Corys, How To Tell Wether One Is Female And One Male?

[BaylorPerez]

Is there a specific way to tell wether the cory(s) i have are female and male?, i kinda want to try to breed them for my cory tank once my new filter gets in. Also, are corys known to eat java fern leaves? because my corys have started to slowly eat away at the java fern plant i have within the tank.(should i get rid of the java fern as it looks like its dead due to the corys)

 

[fluttermoth]

Cories are quite difficult to sex. Your best bet is to look at them from above; females will be slightly broader just behind the pectoral fins.

It's very unusual for cories to eat plants; they're probably just searching for any left over food. How long have you had the Java fern? Sometimes plants will die back a bit when they're moved.

 

[BaylorPerez]

ive had them for about 4 months now, i had just done a recent substrate change(full water change as well). but below the java is like the dead leftovers(moss looking balls) that my snails have been eating here and there. I started to notice the corys i have swimming along the leaves of my java fern before taking a small bite out of them for a couple minutes before going back down to the substrate

Looking at my 2 corys i think they may be both males, as their abdomens are smaller than what we can consider what would be a female i guess 

 

[fluttermoth]

Are your ferns planted in the substrate?

I'm 99.999% certain your cories won't be eating the fern; first of all, corydoras are not herbivorous fish and secondly Java fern tastes bitter (apparently! I've never tried it!), so nearly all fish leave it alone. What are you feeding the cories?

 

[BaylorPerez]

yes they are planted in the substrate(the roots are grounded by some rocks left over from the last substrate) and my corys are fed spiruna enriched algae wafers, and freeze dried cyclops 

and sometimes ill feed them Api shrime pellets(sinking pellets)

 

[fluttermoth]

More pellets and less algae wafers for the cories; in the wild their main food is worms, so veggie foods aren't the best for them.

Java fern shouldn't be planted in the substrate; it should be tied to a rock or some wood or it'll rot, so that's probably what's caused that issue.

 

[eaglesaquarium]

Yup.   Cories aren't plant eaters.  They will uproot plants with their snuffling around in the substrate where the roots are...
Cories will search just about any surface (including plant leaves) for food.  I have a bit of java moss near the top of my tank on top of a hollow log... the cories have been seen nosing about there looking for scraps to eat.  Its just their way.  
 
And your issue with the java fern is that the rhizome is buried.  That must always be out in the open, not buried.  

 

[BaylorPerez]

see that i never knew, i had just recieved them for free from my LFs, so i wasnt sure as this is the first time the plants have been like this within the months ive had them.
 
Anyway, so should i stop feeding them the spiruna algae wafers for abit and just go for the shrimp pellets for them?

also, if i wanted to feed my corys some blood worms what brand(s) would be good for them, as i know the bloodworms come from many fish companys, i just want to know a reliable and somewhat cheap worms

 

[eaglesaquarium]

Cories need a meaty diet, but will also eat some algae wafers.  Never worried about the brand of bloodworms I've bought...  I just get the frozen ones at my LFS...whatever brand that is.  I'd check my freezer, but I am currently out.

 

[BaylorPerez]

do danios and tetras eat those as well?

 

[eaglesaquarium]

Bloodworms?  I don't know a fish that doesn't eat them...

 

[BaylorPerez]

Hmm, do the blood worms just sink into the tank? or is there a feeder that is needed for them to sink to the bottom of the tank

 

[eaglesaquarium]

They sink almost immediately. The fish likely follow them down.

 

[BaylorPerez]

so i had just ran out and bought some frozen bloodworms, put 1 cube in both tanks and all my fish seem happier because they are all gone already (less than 3 minutes)

 

[BaylorPerez]

also are bloodworms supposed to stick out of a corys gills?