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FAQs on Callichthyid Catfish Systems 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 Compatibility,
Callichthyid Selection,
Callichthyid Feeding,
Callichthyid Disease,
Callichthyid Reproduction, Catfish: Identification,
Behavior, Compatibility,
Selection, Systems,
Feeding, Disease,
Reproduction, |
MD.JPG)
Gunther Sterba's Corydoras at the 08 Interzoo.
For all your catfish needs check out planetcatfish.com. |
Substrate for Cory Cats - 8/19/08
Hello, all!
<Hello! Merritt here today before the dreaded school days start again!>
I would like to add some Cory cats to my 14 gallon tank that currently houses a
female Betta. Why do some sources say minimum tank size for Corys is 10 gallons
and others sources say 30 gallons? Is this more for water quality or the fish's
activity?
<Good question. The Corys that I have had over the years have been contained in
tanks smaller than 15 gallons but the species I kept did not get any bigger than
4.5 cm. I know some that can get bigger than 7 cm thus, a larger tank would be
beneficial for them. All aquarium fish need excellent water quality. I would not
worry about the size of your tank, 14 gallons will be fine. Just focus on the
size your Corys that you will eventually get. You could easily have the ones
that get up to 5 cm in your tank. Also, Corys are not very active fish, mine are
at their peak of activity during feeding when the scavenging is good.>
Anyway, should I be able to get the Corys... I currently have a pebble
substrate, about 1/4" in size. I was thinking about switching this to a sand
substrate for the Cory cats, because I don't know if they will be able to search
for food in the pebbles. Is sand a better choice than the pebbles? If so, what
kind? I read the "Nice Bottoms" article and it sounded like silica sand would be
good for the cats, but other articles and questions I have looked at say
otherwise. Some info states Black Tahitian sand as being smooth, others as being
sharp. So, I am utterly confused by what to do here. Not sure that I can use any
other types of sands with these fish. Any suggestions? Also, if silica sand is
appropriate, where can I find it?
<The only substrate that I use with my Corys is pebble substrate. They can and
do find food easily with their barbels in the pebbles. Sand is a great substrate
for Corys, because the fish can bury and dig in the sand, nothing is happier
than a Cory in sand. If you want to switch to a sand substrate I would us the
silica sand mainly for personal preference. The black Tahitian sand is more
expensive, from what I have seen, than the silica sand. And many chose the black
because they want a darker substrate for their tanks. The silica sand will not
make the water alkaline and Corys prefer their water to be slightly acidic.
Silica sand is mainly used with reptiles, so you need to be looking in
unfamiliar territory. Just rinse the sand thoroughly before putting it in your
tank.>
One last thing - the tank has cycled. Will changing the substrate completely
ruin this? Or can I count on the bio-wheel and other surfaces in the tank to
keep everything in check?
<Mmm... Just to be safe, I would recycle the tank. It can't hurt.>
Thanks for the help, again!
Amy
<You are welcome! Merritt A.>
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FW Blk. sand,
Callichthyid/Corydoras sys. 2/13/08
Hi Guys.
Do you know of any black sand that is safe for Corys? I've heard mixed reviews
about the Tahitian Moon Sand and I love these little guys too much to just put
something in because it looked cool. I'm setting up a 225G so I don't want to
make the wrong decision.
I'm pretty new to this, though I'm already smitten.
Great work.
Best,
John
<I can't offer any specific brands of black sand. Tahitian Moon Sand is
apparently made from glass, and that's presumably why it isn't recommended for
catfish. In theory any smooth, non-calcareous sand should be suitable. I use
silica sand with Corydoras and it works great. Over here in England such sand is
quite widely sold, though expensive. I must confess to being cheap and using the
plain yellow stuff from garden centres. Cheers, Neale.>
Re: black sand
2/14/08
Thanks Neale.
<John,>
Nice to know you're from England.
I'm a defected Scouser living in Los Angeles.
<Move all that distance to get some peace and quiet, and then the
Beckhams follow you! No justice.>
Thanks for the info.
John.
<Good luck, Neale.>
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Black Sand....The search continues - Attention Neale
4/29/08
Hi Neale,
<Amanda,>
I do hope all is going well with both yourself and all your fish.
<Pretty much; thanks for asking.>
As you can probably tell from my subject heading I am still searching for black
sand (previous correspondence is attached because I'm sure you don't remember
every e-mail you've ever answered). It's never taken me so long before to set up
an aquarium, stock it maybe, but never just set it up. I've collected a dusting
of black sand from my LFS (they're
great, very helpful). Apparently about 6 years ago black onyx (??) sand was all
the rage here in Australia and they still had a couple cups left from setting up
display tanks that they kindly gave to me. However, the supplier they got it
from has gone out of business. So now I have the finest dusting of black sand
over the bottom of my tank and the search continues. I am now certain that
'proper' black sand exists nowhere in Queensland. I have found several things
that claim to be black sand but one thing I can guarantee....it is not sand for
aquarium use. I have found a couple stores in Victoria that stock 'CaribSea
Tahitian Moon Sand' (for an astronomical price) but all they show is a picture
of the bag.
<Never used this sand personally, but is said to be safe to use in freshwater
tanks. However, CaribSea themselves do not recommend using it with burrowing
fish, likely because the grains are rather sharp (it's really a type of glass
by-product from some industrial process).
http://www.caribsea.com/pages/products/super_nat.html
So personally, I wouldn't use it with Corydoras.>
I've called the stores and asked them about it but they've been less then
helpful with describing it to me and I am loathe to spend $100 to buy the sand
(9kg is the only size bag I've been able to find here) and have it shipped (for
an additional $50) to me only to find out it's not what I'm chasing. I have no
issues spending the money if it's what I want. So my question is: Have you ever
seen this CaribSea Tahitian Moon Sand and if you have is it the type of sand
that I've been searching for (specifically something my Corydoras will enjoy
foraging in)?
<I have to say Corydoras seem to be among the fish that *don't* change their
colors, and my specimens absolutely love plain vanilla silica (silver) sand from
the garden centre. The smooth grade of this stuff (as opposed to the "sharp"
sand) is sold here for about £3 per 25 kg. It is very widely used by gardeners
and should be cheap and easy to obtain.>
Thank you for you're help. After all this I might have to send you a picture of
the final setup. I am thinking a school of Pseudomugil mellis, or possibly P.
gertrudae may look rather stunning with a school of one of the more heat
tolerant Corydoras species.
<Pseudomugil are indeed lovely fish. Only occasionally do they get to the UK,
but I have seen Pseudomugil gertrudae here recently. As for heat-tolerant
Corydoras, Corydoras sterbai is the species of choice. As you seem to realize,
most Corydoras are happiest at relatively mild temperatures, typically around
21-24 C.>
Cheers
Amanda
<Cheers, Neale.>
Re: Black Sand....The search continues - Attention Neale
Hi Neale,
<Amanda,>
Thanks for the reply and the link. I'm not quite sure how I managed to
not think of looking up CaribSea directly to find out more about it.
<Indeed!>
It's good to know that the sand colour won't make a difference to the
colour of the Corydoras. That having been said I've been imagining some
species of Pseudomugil which could potentially look stunning with a
black substrate. That combined with the fact that I quite enjoy the
antics of Corydoras and would love to see them happy in sand is keeping
me on the black sand search (might have something to do with my slightly
obsessive compulsive nature as well). I have not ruled out the
possibility of importing it (I know probably seems a bit excessive to
most people, but hey, got to keep the fish happy, plus my husband hasn't
said no....yet.....) my brother lives in the DC area in the States and
he could have better luck finding something then I am.
<Hmm... I think importing sand will be insanely expensive. Quite
possibly collecting some river sand and making sure it doesn't have much
lime content might be easier. If you're already collecting your own
fish, finding a nice substrate shouldn't be difficult. On the other
hand, do remember that the colour of silica sand depends quite a lot on
the arrangement of the tank. If you have a lot of plants that cover the
surface (such as Vallisneria trailing up and across the surface) the
sand looks a lot darker. When I use this sand in planted tanks, I find
the colour becomes far less objectionable than you might assume,
especially once there's a bit of algae covering the grains as well. I'd
suggest trying that approach for now, and simply replace the sand as and
when you find a dark sand you like.>
Pseudomugil are indeed a lovely fish. I fell in love with them the first
time I saw them. I have a small collection but would love to get a few
of the less common specie. I have a breeding tank of P. gertrudae (which
was why I was thinking I might put some in the new tank, see how they
colour up). I also have schools of both P. signifer and P. tenellus in
two other tanks. Collected those ones myself. I've been waiting for an
opportunity to get some P. mellis (they can be a bit harder to come by)
but the ones I really want are the P. cyanodorsalis. Unfortunately
they've been a bit scarce in the supply lists of late. I've been toying
with the idea of going up north to Darwin or out west to Broome on a
collection trip haven't decided yet though if I'll keep them fresh or
brackish. I've heard of people having success with both but want to talk
to a few more people about it, see which way I'll have the most success.
<Do try and read Bruce Hansen's chapter on Australian Fishes in my
brackish book. He does discuss Pseudomugil alongside lots of other small
species that would work well. Not all Pseudomugil need brackish water,
as you appreciate, but species like Ps. signifer really do well in it.
If you're into native Oz fishes, chances are you've come across Bruce's
work already; he knows his stuff, and my conversations with him are
always very rewarding. Do also consider getting in touch with ANGFA;
they may well have information on native sources of sand and other
decorative materials suitable for this sort of aquarium.
http://www.angfa.org.au/intro.html
To be honest, I'm pretty jealous of Australian fishkeepers: there are so
many wonderful species. I just hope all those "accidental" releases of
goldfish and the like don't cause too much damage in the long term. The
Australian fish fauna is amazing: with a couple of exceptions (lungfish,
Arowanas) its made up entirely of brackish/marine fishes that have
secondarily adapted to life in completely freshwater environments. We
only very rarely see these fish here in the UK, mostly rainbowfish and
occasionally a few gobies, blue-eyes and glassfish.>
Look at me go on about blue-eyes. Thank you for your help. Will continue
on my search.
Cheers!
Amanda
<Best wishes, Neale.>
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Corydoras ID
-11/18/07
Lord, I hate to bother you all again. But I've spent several days at
planetcatfish.com trying to ID this little Corydoras catfish and can't
seem to find what he/she is.
I ordered Corydoras trilineatus and 2 of these came in the same batch.
I'm putting them all in the 125 gal with the Severum (after 4 wks
quarantine). I'd like to get a few more of this species because I
noticed Corys seem to hang out with their own species pretty often and I
want them to be comfortable. If you can ID him for me I'd certainly be
grateful and so would the little Cory. Thank you all, you're the most
wonderful group of volunteers I've ever encountered.
Mitzi
<Hello Mitzi. Your catfish could well be Corydoras trilineatus. As you
perhaps realise, Corydoras trilineatus and Corydoras julii are routinely
mixed up. In fact many catfish experts reckon that most of the fish sold
as Corydoras julii are actually Corydoras trilineatus. The give-away is
the head: Corydoras trilineatus has black worm-like markings on its
head, whereas Corydoras julii has discrete, approximately circular
spots. Because your fish doesn't seem to have those spots on its head, I
don't think it is Corydoras julii. I agree with you that Corydoras are
happiest in big groups. Six specimens seems to be the minimum to really
get the most from them. Kept like that, they are less shy and more
entertaining, as well as easier to breed. Thanks for the kind words, and
hope this helps. Cheers, Neale.>
Corydoras ID/tank height -11/18/07
I have a PS to the email below I just sent. I just read a quote from
Neale at wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/callcatdisfaq2.htm saying
"<Circulation of the water is important. But also how deep is the tank?
Corydoras are obligate air breathers, and they will literally drown in
an aquarium too deep for them. For the smaller species, around 30 cm is
about right. Anything over 45 cm is dodgy, in my opinion.>"
This had occurred to me before but now I'm extremely concerned. The 125
gal tank I planned to put 12 Corydoras into is 22" tall (or 60 cm). Is
that going to be too tall for them?? If it is I'll just buy them a 40
gal long and put some Hatchet fish in with them.
Just when I think I'm done worrying I find out I'm not :-( I'd love to
hear your opinions.
Mitzi
<Hello Mitzi. In deep tanks, small Corydoras may struggle to reach the
surface. In a plain aquarium, 45 cm may be taken as a safe depth of
water for medium- to large-sized species like Corydoras panda and
Corydoras aeneus. Smaller species, like Corydoras hastatus, shouldn't
really be kept at more than 30 cm depth. In deeper tanks, it's generally
recommended you go with Brochis rather than Corydoras spp; Brochis are
altogether stronger swimmers and naturally come from relatively deep
waters. Corydoras are very much shallow water fish that inhabit creeks
and streams rather than rivers. My peppered Corydoras live in a tank
where the water is about 40 cm deep, and they seem fine. What I have
noticed is they often rest half-way on stiff plants such as Anubias. So,
if your tank is unusually deep, you might incorporate such resting
places so that their life isn't too difficult. Do note that I'm talking
about the depth of water rather than the depth of the tank; by the time
you allow for the depth of substrate and the air space at the top of the
tank, your 60 cm aquarium will likely only contain around 50 cm of water
depth. While still deeper than the optimum, with a few robust plants,
bogwood roots, or rocky ledges, your catfish should be fine. Cheers,
Neale.> |
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Cory Cat Addition 2/25/07
Hi,
<Hello.>
my name is Colleen McCarthy,
<My name is Adam J. but my friends just call me Action.>
and I have a male betta in a 2.5 gal tank.
<Neat.>
i was wondering if you think adding a Cory catfish or two would be okay.
<Mmm...not in this size tank.>
thanks,
<Of course.>
colleen
<Adam J.>
Re: Cory Cat Addition – 2/25/07
well what is the minimum size tank for 2 or 3 together?
<The ideal setting would be at least a 10 gallon standard tank with some fake or
live plant coverage for hiding...5 at a minimum in my experience.>
colleen
<Adam J.>
Salinity Woes 11/27/06
I recently bought 1 Pleco (3 inch), 3 Cory Cats (1inch), an Iridescent Shark
(2 inch), and a Colombian Shark (2 inch) for my 55 gal. aquarium. I know that
the sharks will outgrow this tank. <Yep> My question deals with the salinity
of the water, as I found out (after the fact) that the Colombian Shark will
prefer a brackish/marine environment as it matures. How much salinity will my
other fish tolerate? Thanks!
Kevin R.
<Not much/any for the Corys and Pleco. This mix is not viable for the long
term.>
<Chris>
Catfish Questions 8/12/06
Hello WWM Crew; Thanks so much for your great help with my marine reef
questions in the past! In addition to my 350 gallon marine reef system I also
have a couple of
freshwater tanks which I have had for the last four years or so. Here's a
freshwater question you never received before! I recently obtained seven little
darling Corydoras adolphi which are now doing great in my QT tank. I have had
them for about a week and in another three weeks or so I will be placing them in
my 75 gallon "Amazon" tank. The Corys are currently kept in water with a PH of
6.4 - 6.6, which is approximately the same PH as in my main "Amazon" tank. My
question is this: Where can I obtain some reliable information about these
little guys. I have all the usual reference books, but not a single one even
mentions this species. Google shows only a few entries, none of which are of any
help to me. I realize there are about 140-150 different species of Corys, all of
which are from various parts of South America and living in waters from a PH of
about 5 to a PH of about 6.8-7.0. I would really like to take good care of these
critters, but how do you suggest I do that without knowing anything about them?
(Other, of course, than "all Corys are about the same" - which is definitely not
the case!) I hope you can steer me in the right direction. Thank you very much.
Tage Blytmann
< For all your catfish needs check out planetcatfish.com. Just type in the
species name under the search and read away.-Chuck>
Salt tolerance of Cory Cats 5/28/06
Hello Crew!
<<Hi, Jasmine. Tom here.>>
I understand that the salt tolerance of catfish in general is very poor.
<<It's true that Catfish don't have a tolerance for salt at levels that other
fish can tolerate quite well.>>
I have some Otos, Bronze Corys and Panda Corys.
<<I love these guys, Jasmine. The Pandas tend to be a little less "robust" than
other Corydoras varieties but they're sure cute. :)>>
For future reference when the situation eventuates, how much aquarium salt would
you recommend for these fish for a) prevention of nitrite poisoning and b)
disease treatment.
<<Regarding (a), don't let this situation "eventuate". In a cycled tank, with
proper maintenance, it simply shouldn't occur. As to (b), this isn't,
unfortunately, an option because of the dosages necessary to be effective. The
"cure" would be as bad as the disease, in a manner of speaking. Even with all of
the benefits to be derived from the addition of aquarium salt, in your case, I'm
reluctant to advise this. Neither of the instances you cite would lead me to
recommend its use given that there are alternatives should the occasion arise. I
hope it never does, though. ;)>>
Thanks for your help!
Jasmine
<<Happy to, Jasmine. Tom>>
Mini Cory capacity - 04/19/2006
Hi...
<Tom with you.>
How many Corydoras habrosus can I keep? I have a 5.5 gal tank, 2 mos. old with 7
habrosus, and I want to keep this a species tank (and I
have no room for a bigger tank).
<I like your thinking on keeping a species tank. A good plan for these little
critters.>
I have an Eheim Liberty filter rated for 20 gallons (the fish love the current)
and a jungle of live plants (I keep about 1/4-1/5 of the substrate clear of
plants and
there is a small flat rock in the center of the clearing).
<All sounds quite good...>
Since the cycle finished, the ammonia and nitrite have stayed at zero, and the
nitrates have not gone above 5 ppm but are usually at undetectable levels. I do
a 20-40% water change weekly and use that occasion to siphon up plant detritus.
<Excellent! You could give lessons. :)>
I have decided there are just too many plants, so I am going to remove some. The
remainder that will stay in the tank will be 3
Anubias nana, 3 betta-bulb no-name Aponogetons, 2 banana plants, 3 smallish
bundles of Java ferns, a few small stems of elodea, and about
20 Frogbits. Apart from the fact that there currently are too many leaves and
banana plant stems and Aponogeton flowers tangled
everywhere, the fish seem very happy and healthy even though I do tend to
overfeed them.
<Your water parameters don't indicate that you're overfeeding and the fish
aren't complaining...>
So how many total habrosus do you think this tank can carry, considering the
high filtration, plant density, and good water numbers?
<A good question. Translation: You've just handed me a "hot potato". In your
care, very specifically? I'd say you could possibly double the number of these
Corys in your tank. Answering this question for the average hobbyist? I'd feel
it prudent to tell you that you're "maxed out" at seven, or eight, in a 5.5G
tank.>
Habrosus seem extremely clean and I've seen tiny poops lying around only maybe
4-5 times in 2 mos. The kicker is that I have to
order them in batches of 10, which as you know can be as many as 12 in reality.
(I have 7 only because the box got delayed in transit.)
<Is there a reputable LFS near you that can place a "special order"?>
So here is my thought process: Can my tank easily handle another 12 right now,
because with cories the more the merrier?
<Not what I would recommend. Good Lord willing, you'd get 12 healthy animals and
that would be too many for this size tank.>
If not (which is what I suspect) then what about when I get natural attrition in
a couple of years, how few fish should I have before I order another box,
because I don't want the survivors to be stressed from being lonely?
<12 to 14 would be "tops" in my opinion. Without trying to be the proverbial
"wet blanket", more harm than good is occasionally done when an aquarist feels
that
his/her fish needs a friend or, friends. Better to understock than overstock.>
I really don't want to crowd this tank, and my reading suggests that for cories
the lower the nitrates the better... but it would be nice to get a
sense of how soon I can order another 10-12. Your thoughts on the maximum total
number?
<Once again, I would recommend finding a reputable store that can order a
specified number of fish for you. My best to you. Tom>
Re: Thanks, Tom Re: mini Cory capacity
- 04/23/06
<<Tom>>
I appreciate your detailed reply. I truly needed to get an experienced
person's perspective on this. These little guys have completely
exceeded all my expectations for how much fun they'd be to watch and I
really want to keep them happy and healthy, so thank you!
<<Glad to help. You've made this both a challenge and a pleasure by
being so attentive and conscientious about your pets. My best to you. Tom>
Gravel change for (Callichthyid) catfish? 1/10/06
I've never kept cats before, and recently acquired two smaller (one ~2", one
~1.5") Brochis splendens. Several sources recommend using "soft" gravel to
protect their barbs, and the tank I have the Splendens (along with a small
shoal of Danios who cycled the tank for me) has what is probably
inappropriate gravel - the cheap, plastic-coated "Top Fin" brand aquarium
gravel. I had some laying around from a few tanks ago so I threw it in
rather than have nothing.
My question is twofold: Firstly, what sort of gravel or substrate do you
recommend for use with cats,
<With Callichthyids... small (1/8" diameter or less nominal), roundish, natural
gravels... of chondritic, metamorphic origin... Most "natural aquarium gravels"
for freshwater, whether coated or not are of this nature>
and second, how do you reckon I ought to change
it out without stressing the fish too badly? It seems like scooping out the
fish into a temporary bucket full of tank water and doing it all at once
would be the best way.
<Vacuuming all out with a large/r diameter siphon works out best for me in most
cases... even if I have to "decant", replace the siphoned, settled water a few
times to get all the present gravel. for very large systems, dumping the tank
and its inhabitants and scooping out the gravel is easier.
Thanks,
C. Hale
<Welcome. Bob Fenner>
Doomed Corydoras
Hi WWM crew . . . haven't emailed you in a while (thankfully).
My main problem is, that no matter how hard I try, my Cory cats never seem to prosper. It's so frustrating since
Corys are my favorite fish.
<Mine too>
No matter what conditions I keep them in, they eventually die, lose their barbels, or remain stunted (never mature from 1 inch juveniles). I have acquired some beautiful harder-to-get species, such as similis "violet",
xinguiensis, caudimaculatus, and trilineateus. I used to have six xinguensis (now five? or four?), and have two
similis, caudimaculatus, and Trilineatus each. I assume that it is not for lack of company that they are dying. They seemed to lose their barbels on a
Fluorite substrate, so I switched them to a bare-bottom tank. The current tank: 10 gallons, sponge-filtered, a few plastic plants, one female
Betta, rather warm (80-82 degrees). Every so often one of them, such as the
xingus, will die suddenly. I can transfer them to a currently empty 75 gallon tank . . . I just really really wish to breed them, see them grow up and prosper . . . and live. My problems that I can see is the warm water temp . . . the infrequent feeding . . . and the rather dirty tank bottom. Thanks for your time and info!
<Arghhh, your breaking my heart. I love the little guys, their selfless devotion to cleaning your gravel, the way they wink at you when you stare at them long enough, ok I'm done. For starters, what are your water parameters? If you are serious about breeding them you will need to set up a tank for them, and them only. Like you said "warm water temp . . . the infrequent feeding . . . and the rather dirty tank bottom" this will cause problems. 82 is a little high, you will need to vary the temp depending upon the type of
Cory, but high 70's is a good starting point. These guys love live worms, I feed mine shrimp/algae wafers and left over frozen food, but I am not trying to breed them. 10gal is a little small, a 20gal long is a good start. With good water quality and good food you should be ok. You might try starting with a more common
Cory instead of shelling out the cash for the rare ones. Use the google search tool on our site and google.com to find more information on
Cory care and breeding. Good luck, Gage>
Re: the doomed Corydoras ...
Thanks for the speedy reply!
I have a few more questions to clarify, sorry. Will Corys be happy with members of other species? Should I get more of each species? As I said, I have several pairs of different species in my tank. This is because I bought them at a local aquarium society auction. This is great as there are many dedicated
Cory breeders who can provide us with many healthy, rarer, and more-or-less cheap (about $3 each) specimens. The 10 gallon was intended to be a quarantine tank, but I don't want to move them to the 75 gallon, as they look so small and delicate. Perhaps I should add a small bio-wheel power filter? (I've got an extra one lying around) My water parameters are:
nitrites - 20, and pH 7.8 (with "Amazon" buffer), KH 3, dh 2. My tap water is supposedly very soft, with no fluoride and hardly any (if at all) chlorine/chloramines. One of the perks of living in Hawaii! Of course the water is too warm
<If I recall you mentioned your water was around 82, this is not terrible, but I would not go much higher>
. . . Well I will do more water changes, feed them twice a day,
<They love worms!>
add a fan . . . and hopefully see them grow to 2 and 3 inch maturity. Thanks for your help . . . Trisha.
<Hey Trisha, great idea with the QT tank, it's the only way to go. I would however add the filter (the more the merrier), and keep up on water changes. Nitrates are really high, they should be around 0 I am guessing that ammonia is high too. How long has the QT tank been set up? Sounds like it is rather new. I would still be sure to use some sort of water conditioner to remove chlorine and chloramines, your Amazon buffer may do this, I am not sure. What other fish do you have in the 75gal? These fish are pretty tough for their size. Corys will get along with other species of
Corys, but would be happier with more of the same. In the wild they like to hang out in shoals of about 50, not always easy to recreate in the home aquarium.
Gage>
Are my Corys stressed?
Hi there,
I'm new to tropical fish having had a cold water system for a few years. I have
a small setup of about 8 (UK) gallons - yes I know it's odd! I'm currently
cycling my system with 4 Trilineatus Corys.
I've had them for a week now but I'm really worried that they're not happy. They
don't stay at the bottom of the tank; they swim in the middle and up and down
the sides of the tank and only go to the bottom when they're hungry. Now I've
noticed that their gills are going pink. I've done ammonia tests and the levels
are 0. What am I doing wrong? I don't want to lose them -they're too cute! Can
you help please? Thanks, Sau
<Hi Sau, Yes, if you are cycling your tank it is producing Ammonia and then
nitrites, both of which are deadly to fish. Cycling means that the nitrogen
cycle is establishing itself and producing these wastes. You should
be testing for ammonia/nitrites and the final product nitrates. Please
read more about the nitrogen cycle at WetWebMedia.com and perform regular water
changes to relieve your fish from these wastes. This should help,
Craig>
Re: are my Corys stressed?
Hi Craig,
Thanks for the advice, I'll get reading. Since last emailing, I've tested for
ammonia, nitrite and Ph. Ammonia is 0 and Nitrite 0.1 and Ph is 8.6. Could the
alkaline water be bothering them? Their gills are still pink.
<These fish are sensitive to hard water. This may be your problem.>
I also wonder why they are so jumpy. They flinch and hide every time I lift the
hatch to feed them and swim up and down the front of the tank constantly. Do you
think they're scared at the moment because there are not many fish in the tank?
<No, I suspect nitrites, ammonia if there is nitrite, and also hard water
indicated by 8.6pH.
I was going to buy two more Corys this weekend so they had a bigger family to
shoal with and perhaps not be so scared. Do you think this is a good idea?
Thanks for helping, Sau
<After addressing the current situation, yes, but I wouldn't until then.
Check out http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/callichthyids.htm
There is lots of info you need there, especially health, source and water
issues. Craig>
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>
Fluorite and Corydoras
I am planning to start a 37 gallon tank with angelfish and Corydoras. I have the
plants planted in fluorite. Is the fluorite okay for the Corydoras or will it
hurt their barbells? Marc
<Hi, Marc - it's not so much their barbels I'd be worried about, but their
soft, scaleless bellies.... Fluorite is pretty sharp stuff, and I
think that is a good concern. Would you consider covering the
fluorite with a thin layer of smooth gravel? If you get gravel of a
slightly larger size, it should primarily stay on top of the fluorite, even when
you siphon/vacuum. Wishing you well, -Sabrina>
Fluorite and Corydoras, II
Sabrina,
I've pretty much decided to switch the fluorite out for Eco-Complete.
<A much more 'roundy' plant tank substrate, probably much nicer on Cory bellies!>
I might reserve one section of the tank for some Tahitian moon sand, too.
<Do keep in mind, sand will ultimately settle beneath the Eco-Complete; you
may never get a chance to enjoy it, really. Might want to think about
a gravel of a slightly larger diameter than the plant substrate, and just laying
a thin layer over the top.>
Thanks for the help. Marc
<You bet. Wishing you, your plants and Corys well, -Sabrina>
Will Epsom Salt hurt Panda Corydoras?
Thanks, Chuck, but you didn't answer my main question. Would Epsom salt hurt
panda Cory cats?
< Corydoras come from very soft acidic water with no salt in it at all.
Depending on how much salt you add with have an affect on the amount of
irritation and discomfort you cats will be subjected too. If you fish are wild
then I would not recommend adding any salt to their water at all. Domesticated
or tank raised fish are more tolerant to salt being raised in confined
conditions so a little can probably be tolerated.-Chuck>
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 soooooo 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 femal
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, Glowlites, 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>
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