Cory questions!

[Averus]

I'm back and planning for my tank's next batch of inhabitants.  I would really like to get some bottom dwellers and am looking at Corys, mainly since I have some nerite snails and if I got yoyo or zebra loaches they would eat the poor snails.

My tank is a 55 gallon with lots of plants and Eco-Complete.  Would this be too rough on the Cory's barbels? The only inhabitants atm are some black neon tetras and some really young emperor tetras, both have their own schools, but they sometimes decide to swim together.

If I can't go with the Corys, any ideas for good bottom dwellers?  I am planning on this being a super peaceful community tank, so trying to avoid aggressive fish.

[Fish Folk]

On 6/19/2021 at 10:43 AM, Averus said:

I'm back and planning for my tank's next batch of inhabitants.  I would really like to get some bottom dwellers and am looking at Corys, mainly since I have some nerite snails and if I got yoyo or zebra loaches they would eat the poor snails.

My tank is a 55 gallon with lots of plants and Eco-Complete.  Would this be too rough on the Cory's barbels? The only inhabitants atm are some black neon tetras and some really young emperor tetras, both have their own schools, but they sometimes decide to swim together.

If I can't go with the Corys, any ideas for good bottom dwellers?  I am planning on this being a super peaceful community tank, so trying to avoid aggressive fish.

The fish keeping community is somewhat divided on this issue. I’ll say this: Cory has really presented a lot of evidence against this concern, demonstrating persuasively that even in the wild Corydoras often live fine around very abrasive river beds and sharp stones.

Just watch the barbels. If they’re wearing off, you need to figure out why. That’s all I’d say.

So... go for it! 

[Its Hutch]

I keep Corys on gravel and their barbels stay long and healthy. I personally believe water quality is more important than substrate when keeping Corydoras.

[sudofish]

The corys barbels being torn up on substrate is a fish keeping myth that will never die.

[Averus]

Good to know I can go ahead with the Cory's.  My water quality is pristine, I am a little paranoid about checking it right now so I make sure to do it every day, so they should get a good home.  I just need to figure out which one to get.  I am not interested in the albino ones, just not a fan of the way they look, so thinking of either bronze, false Julii, salt and pepper or something similar.  Going to go for 5 or 6 so they have a little group.

If I got some hillstream loaches down the line, could they live okay with the corys?  I know other loaches bully corys, but not sure about the hillstream ones.