Mighty little ten gallon!

[Aquatony]

So after some serious work struggling with dead plants and even deader fish I've managed to get the tank flourishing.

I wanted to take some pictures to show case it in this thread forum finally.

The tank is a Marineland 10 gallon, and is a rough draft of a South American tank that I want to do in the neighborhood of 55 gallons (sand substrate for suuuuure) in the mid-future. It is populated by 8 cardinal tetra and 5 cory cat (3 albino, 2 panda) that are very feisty.

Always looking for constructive criticism! Except the volcano and the Pineapple. Those are my kiddo's personal touches and technically it is his tank. lol

Enjoy:

http://imgur.com/a/64jSr

 

[Toney]

Nice

 

[Purple Spotted Gudgeon]

Looks Good To Me Thanks For Sharing !

 

[SnailPocalypse]

Looks good!

 

[thrujenseyes]

Looks adorable! The plants look very happy and healthy! And the fish seem to enjoy your kids decorations! ha
I think people may tell you to switch to sand for your cories. I don't keep them myself as I don't have the room but I believe they need soft/fine substrate for their cute little barbel/whiskers

 

[Toney]

corys do just fine on gravel

 

[Munroco]

I'd disagree with that statement.

 

[LiamPelane]

Looks good!!

 

[HIolemis1]

It is so nice. Thanks for the sharing.

 

[eaglesaquarium]

View attachment 83123 corys do just fine on gravel

How is 'fine' defined?

Cories do best on fine substrates (like sand) that they can sift through their gills. Best in soft substrates that allow them to bury their faces into to find food bits. Gravel can have food just beyond their reach and they can scrape their barbels up trying to get it and get bacterial infections which can cause them to lose or greatly shorten their barbels.

Ultimately, our goal as fishkeepers ahould always be to do what is 'best' and not what is fine for our charges.

Along those lines, 10 gallons is unfortunately a bit small for both the cories you have and the cardinals. The sooner you get the 55 gallon that you are planning on, the better. The 10 is a bit overcrowded as well for that number of fish.

When upgrading, also, please increase the number of cories. They are shoalers and are best kept in as large a group as possible (same species).

 

[Ch4rlie]

Some more useful information regarding your tank stocking

Cardinal Tetra

Panda Coryadoras
http://www.seriouslyfish.com/species/corydoras-aeneus/
Bronze Coryadoras
(Albino cories tend to be a colour varient of Bronze cories)

As Eaglesaqaurium already mentioned, cories do best in bigger group as they are a social species, kept in too few numbers or singly, they will not be as active or confident as cories kept in larger groups. In the wild they shoal in their hundreds if not thousands, a majestic sight. So a group of miniumum of 8+ of each species would be basically minimum in a suitable sized aqaurium to keep these cories happier and feel safer being part of a group.

Despite the small size of cardinals, they actually do need a larger tank, these are quite active little fish and can be skittish, they will swim real fast when spooked so can easily dart striaght into the tank glass resulting in injuries.

Look forward to seeing the 55 gal being set up and how things turn out

 

[NickAu]

Cories do best on fine substrates (like sand) that they can sift through their gills. Best in soft substrates that allow them to bury their faces into to find food bits. Gravel can have food just beyond their reach and they can scrape their barbels up trying to get it and get bacterial infections which can cause them to lose or greatly shorten their barbels.

I agree that substrate is not suitable, its too big and the food will fall between the rocks,