Cories, a schooling only fish?

[damman6]

I' thinking of adding a few cories to my tank. I have a 16g, well planted tank with just some neon teras. But I am not looking to add too many more fish. Would I be able to keep just 3 of them? Would they do well in such a small group?

Any thoughts greatly appreciated!

Thanks.

 

[phoenixkiller]

I' thinking of adding a few cories to my tank. I have a 16g, well planted tank with just some neon teras. But I am not looking to add too many more fish. Would I be able to keep just 3 of them? Would they do well in such a small group?

Any thoughts greatly appreciated!

Thanks.

They CAN be kept in a group of three, doesn't mean they should. My brother had 2-3 Cories in his tank and they were hiding and were sometimes lethargic. They will be much more friendly and active if they are kept in schools of 5+.

 

[khartig]

Cories are far more active in groups of 4+. I have four albino and 4 julii in my tank and they are some of my favorites. Not knowing any better I started out with 2 of each and they didn't do much. After doing some reading up on them I added 2 more of each and they are far more active and entertaining.

 

[LyndaB]

How about pygmy corys? You can get more and they'll stay small.

 

[BBradbury]

Your Corydoras Question

I' thinking of adding a few cories to my tank. I have a 16g, well planted tank with just some neon teras. But I am not looking to add too many more fish. Would I be able to keep just 3 of them? Would they do well in such a small group?

Any thoughts greatly appreciated!

Thanks.

Hello dam...

Corydoras aren't schooling fish, they just feel more comfortable with other Corys, but that's unimportant. Ideally, you want to stock one Cory for every five gallons of tank volume, so a small tank isn't going to support very many. You can have three, but five or more is best.

I've had a male and female Albino Cory in a 30 G tank for three years and they're fine. You just need to keep the water extremely clean, by changing about half the tank water every week.

B

 

[maestromad]

I agree that Corys are more active and less shy in larger groups. They are awesome fish to watch

 

[phoenixkiller]

I agree that Corys are more active and less shy in larger groups. They are awesome fish to watch

And a great cleanup crew too!

 

[damman6]

I think I'll go for it and get 5 or six. khartig mentioned doing a mix and match this seems like a plan for me.

Does it matter how many are male and how many are female? from what I have read they are all good community fish but nothing about sexes.

Thanks all for the replies!!!

 

[phoenixkiller]

I think I'll go for it and get 5 or six. khartig mentioned doing a mix and match this seems like a plan for me.

Does it matter how many are male and how many are female? from what I have read they are all good community fish but nothing about sexes.

Thanks all for the replies!!!

Eh, not really. Any cory, any sex.

 

[khartig]

I did the mix because I couldn't decide which I liked better so instead of trying to make up my mind I opted for both. They are very peaceful and do intermix quite often.

 

[tarpon]

Hello dam...

Corydoras aren't schooling fish

B

Cory catfish live in large shoals of hundreds or thousands in the wild.

And if you mix and match they may not school together as much as the same type. And You wont be able to know how they truly act til youve seen them together in larger numbers (5-6+)

 

[BBradbury]

Corydoras

Hello tarp...

I've seen a school of Tetras move in the water and it's nothing like the movements of a group of Corydoras.

We're "splitting hairs" a little, but I'll back up my statment that Corydoras aren't "schooling" fish. A schooling fish species like Tetras make precise movements as a group where Corydoras forage as group, but move individually.

B

 

[Coursair]

I have a group of C habrosus a dwarf species. They definitely like a group if possible and since they stay around an inch, a group would be possible. There are only 3 commonly available dwarf Cories. C habrosus, hastatus and pygmaeus. Others I think would be too large for a 16, Pandas stay fairly small, but not as small as the other 3 I mentioned. Mix and match is usually never as great as a group of their own kind. My Otos do like my habrosus, markings are almost the same

 

[LyndaB]

We're "splitting hairs" a little, but I'll back up my statment that Corydoras aren't "schooling" fish. A schooling fish species like Tetras make precise movements as a group where Corydoras forage as group, but move individually.

+1

My pygmy corys will school with my juvenile peppered corys..... I guess size does matter.

 

[damman6]

Thanks all! I'm going to look for the dwarf cories. They look great and should live well with my other small fish. I just wish I had a good fish store that had them in supply. Neither Petsmart or Petco near me carry them.

 

[Autumnsky]

Coursair, (or anyone else) are there any different traits/behaviours/ pros or cons between the three dwarf ones you mentioned?

 

[Readingexcalibur]

following this thread, looking at buying my third tank, we are saying the Pepper Corydoras will forage with the albinos?

 

[tarpon]

following this thread, looking at buying my third tank, we are saying the Pepper Corydoras will forage with the albinos?

Imo they will, just not as closely as they would if they were the same species

 

[Readingexcalibur]

Imo they will, just not as closely as they would if they were the same species

Gotcha, ill do half and half when the time comes, thanks!

 

[Coursair]

Coursair, (or anyone else) are there any different traits/behaviours/ pros or cons between the three dwarf ones you mentioned?

C habrosus are very busy and do scour the bottom. Hastatus and pygmaeus both may swim midwater a bit more. Those two are both more rounded bodies. The habs have the classic Cory flat bottom triangular shaped bodies.

All 3 like to perch on plant leaves. So CUTE !!
All need very clean tanks, soft rounded sand and prefer live plants.