Looking for advice for future panda cory/guppy tank

[Daven]

Multiple tank syndrome has been hitting me hard with the brand new 20 gallon long tank sitting around unused lol My girlfriend has a 29g community tank, but i try not to intrude on her fish. So i thought maybe the tank might be nice for the bedroom to have my desired group of corries and try to collect as many different colours/variants of male guppies as possible. I got bored of guppies when i first started with my girlfriend's tank, as they just seemed to mindlessly wander around. But i think the colours would be nice to look at when in bed and i have my mbuna tank in the living room to cover the personality She also only had like two different variants in there. It is a 30x12x12" tank and will have pool filter sand and an AC50 filter (could also add a AC20 or 30 i have as well but this should be plenty).

I was thinking a group of 8 corries would be nice and allow them to feel at home. Panda corries are my favorite ones. Only issue i really see is that they like a low temperature, and a lower PH (mine is around 7.8 here from the tap). I dont want to make things inconsistent by messing with the PH, but im not sure if theres really anything i can do other than load up with yellowy water causing driftwood. And for the temp, planetcatfish recomends 71.6-77*F... Would it be wise to try and maintain 75* with the two species? And this wouldnt be low enough to make room temperature affect things, would it?

Feel free to recommend anything! Going for the best i can get for the corries to be happy there, not just slowly stressing them their entire lives.

 

[brennae]

I keep some of my guppies and corys at 70 to 72. They still breed.

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[Daven]

I know guppies can survive almost anything it seems. My grandmother hasn't had a heater in her tank for years. But I couldn't see it letting them live to their full potential. I'd be worked about dipping too far from their recommended level. Which is why I thought I might be best picking a temp in the upper and lower values for both


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[Daven]

Just my thoughts by the way! I'm not saying they aren't happy by any means. I just try to stick with what's best vs would work


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[brennae]

IFGA member here. This temp thing for guppies gets debated a lot.

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[Daven]

IFGA? And hmm maybe I'll hit Google a bit more and see what i can find. I'd like to stay more in the middle of the corries temp range.

Does anybody have any recommendations for PH with the corries or otherwise?


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[brennae]

International Fancy Guppy Association. Breeders who just breed for profit use temps of 78 or more so the fish grow faster for guppies. Decent growth rate and healthy 72 to 75 although some breeders don't heat at all so their tanks ate 68 to 70. Panda corys really prefer the lower temp especially for spawning. Most corys can be induced to spawn with a cool water change.

Ph is really not something to mess with. I put IAL and driftwood in my tanks but otherwise I never mess with it. I use those things more for tannins than to alter ph.

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[Daven]

Ok it's good to see that. Then I can keep temps lower without messing with the guppies. I wonder what temp my room is. I'd assume at least a coup degrees above room temp would be best to keep consistent?


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[brennae]

Unless you get a really fragile poorly bred strain you shouldn't worry. As for room temp. There are people who keep their houses at 75 degrees. If you get a fancy controller box or digital heater set it for like 72 and it will not kick on unless needed.

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[Daven]

Yeah I guess I'll see what my room temp is and go from there.

So do corries like any specific decor? Just make sure they have shady places to lounge in?


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[brennae]

Driftwood. Some plants. Sand. The love to root around in sand. I use sideways flower pots and they use them Like little houses. Pics aren't working currently or I'd show you my no frills set up.

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[Daven]

I will be getting some driftwood. Id like some live plants, but will be very limited because i only have a 30"t12 bulb and i think 6 blue LEDs i also wired in to be a moonlight kind of thing coming on an hour before and after main lights (I got bored one day). Will have pool filter sand as mentioned before... Sand bed thickness?

I am thinking of aiming more for a group of 10 corries. Im asuming they would prefer the extra company, unless someone thinks it would be crowded. ANd then i was thinking no more than 10 different male guppies for some interesting colours. I loaded it up quick in AqAdvisor with 10 of both species and my tank info. It says that would be 96% stocked but recommends 43% waterchanges weekly. Now, i dont go solely off of generators and such for my tanks, but that seems like quite a bit, almost half the tank. I usually only do 30% in my tanks weekly. Maybe that site uses the footprint for capacity but becuase its shallower than the 25/29 gallon tanks it doesnt have the water capacity to keep nitrates down. So i might just stock to where i can sit comfortably with 30% changes after i get the corries

 

[brennae]

I do 2 to 3 inches of sand. I think you could do 10 and 10 unless the corys start breeding, then you might get over run.

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[Daven]

The guppies might weed out the fry if they go in the open. So corries don't dig, do they? Maybe I'll just do a thinner sand bed in this tank because of how little room it has to begin with. Maybe like an inch or so. Could affect plants but I can't grow much yet anyways :/


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[brennae]

Yes corys sift thru the sand. You might look at planetcatfish to read up on them

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