Filling out schools.

[tarpon]

I dont think its necessary to stir the sand so i wouldnt purchase the snail only for that. It would be an interesting behavior though

 

[Aspencer]

I dont think its necessary to stir the sand so i wouldnt purchase the snail only for that. It would be an interesting behavior though

I have MTS in my sand tank to constantly turn the sand. I think they keep the dead pockets from forming and make the sand look better.

 

[Mr.Albiman]

If my LFS has some I'll get them. How many? If not I'll just stir the sand every week or so. Any ideas on the Cory question or the sand depth?

 

[Aspencer]

If my LFS has some I'll get them. How many? If not I'll just stir the sand every week or so. Any ideas on the Cory question or the sand depth?

They will multiply like crazy so a few. Sand depth should be around 2 to 3 inches. Sand does well for plants too.

 

[Ducky14523]

I wouldnt stir the sand unless you see a dead pocket then i would syphon it out, not stir. Stiriing may force material into the sand bed which can make a dead spot, if it doesnt get underneath, your filter and syphoning of the surface will get all debri. MTS are usually hitchhikers so the LFS should just give you some, i'd say five, and once you see babies make sure you cull the numbers down to no more then ten. Pretty sure all the pygmy cories are about the same, you could even mix and match. If you keep the sand shallow, under an inch you shouldnt have to worry about agitation.

 

[Mr.Albiman]

Right thanks guys. I'm gonna go with 2" of sand and about 5 MTS why shouldn't i let them get above 10? Siphoning it out makes sense so I'll do that if i see a dead pocket. What do they look like?

on another note, i took back all the fish to the LFS today for £30 store credit! ... All except for the Nerite snail and one Panda Cory because i just couldn't net him. Every time i almost got him he swam away like a rocket. I really don't think it is worth me driving all the way to the LFS to take back one Cory if i do catch him. Plus mum would probably so no to taking me :L would he be okay if i left him? Would he school with the Pygmy's?

Next step is getting the sand! Excited!

 

[tarpon]

If my LFS has some I'll get them. How many? If not I'll just stir the sand every week or so. Any ideas on the Cory question or the sand depth?

Like i said earlier, corys dont burrow or dig. So it does not matter

 

[Mr.Albiman]

I meant the question about whether or not i could get Habrosus or Hastatus instead of Pygmaeus which someone answered. Thanks though

 

[tarpon]

Ohhh i thought u meaant what depth for corys

 

[Mr.Albiman]

I meant what depth to stop dead pockets/best depth for plants

 

[tarpon]

For plants id say 2 inches

 

[Mr.Albiman]

Cool. Thanks D'you reckon my lone Panda will school with the Pygmy's? I must've tried catching him about 6 times today, but stopped because i didn't wanna stress him out too much. He's now sharing the tank with a Nerite snail and that's it. Gonna be getting the sand this week!

 

[absolutangel04]

I wouldnt stir the sand unless you see a dead pocket then i would syphon it out, not stir. Stiriing may force material into the sand bed which can make a dead spot, if it doesnt get underneath, your filter and syphoning of the surface will get all debri. MTS are usually hitchhikers so the LFS should just give you some, i'd say five, and once you see babies make sure you cull the numbers down to no more then ten. Pretty sure all the pygmy cories are about the same, you could even mix and match. If you keep the sand shallow, under an inch you shouldnt have to worry about agitation.

I agree about the dead spots, but all pygmy corys are not the same. The pygmaeus actually sort of hover and swim more in the middle of the water column while the habrosus and hastatus behave more like a regular cory, patrolling the bottom. IMO, you woudn't have good luck mixing the pygmaeus with the others since they have very different habits, so they wouldn't school. IMO, the other species could maybe be mixed to make one full school, but its not a guarantee since they tend to be a bit shyer than some of the bigger corys, so I suggest you just get one type to be sure and get habrosus or hastatus if you want them to be true bottom dwellers.

 

[Mr.Albiman]

I think I'd prefer to have just one type of Cory anyway, so if they don't have Pygmaeus I'll get either Hastatus or Habrosus not both
Also i quite like the way the Pygmy's swim in the water column; it's what attracted me to them in the first place. But now you mention it, my lone Panda swims along the substrate so probably won't school with them. I'll have to take him when i pick up the sand.

 

[Aspencer]

Personally I like snails so having a lot is no problem for me.

Just be warned that when you have 5, you will have a hundred in a couple of months. They do no harm in my opinion if you like seeing them.

 

[Mr.Albiman]

I quite like snails too so i probably won't mind having lots. Thanks. I just started another build thread for this tank called '15UK/12US Gallon Build'. Take a look...

 

[Ducky14523]

Didnt realize the small cories were that different in behavior. Good to know. As far as not letting mts get over ten, i meant ten visible snails because there will be at least twenty you cant see and a large quantity of snails will then start to effect water quality. They are awesome its just you have to play predator and keep them in check.