Educate me!

blue2fyre

Blue Fish
Oct 7, 2008
4,440
3
0
43
Wisconsin
Real Name
Ashley
I'm planning on some stock for a future 10 gallon and cories have been suggested several times. Since I hear such great things about them I think I may try it. Now I have never owned cories before so what are some things I need to know? I know they like groups and I know I would need to stick with smaller species. What are some commonly available cories I could get for a tank this size?
I have a 5 gallon that is totally cycled and supporting some snails and baby mbuna. When I get the 10 gallon the filter and everything is moving from the 5 gallon to the 10. The only exception is the fish which will go in the 55.

So yeah give me your wisdom! I tried looking online but got very little info.
 
My corys and otos are my very favorite fish. I found that you probably want to have a smooth substrate though because one of mine lost his barbels. I also learned that some are much more outgoing in bigger groups. I never saw my 4 peppers until I moved themin with my other corys in a bigger tank and all of a sudden they are everywhere. Very entertaining fishies. My bronzes and my brochis (brochis would be to big for a 10 gallon) hardly ever come out and when they do it is to eat. I have one julii and one sterbai and they hang together with the peppers but I am getting more as soon as I can. I had ordered some through my LFS and when I went in they were is such poor shape that I didn't buy them. I was really looking forward to them. :(
 
Panda and pygmy corys would work for a 10 gallon, but I'd stay away from any species that grow larger than those.
 
sand is the best for the health of their barbels.... I find pool filter sand is a lovely, easy substrate to work with. Mine love to use bridges and little caves, as well as surfing among the plant branches.

Get pandas if you can (they stay smaller than most), although I've found them a bit less hardy than peppers and albinos (your mileage may vary). You want to avoid brochis at all costs... they are the jumbos of corys. If you can get access to them, the dwarf corys look lovely. If you decide on a betta with corys, I would say you could keep maybe four or five regular corys (less corys if you get different fish). With dwarves, I would say you could get around ten and they sound like little clowns (can you tell I want some??) (the dwarf species are pygmaeus, habrosus, and hastatus)

corys are known to be sensitive to medicines and water quality, so just keep that in mind (oh, and bettas are sensitive to some medicines as well, because of the way their labyrinth organs are affected)

sorry for following you around seemingly... :)
 
I wouldn't keep Pandas with Bettas, due to different temperature requirements (Panda prefer 70-75, while bettas prefer 78-82)
 
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