Panda Cories

[r0b3y]

hey.. i'm getting a school of panda cories soon and was wondering if they mind normal sized gravel... i heard they enjoy sand or much finer gravel.. but if the gravel is any larger will this stress the panda?

 

[Inchworm]

Hi r0b3y

No cory really likes to sit on big pieces of rock, so fine gravel or sand is always best for them.

Also, it's much easier for uneaten food to get between the larger stones and spoil. This feeds bad bacteria which can cause infections. Corys are especially likely to have problems if the water is less than perfect. I give mine at least 2 good water changes each week, which seems to keep them healthy.

 

[r0b3y]

would having an undergravel filter be an advantage to that .. for the cories..
i'll have to keep my water changes up..
thx

 

[Inchworm]

Hi r0b3y

Regular filtration will be fine, but you MUST to frequent and large water changes to keep them well. Of course, this will benefit the other fish in the tank too.

The idea is to reduce the number of bad bacteria that are living and reproducing in the water to prevent them infecting the pandas. You will not have to worry about removing the beneficial bacteria at the same time since they are mostly in the filter and gravel/sand. There is no way that the home aquarist can test for this, like the chemical levels, but it does seem to make a difference.