Cool Fish

[jkjk]

i was thinking of getting some platys and guppies.

wat types of each looks the best.

 

[Shadowraven]

Platys are good fish and I find them more entertaining to watch. Guppies are good and can be more colorful overall, but there are some pretty colorful platys to be found. Guppies are a good starter fish, because they are more forgiving then about any other. Which do you like the look of best?

 

[jkjk]

guppies

 

[siva]

I just got a new bumble bee platy and she's sooo cute. Petco also had attractive panda, dalmation, and twinbar varieties. Guppies have alway been one of my very fav fish, but the platties are really growng on me now too

 

[Flossie]

Ballon belly mollies are cool... I saw an orange one with blue spots

 

[siva]

Well mollies aren't a great option for a 20 gal tank. They are big waste producers. That being said, I do have a balloon molly in a 14 gal, he's only about 1" so it works. But I would never buy a balloon molly again now that I know a bit more about them. They are prone to a lot of issues because really they are deformed..they breed them to be deformed and it's really kind of a yucky thing IMHO.

 

[jkjk]

how are they deformed?

 

[Homedog98]

Orange laser cories are beast.

 

[jkjk]

how big do they get

 

[siva]

Their spines are bent and they have very short bodies..often have swimming issues and die quickly.

IMHO the larger cories are not a good choice for a 20 gal high. The orange laser is a color variation of the emerald, which means it will easily rach 3". They are ideally kept in groups of 4-6, and they are very active. A julii cory however, at max size 1.5", would be a fine choice for a 20 high.

 

[Bettababe1011]

Also, panda cories will reach about an inch, and are so cute. Those are what I'm getting, along with my peppered, which are a larger species I believe, for my 29 gallon.

 

[siva]

Well pandas aren't that small..they will reach atleast 2". Still prob OK for a 20 high..the largest I would do though.

 

[Bettababe1011]

The max is two inches, but a lot of them stay about an inch and a half. I've read that everywhere I looked. And I'm a definite researcher, so I look for several sources.

 

[siva]

Well it's really not that big a difference but still, I see specimens all the time that are 2".

 

[Homedog98]

The orange lasers reach 3 inches... But I still like them.

 

[jkjk]

Are cories bottomfedders?

 

[xxwolfpackof1xx]

Are cories bottomfedders?

yes there bottom feeders

 

[siva]

Yeah..I like orange lasers too.

Yes corydoras do a great job and cleaning up leftover food bits that sink to the bottom. Every few days I throw some sinking bottom feeder wafers in to supplement them.

 

[jkjk]

do they mix well with platties and guppies

 

[Homedog98]

Ya... IMO... There's no such thing as an aggressive Cory... They just aren't like that!