Pygmy Cories

[seizethecupcake]

I'm looking to add some cories into my 26 gallon/95 liter community tank once I swap the gravel for sand. I'd never heard of them until recently, but the pygmy cories (Corydoras pygmaeus) have absolutely captured my attention. I've read up on them and see that they prefer groups of at least ten, but would it be healthy/possible to keep them in a group of 6, like regular-sized cories? Also, my tank is a bowfront, so it's rather deep. Would having them in a tank that deep cause any problems or stress? Do they prefer smaller aquariums, like a standard 10 gallon/38 liter? Thanks in advance!

 

[Caprichoso]

They are fine in a group of 6 and will also be okay in a 26 gallon. The problem comes in when you don't have appropriate tank mates for them. Since they are so small, it's better to keep them with smaller fish. It's not set in stone but they may become intimidated with much larger fish.

 

[seizethecupcake]

They are fine in a group of 6 and will also be okay in a 26 gallon. The problem comes in when you don't have appropriate tank mates for them. Since they are so small, it's better to keep them with smaller fish. It's not set in stone but they may become intimidated with much larger fish.

I've got a male guppy, five GloFish, a male molly, and two otos. The largest fish is the molly, and he seems pretty peaceful. Would these tank mates be appropriate?

 

[Caprichoso]

Yes, they will be fine.

 

[lilfishie]

Just a quick ? but why only 6? i have 13 in my 60l (originally 6) and you can see the difference, they do much better in bigger groups

 

[seizethecupcake]

I've not made up my mind on a number, I was just "aiming small" because I'm not sure how many fish I can actually keep in my aquarium I'm doing the big change over to sand today (Lord, help me! LOL) and then I'm going to start trying to track down the little guys. I have a feeling I'll have to order online

 

[lilfishie]

Fair enough, with these guys it really is the more the better i had to get mine online, managed to get them off ebay for cheap although he doesn't sell them anymore

 

[seizethecupcake]

I just called a LFS (well, an hour away in the nearest large city, but still kind of local) who took my request and said they would do their best to get them in for me! I asked for 10 or 12, hopefully that's enough to keep the little buggers happy

 

[Inchworm]

Hi seizethecupcake

In their natural habitat, corys swim in hugh groups. For some reason a few folks have been saying that 6 is some kind of magic number that insures that corys will be "happy." Their is no guarantee to this or any other number, of course. Take a look at a group of corys in the Amazon and you will understand how they are used to living. The more the merrier.

http/www.youtube.com/watch?v=cWIVCdLOImw

If you plan to add salt to the water for the molly, it would be better if you kept the corys in another tank.

 

[seizethecupcake]

Oh, and thank you both so much! You've really answered all of my questions brilliantly!

 

[eaglesaquarium]

I just called a LFS (well, an hour away in the nearest large city, but still kind of local) who took my request and said they would do their best to get them in for me! I asked for 10 or 12, hopefully that's enough to keep the little buggers happy

I see you live in the US. Was the LFS a chain, or was it a locally owned and operated store? I am interested in getting some pygmies as well, but can't seem to track down a source yet.

 

[Baccus]

Watching the video of the cory's reminded me of when I had 50 young peppered cory's in an old bath tub they all cruised around together looking almost like a large eel. It was great seeing them like that and I am still kicking myself that I wasn't able to get a video of them all. Love my cory's and with them the more the merrier seems to be their motto.

The really interesting thing at them moment is that I currently have some young sterbai and smaller young peppered and these youngsters tend to hang out with the other cory's around their own size. The young sterbai are usually with the my recent addition Julii which are only marginally bigger than them and the peppereds are often with the dwarf's, so even though different breeds will buddy up it looks as though size plays a major role in who hangs around with whom.

 

[seizethecupcake]

I just called a LFS (well, an hour away in the nearest large city, but still kind of local) who took my request and said they would do their best to get them in for me! I asked for 10 or 12, hopefully that's enough to keep the little buggers happy

I see you live in the US. Was the LFS a chain, or was it a locally owned and operated store? I am interested in getting some pygmies as well, but can't seem to track down a source yet.

It's a large, locally owned/operated store in Charlotte, NC. In my town, I'm limited to Petco or Petsmart, so I often venture to Charlotte to have a look around Fintastic. It's an amazing shop, for sure. Though, to be fair, I really like Petco and their tanks and fish are both very well kept. I recently purchased a dwarf gourami from them and am very happy with him.

 

[lilfishie]

Great vid Inchworm, i try to keep my groups to atleast 10, currently trying to find some to bump them up again after a few losses.

Glad you decided to go for more seizethecupcake, you will definately see the difference

 

[Ant_Soton]

Was going to post something as i have recently moved my regular sized corys into my big tank so i now have six in big tank and then got six pygmys for the small tank.
This thread answers all my questions !!!