looking for opinions

[jgraevell]

Hello everyone. I have a 55 gallon tank and I would like to keep cory cats (other compatible fishes as well). I have done so before in smaller tanks. I know the general rule for how many fish per inches and was just looking for some opinions or ideas on how to set this tank up. It is a natural set up with gravel and wood right now. (I will also be getting some plants, and would love recommendations on that as well)
I would like a group of cory cats and I don't know if certain breeds are better in groups than others or not. Also how large of a group is too large? In the past I have had cory cats and they come up to the surface often and would a 55 gallon tank be too big for them?
It's been a while since I have had an aquarium and just want some ideas/hits or tips that might help.
I also have my catfish books out too



It's also a tank that has been cleaned up and nothing has been in it for quite a while, so I do have some prep work ahead of me too.

[ginagv]

my cories are doing quite well in my 55. They get to the top just fine, even the small juvenile CW016 I have.. have no worries about that.

Presently I have a total of 17 cories in my tank.. 8 C. elegans, 6 CW016, and 3 C.trilineatus. Everyone gets along quite well.

There are other fish in the tank too, but as far as the cories go, the only thing you need to be mindful of is your substrate.. remember, their barbels are quite sensitive, and while they can handle small, smooth gravel, a sand substrate is better for them.

Welcome back to fishkeeping!

Gina

[racoll]

I would like a group of cory cats and I don't know if certain breeds are better in groups than others or not. Also how large of a group is too large?

All Corydoras do better in groups. The bigger the group the better. No group is too large, providing you remain within sensible stocking limits.

the only thing you need to be mindful of is your substrate.. remember, their barbels are quite sensitive, and while they can handle small, smooth gravel, a sand substrate is better for them.

Exactly. Gravel has no place in a Corydoras tank. About half an inch of soft, inert, aquarium friendly sand is perfect. This is really easy to keep clean. You can plant the tank with java fern, java moss and Anubias, which can be attached to the wood. Floating plants would be nice too.

In the past I have had cory cats and they come up to the surface often and would a 55 gallon tank be too big for them?

Yes, the tank is a bit tall. I'm not sure if this would be a problem or not. Someone more experienced with Corydoras will know this.

[jgraevell]

Thank you for responding ginagv and racoll. I really appreciate it. The gravel that I have is small and I use to keep cory cats with the same kind previously.



I really appreciate the information and the feedback.

I'm happy to hear some one else already has a larger tank and they have been ok. I'm also glad I can keep a number of them of in the tank. I was thinking about 11. I hear fish that school or group do better in odd numbers?

Does anyone happen to know which are the smallest ones, or are they relatively about the same?

[racoll]

The gravel that I have is small and I use to keep cory cats with the same kind previously.

That fine gravel should be okay, but make sure you only have a very thin layer (less than 0.5") as a deep gravel bed can harbour a lot of muck and harmful bacteria.

I hear fish that school or group do better in odd numbers?

No. It makes no difference at all to them. Odd numbers just look more aesthetically pleasing to us.

Does anyone happen to know which are the smallest ones, or are they relatively about the same?

They are all roughly the same size, but the three smallest common species are

Corydoras habrosus

,

Corydoras hastatus

and

Corydoras pygmaeus

.

The cat-elog lets you search by size if you want more info on this.

[jgraevell]

Thank you. You have been very helpful

[joefish72b]

Tank mates in my cory tank are 1 african leaf, 1 african butterfly, 1 farlowella,2 apple snails, 2 red tail loaches, some mollies, some guppies.

I also have a fire eel in there but it is a juvenile, it will be moved as it grows. Fire eels are predatory and will try to eat a smaller cory which would result in the death of both fish.

[Richard B]

Just a quick addition - some of the long snouted types can be extemely aggressive to each other - particularly males with other males - in case you were considering any of these

In a 55 you could go for a couple of good sized groups of corys - like one of the dwarf types racoll mentions and another group of one of the more 'regular' species.

In mixed groups, without members of both sexes of the same species there is a chance of hybridisation of closely related species

[naturalart]

I would just add; try to make sure there is good dissolved oxygen and good water movement in the lower region of the tank. My 2 cents.