Dedicated cory setup

[colen]

Hello everyone,

I have decided to setup a dedicated tank for some corys. I have never kept any before, but I recently have had the urge to.

I have read corys love company of the same species, so I will be getting 4-6 of each kind. Right now all I have planned for this tank are:

4 Albino corys (is this enough?)
6 Bronze corys

Can you give me some suggestions on what other types to keep? From your experience what corys do you enjoy most?

I realize these fish will spend most if not all there time on the bottom of the tank. I plan on using some large peaces of slate I have to make lots of caves and hiding places, but at the same time leaving a large amount of the bottom open for them.
These are the specs of the tank I am using:

Exact volume:
42.0779 US gallons
34.9247 UK gallons
159.2817 liters

Tanks dimensions:
Length: 76.2 cm.
Width: 45.72 cm.
Height: 45.72 cm.

Length: 30 in.
Width: 18 in.
Height: 18 in.

Approx. Surface Area:
540 in2
3483.864 cm2

The tank is mature and is currently home to some of my cichlid fry that will be moved shortly.

My main question is simply how would you finish stocking the tank? Since I have know experience with these fish I am not certain on what exact species I should be keeping, and its difficult to just go and browse the LFS store as it is not so local (good hours drive on a good day).

 

[sylvia]

4 of the albinos would be enough. They are probably the same species as the bronze anyway. Besides these, I'd reccomend the blackfin cory (c. leucomelas) which is equaly hardy and very beautiful. There are several smaller cory species - such as c. pygmeaus - many of which will actualy spend a good amount of time off the bottom or searching for food higher up on plants/ornaments so you may want to consider a large-ish group of these to add some activity slightly higher up. I'd also consider some small schooling fish - myer's hatchetfish would be ideal as they only grow to about 1" and will stick to the very top of the tank. Alternatively, neons, spotted rasboras or any of the smaller danios would have the same effect. They'll also encourage your cories to come out more and be active. Small livebearers and gouramies are also options as tankmates if you want to balance out the tank some more and add extra color. Endler's, mosquito fish, platies or guppies, for example, or honey gouramies, sparklers, croakers etc.

 

[seffieuk]

hi

i keep a tank of albino, orange laser and reticulatus along with my lovely female bettas. i love the tank, the corys r very entertaining

 

[Inchworm]

Hi colen

Corys are my favorite fish, and I think you will really enjoy having a tank specifically dedicated to them. With nearly 300 (identified) species in the wild. and many of them becoming available, from time to time, in the lfs or on AquaBid, the possibilities are exciting indeed!

While corys do like to have companions of their own species, there are no corys that do not get along with others. The only exception that comes to mind is that some prefer warmer water than others. C. sterbai is the most commonly found species of this kind. They are lovely, but best kept alone or with other fish with similar temperature needs.

C. aeneus, the bronze and albinos you have chosen, are an excellent species to start with. They are readily available and, when mature, will breed with little or no encouragement. You can raise the fry or not, as you choose. I recommend them highly to everyone. Since they are the same species, 3-4 of each is plenty, and you can save the space for other interesting species, or color variations such as Orange Lasers or Goldlines, which are more of a challenge to find.

If you get the C. aeneus, I would suggest passing by the C. paleatus, or peppered cory. They are also a good beginners cory, but there are so many more colorful and vividly patterned varieties available that will add interest to your tank.

For example, let me suggest that you look into these corys:

C. arcuatus (skunk cory)

http/www.planetcatfish.com/catelog/calli...rydora/12_f.php

C. metae (bandit cory)

http/www.planetcatfish.com/catelog/calli...rydora/24_f.php

C. melanistius:

http/www.planetcatfish.com/catelog/calli...ydora/311_f.php

C. robinae:

http/www.planetcatfish.com/catelog/calli...ydora/253_f.php

C. adolfoi:

http/www.planetcatfish.com/catelog/calli...orydora/1_f.php

The list could go on and on and on, and every one would be an excellent choice for a cory community.

I might add that part of the fun of specializing in corys is that you cannot just go out and find them all at any given time. This makes every trip to the lfs or visit to AquaBid exciting. With corys, finding them is a good part of the fun!

 

[Barracuda518]

C. aeneus, the bronze and albinos you have chosen, are an excellent species to start with. They are readily available and, when mature, will breed with little or no encouragement. You can raise the fry or not, as you choose. I recommend them highly to everyone. Since they are the same species, 3-4 of each is plenty, and you can save the space for other interesting species, or color variations such as Orange Lasers or Goldlines, which are more of a challenge to find.

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When do they become mature enough to breed? Will Albinos spawn with Bronze?

 

[Inchworm]

When do they become mature enough to breed? Will Albinos spawn with Bronze?

Hi Barracuda518

Yes, if you have both the albino and bronze color variations of C. aeneus they will spawn together. But, since they are both of the same species, it will not be a problem. Their fry will turn out to be some of one color and some of the other, but they will be perfectally normal in every other way.

When they are mature enough to breed, they will let you know by depositing a few eggs on the glass. The length of time it takes for them to be ready has a lot to do with how they were raised, but I would look for signs any time after 6 to 8 months of age. They will not yet be fully grown, and their spawns will be small, but will increase in size as the grow.

If you are thinking about raising a batch of little corys, why not start a thread and I'll happily answer your questions about the subject there.