Return My New Tank?

[FishCat_16]

cories won't eat snails - not sure where you've been told that they will but they won't. You'll need to feed them a good quality sinking pellet, they will also take things like bloodworms, artemia and other meaty types of food. 
 
It's perfectly normal to see them zooming around as you have. It means they are happy and are playing. You'll probably hear them squeak too from time to time - this is also normal. How many have you got and are they all panda cories?

 
I didn't read it anywhere... just wishful thinking watching them on the glass because I hate these snails so much.
 
I gave them some sinking pellets this morning.  Nobody seemed too interested and I found some leftovers, so I suctioned them out so they didn't lay around getting the water gross.  They do seem to love the pieces of wood that is in there and hang out mostly together in one of the caves sometimes.
 
I accidentally dropped the bag when I was netting them out yesterday so some of the water they came with got in my tank.  Ammonia and nitrite both 0ppm this morning.  I won't make the same mistake with the other fish when they come.
 
The LFS only had six, so that is what I bought... and yes all pandas- I really love their little masks.  If they had had more, I would have bought more.  I was hoping to get closer to 9.  But, these 6 were the only ones I could find all day... and they're just little.  I can't wait to hear them squeak.. as though these fish could get anymore adorable!

 

 

[Akasha72]

corydora's should be re-named Corydorable! I have 6 panda's myself - along with 5 melini (which are really similar - they have the same black patches over the eyes but instead of a black dorsal these have a black stripe that runs through the dorsal and into the tail) 6 peppered, 5 bronze and 3 smudge spots. Six is a good number to have as cories are social fish and they need to be in groups of 5 or 6 of each species. I'm breaking the rules with the smudge spots but it was all the lfs had left and I'm struggling to find any more as they seem to be really rare.
 
I've currently got some suspected panda babies. They are 2 weeks old and are very very cute. 

 

[NickAu]

 
Nick- I read the rams are pretty chill little fish and are safe with other smaller fishes like tetras, rasboras, and danios.  I don't think I've seen them be shrimp safe except some with ghost shrimp.

 
Its not the Rams I am worried about, Its the Betta, as for the shrimp they are feeder shrimp only there to give my Betta something to hunt, I would have no problem putting 20 or so feeder shrimp into the tank now and then I can get them for as little as 35 cents each.
 
I have 6 long fin Zebra Danios in a 6 foot tank with Tetras  ( Rummy nose 12, Flame 6, Black widow 6, Neon 20, ) 5 Clown loaches, 6 Harlequin Rasboras, 2 Bn Plecos.
 
The Danios are cool but Clown Loaches and Bettas are my first love.

 

[FishCat_16]

I like clown loaches, but my tank is not big enough.. I could use their services though for these pond snails!  Even more than the clown loaches, I love kuhlis, but my water isn't soft enough for them I don't think.
 
Everyone made it through their first partial water change and I'm really looking forward to seeing how these blue eye forktails grow out.   They arrived as just teeny little juveniles... I can't get over how their blue eyes practically glow!  The CPDs colored up significantly after the water change though I think I have one that is not doing well.  I did lose two within a couple of days of their arrival.  Ammonia and nitrites are 0ppm, nitrates 5ppm.  They mostly are staying hidden in the plants so I honestly don't know if I'd replace the school as if it dies off.  I'll probably up the numbers of the rainbows.

 

[NickAu]

 
. You'll probably hear them squeak too from time to time - this is also normal

First time I head one squeak I had my hand in the tank and the cory was next to it, Well lets just say I jumped. LOL
 
I know my Betta did not like the squeaking every time 1 did it the Betta went " looking " for the culprit.
 
Thats one of my fatty Kuhlis. poor thing is in danger of getting eaten by the shrimp.
And a for trying to escape, Well my loaches prefer the bottom. where all the food is.

 

[FishCat_16]

It's been a while since I've posted here... I am so very glad that I didn't return my tank.  I still have all of the fish I had living the last time I posted and they are continuing to grow... I'm sitting here watching my rainbowfish getting in some chasing, I'm thinking their numbers should probably be increased a bit.  The snails that I hated so much I think are responsible for the disappearing carcasses I experienced.  I added a few more cory cats and one that didn't look so great when I got them home did die, but the carcass was consumed before I even realized I was down a fish.  Some of my plants are doing remarkably well.  Some of them are not really doing well at all but they are budding so once the mother plant leaf dies off I'll remove and plant the plantlets.  I tried to do that before the plantlets got too big to kill the mother but those really aren't doing so well- not dead but not growing.  I need to clear out some algae, so my guess is there is something out of balance that I need to figure out.  My original light died already (super displeased about that) and I can't find the box or anything it came with (fiance probably tossed it) and I wonder if the light I have now might not be large or strong enough for the plants and they are being out competed by the algae... the dying of certain plants seems be correlated with the change in lighting as did the explosion of algae- which is only in the upper half of the tank.
 
Anyway, thanks to all of you who gave me suggestions.  I really do love watching this tank!