Cory Catfish~! Need Help!

Rohland

Hi, I am new to this forum and have read a lot of post about cory catfish. I am in love with these little critters.

I would like a tank just for cory catfish, right now i have a 10 gal and a 5 gal setup.
I know 10 gal isnt the best size, but its all the room i can have right now.
My 10 gallon has a heater, and a filter in it with sand, just changed it over from a tropical tank.
The 5 is a bare bottom tank with some decorations, and has 2 zebra danios and a black skirt tetra.

1.)What cory should i get, how many can i keep?
2.) Is breeding an option?
3.) Where should i get my cories from?


Please let me know anything else i need to know!

fishyinpa

Id go with the 10 gallon. They are shoaling fish,so more the merrier. I started with 6 pandas,I now have 8 (maybe,number 8 hasnt come out yet but I saw it once). So breeding is an option,Im not sure on how to get them to spawn,mine did it on their own lol. A local fish store is usually a good place.
I actually got 4 to begin with but one was always hiding. So I got 2 more. They were much happier. You can probably have 6-8 in a 10.

Rohland

hi sorry what kind of cories? I heard some are super big.
At petsmart today they had emerald cory cats. They were nice but not too fond of the colour. If you ask a store like petsmart can they bring pandas in?

Also if you dont mind, what is the price going for the cories im looking for? Right now the emerald cories were $5.50 for 1.

fishyinpa

I have panda corys. I love them! Funniest lil fish ever. LOL. Im not sure if petsmart can order fish for you. I remember asking there about pandas,and they said they dont carry them. I think they were 4 or 5 bucks a piece. Around there,but I did buy them from two different places because they were so hard to find. Mine are small,max out at 2 inches. I know some get quite big. if you look on planet catfish,it lists like all corys. And there are alot!! Is there any just fish stores where you are? You may have more of a chance finding them at one of those rather than petsmart.

Rohland

okay so i should be able to get 6-8 cories as long as they max out at about 2 inches.
Do i need to have anything else like neons or something? Are they fine just by themselves, i heard they get more spoooked if there isnt anything about them. I am really excited. I will have to go look at the special fish stores they are just further away.

Rohland

also what temperature do you keep your tank at?

Rohland

sorry for so many posts...

is ordinary play sand a good subtrate for them?
i washed it a lot of time, sadly i couldnt find a lighter sand so i got a nasty colour.

fishyinpa

Yes play sand is fine. Thats what I used in my tank. Took alot of rinsing to get it clean. I have the tank at 74. They dont tolerate much higher temperatures. I have had my corys for about 6 months now,and they seem fine. They dont like light though,so they will be inactive much of the day,unless in a shaded room. They are quite playful at night. I am looking into tankmates,I am considering rasboras. Tetras are fine as well. Just read up on the other fish you like to make sure the water conditions you have are good for them and the corys. My corys love a current,always playing in it. So get a good filter and tankmates who like a current as well. No problem,ask away.

Rohland

just wondering how long did it take for sand to settle? mine is taking forever!
the water looks murkey, i dont want to risk turning on my filter and wrecking it.

fishyinpa

Urm it takes awhile. If the filter intake isnt too close to the sand,you can turn it on. It will help clear it up. Only thing with using sand is that you will have to clean the filter regularly. Maybe every other week or so,it can get gunked up fast with sand. All ya do is swish the sponge or whatever you are using in the bucket of tank water. Take apart the intake and impeller,swish them too to make sure no sand is stuck. I just had a problem with my impeller being clogged with sand and it wasnt working. Its all good now.