First Aquarium Fish

[tori.lock]

I've gotten mixed messages about the cories. Some people are saying I can house several in a 10g, and others saying I can't have any. When you say that I could house several of the albinos, do you know the exact species for that?

Thanks for all the info so far.

[Fromthelbc]

corys are fine, you should be able to house 6 comfortable, i think the other person was thinking about albino channel cats, which can get up to 100+ pounds...

[tori.lock]

Alright, just one last question and I think that I'm done. I've been looking at different tetras, and it seems that they can be fin nippers. Any idea that this might be a problem to the cories?

[happygirl65]

In general, fin nippers wont bother cory's they would bother slow moving fish with long thread fins like angels, and gouramis. And for what it's worth I think you would be fine to house several cory's in a 10 they really don't usually exceed 2 inches and are usually smaller in my experience. I think the pygmy variety are cool and would allow you to have more but you should be fine with the easy to find variety.
I also think that barbs tend to be nippier than any tetras I have seen. Most tetras would be fine.

[tori.lock]

Thanks everyone. I think I have my tank mostly planned out now. Now it's all depending on what I can afford.

[Mystery]

Many corys can get pretty big, like 3-4 inches. I have a 10g and went of pygmaeus corys that top out at about an inch, so I could have a decent social group.

[kangster]

i have 6 cory. habrosus with 12 neon tetras...and they live peacefully

[tori.lock]

so I lied, got a few more questions.

1.) Should I get an algae eater? I've heard that they can cause more waste than they clean. If I should, what kind is best. If not, what's the best way to maintain the tanks cleanliness?

2.) I want to stay away from campy looking decorations, I want it to look natural, but I saw a crocodile skull decoration online that I was fond of and was curious if anyone had any luck getting them to look natural. I was thinking if it was settled right, with some moss and plants it could look good, but you never know how these things play out. Not to mention it was a bit costly. On this note, what are good DIY or cost-effective hiding spots for fish?

[meegosh]

Question 1:
It really depends on your preference. I personally like corydoras catfish, they do a good job of eating the food that falls to the bottom. They also keep the bottom of my tanks looking 'busy'. I would steer clear of the plecos with a 10g as they do create a lot of waste.

If you wanted more fish for the middle/upper levels of your tank, you could get away with having no bottom feeders. You should use a gravel vacuum to remove all the detritus and uneaten food.

Question 2:
Again, its all personal preference. I have a piece of decor I got from walmart a while back. It is two barrels, one on its side and the other upright. It had some funky colors on it a while back but now it has been 'aged' and is a more natural color. I have also gotten some java moss to attach to it. It is one of my favorite pieces of decor now. If it isn't too much money, try it and see if you like it. If not, take it out and toss it! I've heard of people using coconut shells that are cut in half for caves. They cut a 'door' out of the half shell for the critters to get in. I heard good things about those and java moss attaches easily to the shells.

[happygirl65]

If you do decide on an algae eater I recommend ottocinclus (sp?) They stay very small and do a decent job of cleaning algae.....pleco's even the dwarf variety are poop machines and would limit other stocking options for you in a 10 gallon. I would stick with Otto's or mystery snails to keep your glass clean and the cory's to catch the uneaten food.

I used to have one of those coconut shells too.... it was really cool. misses attaches fairly easily and I buried it in the substrate mostly....the cory's liked it as did the pleco I had.