What fish with cories?

[Essjay]

Have you got the barbs or is this still the planning stage? What fish do you have now besides the 2 bristlenoses? I agree with anewbie though - just one bristlenose in a tank this size.

Black ruby barbs are good community fish and not nippy. They are not like tiger barbs. But they do need a group of at least 6 or they can be skittish.
They are recommended as compatible with anabatoids so gouramis would be OK with black ruby barbs, but tiger barbs would likely shred gouramis' fins.

 

[Byron]

Responding to the "barbs" issues. First, barbs are shoaling fish, as are tetras, rasboras, danios, and many others. Shoaling fish must have a group of their species; they will be less stressed the more there are, and with some sp3cies there is a real hierarchy/aggression reason. Before I get to that, another issue is the generally more active swimming habit of barbs and danios, compared to rasboras; some tetras are more active swimmers, some less. But the activity level has to be considered not only respecting tank size, especially length and width here, but other intended fish species. Gourami has been mentioned; these will not appreciate having active swimmers around them, particularly in a smaller (to the fish) space. Rasboras tend to complement gourami, and some tetras would too.

To the barbs specifically. All shoaling fish do better the more there are, at least up to a point. Six is often cited as minimum, but studies have now shown this is erroneous, and a group of ten does without question have positive benefits for even peaceful shoaling fish. Some barbs are notorious as aggressive, and Tiger Barbs is one of these. The Black Ruby Barb is much less aggressive within the group and to other fish (though not suitable with sedate fish as noted above). There is also really not space in this tank for two barb species, they are too active. If you had a group of 12-15 Tiger Barbs on their own, this tank would be fine...but that means no other upper level fish. The cories should be OK with this. A group of 10 Black Ruby Barbs will in my view be more interesting because of the intense black/ruby colour of males, while the females lack this and do resemble tiger barbs. You still do not want gourami in with barbs.

 

[--Mike--]

I’ve had good luck with corys and a powder blue dwarf gourami. Another option could be apistos, but be careful, there are some dwarf cichlids which will attack corys on sight.

 

[anewbie]

First apistos is a large genus and while individual fishes have their unique behavior different species of apisto are far more aggressive than other species as well as having different water and temp requirements. So when speaking of about apisto you really should talk about a specific species. Also (esp when considering cory) a lot depends on if you buy only males or male/female as the fish behavior will change.

 

[--Mike--]

First apistos is a large genus and while individual fishes have their unique behavior different species of apisto are far more aggressive than other species as well as having different water and temp requirements. So when speaking of about apisto you really should talk about a specific species. Also (esp when considering cory) a lot depends on if you buy only males or male/female as the fish behavior will change.

First, I wasn't trying to pick the fish for them. Apistos make good centerpiece fish and are a direction they can look into if they choose. My point was there are types of nannacara dwarf cichlids which have developed the natural instinct to attack corydoras on sight because the catfish steal their eggs.

 

[anewbie]

First, I wasn't trying to pick the fish for them. Apistos make good centerpiece fish and are a direction they can look into if they choose. My point was there are types of nannacara dwarf cichlids which have developed the natural instinct to attack corydoras on sight because the catfish steal their eggs.

Again you speak of a genus; for example I've never observed nannacara anomala attacking cory (beyond defending eggs in a cave); i have no clue which species in the genus nannacara you are referencing. The same can be said for apisto - there are species that will attack cory on site if they enter their territory other species are much more easy going (when not breeding). You need to mention the specific species of concern as a genus has multiple species each which their own general behavior.

 

[--Mike--]

Again you speak of a genus; for example I've never observed nannacara anomala attacking cory (beyond defending eggs in a cave); i have no clue which species in the genus nannacara you are referencing. The same can be said for apisto - there are species that will attack cory on site if they enter their territory other species are much more easy going (when not breeding). You need to mention the specific species of concern as a genus has multiple species each which their own general behavior.

I get it, you don't like the way I answer questions. Here's the thing, I don't care. If I have information I think is helpful to a topic I will offer it in a way that I feel is appropriate. If you have additional information to add please do.

Maybe your commentary above is helpful to the OP, but to me it just seems unduly arrogant. It would be like me correcting your grammar, your incorrect use of semi colons and your tendency for run on sentences. It would be factually correct but doesn't actually add to the conversation.

 

[FishHobby99]

Beautiful tank!

 

[anewbie]

I get it, you don't like the way I answer questions. Here's the thing, I don't care. If I have information I think is helpful to a topic I will offer it in a way that I feel is appropriate. If you have additional information to add please do.

Maybe your commentary above is helpful to the OP, but to me it just seems unduly arrogant. It would be like me correcting your grammar, your incorrect use of semi colons and your tendency for run on sentences. It would be factually correct but doesn't actually add to the conversation.

The problem is that you make a claim about apisto or nannacara and if i were to abide by that information and buy a apisto or nannacara i would with high probability have a completely different experience because the species you were thinking of when you mentioned the genus was not representative of the entire genus or even a majority of the species within the genus. I.e, the information you provided is just about useless without naming the species.
--
Let me give you an example: Let us say you keep cory and your tank at 70 degree; and therefore you say cory are fine at 70 degree. So I run out and buy sterbai cory and keep them at 70 degree and they keep dying; your comment would be that cory are fine at 70 and i am doing something wrong. However it turns out you have cory paleatus and not sterbai which is why they manage at 70. In the case of nannacara as I already note nannacara anomala (male) are fine with cory; no clue which species of nannacara will attack cory on sight. Likewise for apisto which is a very large genus there are species in the group that are extremely territorial and others that are quite docile (this ignores temp and water requirements); so keeping panduro is not the same as keeping borelli.

 

[--Mike--]

The problem is that you make a claim about apisto or nannacara and if i were to abide by that information and buy a apisto or nannacara i would with high probability have a completely different experience because the species you were thinking of when you mentioned the genus was not representative of the entire genus or even a majority of the species within the genus. I.e, the information you provided is just about useless without naming the species.
--
Let me give you an example: Let us say you keep cory and your tank at 70 degree; and therefore you say cory are fine at 70 degree. So I run out and buy sterbai cory and keep them at 70 degree and they keep dying; your comment would be that cory are fine at 70 and i am doing something wrong. However it turns out you have cory paleatus and not sterbai which is why they manage at 70. In the case of nannacara as I already note nannacara anomala (male) are fine with cory; no clue which species of nannacara will attack cory on sight. Likewise for apisto which is a very large genus there are species in the group that are extremely territorial and others that are quite docile (this ignores temp and water requirements); so keeping panduro is not the same as keeping borelli.

Re-read my original post, the only claim made is that I've had good luck with a gourami. I suggested Apsitos might be an option. I cautioned that some dwarf cichlids could have issues. I say these things because about 6 months ago I was also looking for a centerpiece fish for my 55 gallon which has groups of corydoras in it. I investigated different dwarf cichlids and came across this things in my research. I did not memorize the exact specifics or sources, nor do I care to go looking for them now. Ultimately I went with the gourami because my wife likes them. I do not have the specific or scientific reasons why she likes them, but I believe she thought it looked "pretty".

If the forum has a rule about the specificity of information contained in a post, please point it out and I will happily follow it. Otherwise you are just being obnoxious to people who don't meet your irrelevant standards.

My apologizes to the original poster, I didn't mean for this nonsense to hijack your thread and I am sorry for my part in it. Cory's are fun fish, the more the merrier.

 

[Tropicanafishbanana]

@Byron @--Mike-- @anewbie

wow i didnt want cause a fight i want a peaceful tank lol,

my main fishies will be me corys there my main health and heart of my tank i love catfish,

the pleco she wants for the algeo and cause tehy look so damn cute, i read the BN plec is happier with a mate, i have a few tanks spare and a friend who has a pet store i thaught if babies came they would have them and gift me food back for the fish lol.

this tank has NO fish 0 zilch, i am currently 2inches in water, lavarock plant gravel and sand, growing my grasses and mosses, once grown a bit more tank will get filled my driftwood centrepiece will be planted with my other plants and topped up with TNC plant food, and tank change from my plattie tank, and RO water( bringing beneficial bacteria from a cyckled tank and adding food for the plantation, pumps and spraybars turn on, benneficial bacs etc all in and can filter with bio media layers,

then i will cycle this for around 2 weeks untill plants start to grow well, and nitrates reach 0 if any,

then ill do my tank change 75% with RO water to reduce hardness and clean the water, the pumps will be clean but colinated by then and the water left behind, run it another week low ghk

THEN i will be putting in my first fish my Gold CORY x4 and bandit CORYSx4 and let them settle .

then i was going for my choise 2 the BN yellows .

wait a week again and add 10 Ruby barbs (if any this is only my tank detail as corys etc are bottom feedrs, wanted soem mid colour)

( barbs i can be changed from as there not my passion fish there the Fillers lol somthing for the kids to watch thats not small, ) i dont really know many fish lol, but cichilids are ugly as hell my friend keeps em, lol i like the bigger fish id even be temped with 1 other fish decent sized just want him not to be a still boring fish lol )

 

[Oblio]

FWIW I have 8 corys (4 ea Peppered and Albino), 10 Glofish Tetras (Wife likes these so I bought a bunch Black Fri week at LFS along with the others), and 8 Buenos Aries Tetras. They all get along quite well in my 120 gal. I have no idea what my water hardness level is though.