How Important Is It ...

[Jennifer V]

Ok so I've recently become obsessed with designing a species only tank for some panda cories, hopefully long finned. My goal is a 20g long. How important is it to match their habitat of origin when aquascaping? Do I just stick to plants from South American? Is that too limiting? I've gone down a research rabbit hole and need to get pulled out of it. 

Thank you Nerms! 

[Struggle]

It depends on how far down the rabbit hole you want to go 😀. For me I usually just buy whatever plants I like and roll with it. I do not worry about matching their habitat of origin. I would think that the LF pandas are so far removed from their origins that there wouldn't much of an effect either way on them. 

[Jennifer V]

On 1/21/2022 at 3:07 PM, Struggle said:

It depends on how far down the rabbit hole you want to go 😀. For me I usually just buy whatever plants I like and roll with it. I do not worry about matching their habitat of origin. I would think that the LF pandas are so far removed from their origins that there wouldn't much of an effect either way on them. 

Ok that makes me feel better. I think I love planting tanks as much as I love the fish in them so I don't want to really drive myself crazy and limit myself too much unless the fish will be exponentially happier. For me, thinking about low to moderate light, beginner friendly and easy to care for as well as somewhat unusual and interesting compared to what I already have makes my brain want to melt out of my ears. 

[sudofish]

I don't think the fish are that picky. The vast majority of fish you'll get haven't seen a natural habitat for generations. I do think it's a cool idea though to recreate the environment the species is known to live in. But it's more for the fish keeper than the fish.

[BuzzDaddy21]

On 1/21/2022 at 4:58 PM, Jennifer V said:

How important is it to match their habitat of origin when aquascaping

I have no idea; however, I got some guppies a while back and put in 3 different tanks and the first 15 minutes in each tank the guppies were looking around and they looked confused until it was supper time. then it was oh well can`t wait till next feeding, they do look at me, I think they all want more plants.

Good luck on your build.🙂    

[Minanora]

I plant things. Whatever survives and thrives, I buy more of! If it dies in the tank or fails to thrive I make a note of it and don't buy it again until I make a tank with different parameters. Corydoras uproot things that aren't well rooted. They're constantly rummaging for food. I stopped trying to have carpeting "creeping" plants like monte carlo and the sort. Hairgrass and micro-swords hold up okay against them so long as I plant a mature clump and then let them runner off on their own. I've heard of people making a cover for their plants with strawberry baskets so they have time to root, but I'm chicken and afraid a cory would get hurt or stuck trying to go inside.

[lefty o]

for me, it doesnt matter at all, and the fish likely have no idea.

[BETTA999]

really i dont think cory mind at all of plants but they sure like to cover so get plants like vallisneria they sure like those    {at least mine do mine are also long fing but are pepper corys}

[Guppysnail]

Most panda Cory and definitely long fin ones are captive born these days. They have never seen their natural habitat and many sadly have never seen plants. So go with what you like. They will appreciate any plants and any love you put into designing a comfy home for them. 

[Isaac M]

Most of the videos I have seen of corydoras in the wild have minimal plants so unless you are going for a specific biotope aquarium, I would just go with an aquascape that you and the corydoras would enjoy. I love my corydoras aquarium (3 species of corydoras and red cherry shrimp colony) and what I have learned from it is this:

-They love being able to rest in areas of low flow and being able to play in areas of high flow

-They love if the aquarium is shaded in some areas with plants

-They love being able to graze on food all day without any competition 

-They will spawn everywhere, plants, plant roots, flat surfaces no matter how much you have of each 

I hope that helps! 

[Odd Duck]

On 1/21/2022 at 3:58 PM, Jennifer V said:

Ok so I've recently become obsessed with designing a species only tank for some panda cories, hopefully long finned. My goal is a 20g long. How important is it to match their habitat of origin when aquascaping? Do I just stick to plants from South American? Is that too limiting? I've gone down a research rabbit hole and need to get pulled out of it. 

Thank you Nerms! 

I don’t think cories are picky at all except they do like some open sand to rummage through.  If you can seed it with blackworms they will love it!  That said, I just posted my list of South American plants I’ve been working on developing (springboarding off lists found online), so you’re welcome to pick and choose whatever you like from the list bearing in mind not all on the list are readily available or suited to aquarium culture. 

 

I posted this as a reply to you in the other thread, so you should get alerts either way depending on how your alerts are set.