Hardiest (NOT expendable) Fish for a Fish-in Cycling?...and foods...and art!

[Bruce Leyland-Jones]

All very interesting, but Corys are irrelevent in this thread...I was asking about loaches and solid evidence about the apparent lethality of plant substrates. (I'm looking at Tropica).

 

[itiwhetu]

All very interesting, but Corys are irrelevent in this thread...I was asking about loaches and solid evidence about the apparent lethality of plant substrates. (I'm looking at Tropica).

Whoops sorry, The Cory thing is just one of my pet hates.

 

[Bruce Leyland-Jones]

Whoops sorry, The Cory thing is just one of my pet hates.

No worries.
It also strikes me as odd that all of a sudden (relatively), it was decided that Corys NEED a sandy substrate.
They don't.
I remember studies back in the 1980s, looking at real fish in real habitats, and Corys thrived in river and stream beds, full of all sorts of detritus, both hard and soft. Granted, they can process foods from sandy bottoms and soft mulch, but they were just as handy rummaging around gravel, sharp stones and splintered rocks.

 

[itiwhetu]

No worries.
It also strikes me as odd that all of a sudden (relatively), it was decided that Corys NEED a sandy substrate.
They don't.
I remember studies back in the 1980s, looking at real fish in real habitats, and Corys thrived in river and stream beds, full of all sorts of detritus, both hard and soft. Granted, they can process foods from sandy bottoms and soft mulch, but they were just as handy rummaging around gravel, sharp stones and splintered rocks.

I will just say that the whole thing with sand I believe is a marketing exercise so everyone would re do their tanks and spend more money at their LFS.

 

[Avel1896]

it was decided that Corys NEED a sandy substrate.
They don't.

Did you check videos of their natural habitat ? Substrate is sand.
I'm pretty sure Cories couldn't dig gravel (even smooth) the way they do on video.

I will just say that the whole thing with sand I believe is a marketing exercise so everyone would re do their tanks and spend more money at their LFS.

I wouldn't be surprised that it's true as everything is made to ensure customer max out his CB !

 

[JazzyV]

My Cory, habrosus, and pymaes I keep with fluval stratum. I’m a noob. I don’t know much articles but I know I didn’t like what I saw when I tried a new substrate for a dozen habrosus in a 30g. Those barbells look so fragile as they tried to feed. They are so hungry from the fish store but unable to feed. It’s hard to watch. They just did not act like my pygmaes or Corys. They had trouble feeding and sifting through. They would barely move after a while. One turn pale. They had trouble pulling up black worms too. Anyone who walked near that tank was blamed for stressing them out I was gonna keep a species only but they didn’t do well so I moved them out. I don’t like watching them unable to eat. The lfs told me they don’t ship well. I did a 1 hour drip acclimation. I figured by themselves they would be left alone. They just got me questioning why are they not eating like my pygmaes or corys. So I drop them in my 40 with the others. They quickly took to their Cory big brothers and pygme sis. They started feeding and everything like the pygmaes and corys. The pale one got her color back. Took 3 days. I realize at some point in my hobby a while back that I could just make a stand for what I want to watch when I look at my aquarium..and I know one of it is this…I don’t want them unable to feed and sift through their substrate. It’s their home. Nothing should harm them. So my preference only the softest substrate for them. Just watch them you can’t miss it.
Okay rant over move along nothing to see here lol

 

[Bruce Leyland-Jones]

Did you check videos of their natural habitat ? Substrate is sand.
I'm pretty sure Cories couldn't dig gravel (even smooth) the way they do on video.

Actually, substrate is whatever's on the bottom. It can be anything from fine sand, through to solid rock and everything inbetween.
Cories have never had the need to 'dig' gravel, but they do rummage through it, seeking food items, facilitated by their whiskers. This is why they have whiskers and whiskers are apparently less effective in fine sand.

 

[Avel1896]

Those barbells look so fragile as they tried to feed.

Hey
The most important point is : smoothness.
A small sized gravel can be suitable IF smooth/polished.
Remember Corydoras are 80% carnivorous and 20% vegetarian, so give priority to high animal proteins food 5-6 days a week and 1-2 days vegan food.
Now, we need to know water parameters you provide your Cories : pH - GH - KH - NH3 - NO2 - NO3.
Pictures and/or video should help

 

[Byron]

Hey
The most important point is : smoothness.
A small sized gravel can be suitable IF smooth/polished.
Remember Corydoras are 80% carnivorous and 20% vegetarian, so give priority to high animal proteins food 5-6 days a week and 1-2 days vegan food.
Now, we need to know water parameters you provide your Cories : pH - GH - KH - NH3 - NO2 - NO3.
Pictures and/or video should help

I cannot let this post pass, as it has misinformation; sorry, but we cannot have new aquarists going under the wrong assumption.

Corydoradinae species are all carnivorous; none of them eat plant matter, and in fact a diet with this in such quantity will likely cause digestive/intestinal problems. But when it comes to being carnivore, protein has to be kept low, as this can cause white deposits. The best food for all cories is what they eat most of in their respective habitats, and that is insects and insect larvae. Fluval Bug Bites is an ideal food. Worms can be fed once a week (thinking frozen bloodworms which is what most aquarists would turn to for "worms"). Frozen or live shrimp, and daphnia are also good foods, especially the daphnia.

While I'm here...graver is not a substitute for sand, period. Look at their natural habitats, I've spelled this out too many times for anyone to still be promoting falsehoods.

 

[Avel1896]

protein has to be kept low, as this can cause white deposits

Well, as BugBites contain 40% proteins, what do you call "low protein" ?

graver is not a substitute for sand, period.

I only said that the most important point is smoothness.
On Ian Fuller videos I can see that sand has a "certain" grain size about 1 millimeter. To be clear, what grain size do you consider "gravel" ? It's maybe simply to speak in granulometry ?

 

[itiwhetu]

Well, as BugBites contain 40% proteins, what do you call "low protein" ?


I only said that the most important point is smoothness.
On Ian Fuller videos I can see that sand has a "certain" grain size about 1 millimeter. To be clear, what grain size do you consider "gravel" ? It's maybe simply to speak in granulometry ?

I always think of fine gravel as 2-4mm which is what I use. I think of sand as 0.5-1 mm

 

[Avel1896]

I always think of fine gravel as 2-4mm which is what I use. I think of sand as 0.5-1 mm

Ok. Seems easier to speak in grain size.
Do they dig easily in 2-4 mm grain size ?

 

[itiwhetu]

Ok. Seems easier to speak in grain size.
Do they dig easily in 2-4 mm grain size ?

They shuffle it, which after all is why they have whiskers. Their little whiskers are to flick pieces of food out from between objects, and when the food is dislodged they then eat it. I can't see why a fish with all those whiskers would want to take a big mouthful of sand and then sit there trying to determine what is edible and what is not. Just doesn't make sense to me.

 

[Byron]

They shuffle it, which after all is why they have whiskers. Their little whiskers are to flick pieces of food out from between objects, and when the food is dislodged they then eat it. I can't see why a fish with all those whiskers would want to take a big mouthful of sand and then sit there trying to determine what is edible and what is not. Just doesn't make sense to me.

There are dozens of videos showing that cories do take up a mouthful of sand, filter it, then expel the sand via the gill slits. This is a scientific fact. It happens, as everyone knows. You could believe the earth is flat, but it doesn't change the facts.

 

[Byron]

Well, as BugBites contain 40% proteins, what do you call "low protein" ?

There was a thread earlier this week where a sinking food with 48% protein was being suggested for cories, and I pointed out that this was too high. Another sinking food had 38% which is OK. When I look up the specs for Bug Bites bottom feeder product, it says 32% protein, which is even better.

Fluval Bug Bites Bottom Feeder Granules (S-M), 45 g (1.6 oz)

Insects are hunted by fish in the wild as they offer a widely available food source. The instinctive feeding habit is the foundation behind Bug Bites, which are formulated with nutrient-rich insect larvae and enriched with multiple quality proteins, vitamins, minerals and trace elements.

fluvalaquatics.com