Peppered Cories & White Cloud Mountain Minnows

[flumpit2]

hi all,i have 4 peppered cories in a 54l unheated tank with 4 goldfish.the goldfish are going into a pond in april time and i was wondering if when theyv gone it would be ok to keep white cloud mountain minnows with the cories?also what about guppies?what does everyone else keep in there tanks with there corys?i want easy to keep fish that dont require a heater.thanx in advance for any info! x

 

[bogwood]

You'll need a heater if you want Corys... and ideally a sand substrate to protect their barbules...

 

[Inchworm]

Hi flumpit2

The temperature of the water will be the deciding factor when it comes down to it, and since "room temperature" means different things to different people, it would help if you would tell us just what the temperature of the water in that tank is. Is it much warmer in the summer than in the winter or do you use air conditioning to cool your home?

 

[flumpit2]

hi inchworm,the temperature of the tank is 24 degres C.it doesnt really get much warmer in the summer cus in a position away from direct sunlight.wouldnt get much warmer here in the uk anyway cus summers are always naff & more rain than sunshine,lol.like i said,iv already got 4 peppered cory (plus 16 9 day old cory fry,some of which will be going in the main tank when bigger).so iwas just wondering what other 'small fish' that wont out grow the tank would go with my lovely peace loving but mad cories. x

 

[Inchworm]

Hi flumpit2

That converts to 75.2 F. which is a comfortable temperature for many fish. As long as it stays fairly steady, with no quick drops or increases, I'm sure you will find some kind of fish that will make you happy. I would suggest that you ask in some of the individual forums, but be sure to say what the temperature is so they don't think you are looking for fish that need low temperatures.

There are many other corys that would be happy in your tank. For example, C. aeneus, C. adolfoi, C. elegans, C. guapore, C. habrosus, C. arcuatus, C. melini, C. trilineatus, C. pygmaeus, and many others. They would all love share a tank with your peppered corys.

 

[flumpit2]

hi inchworm,thanx for the advice!if i were to just keep corys & no other type of fish,how many could i house in my tank?its a 54L rectangle which i think is about 15us gallons?as i do love to watch corys swim around and play. x

 

[Inchworm]

Hi flumpit2

What it all comes down to with corys, like with other fish, is the nitrates in your water. If they are high to begin with, you will have to keep fewer than if they are low. Since the ammonia the fish produce eventually gets converted to nitrates that need to be removed, how many of anything you want to keep in a small tank will depend on how much effort you are prepared to put into maintaining it.

If you were to add 3 albino C. aeneus, for example, you would have a nice color contrast with your peppereds and they are active enough for you to really enjoy them. You should have no problem keeping them and once they are settled in, you could then decide if you want to increase their number by watching the nitrate readings. If you are only comfortable doing water changes once a week, this number should work well. If you want to get more, add them gradually and watch the readings.

I think you would be pushing your luck to try to have 3 species in a tank that size.

 

[flumpit2]

hi inchworm,i think il stick with just corys then instead of adding top feeder fish.a friend is suppose to be giving us a 90L tank soon so will be better for the fish.i do 50% water changes & 3 sand vacs weekly at the moment with the goldfish in there (cs there big poopers!!) & the amonia levels have always been fine,never had any problems with the fish suffering or anything.infact,when i check the amonia level before doing a water change its always fine so i could probaly get away with doing one every two weekls but i still do it weekly anyway just to make sure,lol.
i dont mind doing 2 or 3 water changes a week as i quite enjoy it but i dont want to over crowd the corys,i like the idea of them having plenty of room to swim around.so next month when the goldfish move to the pond i mite go out & buy some bronze corys as iv seen pics and think there real pretty.
out of curiosity,how big do the cory fry iv got have to be before i can add them to the tank with the adults & they wont get eaten (obvously it wouldnt be until the goldfish are gone)?i know it will be a while yet but was just wondering. x

 

[Inchworm]

out of curiosity,how big do the cory fry iv got have to be before i can add them to the tank with the adults & they wont get eaten (obvously it wouldnt be until the goldfish are gone)?i know it will be a while yet but was just wondering. x

Hi flumpit2

I'd give them 2 or even 3 months to be on the safe side. There are advantages to keeping them by themselves too, and they are that they will not be competing for food with the bigger fish and you can control their water quality more easily with small, daily water changes. This makes a big difference in their growth rate and IMHO, their overall health.