Anyone tried keeping cories (panda, sterbai, etc) in coolwater?

[Haif]

I've been toying with the idea of adding cories to a coolwater tank that I'm planning, have my eye on the common species cause I like how they look.

Just wondering if anyone has done it, how well they do long-term at about 60-65f.

[Scapexghost]

Peppered cory is the cool water one but that might still be to cold for them. It is pretty difficult to even keep a tank at 60° unless room temperature is in the 50s. What kind of fish are you keeping that need those kinds of temperatures?

[nabokovfan87]

Mine have been in the mid 60's.

During the winter here it's about... just above freezing and pretty often the tank air temp is high 50's-low 60's, lower at night.

On 5/14/2022 at 8:34 PM, Haif said:

I've been toying with the idea of adding cories to a coolwater tank that I'm planning, have my eye on the common species cause I like how they look.

what is in the tank now?  I had pandas, borneo loaches, a few other cooler water species.

[Haif]

On 5/15/2022 at 1:57 AM, nabokovfan87 said:

Mine have been in the mid 60's.

During the winter here it's about... just above freezing and pretty often the tank air temp is high 50's-low 60's, lower at night.

what is in the tank now?  I had pandas, borneo loaches, a few other cooler water species.

Thanks for the reply! I knew there had to be at least one other fish nerd who was willing to experiment with cories in cooler tanks.

Right now its panda loaches, CPDs and stiphodons.

During the winter the tank fluctuates between 65 during the day and 60 at night. Now that its spring the temperature is starting to hold at around the 68-70 mark, and water temps will hold at around 75ish during the summer.

Out of curiosity, have you tried any other amazon species? If cories can handle constant 50-60 degree water, it only makes sense that many of our common tetras should be able to do the same (I've kinda been eyeing hummingbird tetras)

On 5/15/2022 at 12:24 AM, Scapexghost said:

Peppered cory is the cool water one but that might still be to cold for them. It is pretty difficult to even keep a tank at 60° unless room temperature is in the 50s. What kind of fish are you keeping that need those kinds of temperatures?

I'm not keeping anything that actually needs lower temperatures, but I like cooler tanks because 1) I save on the electric bill by not running a heater, and 2) I find cooler temps help with my plants a TON because the water holds on to dissolved gasses better (including co2) and I just get really nice, robust growth that looks like it was grown with co2 injection despite not using co2.

Plus, I like to think that my fish appreciate the boosted oxygen levels.

Edited May 16, 2022 by Haif

[nabokovfan87]

On 5/15/2022 at 5:35 PM, Haif said:

During the winter the tank fluctuates between 65 during the day and 60 at night. Now that its spring the temperature is starting to hold at around the 68-70 mark, and water temps will hold at around 75ish during the summer.

You can "get away with it" in a deeper tank. The surface temp on the surface might be slightly different than the temperature on the bottom. Typically you're going to see a lot of fish hanging out on the bottom anyways.

But, if the tank itself is in the 60s I'd end up adding a heater in the tank to try to get it up to 70 as a base.  During the summer, temp sounds perfect. This might help you out.

 

On 5/15/2022 at 5:35 PM, Haif said:

Out of curiosity, have you tried any other amazon species? If cories can handle constant 50-60 degree water, it only makes sense that many of our common tetras should be able to do the same

The big thing is going to be mountain / river species and others that enjoy high oxygenation and flow usually can handle cooler water.

[mountaintoppufferkeeper]

On 5/14/2022 at 9:34 PM, Haif said:

I've been toying with the idea of adding cories to a coolwater tank that I'm planning, have my eye on the common species cause I like how they look.

Just wondering if anyone has done it, how well they do long-term at about 60-65f.

For that setup I would be more comfortable with panda loaches etc but If a corydoras was the decision I would look at the corys who are found in rivers with colder water and coastal drainages for the better cory chances long term.

Corydoras trilineatus, Corydoras paleatus, Scleromystax barbatus, etc. In my tanks, normally, the colder they get the slower the metabolism, the slower the growth, and the more they are just trying to survive than to live.

Any of the wild caught catfish species from coastal drainages in Uraguay or Brazil could see to 65⁰ for months at a time depending on where they are found in nature. Parts of the Capivari River in Brazil, where some aquarium catfish have been found, can run 68⁰ for long periods in cold months and occasionally have gone down as low as 13 celcius / 55.4⁰ in the coldest months. Id guess many species could deal with the colder temps but they would be happier and longer lived at 65⁰-72⁰ range than the 60⁰ and below. 

I have been growing my colony of F1 Scleromystax baianinho II (C112) at 72⁰ normally and occasionally have longer runs at 68⁰ in the winter. They are more active at 72⁰ that 68⁰ and most active at 74⁰ for me 

I attempted growing out 15 F2 Corydoras sterbai at 70-72⁰ with clown killes but they were less active. I run them at 74⁰-75⁰ now and they actively hunt the substrate. 

[Cinnebuns]

On 5/15/2022 at 2:57 AM, nabokovfan87 said:

I had pandas

Forgive me cause my ADHD is hitting hard right now so my reading comprehension is horrible, but did you say you kept panda cories in the mid 60s?  If so I might wanna private message you about that so I don't hijack the thread but I have follow up questions. 

[Flumpweesel]

I kept Corydoras paleatus (peppered) with my goldfish but I did use a heater to ensure the water didn't drop below 21C (I believe thats 69F) they were happy and bred in there. 

[nabokovfan87]

On 6/8/2022 at 6:54 AM, Cinnebuns said:

Forgive me cause my ADHD is hitting hard right now so my reading comprehension is horrible, but did you say you kept panda cories in the mid 60s?  If so I might wanna private message you about that so I don't hijack the thread but I have follow up questions. 

Yes. I was also running two heaters, couldn't keep the tank warm enough.  I have new equipment now to handle the load, but it gets VERY COLD in the winter here and VERY HOT in the summer here.

On 6/8/2022 at 7:12 AM, Flumpweesel said:

I kept Corydoras paleatus (peppered) with my goldfish but I did use a heater to ensure the water didn't drop below 21C (I believe thats 69F) they were happy and bred in there. 

Agreed.