Will A Couple Of Corries Be Ok In My Nursery Tank?

[Sp00ky]

My nursery tank is as plain as can be. Its 30x12x18 and has no gravel in it. Its well stocked with plants and currently has lots of lovely little fry in it. However, as its a clear glass bottom, it looks very dirty... messy kids and all that hehehe.

so i was wondering if a couple of corries in the tank would be ok without the gravel ?

 

[Inchworm]

Hi Sp00ky

The dirt at the bottom of the tank is the waste products of the other fish and uneaten food. Since corys spend almost all their time at the bottom, they might as well be swimming in a cesspool.

If you were to clean it up and add some sand, corys would get along fine with your fry. Otherwise, you will run the risk that they will get bacterial infections and die.

 

[Sp00ky]

Hi Sp00ky

The dirt at the bottom of the tank is the waste products of the other fish and uneaten food. Since corys spend almost all their time at the bottom, they might as well be swimming in a cesspool.

If you were to clean it up and add some sand, corys would get along fine with your fry. Otherwise, you will run the risk that they will get bacterial infections and die.

yo inchworm, thanks for that.

I wanted to keep the nursery as plain as possible cause i read that they like it better that way so long as its heavily planted, which it is ( they are potted if your wondering )

When you say they run the risk of infection... would that be the corrys or the fry?

I have never gone in for sand tbh, so is there any particular type of sand i should use in the nursery? i was looking at the corys to keep the bottom clean for me, but i must have got the wrong end of t'stick on that one

also, will i be able to put the sand in the fry in, or is it likely to cloud up the water (they are mollie, guppy and platy fry btw )

Cheers

Sp00ks

 

[bogwood]

It is wrong to think of Corys as purely 'waste eaters'... you will need to feed them a variety of food as with any other fish...

Corys ideally prefer a sand substrate (helps to prevent damage to their delicate barbules)... if gravel is all you have, better that than nothing imo...

I use Silica Sand in my tanks...

 

[Inchworm]

Hi Sp00ky

i was looking at the corys to keep the bottom clean for me, but i must have got the wrong end of t'stick on that one

Corys will eat any food that the fry miss, and that is good, but they need a balanced diet on their own. You could give them a little flake food, an algae wafer once in a while, and some live or frozen worms. Once the fry are able to eat those foods they will thrive on them too.

When you say they run the risk of infection... would that be the corrys or the fry?

I was thinking of the corys, but a dirty bottom won't do the fry any good either. What are you doing to keep it clean? Are you using a sponge filter or something else? How often do you do water changes in your fry tank?

also, will i be able to put the sand in the fry in, or is it likely to cloud up the water

If you use play sand and wash it VERY well, I think you could gradually add a bit at a time. Just be sure to wash it until the water runs completely clear. I raise my cory fry in bare bottom tanks until they are around 2 months old, then add sand. I put it in a cup and gently lower it to the bottom before spilling it our. It should be less trouble for you to do since your fry are not sitting on the bottom like the cory fry are. You won't want to have it any deeper than 1/2" to 1".

 

[Tolak]

A cory or 2 work excellent in a fry tank for keeping the bottom clean of excess food, as long as you do maintenance on the tank. Corys will not substitute for tank maintenance.

I put a small cory in with newly hatched angels in 10 gallon bare bottom tanks, they take care of any excess bbs I feed the angels. I also change 50% of the water daily for the first 2 weeks, as well as wiping the bottom & sides daily with a paper towel.

 

[Inchworm]

I put a small cory in with newly hatched angels in 10 gallon bare bottom tanks, they take care of any excess bbs I feed the angels. I also change 50% of the water daily for the first 2 weeks, as well as wiping the bottom & sides daily with a paper towel.

Hi Tolak

Just one cory? Shame on you! As you probably know, they need to be kept in groups because they are schooling fish.

BTW, do you use a particular brand of paper towels? I don't use them because I heard that some brands add some kind of chemical to give them extra strength when they get wet. Do you know anything about that?

 

[Sp00ky]

I was thinking of the corys, but a dirty bottom won't do the fry any good either. What are you doing to keep it clean? Are you using a sponge filter or something else? How often do you do water changes in your fry tank?

Hi Mr Worm !

I currently have a Fluval 2 and a 2+ along with a sponge filter for aeriation. Im going to take the fluval 2 out this week actually, and if i have to be perfectly honest, i havent done a water change in the tank since setting up
) However, i have not lost a single fish either !