A Cory is a cory is a cory?

[davidaguiar]

I have a 30 gallon tank with 5 Julii cory catfish and was thinking of getting a few more. Is it OK to mix different species of catfish? For example, would it be better to get two more Juliis, or could I get a couple of a different species. I've seen Pandas in the LFS and they seem so cool! I just worry that they wouldn't hang out with the Juliis!

[snakeskinner]

I don't know of any cory's that will be agressive but they may not really hang out together. I have 4 medium sized bronze cory's in my 55 gallon and added 2 small peppered cory's from another tank at a later date and they will intermingle from time to time but usually the peppered stay with each other and don't pay much attention to the bronze cory's. My wife has 2 bandit's in her 10 gallon and they prettymuch stay side by side wherever they go. In my 36 gallon I have a small skunk and an even smaller "peppered bandit" (can't really figure out what species it is) and they will hang out together but for some reason, the peppered one gets confused from time to time and thinks he's an upside down cat and swims topwater. He usually does this for a few hours and then heads back to the substrate in search of a meal. He actually ate flake food from the surface yesterday. Kind of comical actually. My larger bronze cory's have become very nocturnal. They stay among a bedding plant during the day but I can see them going to town at night. I know some species get larger than others but I don't know of any that get really big and havn't seen any that don't tolerate other cories. I'd just get whatever you like and don't worry about them mixing unless somebody else has other experience. kyle

[blitzen25bm]

it usually works out, pandas are smaller though and usually more sensitive, all the ones i brought died.

[PumaWard]

I don't think cories know the difference. I have a bronze and 3 peppereds and they all hang out together. My brother's pygmies shoaled with his cardinal tetras once too.

[tomm10]

I don't think you'll have an issue. I will say that my pygmys didn't school with my pandas when they were housed together but I think this has more to do with the fact that the pygmys explore more of the tank than the bottom dwelling pandas.

I would think that any new corys may school with the Juliis until they get comfortable at least.

[OrionGirl]

It depends on the size of the tank, how much of a schooler the cory is, and how many there are. IME, if you have 3 cories of one kind and 2 of another, they won't really school much. If you have one each of 3 kinds, they will. I have 4 peppers and 2 skunks in my 55, and they seldom hang together. The peppers stick tight, and the skunks stick tight.