Trouble Finding Corys

[mandi]

I currently have 2 peppered corys in my 29 gallon tank. I've been hunting (for months) for tank mates for them, but NOWHERE seems to have peppered corys! (Which I thought was odd because I was under the impresson that they're one of the more common varieties?)

Anyway, the only affordable corys I can seem to find are albinos for around $2 ea. I've seen Should/could I get a few of these to mix with my peppered corys? (How many for a 29? -- there's nothing else in the tank at the moment.)

I've occasionally run across panda corys, schwartz's cory, julii's, and some others -- but they've all been extremely high-priced ($7-8+ ea, which is a little pricey if you want 3 or 4).

I have one more LFS to check, but if they don't have any peppered corys, what would be the next best type to get (and how many)?

THANKS!

 

[Inchworm]

Hi mandi

Do you plan on adding another kind of fish, or will it eventually be an all cory tank?

The most important factor to consider is the water temperature you will want to have. C. paleatus (peppered corys) will do best in cooler water than some of the other corys. There are also corys that do best in quite warm water.

C. aeneus, either bronze or albino, will get along with fine with the peppered ones. I like to get groups of 6 of each kind of cory, if I can. The more of them in a tank, the happier they seem to be. A cory community tank, with a number of different species in it, is a wonderful thing!

 

[mandi]

Do you plan on adding another kind of fish, or will it eventually be an all cory tank?

The most important factor to consider is the water temperature you will want to have. C. paleatus (peppered corys) will do best in cooler water than some of the other corys. There are also corys that do best in quite warm water.

I'm not planning an all-cory tank, but I'm not sure what other types of fish I'm going to have yet. I was thinking possibly an angelfish or gourami(s) for a "centerpiece fish" -- other fish I have thought about are bloodfin tetras, rasboras, or rainbow fish. I'm still researching though!! I'm just ready to try something new and different (and perhaps a bit more challenging!) with this tank.

Thanks for pointing out the temperature thing -- I hadn't realized that peppered corys like cooler water!! I will have to take that into account now when I'm thinking about other fish. How much cooler do they prefer (what temp range is OK for them)??

 

[Inchworm]

Hi mandi

Peppered corys can live in temperatures ranging from 59 to 77 degrees F. They are often kept with goldfish in cold water tanks.

Other corys, like C. sterbai, like temperatures in the 75 to 82 degree range. For this reason they are frequently kept with discus.

Here's the link to a page where you can see many of the species of corys and get the information you are looking for. Not all of them are available on the retail market though, and some that are might only be found on a seasonal basis.

http/www.planetcatfish.com/catelog/genus.php?genus_id=1