Panda Cory??

Erin8D

This is my current tank, (well I aded a small bunch of java fern, and some anubias nano) which needs lots of construction. I currently have one dwarf gourami in it, and plan to get about 5 or so panda corries. Currently the only live plants are a sum of elodia (going to get more tomm) and the java fern and anubias nano.

I tried looking up what easy to-care-for plants are native to the panda corys, and readily avalible at most LFS, but couldn't find any :/ Does anyone know what plants would make them feel at home? I read they like top covers and shade, so I am thinking something besides elodia to give variaty.

Do they like bogwood? Do they need a dark substrate? Is medium/smooth gravel okay for them? Would algae pellets and once a week frozen blooworms a good diet?

Help? :(

kitten_penang

don't use rough gravel it cuts and nicks the cory's sensitive barbels. hidding places are good for it.large broad leave plants are good for the breeding season like your java fern. algae pellets and blood worms are a great diet you can even use some vegetables as supplements if you want.things like slices of zucchini

kitten_penang

btw it's best to get 6 min of the same species of cory's

Erin8D

Alright, I'm going later today, so I'll seek out those larger-leaf plants, and try to get some rock, and hopefully sprout java fern over it, to make a cave effect. I'm also thinking about getting darker gravel, however I just finished getting the tank ready for fish >.< Oh well :P

One more little guy is fine for me(:

Byron

The fish won't care which plants, they just like them because they can browse the leaf surfaces for food (they spend hours doing this) and they provide shade and shelter, very important. You idea on floating plants is excellent for the same reason; these forest fish do not like bright light.

A dark substrate would be preferable, either a fine-grain gravel (1-2 mm grain) or sand. I prefer gravel and have maintained dozens of species of cory over 20 years with no issues. Regular aquarium gravel is smooth enough and works fine. Bogwood is good, again it provides more surfaces to browse plus it can be shelter. Food sounds fine, but I would not go beyond three times a week for bloodworms.

Byron.

Erin8D

Alright, thats a relief, I browsed the plant profiles, and the ones from South America were labled "moderate" which is a frighting concept for me. I got some type of larger 'anubias' from my LFS, I wanted to find a very broad leafed plant.

I also have to remember to call in sometime next week to go and pick up 3 of them, or would it be okay to go ahead and buy all six at once? I'll also make sure to pick up some darker/smaller gravel^^

1077

Personally, I would let the tank mature for a couple three months before adding the Panda corys which in my view are a bit more delicate than some of the other species of cory's. I have never had them do well in newly established tanks.
Should you decide to swap out the gravel, I would keep a cup full of the old gravel and place it in the toe section of nylon stocking and place it in the tank with the new gravel.Be sure and keep the gravel in toe section of nylon wet in aquarium water until you are ready to place it in the aquarium.
Beneficial bacteria gathers on all surfaces in the aquarium including the gravel and by removing all of the old gravel to replace with new,,you could also remove significant amount of bacteria that is needed.
Do you still have the ten gallon tank that you mentioned in earlier thread? is it running with filter and fish?
If so, borrowing half of the filter material from it and placing it in your recently cycled,or cycling tank will help establish a healthy bacteria colony to process ammonia ,and or nitrites that may be the result of adding more than two or three fish at one time.
Plants will help process ammonia as well but I feel it never hurts to add live bacteria from existing tank as well and if this is not an option ,then saving some of the gravel when you replace it with new gravel can only help. I would leave the gravel saved from old substrate in the tank with new substrate for three weeks minimum. assuming there is bacteria present in the saved gravel,,it will transfer to the new substrtae as well as the filter which is a good thing.

Erin8D

Yes, I do have my ten up and running, however I got an outbreak of ick in it so I don't know if it would be safe or not to move anything from there over to the other tank. Currently I raised the temp to 86 for about four days now and its quickly going away. Besides the spots, the fish have no signs of being sick, they are platys and guppys.

If its safe, how would I go about doing that? I can definatly wait a few weeks. That would be much better than making a bunch of horrible trips to the LFS.

Byron

I believe 1077 meant using some of the gravel in the present tank that is in the photos and is the one you intend to change over; unless i'm getting confused.

I agree, do not move stuff from tanks with any healt/disease problems to another tank, it is a sure way to transfer the problem.

And I totally agree, do not get Corydoras panda until the tank is established. "Cycled" means the nitrification bacteria are present, but "established" means the tank is then stable. Two months is safe for this. If you have live plants, the cycling occurs immediately so that reduces one aspect.

Erin8D

Oh yes, I got that about the gravel, I meant the filter material, my apologies for being unclear. I am going to try to launch into my first aquascape, so I'm going to use the lighter gravel to do a "river" type thing, I just bought the larger gravel today(: Probably not going to add it for a while though.