1st REAL attempt at a planted tank

[fishorama]

Wow, I love the corys!...& the other fish too. But I'm a bottom fish lover first & always even though pygmies are barely that. They're adorable! Your bacopa seems to be rallying, I've never had good luck with any of them...

You know there are many of us here on AC that are long time fish & tank keepers, dougall & I (& others) are just long time AC folks, many others also have lots of experiences too. But every tank can be different! That's a good part of our hobby & sites like AC, we all share what we know & ask for help when we don't. I'm actually a "lesser" plant keeper compared to many here & in my club. Like I said, I'm lazy, many are not.

Kim, if you live near a fish club, even if it's a bit of a road trip, it'll be well worth you while to check it out a few times...after all this stay at home stuff. At least we have our tanks to keep us occupied!!

 

[Sprinkle]

Nice! Thats a nice set up! Good stock choices too.

But i suggest upping those pygmy cories up to 7-10. Mostly because theyre very social with one another and shoal as a group. And compared to other cories, they tend to be very skittish. A larger group makes them happier and more comfortable to come out

What is the tank size? Corydoras need a 20 or more gallons.

 

[Kimunaffected]

I am absolutely looking forward to being able to go out an about I did find a local Facebook group that has a lot of activity and tons of plants available too.
this aquarium is hopefully just a stepping stone to convince the husband to stop having me manage two small tanks and just let me get one larger one already haha.
oh I got off track.
it’s a Fluval Flex 9 ( copy and pasted some info )
A 3 stage filter that comes with (oversized) mechanical, biological and chemical filtration media.

• The tank itself that measures 16 x 13 x 13 inches and is 9 gallons or 34 liters in size.
• 7500k LED lights with a variety of different settings you can choose from.

 

[NoodleCats]

PYGMY cories do not need a 20, they can be housed in smaller tanks.

 

[Kimunaffected]

Although I do like this tank... a lot actually. Even if I ( when hahah) I get the upgrade I want. I don’t think I will let this actual tank go. QT and plants possibly.

 

[dougall]

What is the tank size? Corydoras need a 20 or more gallons.

That's a pretty broad statement for a whole genus.

 

[Kimunaffected]

What is the tank size? Corydoras need a 20 or more gallons.

I researched so much prior to purchasing the Pygmy’s and could not understand why the discrepancy, but I would be happy to hear any input. Most of the research from websites said they do well in nano tanks. And some fish forums swear never to do this and I am struggling to understand the reasoning behind the difference; I love forums and info don’t get me wrong ). Is it a matter of bio load? Swimming space? Or that they just haven’t seen them thrive from their experience. As I said , I am looking to learn and grow.

 

[the loach]

Pygmy's only get to ±1", most other cories grow 2-3", so they need more space.

 

[Kimunaffected]

That was my understanding too & I have passed on being gifted other types of corys for that reason.

 

[NoodleCats]

Pygmaeus, hastatus, and habrosus are 3 of the exceptions for corydoras stocking.

The absolute minimum is 5 gal for a single shoal of 6 WITHOUT other fish in the tank. If in a community, they need a 10 gal standard, meaning not a tall tank. It needs a longer footprint. They are active, but are small. Your tank is a 9, a touch on the small side for a community but your stock is fine and its got a nice footprint to allow swim space for pygmies .

Now if you turned around and wanted to put corydoras aeneus in there, id tell you no you need a 20 gal or larger. Because theyre way too large for anything smaller.

As for the pygmies, they have a very small bioload. Cories in general are pretty good on bioload to be honest, but the pygmies even more so.

Ive asked Planet Catfish the limits of a 10 gallon for pygmies. I got told 10-15 pygmaeus could be housed in a 10. I started with 7 and there was definitely more than enough space for 3 more. I have 10 and personally feel i could have more if they decided to breed on me.

Your guppies will be your largest fish in the tank. And they use all levels of it. Theyre larger, just as active (if not more!), and have a much higher bioload than all of your other fish. If your guppies are fine in the 10, so is a shoal of pygmy cories.



Now, since a 20 is the smallest limit for all cories, im going to go find me a bearded corydoras shoal and shove them in there....