New corys

[kurtjs]

Meet my two new Corys! Will be moving them into separate tanks soon

BLACK VENEZUELAN (CORYDORAS SCHULTZEI)​

GOLD LASER CORY (CORYDORAS SP. CW010)​

 

[PewPewChris]

Ok, those are really nice fish. I would gladly have either in any of my tanks

 

[Ichthys]

Only one of each?

 

[connorlindeman]

These fish must be kept in a shoal. Its crucial for them to thrive. Do you have more than 1 of each?

 

[kurtjs]

These fish must be kept in a shoal. Its crucial for them to thrive. Do you have more than 1 of each?

Right now I have two golds and 1 black, New in the tank: I have other corys that all school
Together no issues. (They don’t discriminate haha)
I will soon get another black or two and move them to my other tank. I don’t want the gold and black together in case they breed since they are same lineage . Don’t want to mix them

 

[Ichthys]

They’re not schooling together, they’re just occupying the same area of the tank. And there are “no issues” because they’re peaceful fish. Each species needs a group of its own kind.

 

[kurtjs]

They’re not schooling together, they’re just occupying the same area of the tank. And there are “no issues” because they’re peaceful fish. Each species needs a group of its own kind.

What you’re saying is not wrong. Is it ideal to have 3 or more of the same species? Yes.
But Corydoras are "congeners" of each other. They are the same Genus of organism, closely related. They will adapt and live a good healthy life if cared for properly.

 

[GaryE]

A lot of newly available Corys are expensive and hard to get in numbers. I have species here with fewer than 6 individuals, but only when I could not get 6 to 10 from the supplier. You can't get the numbers you need with some species, so you try a mixed group.
It never really works, in my experience. They do discriminate, but not within their own species. Is it patterns or chemical signalling? I don't know. But they do, and my 2 female C armatus are off by themselves at night, while the two larger groups of other species hang in 2 separate groups. It's not conflict, just different species.
I wish I could have two of each species with 100 Corys and 50 species in my tank, but in a perfect world, I'd have 20 each of 5 species in that setup. I find the fish watching way more interesting when each species is there in numbers.

Reality can be a challenge, and it can be hard to get large enough groups. My solution has been to try to breed up large groups if I have to start with lean numbers. But there are more approaches to fishkeeping than we can imagine, and Corys aren't a group that wastes away and dies, or fights when their numbers aren't right. I do think they are fantastic and "seem happier" in groups.

There are a lot of Corys that live with similarly patterned long nosed and short snouted distinct species that shoal together in nature. So their natural groups are not exclusive. But I have seen some species group better than others. My lonely armatus day swim a lot with the very different looking cf. incolicana, while the more similarly marked sp. CW 123 stay more to themselves in the same tank. The armatus rarely run with them.

 

[Ichthys]

What you’re saying is not wrong. Is it ideal to have 3 or more of the same species? Yes.
But Corydoras are "congeners" of each other. They are the same Genus of organism, closely related. They will adapt and live a good healthy life if cared for properly.

As soon as the work is funded and complete the 9 lineages will be 9 different genera. But fish don’t shoal with any species from their genus, they shoal with their own species.
A healthy life doesn’t mean a ‘happy’ life. You can keep a single specimen of almost any shoaling fish and it will live, and often stay healthy, but it won’t be ‘happy’.
And 3 of a shoaling species is still not a group.

 

[DoubleDutch]

A lot of newly available Corys are expensive and hard to get in numbers. I have species here with fewer than 6 individuals, but only when I could not get 6 to 10 from the supplier. You can't get the numbers you need with some species, so you try a mixed group.
It never really works, in my experience. They do discriminate, but not within their own species. Is it patterns or chemical signalling? I don't know. But they do, and my 2 female C armatus are off by themselves at night, while the two larger groups of other species hang in 2 separate groups. It's not conflict, just different species.
I wish I could have two of each species with 100 Corys and 50 species in my tank, but in a perfect world, I'd have 20 each of 5 species in that setup. I find the fish watching way more interesting when each species is there in numbers.

Reality can be a challenge, and it can be hard to get large enough groups. My solution has been to try to breed up large groups if I have to start with lean numbers. But there are more approaches to fishkeeping than we can imagine, and Corys aren't a group that wastes away and dies, or fights when their numbers aren't right. I do think they are fantastic and "seem happier" in groups.

There are a lot of Corys that live with similarly patterned long nosed and short snouted distinct species that shoal together in nature. So their natural groups are not exclusive. But I have seen some species group better than others. My lonely armatus day swim a lot with the very different looking cf. incolicana, while the more similarly marked sp. CW 123 stay more to themselves in the same tank. The armatus rarely run with them.

I don't think there are a lot of the same patterned Corys living in same riversystems Gary. Groupsize and "shoaling" is an ungoing discussion which will never end. So is the discussion about substrate.
IMO Corys aren't really shoaling fish but, depending on the species, form looser or tighter groups. They defintely benefit of enough individuals of their own species.
Crossbreeding in case of a shortage of individuals of the same species is a sign that it is important.

 

[DoubleDutch]

Love the CW010. Not fond of the man made schultzei black. But that's personal hahaha

 

[GaryE]

I don't think there are a lot of the same patterned Corys living in same riversystems Gary. Groupsize and "shoaling" is an ungoing discussion which will never end. So is the discussion about substrate.
IMO Corys aren't really shoaling fish but, depending on the species, form looser or tighter groups. They defintely benefit of enough individuals of their own species.
Crossbreeding in case of a shortage of individuals of the same species is a sign that it is important.

I'm talking about the short and long snout species found together. There are such groupings in several habitats. But yeah, where I see Corys as the most likely to shoal fish I have now, other interpretations are out there.

I think we're getting a bit beyond the original question, but the OP can see our fascination in these discussions.

3 of them? To me, not enough to be able to observe behaviour. 6? It sort of works and is often affordable. It's a number the hobby likes, based on Cichlid keepers buying juveniles and hoping to get at least one pair from them. Local stores sell Corys and tetras at single and group of 6 prices. 10 or more? Very cool, because then the complex behaviour kicks in more. But that's not always easy.

@kurtjs You got some beautiful fish there. Some of us would advise you get more or keep them differently, but if you don't they'll do fine. They're long lived so I imagine you'll enjoy a few good set ups with them over the years.

 

[Kyshiara]

They. Are. SO. Beautiful.

The only thing is, they probably won't like the gravel, you might need to change it.

 

[kurtjs]

They. Are. SO. Beautiful.

The only thing is, they probably won't like the gravel, you might need to change it.

I know when I started this tank a while ago I did not plan of catfish at all. Then after I had got my first bunch I learned sand was better. It’s just a matter of me getting it changed out now.