It's a Plec not a Cory

[pandapops001]

Okay so i bought what i was told was a corydora two weeks ago, after getting advice on here i was told that they do better in groups of 2 or more,

The one i have is at least an inch in width and 4" in length, well i go to the lfs today to get another cory to keep my other company,

I ask for a cory and she puts this little thing in the bag instead of the cory which was identical to mine and feeding at the back

I said can i have that one please, thats a plec she said!!

i said that is what i have at home and the lady who sold it to me told me it was a cory, nope its a plec she said, so i left the shop very concerned and clutching the background i'd bought.

Okay now what do i do, i've heard these things grow huge?? and i only have a 27.5uk gal tank, do i have room to keep him, and will he be okay on his own

 

[clutterydrawer]

Well there are a lot of different types of plec but common ones can grow to about 18". So your tank wouldn't provide him with enough room to move, and he'll cause a lot of pollution because they're very messy fish. I really think you need to look into giving him back to a shop. Is the shop you just went to, the same as the one that sold you this plec in the first place?

And just to clarify, because your lfs sounds totally untrustworthy, here is a pic of a plec and a cory so you can be *absolutely* sure what it is that you have! Although if it's four inches it doesn't sound like it could be a cory.

Here's a plec:

And here's a peppered cory.

So...which does yours look more like? It's sad that an lfs could be so useless, I hope you get it sorted.

 

[pandapops001]

Yes it was the same shop, and its identical to the plec in your top picture

18" thats huge, i thought that the rule of most fish was they would adjust to your tank, and not outgrow it! wow i really will have to take it back as that is just waaay to big.

I posted a little while ago that my daughter was frightened of my cory, now i know why people were a little confused as corys are actually really quite cute

 

[wrs]

plecos are kinda freaky looking, just take it back to the shop and say that you demand a refund because they mislead you with the fish they sold you. And then get corries, you daughter will probly like them, theyre really cute little fish, they kinda remind me of my cat.

 

[Inchworm]

Hi pandapops001

Corys are friendly and happy little fish and your daughter will surely like them. What kind of cory is it, BTW?

They are schooling fish and should be kept in groups of 3 or more whenever possible. When it comes to corys, the more the merrier!

It's a common myth that fish will adjust their size to fit in a tank. This might happen, but only by stunting their growth, which is a very sad thing. In this case, their bodies stop growing, but their insides continue to enlarge. When this happens, the fish does not have a very long life expectancy.

Please take the pleco back and exchange it for corys. You and your daughter will be happy you did.

 

[clutterydrawer]

Yes it was the same shop, and its identical to the plec in your top picture

18" thats huge, i thought that the rule of most fish was they would adjust to your tank, and not outgrow it! wow i really will have to take it back as that is just waaay to big.

I posted a little while ago that my daughter was frightened of my cory, now i know why people were a little confused as corys are actually really quite cute

there's a horrible truth behind the myth of fish "adjusting to your tank". What actualy happens (as far as I know) is that their skin and skeleton stops growing whilst their inner organs cary on growing, causing horrible deformity and probably a myriad of other problems with swimming and eating. so a full grown plec would be very sad in your tank. you could either give him back asap or use him as an excuse to get another tank

I read where you said your daughter was afraid of the cory and I too was very confused, I've found that cories are very poular with kids because of their cute appearance, and the comical way they swim around looking for food. If you can sort out the plec situation I'd recommend getting at least three as long as you have space in your tank, they are much happier in shoals. If you get a small species like panda corydoras they will take up less of your stocking inches. also cories in general make less waste than other fish. there are many, many varieties of corydoras so if you plan to get some, go to www.planetcatfish.com and have a look at the different types before you buy. I would really recommend panda cories though, they are adorable! they look like pandas! my sister and my friends youner sibligns love them. how old is your daughter?

I hope I've helped, let me know how it goes.

 

[clutterydrawer]

Sorry for duplicating what Inchworm had already said, she hadn't posted when I started writing!

 

[pandapops001]

Hi

Okay thank people, the lady at the lfs was actually commenting on fish owners who buy fish purely on the colours etc without knowing the facts, and i told her the size of my tank, she was going to order me some cherry barbs (dont know what they are like??), as she said they would be a great addition to my tank.

I guess thats what annoys me more, is that they are capable of selling someone a fish that will be too big for their tank, i noticed actually that when she sold me the plec, she took the largest out of the 3, at the time i was grateful.

If i didnt come on this site and ask about it, my plec probably would get deformed and stunted its awful. I will take him back tomorrow, but will still be sad to see him go, its mad how attached you get

how old is your daughter?

Shes 2 and a half clutterydrawer, and thanks you have helped immensely both yourself and Inchworm, i'm just so glad i can get advice on these things

 

[Inchworm]

Sorry for duplicating what Inchworm had already said, she hadn't posted when I started writing!

Hi clutterydrawer

You never have to be sorry, or feel funny, that your post is like someone else's. IMHO, your response was better and more detailed than mine was, and I enjoyed reading it.

 

[pandapops001]

okay people

My favourites are as follows

Incolicana Cory
Osteocarus Cory
Schwartz's Cory
Nattereri Cory

Do you think i could get any of these in the UK, there were so many beautiful corys

BTW - thanks for the link clutterydrawer it was great

 

[clutterydrawer]

I have seen Schwartz's cories where I live (leeds) so you might be able to find those. I havn't heard of the others though! You could print off pics of the ones you like and take them with you to see if they have those or anything similar.

Also you might want to go to a different lfs this time, if you have another locally, one that knows the difference between a plec and a cory.

Cherry barbs are very pretty red fish, they grow to about two inches. Keep a pair (one male one female) or a trio (one males two females) as two males in a tank could get aggressive with each other. I am hoping to get some of these myself soon, I'm looking into breeding them Here is a picture:

and there will be a profile on fishprofiles.com if you want to know more.

Lots of luck sorting your tank out, also I want to say that I think your daughter is very lucky to have a mum who's into fishkeeping! I wish my mum had started keeping fish when I was 2!

 

[pandapops001]

wow they are gorgeous,

I might have to take my male swordfish back as well because he is seriously stressing the other fish, he used to just annoy the female swordtail but now he's doing it to the platys and guppies also, and the female swordtail looks so sad

I will go to another lfs as i think you are right, although i think both my shops are pretty bad, ah well i guess i shall have to keep getting my help and advice on here if you dont mind.

My Little Girl, hmmm - its a godsend, she spends more time in her chair watching the fish and less time under my feet its great and its healthier for her than the tv, what can i say - fishkeeping is great for us all

 

[clutterydrawer]

Eek I didn't know swordtails were like that!

Do you know the names of your lfs's? (I'm interested to know if they're chains, and if I have the same ones here. just me being weird. )

Feel free to ask as many questions here as you like, I and lots of other people will be happy to help. Your little girl will, I'm sure, learn loads about fish in the next few years, by the age of five she will be a fully trained fishkeeper and you will be able to make her help you with maintenance.

 

[pandapops001]

yeh lets hope so,

Well the first and closest to me is "Avon pet & garden" which i'm sure is not a chain, and the second is "pets at home" previously "petsmart"

And thanks again for all your help,

Kindest Regards
Miranda

 

[clutterydrawer]

There's a pets at home near me, I used it for a year or two and never had any problems. the fish were always healthy, each tank had an info sheet on and they took my name and address when i bought fish to make sure i wasnt buying loads every day or whatever. of course this doesn't mean that all of them are the same standard, also i never asked them questions because i'd done my research at home so i couldnt vouch for their knowledge. Either way if you want to see if there's any other good ones near you there's a directory here:

http/www.practicalfishkeeping.co.uk/pfk/...tory_search.php


(my my I'm just up to my ears in useful links today aren't I! )

I was gonna look for you but I couldn't remember which county Bristol is in.