Pygmy corydoras stocking

[Beastije]

Hi. Is the stocking suggestion for pygmy corydoras same as the usual for base dimensions?
I have a cube, which i know is not good dimension for most fish, because it limits the space. It is 40x40x40 cm which makes it a little better than a 13 gallon, maybe 14.
I purchased 10 pygmy corydoras, they are all around 1 cm (except one, that is 1.5cm, an elder). They are like a spit in the water in that tank, because it has levels, coconut cave, java moss clumps, hornworth corner, anubias sitting on a ceramic tunnel... Botanicals like leaf litter on sand, lotus pod, some alder cones, some wood.

Could i bend the stocking rules and stuff in like 20 or even 25 of those tiny fish in this tank, if i don't add anything else to them?

 

[Beastije]

Found some pictures, the gouramis are there for quarantine purpose

 

[PygmyPepperJulli]

I definitely not put in 25, that's way too much.

I have a very overstocked 10 gal with terrible stocking (I'm getting a new tank very soon) with 16 fish, which are all around pygmy size, so maybe 17-20 pygmies? I know they like to school, and it's good your going for species only, but don't do 25 (just my 2c). Then again, I'm not an expert, so wait for someone else.

 

[Byron]

Ten is not bad, but this species is better with more. I would aim for around 15.

 

[Lcc86]

Agree with Byron, they're so small that their bioload is tiny, I have a dozen pygmies in a 30g with other "normal" pygmies, but if it's just pygmies I think increasing numbers a bit shouldn't be an issue, especially with the level of planting you have.

 

[PygmyPepperJulli]

I also agree that larger numbers is better and healthier for them, I just think 25 is too much for that size tank

 

[AdoraBelle Dearheart]

The "stocking rules" are definitely different when it comes to the dwarf cories, and in a heavily planted tank with an experienced hobbyist, compared to advising a beginner. You've kept fish for long enough now that you know about maintaining good water quality, and having lots of live plants helps too. Since pygmies also use the different layers of the tank, swimming at all levels, I don't think the cube matters as much in terms of footprint/horizontal swimming space as it does with the more typical larger cories.

My heavily planted 15g easily supports 20 plus pygmy cories and some otos, but I also didn't begin with that stocking, they bred themselves to that sort of number. I recommend a group of at least 12-15 to get the best out of these adorable little fish, they're highly social, but they're also very easy to breed when in a species only tank, so I wouldn't "stuff in" 20 plus to begin with. Stock 12-15, then let them breed, remove youngsters for sale once their numbers climb higher than you're comfortable with.

Note that my advice would be different were the tank not well planted, or for someone newer to the hobby, who I don't already know for sure maintains beautiful tanks and high water quality.

 

[Beastije]

The "stocking rules" are definitely different when it comes to the dwarf cories, and in a heavily planted tank with an experienced hobbyist, compared to advising a beginner. You've kept fish for long enough now that you know about maintaining good water quality, and having lots of live plants helps too. Since pygmies also use the different layers of the tank, swimming at all levels, I don't think the cube matters as much in terms of footprint/horizontal swimming space as it does with the more typical larger cories.

My heavily planted 15g easily supports 20 plus pygmy cories and some otos, but I also didn't begin with that stocking, they bred themselves to that sort of number. I recommend a group of at least 12-15 to get the best out of these adorable little fish, they're highly social, but they're also very easy to breed when in a species only tank, so I wouldn't "stuff in" 20 plus to begin with. Stock 12-15, then let them breed, remove youngsters for sale once their numbers climb higher than you're comfortable with.

Note that my advice would be different were the tank not well planted, or for someone newer to the hobby, who I don't already know for sure maintains beautiful tanks and high water quality.

Thank you, and the rest too, this helps me put it into perspective. I do hope they will breed in a species only tank, so it makes sense not to overdo it on the numbers right away.
I read they reach maturity around year one or so, given they are not a short lived fish, so I have plenty of time, since those I purchased are local bred and around 3 months old

I do love watching them hunt for the microworms

 

[AdoraBelle Dearheart]

Thank you, and the rest too, this helps me put it into perspective. I do hope they will breed in a species only tank, so it makes sense not to overdo it on the numbers right away.
I read they reach maturity around year one or so, given they are not a short lived fish, so I have plenty of time, since those I purchased are local bred and around 3 months old

I do love watching them hunt for the microworms

Yep, mine took about 6-7 months from purchase before fry appeared, although I've sold youngsters that were not yet full size compared to the adults that spawned the day after arriving in their new home, so you might well be surprised at how soon they're able to spawn, especially if they're enjoying a species only tank, and live food! The ones I sold on were probably half the size of the largest adult females, but able to breed already.

Yes, mine love the live food too, I also like that you're using botanicals in the tank too, I'm convinced that using live foods, and the microcritters that appear to break down the botanicals are what sustain the teeny fry in between feedings. You have to get very good at checking buckets for tiny movement and fry if you gravel vac the substrate! They blend incredibly well with mulm, but you get to know their markings.

What substrate are you using? I had to continue gravel vaccing since my tank was half gravel, half sand, but an ideal set up would be sand only, and effective filtration and flow so you can do water changes from the top only, and not have to worry about sucking up fry!

 

[Beastije]

I have pool filtration sand, but a sponge filter with a mild flow, so not sure how the substrate will look. The tank was mostly empty or fry so I didnt bother too much with gravel vac, and maybe I wont have to going forward, but I need to adjust the feeding and see the debris stuck in the plants and so first.
If I make a swirl above the substrate to only pick up the particles will the fry also lift or will they try to swim back to bottom?
Thanks

 

[AdoraBelle Dearheart]

I have pool filtration sand, but a sponge filter with a mild flow, so not sure how the substrate will look. The tank was mostly empty or fry so I didnt bother too much with gravel vac, and maybe I wont have to going forward, but I need to adjust the feeding and see the debris stuck in the plants and so first.
If I make a swirl above the substrate to only pick up the particles will the fry also lift or will they try to swim back to bottom?
Thanks

Fry can be still be sucked up with the debris, although they do try to bury themselves, but where they try to hide (in between stones/gravel/at the base of plants) is also where mulm and debris tends to accumulate and need cleaning out. Pygmies enjoy a good amount of flow though, so if you adjust your filtration, they'll enjoy playing in the currents anyway.

 

[Essjay]

If there's any risk of sucking up fry when cleaning the tank, I would collect the old water in a bucket and check it for fry before throwing the water away. I do this with my shrimp tank as every water change I suck up shrimps, adults and juveniles as well as newly hatched babies.

 

[AdoraBelle Dearheart]

When I'm cleaning tanks with shrimp and/or potentially tiny fry like my pygmy tank, I use white buckets and use a clear plastic jug and turkey baster to sift through. A lightbar across the top of the bucket or a headlamp torch are also handy for helping to spot movement, and the white bucket makes it easier to spot fry/shrimplets.

But with a sand based substrate, should be possible to make it so you don't need to use a gravel vac, or at least, not as often as I have to with my half gravel/half sand tank. Sponge filters are great for a long of things, but they don't produce a lot of flow, so adding a wavemaker or an internal filter (with the intakes covered via sponge/fine netting to prevent fry being sucked up) low down so the output sweeps detritus towards the sponge filter to be picked up might make clean up easier, plus give the fish and plants some flow. Without water movement, it's easy for algae to take hold, especially on slow growing plants like anubius, mosses and ferns, and the fish do enjoy some current. But would also mean falling muck gets blown to where the filter can collect it more easily. Worth considering whether you want to make adjustments to it now, before they're likely to be breeding.

 

[Beastije]

So, it has been few months and I dont think the tank is doing well
First of I lost all the water lettuce plants, cause as summer stopped, the sunlight stopped hitting the tank in the morning and the light I have on is not sufficient for the floaters. The past few weeks I have been fighting with the hornwort melting, I had to take it all out, returned only the good looking firm ones, they are still melting. I planted egeria and crypts over the weekend, but that will take time to pick up.
I for sure lost at least 2 pygmy corydoras, I found their bodies, but now when I do a headcount, I only ever see six. is it possible I lost six?!

I purchased least rasbora a month or two after the pygmies, I purchased 12 in a petco sort of store as they are not so available, they were thin so I expected some losses but only lost 2 and I have beautiful colored group that is not shy and are very active. That was a pleasant surprise

What about the tank, should i buy more pygmies, wait a bit, abandon the possibility of breeding and maybe get a sparkling gourami or a female betta or smth,... I am lost now as I expected they will do well and they are not

 

[AdoraBelle Dearheart]

So, it has been few months and I dont think the tank is doing well
First of I lost all the water lettuce plants, cause as summer stopped, the sunlight stopped hitting the tank in the morning and the light I have on is not sufficient for the floaters. The past few weeks I have been fighting with the hornwort melting, I had to take it all out, returned only the good looking firm ones, they are still melting.

I've had hornwort do that too, it's really annoying when it decides it's unhappy and drops all it's needles, makes such a mess to clean up! If you were losing the hornwort and the water lettuce (mine always came and went too).

I planted egeria and crypts over the weekend, but that will take time to pick up.

True, shove some root tabs under the crypts, they do much better when given the chance to feed heavily through the roots.

I for sure lost at least 2 pygmy corydoras, I found their bodies, but now when I do a headcount, I only ever see six. is it possible I lost six?!

Possible, sure. But also not always easy to get a headcount. Even when my group school around together, there are always at least a few off to another side just chilling or grazing, while the majority are schooling around.

I purchased least rasbora a month or two after the pygmies, I purchased 12 in a petco sort of store as they are not so available, they were thin so I expected some losses but only lost 2 and I have beautiful colored group that is not shy and are very active. That was a pleasant surprise

What about the tank, should i buy more pygmies, wait a bit, abandon the possibility of breeding and maybe get a sparkling gourami or a female betta or smth,... I am lost now as I expected they will do well and they are not

I wouldn't add a female betta nor sparkling gourami to the same tank as pygmies and least rasbora. If you want to start over and restock, entirely up to you! Can't really answer that for you, I'm afraid, that's gotta be a personal decision!

If you have six pygmies, and want to try breeding them, there's already a good chance that you have enough males/females, and I can see at least one female and one male in the pics - then there are plenty of ways to try to induce spawning, and feeding some high quality foods, like live and frozen, and doing a few large water changes where the water is a few degrees cooler than the tank temp is usually enough to induce spawning behaviour. Especially if you do a couple of those water changes early in the day when the sun is beginning to hit the tank.

Oh, and pygmies like a good amount of flow, not sure about the rasbora. So could try increasing the flow.

Crypts would be good plants to add for attempting to breed them, since they tend to stick eggs all over the place on plant leaves (I rarely see my pgymies eggs, unlike the bronzes that plaster the tank glass with them, so with lots of leaves, more chance at least some eggs won't be eaten by parents. Or you could deliberately set up a spawning tank or use a spawning mop. I'd definitely try to add a bit more ground cover, leaf litter (I see you do have some)

But if you're not feeling it, or not wanting to try for that, then there's no reason to try to force it.