My Corydoras & Questions

[Flame Heart]

I just wanted to confirm that my new cory is in fact what it was advertised as, and I want to ask some questions. I have fairly weathered (smooth) gravel, but I really want to turn to sand as I hear that is what is best with corys. Here are some pictures of each of my corys, I would really love too get more Julii, but I don't have room for that and I don't have full control over the tank. (my mom doesn't want sand and doesn't want to re-home our danio to make room for another cory)

http/imageshack.us/photo/my-images/856/photo3qa.jpg/
^ My Aeneus Corydora, my first cory that has become way more active after we got the Julii.

http/imageshack.us/photo/my-images/97/photo5kr.jpg/
http/imageshack.us/photo/my-images/402/photo4ni.jpg/
^ My new supposed and most probably Julii Corydora, he/she has a split in the top fin so I am treating with Melafix.


If you guys could help me with my questions, that would be great! The Julii is really small, (1 inch, smaller then Albino) will he/she grow larger? What genders are they? And even if they are different gender will they still spawn even though different species?

 

[Flame Heart]

Help please? I really want to know what genders they are, whether they will spawn together, and if the split in the Julii's fin is really that bad.

 

[Dieses Madchen]

I do not think they will spawn. I think the closest thing an albino will spawn with is a bronze. How many do you have of each species? They prefer shoals of 5 or more.

 

[Flame Heart]

I only have one of each, I am really trying to get my mom to re-home the danio (and maybe the frogs or the molly) to get some more Julii corys. Are they okay with weathered gravel? I have heard that corys have tons of fun and bury in sand, so that is another goal of mine. Its sad that I don't have fully control of the tank, if I did it would be: Guppies & Platies at middle/top, 3 albino corys and 3 Julii corys for the bottom, black or tan sand, silk plants. Any ideas of how to convince my mom to convert?

 

[Dieses Madchen]

Let her know that you will see more active behavior from the cories if you switch to sand. I used to have gravel, but when i switched to sands, I saw a whole new personality with my cories. I have a shoal of 7 albinos. They roll in the sand like puppies, and digg and play with it. Its simply adorable

 

[Flame Heart]

I will suggest that to her, I asked her yesterday and she said straight out no and that it would be too much work and harder to clean. Is there a site I can send her to to read on the happiness and cleaning of sand with corys and how to add sand to your sand?

 

[Biulu]

How big is your albino? He looks like a male to me (unless it is a real juvenile) as the body is more streamlined. Females are plumber (look also from above).

I do not think you have a julii as juliis have a dot pattern apart from the stripe. Your fish is a trilineatus. It looks like a female to me, but it is still a juvenile. These fish get up to 2.2 inch, so your's is only halfway....

And no, they will definitively not breed together. If you move the frogs, you will already have enough space for your cories...

If you are looking for sand, make sure though you take relatively 'large', heavy sand. I have very fine sand and it is a pain although my cories love it. But every time I do a water change, or the fish are too happy, my plants and other ornaments get covered in fine dust and it is very hard to remove. It looks like everything is always dirty.

 

[Flame Heart]

My Albino is about twice as big as my Trili (is that what they are nick-named as?). I also did some research just about now and I also found my new cory looked much more like a Trili. Thanks so much for your help. Ahh.. that silly pet store, advertising them wrong. I know that some others were also suggesting moving my frog, (I also need to move my danio as it needs a bigger tank and more danios) so I will suggest that to my mom, but she rather thinks that sand is 'dirty' and 'hard to maintain'. And she loves the frogs, I think she wouldn't want to give them up. *sighs*

 

[Biulu]

Ahh.. that silly pet store, advertising them wrong.

Many people make the mistake and in many petshops tri's are sold as julii's. Juliis are much rarer and in about 90% of the cases you are getting tri's when they say they have julii's.

I see in your sig that you have 2 small tanks empty; why don't you put the frogs in there? They only need about 1 gallon each...

Ps: tell her that in that kind of gravel, the barbels can get hurt easily which creates wounds and can cause infections....

 

[Flame Heart]

After moving the female ADF to the main tank, (yesterday) this is my mom: 'Ahh I never want to have another tank running again.' And my older brother doesn't see the point of anything besides the frogs. I sooo want a 20 gal for my room that *I* can decorate and stock. I will tell her that, and try to take another picture of my Trili, I think the split in it's dorsal fin is getting worse. (back)

Also: found topfin 20 gal with hood and space for lights, same brand as 10 gal, looks good and no leaks yet ($57)

New Pics:

http/imageshack.us/photo/my-images/856/photo6hk.jpg/
^ Close-up of gravel

http/imageshack.us/photo/my-images/193/photo7us.jpg/
^ New picture focusing on split dorsal on Trili

(going now, till tomorrow)

 

[Tizer]

10 US gallons in no where near enough room for those species of corys to live in, you shouldnt really have any of them at all in there truth be told.

Sand is far easier to clean than gravel as the dirt just gathers in a quiet spot in the tank and you siphon it out with a hose. Gravel is just a nightmare to clean, so if you want to show this thread to your mum then maybe it will convince her to let you swap. A 20 gal would be far more suitable and you would be able to get away with keeping half a dozen corys in there.

But like i said, in its current state, its not fit for purpose.

 

[Flame Heart]

I realize that Tizer, so I am trying to convince my mom to let me get my own 20 gallon long. If I did show my mom this topic and she agreed to let me get my own, (providing that I did all the cleaning and used my money mostly) what stocking should I do? I was thinking to re-home the Albino to a tank with more coriys and Albinos, and for corys either 5 Trili, or 3 Trili and 4 Pygmy. And what would I do for the color of sand and any other fish? (middle/top swimmers)

I told my mom that gravel hurts corys barbles, was her reaction.

Researching up at Petsmart website, about $125 for new 20 gallon tank, filter, and 50 watt heater. Lots of low 20 gallon tanks on Craigslist, just too far away. Still haven't asked my mom... my birthday is coming up maybe it could be for that? Do you guys think that would work?

http/www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2753390
^ A in-tank PH, Ammonia, and temperature tester that I am considering, no more having to keep buying more and more test strips, except for hardness.

 

[Biulu]

Petsmart has normally package deals, but search a bit further. You can get better deals in the US I think, unless your filter is already a canister.

I just bought in Canada a 30 gallon tank complete with stand, hood with 2 lights, canister filter, heater and some other accessories for 300 Canadian dollars and here things are more expensive. My 20 gallon long tank (just a plain tank) only cost me 39 dollars.

The most important info you need is the ammonia. Once you know the pH of your tapwater, it doesn't differ much anymore.

 

[Flame Heart]

Wow. I was looking on Craigslist again, and I found a 20 gallon tank with filter, heater, pump, decor, rocks, and more in my city for just $60!! I just hope my mom will say yes (asked her twice, said no but said having meeting with mom, dad, and me) after she looks at the ad. I'm really excited, what stocking could I have in the tank? I was thinking: 4 Trili Corys, 4 Pygmy Corys, but I'm not sure on other fish. Maybe a male betta and some male endlers or a few female bettas and a couple male endlers?

 

[This Old Spouse]

First of all, if you're going to start keeping cory, you need to have at least 6 of each species. They prefer to shoal with their own kind. The only ones you can mix up are albinos and bronze, because they're just different morphs of the same species.

The six-or-more applies to all shoaling fish, by the way ... guppies, platies, mollies, danios, tetras, etc.


And if you're going to switch to a bigger tank, be sure to move over the filter media to the new setup.