Question about corydoras

[Henry the fish keeper]

I am planning to get 5 panda corydoras for my ten gallon fish tank. This is the first time I ever kept corydoras and I´m scared that they won´t do well. I would like tips from people who kept corydoras. 

[JettsPapa]

Here are a few things to get you started.

1. They do best on a sand substrate.  You may see some people who say they're fine on gravel, or they've seen them on gravel in the wild, and maybe that's true, but I know they do well on sand.  If you're going to put them on gravel anyway, make sure it doesn't have any rough edges.
2. Some people think of them as "cleaner" fish, but they don't eat algae, or excrement from other fish, and while they may nibble at algae wafers they aren't vegetarians and don't get much nutrition from them.  Their diet should be mostly what you'd feed most other tropical fish.  If you don't overfeed the other fish in the tank then you need to make sure enough food gets to them.  Some people like to drop food down after dark.

[Colu]

Hikari sinking wafers and hikari micro pellets bug bites and  feed some frozen or live blood worms brine shrimp 

Edited April 11, 2022 by Colu

[nabokovfan87]

On 4/11/2022 at 11:44 AM, Henry the fish keeper said:

I am planning to get 5 panda corydoras for my ten gallon fish tank. This is the first time I ever kept corydoras and I´m scared that they won´t do well. I would like tips from people who kept corydoras

Please be sure to visit the panda Cory love thread!

Honestly, your concern is valid but they are one of the most amazing fish in the hobby to me. They can handle just about anything, and if they are happy you'll know.

I have had mine on any variety of substrate and I'd recommend basically anything besides the chunky gravel. Anything natural that is branded for aquariums will do well. They like to move substrate around, but they will do what they naturally and swim around.

One of the biggest things people tend to not value is how much Corys love cover and love feeling like they can hide a bit. I highly recommend wood, I have used mopani and manzanita for mine.  If you have a carpeting plant on the bottom as well know they will likely be digging around, but they love to graze on surfaces and hunt around.

Pandas specifically enjoy cooler tanks, 74 is where I keep mine.

They like worms, brine shrimp (frozen stuff sinks to the bottom), vibra bites, spirulina wafers, sinking pellets, normal flake food, spirulina flake, repashy, and pretty much anything you want to give them. Just make sure to mix the protien and the spirulina in their diet. When they are "happy" you'll be able to see their armor plating and coloration very clearly.

[Brandon p]

Corys do well on a lot of substrates. As long as it’s not rough. Smooth gravel if you can run your fingers over it and it’s smooth it good. I like mid sized river rock. More people have Corys than have sand tanks..

[nabokovfan87]

Moss balls would be perfect for them, especially in a 10G just make sure you don't have any contaminated ones.

 

This gives you an idea on how "fine" of a gravel they enjoy. Sand of course, but stuff like this or around this size is just fine.

Edited April 11, 2022 by nabokovfan87

[Henry the fish keeper]

Tysm everyone for your help! 

[nabokovfan87]

 

[Beardedbillygoat1975]

Welcome to the club! Woot. Love pandas so much I started the club @nabokovfan87put the link to. 

Great advice above. Another substrate I have had them happy on is any of the aquasoils like stratum, amazonia or my fave due to no ammonia Brightwell Rio Oscuro.  They love worms and protein rich foods, pandas don't like it hot, they are more low to mid 70s fish. They like wood, plant cover and big groups to make them feel safe. I would say if they are going to be on their own in a 10 g you could put 7 in there. If you are putting a sizeable group of a schooling fish then keep it at 5. Now they may hide a lot on you and this is because of numbers - the more the merrier with corys. In the wild they shoal in groups in the 100s so in their mind its never enough. 

Now I don't want to talk you out of my beloved pandas but you could have sufficient numbers of Pygmy or Habrosus corys in a 10 g you could have 12-20 and see the amazeballs way they just zoom around a tank. They are similar in coloration but they will often get into the mid-water and school with other fish. 

[nabokovfan87]

On 4/11/2022 at 3:02 PM, Beardedbillygoat1975 said:

Now I don't want to talk you out of my beloved pandas but you could have sufficient numbers of Pygmy or Habrosus corys in a 10 g you could have 12-20 and see the amazeballs way they just zoom around a tank. They are similar in coloration but they will often get into the mid-water and school with other fish. 

The best part is when you have "enough" and there is enough room and the fish form off in little parties to explore different parts of the tank. You get to see the way they function socially when you have them in a larger space!