FAQs on Callichthyid Catfish
Compatibility
Related Articles: Callichthyid Catfishes, Summer loving: cats in the garden, kittens in
the kitchen by Neale Monks,
Related Catfish FAQs: Callichthyids 1, Callichthyids 2, Callichthyid Identification, Callichthyid Behavior, Callichthyid Selection, Callichthyid Systems, Callichthyid Feeding, Callichthyid Disease, Callichthyid Reproduction, Catfish:
Identification, Behavior, Compatibility, Selection, Systems, Feeding, Disease, Reproduction,
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Can we get along? Predation, feeding and
water quality wise?
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Discus... compatible, Callichthyids, ditherfish mostly
1/8/13
Greetings,
I would like your input on a discus set up I have in the works.
It is a 72 gallon bow front, filtered with two Fluval 405 canister
filters, carbon removed,
<I'd run some carbon... add to, switch out half every month or so>
bio balls and filter floss added. Temperature is currently 83*F,
pH 6.2 and it is a cycled tank housing a pair of spawning
Angelfish, Corydoras
<Mmm, what/which species? See Fishbase.org re... many don't "like"
warm/too tropical water>
and a German Blue Ram. Tank has been set up with these filters
just over 2 years now.
Sand substrate, driftwood and moderately planted.
I am setting up the Angels in their own tank for continued spawning as
they have taken over the 72 gallon, and I wanted to take the
opportunity to jump into the discus world as they have always attracted
me (I know I am not alone in this statement!) I was considering
starting up with 5 discus, leaving space for 1 more incase I ever come
across "That one that cannot be resisted"!
<Sounds good>
I have been getting mixed reviews on what are "appropriate" dithers and
was hoping you could help me with this. I was drawn to the
Dwarf Neon Rainbowfish and was considering a school of 10-12 as I think
once they settle in their and the discus colorations would be
complimentary.
<Mmm, well... they too don't really like "hot water"... 82 F. is about
tops... Am far more partial to some of the South American Characins for
this task, looks>
I was
also going to be trading in my albino Corydoras for sterbai cories or
green Brochis - was hoping for your opinion on this also.
<Mmm, the Brochis are warmer water... not Sterba's...>
I was considering the trade as I know I am already pushing the temperature
limits with the albinos and have read the other two handle higher
temperatures better.
<See WWM, Fishbase et al. re>
If the dwarf neon rainbows are not recommended, besides cardinals can
you recommend other types that I should look into?
<The myriad of small, but large enough Tetras that share the waters with
Symphysodon in the wild are my choice... easy and fun for you to search.
Bob Fenner>
Corys + Senegal Bichir
8/4/11
Hello WWM!
Thanks for all your help in the past!
I have a 12 inch female Senegal Bichir alone in a 50 gallon, I
have put some fish in with it before and they always end up with
their tails gone or bitten in half! Not sure why it's so
aggressive, I feed it plenty of frozen bloodworms and earthworms.
I have 4 half inch leopard Corys and 2 big 3.5 inch peppered
Corys, would they be able to live with the Bichir, or would that
be a bad idea. Also I've always wanted a knife fish, would
any specie of knifefish coexist with it? Or maybe even another
eel such as a peacock eel? I really want something else in this
tank.
Thanks, Jesse
<Better than Corydoras would be Brochis species, such as
Brochis splendens, which are similar in shape and colour, but
stockier and do well with medium-sized tankmates. They also
tolerate warm water better than Corydoras, so will thrive at the
25-28C/77-82 F Bichirs prefer; most Corydoras, including the two
you mention, do of course need cooler water, 22-25C/72-77 F. You
must bear in mind though that these are predatory fish, and while
their diet in the wild is primarily insect larvae and worms, they
do eat small fish given the chance. So anything Neon or Danio
size is likely to end up eaten. Brochis, being armoured, should
be okay, but adults, not juveniles. Polypterus senegalus gets
along well with one Knifefish species, Xenomystus nigri; the
widely sold Apteronotus albifrons needs very different conditions
and would be difficult to maintain in the same aquarium, and
needs more than 50 gallons anyway. Senegal Bichirs are
territorial but will cohabit given space, and you should get away
with two females or a male/female duo in a 50-gallon tank. Spiny
Eels are difficult to maintain and feed, so research them
carefully.
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/fwsubwebindex/spinyeelsmonk.htm
Cheers, Neale.>
Hello Crew (RMF, second opinion?),
GF, Cory incomp. -- 02/02/11
I am writing via my iPhone from cold MI, USA. I LOVE your
website, I have spent a great deal of time just reading and
absorbing such great info. Collectively, your knowledge and
experience is so impressive.
<Thanks for the kind words.>
Today my question pertains more towards behavior rather than
chemistry, thus I feel compelled to write. I have a large (appx.
4-5" not counting tail)
<Actually, not that big. A BIG goldfish would be 30 cm/12
inches, though fantail-type Fancy Goldfish typically max out
around the 20 cm/8 inch mark.>
Black Telescope Goldfish in a 30 gal tank with a natural rock
substrate and decor, along with some floating live plants. I
introduced some Albino Cory Cats to do some
cleaning'¦
<Can work.>
And today I returned home to find 0.25" of Cory Cat hanging
out of my Big Guy's mouth. Should I remove it, or will the
Big Guy be able to digest it?
<For now, see what happens. Trying to pull out the dead fish
-- I assume it's dead -- may do more harm than good. Fish
have quite delicate jaw bones, and pulling catfish backwards
causes their spines to lock, so all that'd happen is
you'd be forcing erect spines into the jaw. If, by tomorrow,
it's still stuck in the Goldfish's mouth, you may need to
do something more hands-on. Or better yet, call a vet used to
handling Koi (many are) for their advice and assistance.
There's going to be a trick to lowering the fin spins on the
Corydoras using a mounted needle or similar, then pulling the
corpse out. Or perhaps the whole catfish will be crushed, and
then removed. But either way, the pectoral and dorsal fin spines
will need to be dealt with.>
The Cory Cat was about 1.5" not counting the tail.
<Not tiny, then.>
I really am at a loss. I guess I should have expected this,
knowing that the Big Guy is essentially a Carp and will eat
anything, I just assumed that he was peaceful.
<Usually they are. You've been extremely unlucky. Goldfish
are mostly herbivorous and their fish-eating skills are minimal.
For a start, they don't even have teeth in their mouths! My
hunch is that the Goldfish was dead or at least moribund, and the
Goldfish simply took advantage of the situation. Normally,
Corydoras cohabit quite nicely with Goldfish, given the right
water temperature and water quality.>
Well, thank you so much Crew! Any other ideas and/or suggestions
I deeply appreciate! Thank you Mr. Fenner et al for the wonderful
website!
<Hope this helps, Neale.>
<<RMF would catch the goldfish, gently try to extricate
(paying attention to the prominent anterior dorsal and leading
pectoral fin spines) the catfish. No need for anesthetic, nor
tools... just a wet hand to hold the goldfish, the other to
"wiggle" the Corydoras and pull it free. IF not easily
removed, I would use a small, sharp-tipped scissor to cut the
respective stuck fin spines free>>
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Ahh, now that I see the pic, you will need to use a tweezers.
RMF
|
Re: Hello Crew (RMF, second opinion?)
Greetings, Neale and Crew,
Many sincere thanks for your speedy reply this afternoon!
<Glad to help.>
Well, I observed my Telescope for about an hour, walked out of
the room for just a quick minute, and returned to see the Albino
Cory Cat had disappeared from Telescope's mouth. (I
erroneously assumed that it had somehow gotten swallowed). Many
hours later, I find the Cory Cat hiding out under a rock.
<Cool!>
All of his fins appear severely damaged, and of course he does
not seem to be having an easy job of navigating around the tank.
So I guess I am "cautiously optimistic" with regard to
it's future'¦
<Fins will grow back. I'd treat with something mild to
prevent Finrot, perhaps Melafix for want of anything else.
Otherwise, a standard anti-Finrot medication would be worth
using.>
Needless to say, I was *SO* grateful to get your response
earlier! The situation was so bizarre and unexpected that had I
not seen it with my own eyes & snapped a pic, I probably
wouldn't believe it had happened.
<Agreed, very unusual.>
Here you go! Granted, the Big Guy (Telescope) was turned away a
bit, and I hope you can see why I was so alarmed.
<Would assume Telescope won't do this ever again!>
Have a splendid evening and many thanks once again!
Holly
<Good luck to you all, Neale.>
Re: More re: Hello Crew... Cory eating
GF 2/4/11
Hi!
<Hello,>
In the past, I have successfully used the wet washcloth holding
method to hold the Telescope, so I was planning to employ that
same technique along with tweezers to remove the Cory Cat. The
Cory Cat was really in there! Now I know what to do should such a
situation ever present itself again. After reading Neale's
response, I am glad that I waited to act, and more so now that by
some unknown miracle the Cory Cat came out by
itself'¦alive!
<Certainly an excellent result.>
I'm thinking of Jonah and the Whale, although I think we were
more like three hours as opposed to three days. Forevermore, the
Cory shall be known as Jonah. The Force is strong with him. ;)
There does not appear to be any damage to Telescope's jaws,
and I hopeful that the Big Guy will return to a peaceful
lifestyle.
<Agreed.>
I am snowed under at the moment, so at my earliest opportunity I
plan to look for Neale's suggested Melafix- which I have
never used before.
<We don't widely recommend Melafix because it's a most
unreliable cure. But as a preventative it has some merit, being
relatively mild, inexpensive, and provided the fish is basically
healthy and strong, does seem to work.>
I am glad you were able to see from the iPhone's pic, it
certainly wasn't the best photo ever! If you don't mind,
I will pick your brain, what do you think about the gold on the
underside of my Telescope? That is fairly recent, within the past
4 months or so. Could it be a seasonal change or just normal
maturation?
<Just normal colour changes, common on non-pedigree
Goldfish.>
Your Crew and website are really awesome, I can't stress
enough how many questions I've had answered from your site.
And deep, sincere thanks for the personal emails!
<Standard practise!>
I think I saw on your site somewhere that you were associated
with Marine Aquarists in Lansing, MI?
<Hmm'¦ we're not associated with anyone
specifically, but companies advertise on the banners, and Bob F.
does his bit to promote aquarium clubs, reputable retailers and
wholesalers, and other folks who do good works in the
hobby.>
I live in a rural area near Lansing, and no Koi vets appeared
locally when I Googled. Anyway, something for me to think about.
Thank you for honoring grammar,
<Both Bob and I feel strongly about "good English"
being essential to clear, polite conversation, though I certainly
don't hold myself up as a paragon of either clarity or
politeness!>
and again, many thanks for getting me thru the drama, you all are
fabulous! Have a splendid day!
Holly
<And you too, Holly. Cheers, Neale.>
Re: More re: Hello Crew
Hi Neale,
<Holly,>
I'm starting to feel like we are old friends!
<Oh my!>
You are smart, and you've really gotten me, the basic
beginner hobbyist, really thinking. (I am an English Major, hence
my fondness for standard grammar).
<I see'¦>
Your comment re: pedigreed goldfish-- Very interesting. I
wasn't even aware of such a thing.
<Oh yes, is very true. Most Goldfish tend to change colour
with age, sometimes uniformly becoming paler, other times
becoming darker in patches; it varies considerably.>
That in turn has gotten me thinking. Do you have any good
pictures of nasal bouquets?
<Not to hand. But look at the varieties called Pom-Poms. In
normal Goldfish, the nostrils are more or less inside the skull
except that each has a small flap, called a lobe, that sticks
out. On Pom-Poms these are wildly developed into cauliflower-like
growths. Those are the bouquets.>
My Telescope (which has flat eyes), does have what I would
consider to be prominent tear drop shaped nares, along with bumpy
skin texture on the head. Possibly it was a throwback from an
attempt to breed another variety, like a Pom Pom.
<Could well be. To some degree, many Goldfish will show
features you're characterise belonging to different breeds
than their own. For example a standard Goldfish might have a
slightly chunkier body, like that of a Fantail. Or a Fantail
might have slightly bulgy-out eyes like a Moor. And so, and so
forth. What has happened over the centuries is that these traits
were selectively bred to become more and more exaggerated along
particular breeding lines, and ultimately, new varieties were
created.>
Well, I imagine it really doesn't much matter, but as a
thinking person, I just found it really interesting to think
about.
<Is indeed, particularly given Goldfish had originally been
domesticated as food, at which point they were merely greenish
fish much like their wild ancestors, but better adapted to life
in ponds. Some of them sported golden patches or perhaps a more
brassy overall green colour, and these were saved from the
kitchen and bred one to another, and over time the Goldfish that
we know and love was created. All this happened some centuries
ago in China and Japan, though subsequent varieties have been
created in England (like the Shubunkin) and in the United States
(the Comet) as well.>
Learning and thinking are just amazing things, so I hope you and
the Crew are aware of how sharing your knowledge and opinions not
only informs and educates, but also inspires.
<Those are very kind words; thank you.>
Keep up the Great work, I am off to the LFS. You are awesome.
Holly
<Have fun! Neale.>
Re: More re: Hello Crew 2/4/11
Hi Neale,
I hope you are well today! :)
<Yes, thank you, Holly. Glad it's Friday though...>
Just wanted to ask, do you think 3 days of Melafix would be
sufficient, or should I plan on a longer course of treatment?
<Should be ample.>
Would a 25% change at the 3 Day Mark be advisable?
<Would do no harm at all.>
I am noticing a strong odor, which isn't offensive, just
different. Is that a sign of overdose or normal? I did indeed
measure, just checking!
<Likely normal. You can add carbon to the filter for a few
days if you're worried, and it should remove it all.>
Thank you so very much, please have a splendid day!!
Holly
<And enjoy your weekend, Holly. Cheers, Neale.>
Re: More re: Hello Crew (RMF, second opinion?)
Thank you, Neale. Enjoy your weekend also!
Holly
<I plan on sleeping through most of it. Been a tough week!
Cheers, Neale.>
Re: More re: Hello Crew...Chatting -- 02/04/11
I hope your week was not tough because of me and all my
questions! :)
<Ah no, just the kids at school. Some good, some bad, but all
of them exhausting.>
Thank you again! All of my fish appear happier today.
<Cool.>
Sleep is always a wonderful thing, my friend! Enjoy,
<I plan to.>
Holly
<Best to you, too, Holly. Cheers, Neale.>
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Battle for food
1/31/11
Hi,
I have a 20g tank with 4 Swordtails and 4 Green Cory
Catfish. I'm feeding them micro wafers that float for a
bit and then sink, so the Swordtails knock the wafers down to the
catfish. In addition, I'm feeding the catfish Sera Vipachips that
sink to the bottom. Problem is, the Swordtails also really like the
Vipachips, and it ends up being a battle between the Swordtails and the
catfish -- of course, the Swordtails end up eating most of it. Can you
maybe suggest a way I can ensure that only the catfish get the
Vipachips?
Thanks,
Ivan
<Easy, this one. Feed the catfish at night! When the lights are out,
provide sufficient food for your Corydoras. Do this 3-4 times per week,
and you should find they're just fine. Corydoras are nocturnal by
nature, despite being day-active in aquaria, and happily feed at night.
And no, they won't hide away during the day just because
they're being fed at night. Do also remember to keep the tank quite
cool, 22-24 C is ideal for both Swordtails and Corydoras aeneus,
otherwise their metabolism will be much higher than it needs to be, and
that'll place extra demands on their diet as well as shortening
their lifespan.
Cheers, Neale.>
Tetra compatibility/sel. w/ Corydoras
2/4/2010
Hi guys and gals, just a quick question for Neale if I could. I've
started a 29-gal FW and am wondering what type of schooling tetras
would share the same temperature range as Corydoras? I'm not
terribly interested in "same-old" Neons. Something along the
lines of Bloodfins or Rummynose would be really nice, if they'd
work. Others that are readily available locally would be something like
Glowlights or silvertips.
Thanks,
Scott
<Hi Scott. The big surprise for many people is how many South
American fish actually enjoy quite cool conditions. Besides Neons,
other good choices for temperatures between 22-24 C would include
Bloodfins (Aphyocharax anisitsi), Dragon-fin tetras (Pseudocorynopoma
doriae), Blue tetras (Boehlkea fredcochui), Black Widows (Gymnocorymbus
ternetzi), Silvertips (Hasemania nana), Buenos Aires tetras
(Hyphessobrycon anisitsi), Flame
tetras (Hyphessobrycon flammeus), Loreto tetras (Hyphessobrycon
loretoensis), Black Phantoms (Megalamphodus megalopterus), Red Phantoms
(Megalamphodus sweglesi), Red-eye Tetras (Moenkhausia
sanctaefilomenae), Penguin tetras (Thayeria obliqua), Darter tetras
(Characidium spp.) -- to name just a few! In fact about half the South
American fish we see in the trade prefer relatively cool conditions,
and there's a clear distinction between the fish from relatively
cool streams and the fish from much warmer habitats like the llanos
pools and some of the rivers (the Rio Xingu being notorious in this
respect). Rummy-nose tetras and Cardinals do prefer
somewhat warmer conditions, so aren't ideal Corydoras companions.
Hope this gives you some ideas! Cheers, Neale.>
Re: Tetra compatibility 2/4/2010
Thanks, Neale. Is there a larger single fish that would go with a
school of tetras and a group of Corys to complete the "look"?
An angel would do the trick for me, but I'm guessing that it
wouldn't work here.
Scott
<Many of the cichlids we call "Acaras" come from the same
relatively cool waters, and thrive between 22-24 C. These include
Aequidens pulcher, Cichlasoma portalegrense, Cleithracara maronii and
Laetacara curviceps, to
name but four of the more widely traded species. Cichlasoma
portalegrense in particular is an under-appreciated species that used
to be very popular because of its hardiness and tolerance of cool
water, but has been much
overlooked in recent decades. Cheers, Neale.>
Betta breeding, Corydoras comp.
6/7/09
Hi WWM Crew! My name is Hana and I have been planning for over a month
to breed my Bettas. I was wondering if I could put a Corydoras catfish
in a fry tank after my fry become free swimming.
<No. There are two reasons. Firstly, Corydoras catfish will eat
anything small they can catch. Their eyesight isn't good, so they
hunt by smell. If the thing they find smells nice, they'll eat it!
Secondly, in breeding
tanks you want perfect water quality. This is difficult to do. It is
important to remove uneaten food, do lots of water changes, and above
all, not add any big fish! You cannot add "one" Corydoras
catfish because
they're schooling fish, and adding the minimum number -- five --
would cause too much pollution. If the breeding tank gets polluted, the
fry will die.>
This is my first time so I would like some advice too.
<With regard to what?>
I don't have a sponge filter or a air pump but I do have a normal
hang-on filter. Would it be okay if I put a piece of cloth on the
intake tube to soften the intake?
<No. You do need an air-powered sponge filter. Firstly, the male
Betta needs to make a nest, and for that, water flow must be very
gentle. If the water flow is too strong, the bubbles will not stick
together properly, and the eggs will fall out of the nest. Secondly,
the fry are very, very small, and if the water current is too strong,
they will be at risk of being sucked into the filter. Thirdly, you will
need to feed the fry infusoria,
and these will get sucked into an electric filter.>
Thanks
<Cheers, Neale.>
Feeding (Corydoras, Botia) 5/30/2009
Hello Crew, Hope you are having a great day!! I have some questions on
feeding please. I currently have 6 panda Corys and plan on buying some
yoyo loaches and a Bristlenose catfish.
<Wouldn't keep Botia almorhae with Corydoras panda; the
differences in size, aggression at feeding time, and social behaviour
are just too acute.
Botia almorhae would work well with Ancistrus though, and similarly
Ancistrus and Corydoras get along fine. If you must have loaches with
Corydoras panda, look at either Pangio spp. or perhaps Yasuhikotakia
sidthimunki, though this latter species is delicate and does need to be
kept in a large group, so tank size will be an issue.>
First, I want to know if they will all get along or if the loaches will
bother the Corys.
<Yes they will bother the Corydoras.>
Also, when it comes to feeding how is that done since they all eat
mostly food off the bottom. Should I put their food in separate places
in the tank, or will it be OK to feed them all together?
<Botia species will simply learn to eat food from one corner first,
and then bully the Corydoras away from the food in the other corner
next. Does depend on the size of the tank of course, and in a 200
gallon system I'm sure they'd muddle through! But
realistically, not a combination I'd go for.>
I am worried about the loaches maybe picking on the Corys during
feeding time.
<Your concern is justified.>
Thank you for your help.
James
<Cheers, Neale.>
Cory compatibility 5-26-2009
Hello Crew, hope all had a great weekend. I have a question about
Corys.. I have 8 bronze Corys that stay together and school
occasionally. I know Corys they are shy and do better in larger groups.
My next door neighbor is getting rid of his aquarium and gave me 2
panda Corys. They hang out together and seem to be eating well. I want
to know if they feel more comfortable with the bronze Corys in the tank
with them than if they were by themselves. I really didn't want to
buy more pandas right now.. Please tell me what you think.
<I have mixed and matched many different types of Corys whom school
fine together. You should easily be able to introduce the panda Corys
with the bronze Corys. If they don't mix well (sometimes they
don't like each other), then you can easily purchase more in the
future.>
Thanks,
James
<You are welcome! Merritt A.>
Cory compatibility Part II 5-27-2009
Thanks for the information. I always thought that only like types would
school together and not mixed. If different types do not like each
other how can you tell? Do they fight or run each other off? Thanks
again.
<Corys are very laid back fish. They will just ignore each other and
swim in their own schools. That is why I would not worry about mixing
them. You are welcome! Merritt A.>
Corys fighting-- 05/09/09
Hello Crew, hope all is going well with you. I have a question
please.
Several weeks ago I purchased 6 medium sized panda Corys for my 75
gallon aquarium. There are no other fish in there right now. About 2
days after introducing them into the tank I noticed one dead one
morning. I didn't really think much about it since fish die just
like people. But last night when I was just watching them swim around
together 2 of them starting picking on one. They seemed to be pushing
him around with their noses and when the attacked fish tried to swim
off they would not let him alone.
Finally the 2 attackers left but the one attacked stayed on the bottom
motionless for a while before starting to swim around again. At that
time I went to bed and did not have time to look in the tank this
morning as I was getting ready for work. But when I got home this
evening one was dead and I assume it was the one picked on last night
(and maybe today also.)
<How big are these Corydoras? It's rare for Corydoras to
"fight", whereas the closely related Scleromystax species
(such as what was formerly called Corydoras barbatus) are much more
boisterous. But, adult Corydoras will spawn readily in good conditions,
and the mating behaviour involves multiple males courting single
females. To the casual aquarist, this can look a lot like
fighting.>
I have had Corys before in smaller numbers (usually 2 or 3) and in
other aquariums and never noticed any fighting or bullying. Please tell
me what can be the cause of this. Before in other aquariums I always
had about 3 Corys and each one was a different kind. I never had any
problems at all.
When setting up this tank I read about how getting six or more of the
same kind would cause them to school together and be happier. I did
just that and now this has happened.
Any advice or reasoning you can give will be greatly appreciated.
<Since you have so much space, I'd add a few more Pandas. If
there is some aggression, this will dilute that problem. Corydoras also
become so much happier and more attractive in big schools!>
James
<Cheers, Neale.>
Re: Corys fighting-- 05/09/09
Thanks Neale, I appreciate the advice. Could courting cause one to
die?
<Shouldn't do; the females are usually so much bigger than the
males that it's hard to see what problems would occur. I have a
school of eight or nine Corydoras paleatus in one tank that spawn every
few weeks (in fact
rescued a few eggs just the other day). Never seen any sign of serious
problems. By contrast, Scleromystax males can be feisty, and sometimes
shed one another's fins (though they don't harm the females).
So provided you
have Corydoras rather than Scleromystax, as you do with Corydoras
panda, I can't foresee any issues with aggression.>
And how many more would you recommend getting?
<I find groups of 6-10 works well with all these little
Callichthyidae.>
Thanks again.
James
<Cheers, Neale.>
Apistogramma ID and comp., esp. with
Corydoras 02/08/09 Hi I have a 40 gallon
community tank Corys, Gourami, Rasbora. I went to one of my local
fish store and saw a fish that I thought looked pretty cool was
told it was an Apistos cichlid (didn't expand on the name.
From what I can find on youtube.com he LOOKS like
"cacatuoides" (I know nothing about any types of these
fish) except what I found AFTER I bought him since LFS said he
would do good in community tank. It has black horizontal line
through center of body a black line vertically under eye and very
light black vertical lines on body. Tail is bright yellow
outlined with black. Only difference (that makes me not sure from
what I found on youtube.com if it is cacatuoides) is the
yellow/black coloring is nowhere else. The dorsal fin only has
one thin vertical black stripe at the front. My question(s)
because if first question is negative answer then the rest of
questions is none issue --to me anyway. 1 My online research
concluded (again, after buying with OK from LFS) that
Apistogramma are for tanks ph 6.5 to 7.0. LFS says their ph for
their fish is 7.8 red flag???????? My tanks ph is 7.4 do I need
to return the fish or will he adapt? He doesn't seem to look
stressed or breathing hard so clamped fins etc. 2. From the
description above are you able to give me an idea of WHICH
Apistogramma this might be, and if the lack of coloration
anywhere besides the tail means its a female or can still
possibly be male but still young to have more color. 3.Depending
on what type of Apistogramma it is what is the common name e.g.
cockatoo thank you <Hello. It's not a good idea to buy any
fish before confirming the identity of the species, and looking
up its basic needs in a book. Cichlids are a particular problem
because many species look similar but turn out to have differing
needs or behaviours. Apistogramma are notoriously difficult to
name. For one thing, the females are all virtually identical, but
even the males can be extremely similar. Within species such as
Apistogramma cacatuoides there are also distinct varieties.
There's no way to name your fish without (at least) a photo,
and to be honest even then there's room for error. This said,
the majority of Apistogramma are fairly similar in needs:
moderate temperature, soft water, low to neutral pH. Social
behaviour is almost always polygamous, with one male needing to
be kept with 2+ females to avoid bullying. Assuming this was an
inexpensive fish, the chances are good that it was Apistogramma
cacatuoides simply because that's the species most easily
bred. There are numerous artificially bred forms about. It's
fairly tolerant of moderately hard, slightly alkaline water.
Assuming the hardness is no more than, say, 10 degrees dH and the
pH no higher than 7.5, you should be fine. The major killer with
these dwarf cichlids is nitrate, and you absolutely must keep the
nitrate level below 20 mg/l to have any chance of long-term
maintenance. Finally, most cichlids don't have common names,
and those that do, the common names are often misleading, being
used for other species as well. For example, the "Parrot
Cichlid" isn't just that hideous hybrid, but was
originally the name of a South American species, Hoplarchus
psittacus. So the sooner you get comfortable with scientific
names, the easier you'll find navigating the world of
cichlids. By the way, do watch the Apistogramma/Corydoras mix:
Apistogrammas have been known to attack and blind Corydoras
catfish. Cheers, Neale.>
Re: Apistogramma and 02/08/09 Hi Thank
you for the fast reply. Yeah, I know it was a bad move buying a
fish without knowing about it. I usually do a lot of research on
the internet before getting something. I had just gone to guy
some fish food and it became an "impulse buy" and I
have gotten fish here before and this was someone new there. So I
can only blame myself. The ratio for male to females is that for
multiple cichlids for the bullying? because this is the only
cichlid I have. Or is that ratio for just having a cichlid in a
tank period? Here is a pic sorry that its not a great one.
Hopefully this will help in a possibility identifying the fish.
<Hello. The ratio of one male Apistogramma to 2+ females is to
do with their social/breeding behaviour; if you have equal
numbers of males and females, things don't always work out
right, and sometimes the male bullies the female. With more
females, he'll be moving between temporary associations with
different females, so while mating with one female, the other
will get a rest. If a single female has to put up with the
constant attention of the male, she'll get exhausted. As she
weakens, he'll get frustrated, and he'll try to drive her
out of his territory. (Polygamous male cichlids can be "wife
beaters"...) In any case, the picture does look a lot like
Apistogramma cacatuoides, going by the orange/black flecks on the
caudal fin and the long black bar along the midline of the flank.
This is lucky, because as I think I mentioned last time, it's
one of the best "beginner" Apistogramma. It'll put
up with more mistakes than most any other member of the genus.
Cheers, Neale.>
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Cherry Shrimp Compatibility, w/ Corydoras
8/20/08 Hello, <Amanda> I hope whichever of the crewmembers
that gets this is having a good day. <I hope we all are> I have a
quick question. I am pretty sure I already know the answer, but I read
over the facts (both shrimp and Corydoras) and just wanted some
confirmation either way. I have the opportunity to purchase some cherry
shrimp (they aren't very common here). I am very interested in
getting some but only if I can house them safely. The only tank I have
which is suitable to their needs at the moment is populated by 10
Corydoras (five C. aeneus and five C. sterbai). My gut feeling is that
the Corydoras might try to eat the cherry shrimp (on the Corydoras
section on WWM it is stated "Corydoras et al. are more carnivorous
than omnivores... eating mainly insect larvae, worms, and crustaceans
in the wild." If this is the case I will not get them, but if you
feel housing them together will be safe I'll pick them up. Thank
you Amanda <If this tank is large enough (let's say 29 or more
gallons), and there is sufficient habitat (rocks, plants, wood...)
these shrimp and Callichthyids should be fine together. Bob
Fenner>
Question about unknown fish - 06/08/2007 Hi, I recently
bought a 180 gallon fresh water tank that came along with a fish
that I cannot identify. I was hoping that you could help me. The
previous owner stated that the fish was a goby but the research
that I have done does not support that. I have searched the web
and went to my local pet store but no luck. The fish is about 10
inches long very stout and broad. He has bright orange/red
coloring on his very top fin. He has small eyes and a pretty big
mouth. The fish is gray in color with stripes on the body. He
likes to sit on the bottom of the tank resting on two bottom
fins. I would like to add some other fish but I am a little
apprehensive because I do not know how this fish behaves. I would
greatly appreciate any help. I have included a few pictures Thank
you, Michelle <Hello Michelle. Your new fish is almost
certainly the North American sleeper goby Dormitator maculatus.
The taxonomy of the gobies and goby-like fishes is complex and in
a state of flux, but broadly speaking this is a goby of sorts, a
member of the family Eleotridae as opposed to the
"true" gobies Gobiidae. This is a large, omnivorous
brackish water species with a high tolerance for freshwater
though I'm not convinced it can be permanently maintained as
a freshwater fish. It doesn't need much salt to do well; 3-6
grammes of marine salt mix per litre should be adequate. It can
also be kept in a marine aquarium. In freshwater aquaria its
colours tend to be subdued and it is more prone to sickness. It
is hardy, gets to 70 cm in the wild, though 30 cm or so is more
typical in aquaria. This species (and sleepers generally) eats
both animal and plant foods. An ideal diet would contain green
foods like tinned peas and algae wafers along with bloodworms,
chopped seafood, and the occasional earthworm or river shrimp. It
is not aggressive towards fish it can't swallow whole, but
given its maximum size it is obviously not suitable for the
average community tank! In the right tank, e.g., with scats,
Monos and other largish brackish water fish, these sleeper gobies
are friendly, entertaining pets.
http://www.fishbase.org/summary/SpeciesSummary.php?id=3827 Hope
this helps, Neale.>
Re: Question about unknown fish, Corydoras comp. --
6/8/08 Neale, I can not thank you enough for your help! Do
you think I could add some Cory cat fish in the tank with the
goby? I have some cat fish in another tank ranging in size from
about one inch to 3 inches. thank you Michelle <Short answer
is no, Corydoras wouldn't work. Firstly your Sleeper Goby
will need at least some salt added to the water, and Corydoras
won't appreciate that at all. Secondly the Sleeper Goby could
well try and eat them. If you want a catfish for this aquarium,
consider Hoplosternum littorale, a large relative of Corydoras
from northern South America and Trinidad. It's very hardy,
can be kept alone or in groups, gets to about 20 cm in length,
and is very tolerant of brackish water. It will thrive in the
slightly saline conditions Dormitator maculatus demands. There
are various other brackish water catfish, but that's the one
I'd go with here. Cheers, Neale.>
|
|
6 Cory Cats, comp./sel.
4/13/08 Hello WWM crew, Thank you for your wonderful site and
service to the community. We have a "community" 125
gallon tank working fine. Our tank has a total of 9 Corys: 2
albinos, 5 bronze, 1 peppered, 1 c. metae, along with the usual
swords, mollies, and platys. Specific question on the usual
advice to have 6 or more Cory cats. I use six as an example only.
Please clarify whether this means they must all six be the same
type (say, 6 emerald or 6 peppered); or does it mean 6 of any
type Cory, as we have? <While a few Corydoras species will mix
in the wild, for all practical purposes they should all be
treated as different things when it comes to forming schools. So
six bronze Corydoras, six peppered Corydoras, and so on. While
they may all look the same to us, to one another they are
completely different things. The sole exception is the Albino
Corydoras, which is (usually) Corydoras paleatus, i.e., the
peppered Corydoras though sometimes it is alternatively the
bronze Corydoras, Corydoras aeneus.> We ask because none of
the Corys (including the 5 emerald cats) hang out together as a
"shoal" like the photos on www sites. <Precisely so.
You need a reasonable number, generally six or more.> Ours are
all independent critters. Is this normal or is it due to our
large tank (5' long, 18" wide) ? <Bit of both.
Corydoras don't normally swim as a single group all the time.
They often cleave off into subgroups, often a couple of males
escorting a mature female. Mine do this all the time, and
periodically you'll find eggs laid on the glass as evidence.
Remove the eggs, rear the fry (comparatively easy) and add them
to your group of Corydoras!> One observation is that the new
(this week) C. metae immediately paired off with the 1 peppered
Cory; but neither of these "hang" with the albinos or
emeralds, and the albinos do not associate much with the
emeralds. Does this mean we have stocked wrongly?
<"Wrong" is perhaps too strong a word, but perhaps
not "ideally". It's a lot of fun to watch Corydoras
doing the social thing, and if you feel you have space in your
community tank, I'd heartily recommend bumping up the
numbers. In 125 gallons, you could easily keep ten of each and
not have problems.> We want to do the right thing by these
very nice fish. <Indeed so!> Many thanks, Rosemary
<Cheers, Neale.>
Re: 6 Cory Cats 04/14/2008 Neal,
brilliant reply in concise terms. Off to the LFS Monday for some
albino and bronze Corys! Many, many thanks! Rosemary <Happy to
help. In theory at least, Peppered and Albino catfish should
school together; if they don't, then the chances are you have
Albino Bronze catfish rather than the more common Albino Peppered
catfish. Enjoy your fishkeeping! Cheers, Neale.>
|
Gold Rams, comp., beh. 4/8/07 Hi People, <Ruth>
Firstly I would just like to thank you for your great site. I've
got a 60l tank (about 2 months old) with 3 Peppered Corys, 2 Schwartz
Corys, 4 Longfin Leopard Danios and a pair of Gold Rams. The tank is
well planted with live plants, plenty of bogwood and a rock cave.
<Sounds very nice> Everything was great until about a week ago
when the female ram started bullying the Corys at feeding times only.
<Mmm, unusual... unless... they're reproducing...> The Rams
aren't timid in any way and she only chases them if they run away,
typical bully! I thought maybe they were trying to spawn so added a
flat piece of slate at the bottom for them but nothing happened. Then I
added the 4 Danios as ditherfish, <Good idea> funny thing is she
seems to like them and doesn't bother them at all and even swims
around with them. Is she just hungry? Or territorial because she and
the Corys both eat at the bottom? <Perhaps a bit of both> She
only fights over catfish pellets not frozen or flake food. I always sit
and watch them eat and she eats like a pig and doesn't look
pinched. Is my tank too full? <Is near a "psychological"
limit here> Will the Corys manage with a bit of chasing at meal
times (I'm 99% certain it doesn't happen at any other times) or
would it be better to get rid of the rams? Thanks very much, Ruth <I
do think all should be fine here... The Corydoras/Callichthyids are
quite armored... and the Rams know this... I might try feeding at both
ends of this tank simultaneously... Please do read (on WWM,
fishbase.org, elsewhere) re the water quality of Microgeophagus...
perhaps lowering water temperature will reduce the agonistic behavior.
Bob Fenner>
Cory-Eating Koi! 9/19/06 Hello, <Hi
Ben, Pufferpunk here. Please try correct capitalization
& correct punctuation in your email. I have to fix this,
before we can post in our Daily FAQs.> Today I came home to find my
ghost coy (spelled: Koi) had tried to eat my small
catfish. I found it had lodged it's spines through the
cheeks of the coy. I had to use sharp scissors to cut both front spines
which were protruding on the cat fish and its top spine to remove the
catfish and save the Corys life. I removed the fish after
some time but to my surprise the catfish was still
alive! After I had clipped most of his top fin down to his
back, including its fin spine, I have put it in an separate tank in
attempts to keep it sterile. I am just wondering if its fins will grow
back from such massive loss of its top fin? <You can add Melafix to
his water, to keep him from getting an infection & to help his fins
grow back. You must keep this water pristine, by doing at
least 50% water changes daily, since his tank isn't
cycled. Is there a filter on there? He will heal
best with a heater set to 78-80 degrees too. I don't
suggest putting him back in with your Koi. I'd also add
Melafix to the Koi's water, as his mouth obviously has been
pierced ~PP> Regards, Ben Walker
Betta/Corydoras Comp., Sys. 8/2/06 I
love your site! It is so helpful and the best one I have come
across. I have a new male Betta in a 3 gallon, filtered
tank. It has silk plants. He refuses to eat anything but frozen Brine
Shrimp <Need to expand this diet... not nutritious completely>
and it an active little sucker. My question is .. . is
a 3 gallon too small to add a Cory catfish to? <Mmm, no... is not
too small for a small/ish species of Corydoras> I am concerned about
the size of the tank and how active the Betta is. Being that Bettas are
territorial, I worry that adding a Cory is not a good idea. What are
your thoughts? Thanks! Dawn <Should get along fine. There is an
occasional "super mean" male Betta that comes along, but most
are so "autistic" that they leave such armored cats be.
Please read here: http://wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/betcompfaqs.htm
Bob Fenner> Hi There, <Hello again!> Sorry, I found the
answer. I kept reading and reading and found the same question. Whew!
Thanks again! Dawn <Welcome. BobF>
Betta and Corys
6/5/06 <<Hi, Chris. Tom with you.>> I have
recently added a Betta with 2 Cory catfish in a 10 gallon tank.
Sometimes the Betta chases the Corys around the tank. I have
seen the Betta take a nip at the Cory but the Corys have been fast
enough to get away. Could this be the Betta just setting up
his territory? <<Most likely the case, Chris.>>
I have read Bettas and Corys are compatible. Is my Betta
overly aggressive? <<Could be the "alpha" type but, as
a recent addition, I wouldn't be concerned.>> Anyway to calm
him down? <<With good conditions, he should acclimate
without much else being done.>> Also, are there any other
tankmates suitable? <<A ten-gallon tank is, typically, a bit
large for a Betta but I wouldn't hurry out to find more
"tankmates". They'll do very well "solo" and
I'm not a fan of mixing these with other fish. (The Corys, which I
adore, are pretty inoffensive in any tropical tank so I would discount
these as "other fish". :)>> Thanks, Chris <<Any
time, Chris. Tom>>
Corys With Rams 4/27/06 Good Morning~
I've been at my aquarium hobby for about 6 months...learning a lot
from this great site/people and really appreciate it! I've spotted
a dwarf ram that I'm interested in and have a couple questions. The
LFS has their temperature with these fish at 84 degrees...I've
gotten my 12gal tank up to that temp....my tank was down for a
while...bio-wheel.. have added dirty filter water & dirty
gravel...about a week ago...will it be okay to put about 3 or 4 rams
here?....should I purchase a few Danios/barbs at the same time to put
in with them - or just the rams by themselves? < Either way would be
fine.> (I'm planning to have a 20gal free in a couple weeks and
intend to move them to that) Also, I really like Corys and wonder if
any particular one is okay with the higher temperature? < Most
Cory's can handle the elevated water temps. Some cannot but these
are usually rare and expensive. Check out the Cory's at
Planetcatfish.com if you are interested in a particular
species.-Chuck> Thanks Again, Judy
Kribensis, Ram query... Corydoras comp.
4/21/06 Hi Crew, <Jeff> I hope all is well wherever you all
are. Winter finally broke last week here in Edmonton, Canada. <Thank
goodness... my cold tolerance (and no preference) is "out the
window" with advancing age> Anyway, I have a reef invert
question and a freshwater question. <Okay> Reef - I
recently added a frogspawn with three heads and a small xenia about 4
days ago. Both appear to be doing very well, the xenia is showing full
movement (pulsing) and the frogspawn is still colourful and opens up
very nicely during lighting hours. My system is a 29 gal with 130w of
PC (10k & Actinic). Firstly, how often do I feed each species
(Reefroids for xenia & Mysis for other). <3-4 times a week>
Secondly, I have the frogspawn in the middle of the setup about 10
inches below the lights and set on my LR. Is it better to have it as
low as I can and in the substrate? <Mmm, I would keep this
Euphylliid off the bottom. See WWM re> I am letting the xenia tell
me where it wants to be. <Good... just do keep it confined>
Freshwater - I recently upgraded a 7 gal bowfront to a 25 gal tank. I
had 4 Cory cats (5-6 years old each) and are very fond of them. I just
added a male and female Krib to the tank 5 days ago. I had not recently
read up on the fish, just remembered that I thought they would be
interesting and hardy. They are particularly beautiful specimens, but I
am embarrassed to say that I didn't realize that they were bottom
dwellers and would take nips out of my Corys. <Too likely, yes>
My question is can I replace them with rams (tank bred) and have the
Corys left alone? <Yes... a much better choice> If it is ok, I
saw some very small and very red shrimp that would be neat to have,
they are about 1/3 the size of my algae eating shrimp I have (2 only),
would the rams bother the new small red shrimp. <Not likely> The
shrimp remind me of camel backed shrimp for marine. Thank you again for
your time, Jeff Morgan <Morgan: "Man of the sea"... Bob
Fenner>
Cory Cats co-livestocking 2/2/06 I recently set
my son up with a ten gallon aquarium and after a little
research, talked him into putting Cory cats in the
tank instead of the Bala sharks he originally
wanted. Currently, there are 3 bronze Corys in
the tank. I wanted to build the tank community up
a little at a time. They have a cave, some plastic plants,
and a statue in their tank to hide behind. They
really love the cave. The tank has a Whisper
10-20 gallon power filter. I plan to get at
least 2 more Corys, but what else could I put in the tank
that would swim in the middle of the
tank. I'm not real keen on livebearers, and
I don't want to overstock. The Corys are such
fun fish. They're almost like little puppies
when they swim out at feeding time, or just when someone
walks in the room. Thanks for your help. Vicki <Many choices... look
on WWM and elsewhere re small barbs, Danios, Rasboras, small Gourami
species... Bob Fenner>
Platy - Gourami mix revisited: this time, +cats!
2/2/06 Hi crew! Thanks for your
quick+informative reply regarding my platies! The little guys look very
happy! I followed your advice and bought a test kit: all very good
readings: Ammonia: 0 Nitrate:0
Nitrite:25 - 50 <These last two are crossed-over... and
nitrate's a bit high. Do try to keep below 20 ppm... means covered
on WWM> Ph: not sure, as it was a funny light blue
colour, but I'm guessing it was about 7.5, and they told me not to
worry about it at my local fish store place. <Is
likely fine... also covered> I did not buy the Gouramis,
as planned, but instead bought 2 little cats. I hope to get the
Gouramis later. My question is about my
cats. In the shop, they were labeled as "speckled cats", but
when I got them home and looked in a fish book, there was a picture of
them... Labeled as peppered Corys! I can't send a pic. with this,
but I'm working on it! They seem very peaceful and fun loving,
could they be the peppered Corys? <Are very likely
a species of Corydoras... maybe paleatus... covered on WWM... fine
here> Thanks for replying to my email, and once again,
thanks for your great site! <Welcome. Bob Fenner>
Corydoras panda are losing their eyes! 1/26/06 I
hope someone can help. Recently I noticed 4 of my young
pandas have lost their eyes. 2 have died so
far. After they lose their eyes they start to loss
their color and turn whitish. They still feed and act
silly. I've had pandas for a few years and have managed
to breed them very successfully. I love my little guys and
take good care. Could this be a disease? <Not likely>
or is someone attacking them? <Yes> The only
"new" addition is a very young Kribensis Cichlid (about the
same size as the pandas). I have a 60 gallon tank with
mostly tetra (cardinals and hatchets), 5 platies, 2 small angelfish, 2
yoyo loaches and 2 Plecos. <I suspect the Kribensis or loaches...
but could be an angel... only close observation or systematic removal
will reveal the culprit. Bob Fenner> Help me please - Sabiha
Oscar Tried To Eat Cory Cat 1/14/06 Hi, I've
had my Oscars for about 4 months, the tiger is about 2 inches and the
albino about 6 inches. There were also to albino bronze
catfish in the tank, the Oscars didn't bother these until
now. I arrived home from work today to find one of the
catfish stuck in albino's mouth, my dad arrived and informed me
that it had been there for most of the day. I netted the
Oscar and carefully tried to remove the fish, eventually in came
out. The Oscars mouth is now very open and I am worried as
it is not feeding. Do you think that my Oscar may die from
the trauma, and should I take it to a vet, thanks for your
time, Alex < The protective spines of the Corydoras
catfish work just as well in the aquarium as they do in the wild. If
the spines broke off in your Oscar's mouth then you are in trouble.
If you got the spines out then I would keep the water clean and treat
with an antibiotic for infection. Your Oscar can go for more than a
week without food. Give it a chance to heal and remove all the smaller
fish that can be considered food by the Oscars.-Chuck>
Oscar Basking In the Moonlight was: Oscar Tried To Eat Cory
Cat 1/22/06 Thanks for your help, he is back eating
properly again now, his mouth has closed up although it is slightly off
centre, other than that he is fine. I have been toying with the idea of
getting a moonlight effect bulb for my tank, will this confuse the fish
and make them think its night time all the time, or will they be okay
with it?? Thanks again for your
time, Alex < Oscars are pretty smart and will be
able to tell the daytime from the night time from the ambient room
light. I do' think you will be able to appreciate your Oscar too
much under those lighting conditions.-Chuck>
More Corys, Crowding Concerns? - 12/18/2005 Gage, Not to
worry. I appreciate the reply. (My reply was largely rhetorical,
anyway.) <Hi, Tom; Sabrina with you today.> Now, (refreshing your
memory here), four Serpae Tetras, six Bloodfin Tetras, six Black-skirt
Tetras and a Red Flame Gourami in the 50-gallon tank. Eight Panda Corys
enroute to the QT. Can I add another school of Corys (six Serpae Corys)
or, is this, now, overload? <I think this is
sustainable. Go for it.> My best, Tom <Wishing you
well, -Sabrina>
Re: Freshwater planted setup Howdy once again, In regards to
the sump for the 55 gallon live plant fish tank. I would appreciate
your comments on the sump design (drawing attached). I'm kind of
new at this fish stuff but have been doing a lot of research for the
last six months and want my system set up right the first time. Thanks
for your previous input and thanks for your input on this aspect in
advance. <missed the attachment, bud> As to your first response
on adding more Corydoras cats-Should I add more Panda Cory's or can
I add the same amount of another Cory species (from what I read their
all compatible, given water parameters are within reason). <I'm
inclined towards shoals of the same species and the panda specifically
for warmer waters if you need that. Anthony>
Re: Oscars, Corydoras Cats Together Bob, thank you for your
quick response:) I have a freshwater 150 gallon tank, that houses: 1
tiger Oscar several small Corey cats <Yikes... hope your Oscar can
resist swallowing any of these Corydoras... >too common cause
of death...> [smiles] They are well fed, happy Oscars, and never
bother anyone. The Corys are prolific breeders in the tank, though the
Zebras and fire eel seem to enjoy eating the eggs just as prolifically.
>1 random cichlid [about the size of a convict] I would like to
figure out what this cichlid is. It is almost shaped as a convict, but
a bit more streamlined. Very rich coloring, with bright bluing around
the eyes. Any good url that has pictures I can start researching?
<Oh yes: fishbase.org The family Cichlidae is quite large... maybe
start with Spilurum, the various re-do's of the genus Cichlasoma...
and a very large pot of tea/coffee (to stay up late). Have fun.>
>and two young albino Oscars [about 7 months old, not true
albinos, >having >lots of darkness on their fins]
><Yes, "Gold" (xanthic) varieties> Excellent, thank
you:) ><Hmm do read over this (marine) piece on HLLE... and its
cure... can be >done with vitamin and iodide adjunct to their
foods: >http://wetwebmedia.com/hllefaqs.htm> These are the
articles I read over, and it seems always to pertain to salt water
tanks. Though I salt a bit heavy due to the HLLE [hoping this will keep
down the other parasites while they are under stress] it is by no means
brackish let alone salt. <The same causative mechanism/s exist in
both marine and freshwater... lack of essential nutrients>
><Let's discuss this issue to the point of clarity for you...
and >maybe >we'll generate a definitive article on
freshwater HLLE problems>. Be chatting. Bob Fenner> We are
discussing:) What I am wondering is what vitamins? What changes in
diet? <Mainly C and D, some E... and iodide (often termed
iodine)...> I feed them Tetramin's cichlids pellets and sticks.
Live feeders once a month. Frozen brine shrimp, occasionally blood
worms, crickets and other assorted 'make my fish happy and give
them treats food'. In the last few days, the babies have gotten to
look worse, with the 'caves' beginning to look reddish, as if
they are losing the last of the skin in those craters. I would like to
start treating them as soon as possible, but really need to know what
vitamins to give freshwater Oscars/cichlids. <There are prep.s that
are made/labeled for fishes et al. aquatics, but the compounds involved
are the same as for tetrapods (like you and me), so "baby
vitamins" (liquids) will do... or pet-fish ones like Micro-Vit,
Selcon... Add these to the food a few minutes before offering.>
Thank you Bob, for all your time and help on this issue. I am really
getting worried about them. cj. <Me too... do try the vitamins...
they can/will effect a reversal at this point. Bob Fenner>
Molly - Cory compatibility Doctor Fenner, <Call me Robare,
just not late for din din> My wife and I recently started an
aquarium in our apartment. While I was growing up, my grandfather was
an avid fish keeper, and it really rubbed off onto me. Finally, I have
a setup of my own, and we bought four beautiful black lyre tail mollies
to start. <Ah, great> I've heard from several sources that
Cory cats are good tank mates for mollies. However, I wanted to make
sure before I head out to my local aquarium shop that Corys can handle
the slightly harder water that mollies need. Thanks for your help!
<Yes, good question... "modern" Corydoras catfishes are
much more "plastic" (tolerant of wide, varying water
conditions) than those of yore. Will do fine with Mollies, even
tolerating a modicum of salt. Be chatting, Bob Fenner> Chris
Up late stressing about my four Corys <Ananda here this
late night/early morning, fielding the puffer questions...> I just
did what now seems to be a very stupid thing. I had an overflow of
snails so I read all about loaches and went to the local aquarium store
to buy myself a small pack of them, having read they where a schooling
fish. I was a little nervous about this and was easily manipulated by
the evil aquarium experts? <Always stick to your guns
when you have researched something...keep in mind that the people at
the store are trying to sell you something and that non-commercial web
sites about fish generally have the fishes' best interests at
heart.> Anyways they told me I would be better off buying a single
Puffer fish, and after asking what fish I already had in my aquarium
told me to add a teaspoon of rock salt per gallon of water to my
aquarium. <Knowing you had Corydoras catfish? Shame on them!!> It
has been a little over a week now and my Cory Catfish are not eating,
and I just read that Corys can not tolerate salt, <Usually not well
at all. I would do a 50% water change with no salt in the new
water.> but I now have a green spotted puffer fish as well. <Cute
and intelligent fish, requiring salt as they mature.> Tell me how to
safe my fishies without buying a second aquarium
please. :( <Oh my. That is difficult,
because the puffer needs salt, and the Corys can't tolerate it.
Very young green-spotted puffers (under 2" in length) can tolerate
freshwater for short periods. But your long-term solution is another
tank for the puffer.> <Best wishes, Ananda>
Panda Corys Hi. Are panda Corys compatible with other Corys
species? I have read they are sociable and like to be in a group. I
have one remaining panda having 6 that died. I want the panda to have
company but I do not like the fish store where I got the pandas from
and can't find pandas where I want to purchase...so I'm looking
at getting other Corydoras species. You think? Thanks Marty <Hey
Marty, they will do fine together. Corydoras are one of my
favorite fish. In my experience, I have noticed that
although they do not bother each other, they do stick with their
own. My Albino Corys hang out with the other Albinos, and
the Peppered Corys hang out with the other Peppered
Corys. What is interesting is the Albino Corys do not hang
out with the Bronze Corys even though they are both Corydoras Aeneus,
go figure. One thing you may want to look into is why the
other 6 died, that is not a good sign. fishbase.org is great for
information regarding water parameters and what not, the link below is
a fun Cory site. -Gage http://www.nettaigyo.com/corydoras/encyc/index-e.html
>
Panda Corys Thank you so much Gage. I will check out the info you
sent me. The fish store where I bought the pandas is not someplace I
want to frequent any longer. Their Corys had no barbels to speak of,
and the Corys were very little. I watched the guy catch them and it
looked like a slaughter rather than a netting. Marty <Good plan, no
barbels is a very bad sign. -Gage>
Pandas and Barbs Incompatible? Hi! I have a 10 gallon tank
with 2 striped barbs and 2 long-finned Danios. All 4 fish are about
1" in size. Tank has been cycled and water tested. They
have been living together for a few months now and get along great. I
do a 20-30% water change every week. The other day I added 2
small panda Corys. Right away, one striped barb started
chasing one of the Corys. This went on for a few days. Every
time the panda tried to rest, the barb would seek him out and chase
him. It only happened with one barb and one
panda. Also, the barbs were hogging all the food, so we
tried a sinking pellet for the pandas, but the barbs found that too and
devoured it! Needless to say, when I got home from work one
night, both pandas were dead. I took them out and did a water change
and the 4 original fish are back to normal. Will this happen
with any new fish I add or was there some incompatibility with the
panda and the barb? I feel like the barb harassed the pandas
to death!! < Some fish do get territorial and some barbs have been
known to become fin nippers. Next time do a water change and rearrange
the tank just before adding any new fish. This may help. Or you could
try to add numerous fish at the same time to help disperse the
aggression of the barbs.-Chuck> Thanks, Frances
Restocking, Learning - 08/25/2005 Hi WWM Crew,
<Hi, Wayne! Sabrina with you today.> I've been
emailing you a lot lately; sorry for the inconvenience because the
problems I've had seemed petty. <No worries.> I
thought Corys would be fine living with goldfish and mine have been
doing pretty well. But I was just informed I shouldn't
keep them together because of the different temperatures they live
in? <Quite true.> Anyways, I'm set on just
keeping them separate, maybe giving my biggest goldfish (about 2.5
inches) to a petstore, and restocking my tank with the peppered Corys
with fish that are compatible. <Sounds like a plan!> I have 4
peppered Corys in a 10 gallon tank so far. I think 1 female and 3 males
because one is significantly larger than the other 3. <Actually, a
good ratio, if you wish to breed.> They've been chasing her
around during these past few days. She (if it's a female) looks
like she's trying to swim away from them. Seems like they want to
mate with her. Is it stressful to her to be the only female in the
tank? <Not really.... Provided, of course, that there is
plenty of cover for her to hide.> I want to add maybe 2 more Corys
to the school nonetheless. Would that be too much for my
tank? <Pushing it, but they'll be
fine. Corys are VERY social animals.> I've also read
some stuff on freshwater livestock and compatibilities saying Tetras
(Neons, Cardinals, Black Skirts, Bloodfins, False Rummynose, and
Penguins), Platies, Loaches, and White Cloud Minnows? are good for a
community tank. <I would skip white clouds, as they are actually a
more temperate fish.... prefer cooler water.> I don't
want any more bottom feeders or fish that like to hang out on the
bottom. <Skip the loaches, then.> I'd prefer fish that stay
in the middle of the tank or the top. Also after reading about size and
water quantity, how big will tetras, platies, and loaches grow?
<Much variance for tetras.... depending upon species,
less than an inch to over a foot! Just research the species
you like. Platies, roughly 2". Loaches,
again, much variance.... from a couple inches to over a
foot. Again, research....> Do they live in the same water
conditions as my current Corys? <All but the platies, yes, but even
the platies will thrive with you.> Are there any other types of fish
I can think about putting in the tank other than the ones I listed?
<Uhh.... how big is this tank going to be??> I also
don't know how many of those fish I can add along with let's
say 6 peppered Corys already in the tank. <As above.... I
don't know the tank size (I do recall corresponding with you
before, but we go through sooooo many emails
daily.... Can't remember every
detail! Mostly, be sure not to go overboard on
stocking. It's always better to have too little than too
much bioload.> I don't want to have an overstocking problem like
I did with the goldfish. <Ahhhh, very good!> Thank you so much
and you guys have been very helpful! <Glad to be of service.>
I'm starting to understand more about fish care and also gaining
much needed knowledge for future the well being of any future fish!
<That, my friend, is why we are here. Thank you very
much.> Wayne <Wishing you well, -Sabrina>
Restocking, Learning - II - 08/26/2005 Hi Sabrina, <Hi,
Wayne!> Thanks for replying! I have a 10 gallon tank. I think it has
completed it's cycling phase, ammonia 0, nitrite 0, and nitrate
looks like 20ppm maybe slightly more. <Best to get the nitrate down
some with water changes - but otherwise, great.> I have a bubble
wall and an action pirate ship bubbler. <No other
cover? I'd recommend adding more stuff for the Corys
(and future fish) to help them feel secure and be able to "get
away" from one another. Plants (plastic or live,
low-light plants), rock, even very clean, new terra cotta plant
pots.> My filter is a hang on back Whisper 20 Power Filter and my
tank temperature (and also room temp) is 78 - 82 degrees. When it
starts to get colder I'll drop the heater in. <Perfect.> I
have the 4 peppered Corys already in that tank and was just wondering
how many fish (Corys, Neons probably, or platies unless there are other
types that will thrive comfortable even after they are fully grown)
<I'd go for platies, honestly. They are MUCH more
entertaining - and durable - than Neons. Neons can be very,
very delicate and sensitive to any changes in water
quality. Platies are VERY forgiving, especially in regards
to pH, hardness, and nitrate. Plus, they come in SO many
great colors/patterns.> Are panda Corys more delicate than peppered
Corys because <Not really.> I love the way they look. <Me,
too.> If they are too delicate, I would probably skip buying them
and just add 1 or 2 more peppered Corys. <Well, platies are
schoolers and like to be in hoards of their own species (literally, can
find them in schools of hundreds, maybe thousands, in the wild!), but
they'll play well with other species, too. Pandas are my
favorite, as well. You could mix these two.> I visited
Petco today and if Neons would do well in my 10 gallon tank I saw some
neat tetras that were an inch or less in length. The only probably is
that they school and I'll have to get at least 5? (read somewhere
odd numbers were best) for them to feel comfortable? <Mm, the odd
number thing is bologna - it's just important to have them in a
school of several. Again, I'd do platies instead of
tetras, here; if you're totally bent on having Neons, yeah, no less
than five.> I would like to add some color (blue, red, orange, etc)
to my tank that are not bottom dwellers. <Yup, you want
platies! Err, at least, they satisfy your color desires
:) A trio of platies and your small group of Corys would do
well in this tank, provided you keep water quality in check.> Lost
interest in goldfish because of how messy they are. <Ahh, dig a
pond! You'll get interested again right
away. Goldfish are AWESOME, given the proper
environment. Wishing you well, -Sabrina>
Restocking - III? IV? - 08/30/2005 Hi WWM Crew, <Hi,
Wayne! Ya got me again!> Sabrina answered my last couple
of emails about restocking my tank and I didn't give a complete
description of what's in my tank (sorry). <No worries.> My
Tank: 10 gallon AquaClear All Glass Tank Light Hood Whisper 20 Power
Filter w/ Biofoam (this black foam that slips in front of the filter
cartridge) Whisper 10 - 30 air pump A bubble wall An action pirate ship
bubbler 10 plastic plants of different kinds (small - medium) Small
fake log with silk plants attached Small Easter Island Statue Small
natural color shallow creek pebbles (I think) <Sounds like plenty of
great cover for the Corys to feel safe.> I currently have 4
Corydoras paleatus, 3 males about 1 inch long and a female about 1.5
inches long, look like they are doing great. I had 2 of them for a
couple of months now and the other 2 for a month or 2. My tank has a
regular temperature of 78 to 82 degrees and when winter time rolls
around I'll drop a heater in to maintain a steady temp. The ammonia
is 0, nitrite is 0, and nitrate is rising but I am doing water changes
to keep it down around 20ppm. <Try to get this lower -
otherwise it sounds awesome so far.> Now I would like to start
adding more fish to the mix. From reading/receiving information from
your site, I've narrowed my choices down to a couple fish I would
like to add to my tank. I definitely want to add a couple more Corys,
either panda Corys or peppered Corys, to my 4 peppered Corys.
<Either would be fine, I think.> For tetras, I like Black
Phantoms, Flame, Glowlights, Lemon, and Pristella and for Rasboras, I
like the Harlequin and Scissortail. If I were to get panda
Corys, how many would I need to get for it to feel comfortable around
my peppered Corys. I'm afraid one panda Cory wouldn't school
with the other peppered Corys. <Agreed; your best bet is to stick
with peppered Corys, and plan some day in the future to go with a
larger tank and do a same- or similarly-sized school of pandas.> As
for the tetras and Rasboras, how many could I get so as not to
overstock my 10 gallon tank. I learned the hard way before with an
overstock of goldfish. <So many people do! Don't feel
alone in this!> I know tetras and Rasboras like to be kept in a
school of 5 or more. <If at all possible, yes.> Is it possible
for me to get at least 2 different types of fish without overstocking
my tank? I am thinking of around 5 - 7 Corys total and 2 different
schools of tetras and/or Rasboras with 5 or more in each school. <I
would go with the 5-7 Corys and one type of tetra or
Rasbora.... And just five of those. A 10g tank
just isn't forgiving on water quality once you begin to reach the
stocking limits. And again, if possible, consider a larger
tank in the future.... some time down the
road.... to have more options.> If you have any other
combinations and amounts of the types of fish I could keep I would
really appreciate it! <Just as above - pick your favorite of your
list (possibly omitting the Pristellas for their pretty harsh
aggression) and go with five or six of those. Then in the
future, when you're addicted and go up to a 29g or 55g tank,
well.... the possibilities are nearly endless!> Thanks
again WWM Crew! <And thanks for being such a great, conscientious
fishkeeper.> Wayne <Wishing you well, -Sabrina>
125g Plant Tank, Inhabitants, Compatibilities - 10/22/2005 -
Sabrina Learns Hawaiian - 10/23/05 Hi, <Aloha! Sabrina with you
today, soon to be leaving Hawai'i to head back home....> Thanks
for all your help in the past in assisting me with my F/W Planted
Discus aquarium. It has been set up now for about three months and has
been doing well. I just have a few short questions. First I'll give
you the tank specs. * 125 Gallon tank- glass * 1 -Rena XP3 Canister
Filter * 1 -48" Coralife Double Bulb Compact Fluorescent Light *
1- 24" All-Glass Double Bulb fluorescent Light * 100-150 Assorted
Live Plants * 2- Large Pieces of Driftwood * 3-4" of a Mix of
Fluorite and Eco-Complete Planted Aquarium Substrate * 2- 300 Watt Via
Aqua Steel Thermometers * 6- Small/Medium Discus- about 3-4" * 6-
Lemon Tetras * 20- Cardinal Tetras * 6- "Golden Wonder"
Killies- about 2" * 20- Grass Shrimp * 50 Small Snails- I tried to
keep them out of the tank! * 2-Large Common Plecos- 6" * 1- Small
Common Pleco * 2-Clown Plecos * 6- Assorted Small Corydoras Cats
(Julii, Emerald, Panda) * 6- Dwarf African Frogs * 12- "Oto"
Cats * pH- 7 * Nitrate- 20ppm * Nitrite- 0ppm * Ammonia- 0ppm * 30%
Water Change every Saturday So, my questions are these: Can I add six
German Blue Rams to the mix? <Mm, in all honesty, I would not.>
Also, can I add six more Corydoras Cats and two more "Bushy
Nose" Plecos? <The Corys, yes, but the plecs I would be a bit
concerned about, since you already have several of two species. If you
add these, do so with extreme caution and be prepared to remove
immediately.> What is the best way to remove a green mat algae- I
think it's Cyanobacteria? <Mostly just nutrient control.... In
your case, you might want to explore the amount of light, needs of your
plants, amount of CO2 and fertilization you
use.... I heartily recommend a book called "Encyclopedia of
Aquarium Plants" by (don't laugh) Peter Hiscock (I love that
name, really I do!). You can likely gain a lot from this book. Aside
from that, it's a pleasant read.>
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