Stocking question/water hardness question

[breakfastcubes]

Hi! I have a 30 gallon tank, and currently have 4 mollies, 3 platys, and 2 corys. I ordered 3 corys but one died in transport. I was thinking of ordering two more since they do better in groups, but I feel like I might be pushing it for tank capacity (turns out mollies get bigger than I thought they did). I haven't had any problems so far with aggression or nitrites/nitrates, but don't want to tip the scales. I want to upgrade to a bigger tank in the future but right now it's just not financially realistic.

Also, I made the mistake of mixing up what fish like hard and soft water. Should I anticipate problems with my corys in hard water? They seem to be adjusting ok so far.

Thanks to anyone who can give me their thoughts on this.

 

[LordHappy]

Happy day....I live in Canadian Retirement Land, otherwise known as Florida, and our water is famously hard. I have had corys in my tanks for...well...ever, really, and they don't seem to be bothered by it in the slightest and I can get a good decade out of the corys. I understand that there's a difference between surviving and thriving, but so many fish on the market today are bred in environments that are not even close to what one might find in the wild. Let the pelting begin.

 

[kwi]

While softwater fish do better in hard water than vice versa tests have shown they do get damaged with mineral buildups.

 

[breakfastcubes]

I feel a little bad about not being able to provide the Ideal conditions for them, but apparently the city they came from has even harder water than mine, so I imagine they're used to it at least. Just as long as they don't immediately start getting sick or anything like that.

 

[Naughts]

Which cories do you have and what is your water hardness in numbers?
If your water is suitable for cories then your tank easily has space to add a couple or more.

 

[AilyNC]

Depends on cory type and water hardness. Can you check the hardness of your water?

What's the length not your tank? Mollies need minimum 90cm length tank.

 

[breakfastcubes]

They're gold panda corys I love those little guys they look like raw chicken but in a cute way. Hardness is 115 mg/l

 

[Naughts]

Can you link to where you got the measurement please? If that measurement is for calcium carbonate, I calculate that as 6.4 dH which is soft water. You could add 5 more pandas. The mollies will not do well in that water.

 

[breakfastcubes]

The only thing my city says about it's water hardness online is that it's 115 mg/l. I'll try to look around and see if I can find something more detailed posted somewhere else. My test strips seem to indicate 80-120 KH and 120 GH. Measured my tank and its about 75cm long. I got mollies first because it was recommended as an easy beginner fish but I hear they can be tricky sometimes. They're doing well and have grown a lot since I've got them.

 

[Naughts]

Thanks. Your test strip indicates around 120ppm/ 6.7dH. The test strips are somewhat misleading as the GH readings don't go beyond 180ppm/ 10dH. People assume this is very high GH but mollies need over 250ppm/ 15dH.

Poecilia sphenops – Short-finned Molly/Black Molly — Seriously Fish

www.seriouslyfish.com

 

[breakfastcubes]

Huh. I love how I came here expecting trouble for my corys, but it's the mollys I should be concerned about. This is a huge surprise to me since theyre so active and haven't had any health problems, and one has already had babies. Its only been a few months though so there's certainly time for problems to arise...

Thanks for this info. I was under the impression my water was quite hard.

 

[mcordelia]

they look like raw chicken but in a cute way.

LOL best fish description I have read all week

 

[breakfastcubes]

Thanks for the feedback everyone.

After speaking with the store I purchased these guys from, it doesn't seem like I'll be able to get more gold pandas. Maybe I'll pick up three of a different type of cory?

 

[ClownLurch]

Seriouslyfish.com will tell you water hardness, ph and min tank size required for any Corys. Just put their name in the search box. Instant knowledge.
Apparently Corys treat different Cory types as their own which is good to know as six-eight min are normally advised on here which means types can be mixed if necessar. Though I believe one or two of each isn’t best.
My waters 340ppm. No Corys for me.

 

[Essjay]

it doesn't seem like I'll be able to get more gold pandas

Are gold pandas a colour variant of ordinary pandas? If they are, you can mix then with ordinary pandas.