
We'll be getting some more cories this weekend. What kind though will be up to bf. They'll have to spend a week in the quaratine tank but after that I hope they'll keep our lone little guy/gal company

 

[saphphx]

My pandas wink

Cory like to stay with their own colour groups. My bronze albino and bronze standard will shoal together for a bit, but generally stay in albino and bronze groups. For an example:

In my husbands tank he has corys that someone gave him, and what was left of the albinos I got him for our anniversary. He had 2 albino, 2 bronze, 1 Julii. When we came back from the states I brought my large peppered female and a large julii male back. We put them in his tank. The julii instantly formed a group and stay on their own for the most part, leaving the other pairs on their own, and the lone pepper (who is joining the colony of 20+ peppereds today as they are now big enough ) to tag along with whoever didn't mind. They normally have a few "play dates" where they all hang out together, but for the most part stick in their groups.

So, really, when possible, keep at LEAST 3 of the same together. But when not possible, they will hang out with other cory. I would never keep any of them in groups of 2, but like with the julii they are hard to get in Barrow, so I have to special order what they can get me when they can get them to me, so keeping them with a large group of other cory helps keep them settled while they are waiting for their mail order fishie brides lol

Like above, ideally you want 6+ cory, but I would NEVER keep them in groups smaller then 3. Not even if they are ill. In cases of illness I treat the effected fish AND his friends in a smaller hospital tank. In case of rare and costly cory, I treat the affected fish and some cheaper cory, or, put a smaller hospital tank with the ill cory inside of a larger hospital tank with his friends, so they are separate but can also be together (I always find them sleeping in a group next to each other, it reminds me of those sad movies with someone on each side of glass putting their hands over each others, aww sappy moment lol) To be honest, ideally 12+ cory is best, though not always logical or possible in some tanks, but 3 will do you. I would say 3 "other ones" for him, and get 2 more green ones, and have his and hers fish

 

[Amunet]

Ok.. I'll tell bf this info. I think the most we'll have though is the green we have now and another plus the 2 my bf wants. I hope this is going to be good enough as our tank would be severely overstocked if we tryed to put more into it heh.

 

[saphphx]

Ok.. I'll tell bf this info. I think the most we'll have though is the green we have now and another plus the 2 my bf wants. I hope this is going to be good enough as our tank would be severely overstocked if we tryed to put more into it heh.

not ideal, but should be fine I know a lot of people that do it. A cory is still a cory, they just have preferences. Saying that, my dog is a border collie, and will only put up with other border collies lol. Guess its just a general preference Three is still better then one in any case You could always see about swapping him in at the fish shop and getting 3 of the same kind, if it bothers you or the fish. (I never could, I get to attached lol)

 

[NEONCORY]

I just realized that you never mentioned the size of the tank and what fish in it. I checked your profile and if you are talking about the 28G tank, then I don't see any problem putting 3~4 of each Cories(Green and Sterbai) if the water parameter is fit for them. I found my Sterbai prefer high temperature(high 70's~low 80F). I am getting eggs at 82~83F around 6.8 ph regularly. I never kept Green so I don't know their preference.
Hopefully, you can find the water parameter fit to both species without compromising too much. So please research about their water parameter before you buy new fish. They would live longer and healthier in their optimal water parameter. I know some fish do ok with regular community water setting but not all the fish come from same water requirement. And most of the fish from local store is acclimated in their local water. So it always good idea to ask about water before you buy any fish.

 

[Amunet]

I will definitely look up more info on both of them!
Thanks so much all for all of the info and help!

And yes I was talking about the 28 gallon.
There are 3 more guppies going into as well so getting 3 of each cory would be overstocking it I think.

I couldn't take back my green cory though. I just love watching it swim around and love watching it eat the tubifex cubes I stick to the bottom of the tank glass for it. It's so cute Plus we got this one at Petsmart, and the Sterbai ones are at another petstore.. *shrugs*
I still wouldn't take it back though

And here are some pics of my gal/guy!
He/she was being very active when I was trying to get a pic so couldn't get alot of them heh.
Right now she's our largest fish. We got her/him at about 2inches (give or take a little) (looked smaller at the shop heh) and I think she's grown.

 

[Rhiannon]

I have 1 albino and 1 peppered and they spend their day together, so they dont mind each others company at all even though they are different colours.

 

[saphphx]

I still wouldn't take it back though

And here are some pics of my gal/guy!
He/she was being very active when I was trying to get a pic so couldn't get alot of them heh.
Right now she's our largest fish. We got her/him at about 2inches (give or take a little) (looked smaller at the shop heh) and I think she's grown.

Some people don't mind taking them back, I always do lol. I never take them back unless they are dead

If its about 2 inches and these are recent pics, I would say its a male Females would have rounded out on the bottom by now. Hard telling without seeing him from the top though

 

[Amunet]

I still wouldn't take it back though

And here are some pics of my gal/guy!
He/she was being very active when I was trying to get a pic so couldn't get alot of them heh.
Right now she's our largest fish. We got her/him at about 2inches (give or take a little) (looked smaller at the shop heh) and I think she's grown.

Some people don't mind taking them back, I always do lol. I never take them back unless they are dead

If its about 2 inches and these are recent pics, I would say its a male Females would have rounded out on the bottom by now. Hard telling without seeing him from the top though

I would try to get a pick of him? from the top but gosh... the tank is deep so would be very hard.. specially since he probably wouldn't want to stay still long enough! lol.
Looking from the top how can you tell the difference? I'll try to look tomorrow to see whatever it is that makes them distinguishable.

I'd like to get a female, but a smaller one... would I be able to tell the sex if they were smaller than 2 inches?

 

[saphphx]

I would try to get a pick of him? from the top but gosh... the tank is deep so would be very hard.. specially since he probably wouldn't want to stay still long enough! lol.
Looking from the top how can you tell the difference? I'll try to look tomorrow to see whatever it is that makes them distinguishable.

I'd like to get a female, but a smaller one... would I be able to tell the sex if they were smaller than 2 inches?

You can get a smaller one but she will still get bigger then the male From the top, males will look like an ice cream cone shape, females will have a bulgie bit and be less the cone shapped (like an ice cream cone with a ball stuck in it)

When they are small, its harder to tell to be honest. Not sure about greens, but some other corys the males or females have pointed fins and the other one doesn't, so if yours has pointy fins get one that doesn't kind of thing, but I don't know if that applies to greens. Google is your friend when it comes to very specifics like this

 

[Amunet]

I would try to get a pick of him? from the top but gosh... the tank is deep so would be very hard.. specially since he probably wouldn't want to stay still long enough! lol.
Looking from the top how can you tell the difference? I'll try to look tomorrow to see whatever it is that makes them distinguishable.

I'd like to get a female, but a smaller one... would I be able to tell the sex if they were smaller than 2 inches?

You can get a smaller one but she will still get bigger then the male From the top, males will look like an ice cream cone shape, females will have a bulgie bit and be less the cone shapped (like an ice cream cone with a ball stuck in it)

When they are small, its harder to tell to be honest. Not sure about greens, but some other corys the males or females have pointed fins and the other one doesn't, so if yours has pointy fins get one that doesn't kind of thing, but I don't know if that applies to greens. Google is your friend when it comes to very specifics like this

By smaller I just meant younger heh...
I looked up some info and read about the differing shapes, but wasn't sure exactly what they were talking about. So thanks for giving me the ice cream cone visual to look for
I'll also look for the pointed and fan fins.. if I remember right.. think it said that the ventral? fins are the ones to look at if there is a difference?

 

[saphphx]

Thought so But was just at the pet shop and heard "No, no, I want the smaller gold fish, that big one will never fit in my tank" and was thinking "that big one is like a week older then the one you want, you are so going to be screwed in a week"

Yeah And apparently on some the anal fin is different. I've noticed on my albino bronze that all the fins are pointed on one and not the other.

My mate always laughs when I tell people "Imagin an ice cream cone eating a marble"