What size groups of Corys do you keep?

[Aquamick]

I was interested to see what size of groups most people keep their Corydoras in. What is your average? Mine is about 3-8 (one species).

 

[parker313]

As many as possible

Pandas - 4
3-Lined - 4
Peppered - 3
Skunk - 2 (had 3, one died)
Albino - 1 (would get more but don't care for the albino "look" as much as the others)

If I were to lose the skunks or albino, I would get more of the pandas and 3-lineds, they're my favorites

 

[Inchworm]

Hi Aquamick

That's a good question.

I myself raise corys, so I have hundreds of them at any given time, from tiny fry to adult. When I buy them, I try to get them in a group of at least 6. This is not necessarily because they are happier that way but in case I might want to try to breed them at some time.

IMHO, my pandas are the only ones that seem to prefer being in a separate tank, probably because they are smaller than the average cory. The rest of them enjoy the companionship of whatever corys they are with.

 

[SirMinion]

We have six -
four albino anaeus, one peppered & one melenistus.

The albinos stick together and the two coloureds stick together, and never the twain shall meet.

One day we'll remember to pick up two more peppereds and two more melenistuses when we visit an LFS, but in the meantime they seem perfectly happy.

 

[Oddball]

I used to keep a lot of corys and brochis at one time and had in a 30" tank the following wee monsters:

3 Emerald Brochis
3 Peppered corys
5 Bronze cory
2 Scwartzi cory
1 barbatus cory
and a very large cory (cant remember the name {blac with white spots and white belly, orange fins})

The brochis were loners but the rest all palled around until the tank was revamped where i distributed them to other cory fans

 

[Aquamick]

I have a friend who keeps Corys, and he once had a shallow tank, about 20cm, with a huge base, probably 100 by about 80cm with a shoal of Sterbai 50 strong!
I'd love a tank like that.....

 

[bccromer]

How many could I keep in a 30g tank? And what else would be good to fill up the top of this tank with a good number of corys in the bottom?

 

[Teelie]

I have 11 Cories in a 30 gallon and could probably add another 5 or 6 before the bottom was full.

3 Bronze Albino
3 Peppered
3 Trinnelatus
2 Schwartz's (one died several months ago and I haven't found a replacement)

I'm wanting to get some regular Bronze and perhaps some Emerald Brochis but haven't settled on it yet.

As to mid to top dwellers, anything peaceful can go. The Cories mostly stick to the bottom of the tank with occasional runs to the surface or slightly higher up from the bottom.

 

[bccromer]

So if I had 10-12 corys could I still put 4 or 5 dwarf gouramis in there and a bristlenose pleco, or would I need to cut back on my corys to get the other stuff in?

 

[Teelie]

The Bristlenose may be the only problem there as it might be too much of a messy fish for a 30 gallon with so many other fish, though someone else with more experience keeping the Bristlenoses would know better. I'm going to have a few true Butterfly Plecos in my 30 gallon Cory tank once I can find some in stock but those get to maybe half the size of BN's.

 

[bccromer]

Well what are some other algae eaters I could use in that tank? And also would the dwarf gouramis be ok in that tank? What are some other mid - top fish that I could put in there in place of the gouramis or with them?

Brad

 

[Teelie]

Oto's are good algae eaters and the Dwarves ought to be okay, they're not as aggressive as their larger brethern. Shrimp and snails are good additions too. They'll clean up a lot of detritus.

Other fish, hmm. Tetras, Platies, Guppies, Swordtails, female Betta*, Danios, pretty much any small schooling fish except Tiger Barbs and other semi-aggressive schoolers.

*Not compatible with Dwarf Gourami

 

[Aquamick]

Hi Oddball
Could this large, mystery Cory be Corydoras Sterbai? These also have whitish spots on a dark background, with orang-brown fins.

 

[Oddball]

Yeah indeed it was a sterbai looked it up 2day lol