A species only 60L tank

[redpanda]

I recently got 6 pygmy copycats for my big tank and when they were in a qt tank by themselves I fell even more in love lol.
But now they are in the big tank with platys swordtail and bronze Cory's, I don't see them shoaling like they did as much. They're behaving fine, not seeming scared of the other fish or anything (and I watch my tank aLOT haha) but I loved seeing them swim together...
So my questions...
Should I get more for the big tank OR get some just for my 60L ( I have 40L also but I didn't know if it was big enough) and it be only them in the tank?
On a different subject I also would like cold water stocking advice for the tank I don't use for the pygmy Cory's

Thanks in advance!!!!

 

[Wills]

What size is the big tank? To get them more active a bigger group would definitely help if you have the space a group of 12-15 would be better than 6.

For cold water in a 60ltr not really many choices, things like White Cloud Mountain minnows or some species of live bearer could work but it would depend on how cold your home gets in the winter. Is there a reason you can’t put a small heater in?

Wills

 

[CassCats]

Pygmy cories do best in groups 10 or more. So increase the shoal and they do better by themselves as they cant compete with the larger cories and larger fish.

Plus they need soft water and you've got them in with livebearers who need hardwater

 

[redpanda]

Pygmy cories do best in groups 10 or more.

Yes (facepalm) when I read up about them the 10 or more fact slipped the net in my research I found out afterwards, it's what made me think more would be better.

Plus they need soft water and you've got them in with livebearers who need hardwater

Really?? Platys etc were recommended as good tank mates for Cory's

 

[redpanda]

What size is the big tank? To get them more active a bigger group would definitely help if you have the space a group of 12-15 would be better than 6.

For cold water in a 60ltr not really many choices, things like White Cloud Mountain minnows or some species of live bearer could work but it would depend on how cold your home gets in the winter. Is there a reason you can’t put a small heater in?

Wills

I could fit more in to increase the shoal size, I just wondered if they would be happier in their own tank. My goal is a peaceful community so I don't want anyone to be unhappy!
My tank is 140L with a rock and driftwood terrain, with very fine gravel and sand areas and leafy plants.

I was actually thinking cloud minnow haha, when the tank is smaller the filter and heater etc takes up so much space so I thought fish that dont need a heater would have just that little bit more room to swim lol.
Actually, could you recommend a filter that takes up smallest amounts of space without it effecting the quality of filtration please?
My house doesn't get that cold really, I'm in the uk in a mid terrace house so it never gets really that cold. It would be a bedroom tank too and that's a fairly warm room.

 

[Wills]

@NCaquatics makes a good point actually - you have fish from 2 ends of the hardness spectrum so you might need to think about which direction to go in and how you keep them. For example if you have hard water keep the live bearers in the bigger tank and move the pygmy cories to the 60 and look to soften your water for them - either through RO or botanicals.

If you are lucky your water will be quite neutral and I think the fish you have could sit neatly in that venn diagram.

If you dont want the equpiment in there and you want a smaller filter you could look at an external. I really like Oase external filters, the biomaster range have inbuilt heaters but you could also get one of the filtersmarts which are a bit smaller and dont have the heater and add one too it Hydor do the best external heaters but there are others that are a bit cheaper.

I've put stainless steel lilly pipes on my tank and it has totally changed the way equipment works for me. You can get glass ones but I know I would instantly smash these so opted for the steel. I got the one with the skimmer but again you can get simple ones that are a bit more compact. You can see them best in this shot, I've got the external heater too so in the tank at the moment is just the filter pipes, Co2 diffuser and I am about to add a very small powerhead to the back right and a mini air stone.

There is so much nano specific equipment now, just takes a bit of finding.

Wills

 

[CassCats]

A few cory species can handle the hardness levels that platies need, but pygmy cories aren't one. Theyre ones that need particularly soft water.

Find out your GH

Bronze cories can handle up into the early 200ppm for hardness, which is acceptable for platies so that can work.

Platies can't go lower than 200ppm longterm.

Pygmy cories need to be below 160ppm, lower the better.


So find out your GH. If your GH is too high for the pygmies you will need to use RO water to soften it in their own tank.

If your GH is too low, you will need to harden the water in the tank with the platies. Crushed coral or a bit of cichlid sand in a media bag in the filter is a way to bring up your GH.

But I would definitely say for the long term benefit of the pygmy cories, definitely put them in their own tank and get a much bigger group. You won't have any regrets with that.

 

[Essjay]

Find out your GH

Look on your water company's website. You need a number and the unit of measurement (there are several different units) rather than some vague words.

 

[redpanda]

A few cory species can handle the hardness levels that platies need, but pygmy cories aren't one. Theyre ones that need particularly soft water.

Find out your GH

Bronze cories can handle up into the early 200ppm for hardness, which is acceptable for platies so that can work.

Platies can't go lower than 200ppm longterm.

Pygmy cories need to be below 160ppm, lower the better.


So find out your GH. If your GH is too high for the pygmies you will need to use RO water to soften it in their own tank.

If your GH is too low, you will need to harden the water in the tank with the platies. Crushed coral or a bit of cichlid sand in a media bag in the filter is a way to bring up your GH.

But I would definitely say for the long term benefit of the pygmy cories, definitely put them in their own tank and get a much bigger group. You won't have any regrets with that.

Wow. I love keeping fish, i am always learning new stuff! people think it's such a simple hobby but there is so much more to it.

I did a quick Google of my postcode and I'm in a medium area (I will contact my water provider for an exact ppm tomorrow) it is probably the mid water level that you mentioned for both platys and bronze Cory's bc I've have the same few fish for years I dread the day I loose them I know them all individually! I've added fish as my tanks grew in size lol but I've still got the same original bunch of fish that I started off with ♡
I wish I'd realised the pygmy needed softer water. I should have joined this group sooner!!!!!!!
I will try and catch them and keep them in the 60L instead of turning it into a cold water tank.
How many do you think will be happy in there if it's just them and maybe some snails and shrimp?
Will cherry or ghost shrimp be ok in soft water?

 

[CassCats]

If your water is neutral, its fine for the cories (most likely) but will still be too soft for the livebearers.

Long term, keeping fish in the wrong water stresses their bodies out. It shortens their lifespans and makes them more at risk of becoming ill where a healthy fish would not have a problem.

But moving the cories to the 10 gallon, get at least 10 total pygmy cories.

 

[redpanda]

@NCaquatics makes a good point actually - you have fish from 2 ends of the hardness spectrum so you might need to think about which direction to go in and how you keep them. For example if you have hard water keep the live bearers in the bigger tank and move the pygmy cories to the 60 and look to soften your water for them - either through RO or botanicals.

If you are lucky your water will be quite neutral and I think the fish you have could sit neatly in that venn diagram.

If you dont want the equpiment in there and you want a smaller filter you could look at an external. I really like Oase external filters, the biomaster range have inbuilt heaters but you could also get one of the filtersmarts which are a bit smaller and dont have the heater and add one too it Hydor do the best external heaters but there are others that are a bit cheaper.

I've put stainless steel lilly pipes on my tank and it has totally changed the way equipment works for me. You can get glass ones but I know I would instantly smash these so opted for the steel. I got the one with the skimmer but again you can get simple ones that are a bit more compact. You can see them best in this shot, I've got the external heater too so in the tank at the moment is just the filter pipes, Co2 diffuser and I am about to add a very small powerhead to the back right and a mini air stone.

There is so much nano specific equipment now, just takes a bit of finding.

Wills

View attachment 111682

Your tank is beautiful thanku for the advice
I will be putting the pygmys in their own 60L tank and trying to soften the water. My postcode says I'm a midiam water hardness area but I will find out the exact numbers.
If they are compatible I will probably put cherry shrimp and few snails in the 60L with them, how many pygmys will live happily in there?

 

[redpanda]

If your water is neutral, its fine for the cories (most likely) but will still be too soft for the livebearers.

Long term, keeping fish in the wrong water stresses their bodies out. It shortens their lifespans and makes them more at risk of becoming ill where a healthy fish would not have a problem.

But moving the cories to the 10 gallon, get at least 10 total pygmy cories.

Ok I will get 4 more to bring my total to 10
Will my platys and bronze corys be ok left in the big tank together?

 

[CassCats]

Your tank is beautiful thanku for the advice
I will be putting the pygmys in their own 60L tank and trying to soften the water. My postcode says I'm a midiam water hardness area but I will find out the exact numbers.
If they are compatible I will probably put cherry shrimp and few snails in the 60L with them, how many pygmys will live happily in there?

I've going to say you dont need to soften their water, most water suppliers list soft water as medium/hard when it's still below 200ppm.

Its the livebearers you will probably have to harden their water.... they need it over 200ppm



Example.
My water supplier claims our water is "moderately hard".
But my GH is 90-150ppm, which is soft range for fish! Pygmies are fine in this range, but livebearers are not.

So i have a bit of cichlid sand in a pouch in my filter to raise my GH slightly to 200ppm for my livebearers.

 

[CassCats]

Ok I will get 4 more to bring my total to 10
Will my platys and bronze corys be ok left in the big tank together?

bronze can handle harder water so yeah thats fine to keep them together

 

[Essjay]

For some reason, water companies make water sound harder than it really is. Does your give a number at all? Which water company is it?