Sterbai Cory vs Orange Laser Corys

[mynameisnobody]

Hello all,

I have the opportunity to purchase 12 Sterbai Corys or 6 Orange Laser Corys, both at the same price. I absolutely love the lasers, however I also dig me some sterbai’s. They would be going into a 75. I’m leaning a bit towards the Sterbai’s because of the quantity, however I am curious what you folks would do if presented with the same situation. Thank you 

[DSH OUTDOORS]

Clearly the answer is to buy another tank and get both!!!!

If you are a normal person, unlike me, and cannot set up another tank then I would look at the slight differences in what they prefer for water parameters and match those to your location or the other fish you plan to keep.

[MN-AQUARIST]

In my experience with both species sterbai tend to be more out going,  but to be fair my lasers are wild caught so that might play into it. Tank raised lasers might be just as outgoing.  You will also likely see more social behavior from the larger group of fish. 

[mynameisnobody]

@DSH OUTDOORSHahahaha I already thought about getting another aquarium, however this 75 that I’m filling is brand new. I have everything set up for it. So far, I have 12 Alleni Wapoga Rainbows in the aquarium (which weren’t cheap), and after adding some Corys and possibly 6 Roseline Sharks, then this aquarium will be finished. Hence, setting up another aquarium isn’t an option until I complete this one. I have plenty of room, but I am very detailed when it comes to finishing an aquarium and starting up another. I could possibly add the “other” Corys to another aquarium down the road, but definitely will only be purchasing 1 of the 2. As for water parameters, I live in Florida which has hard water, however both sets of Corys are captive bred a few miles from my home. Thank you for the input dude

[mynameisnobody]

@MN-AQUARISTthats what I was thinking. I much rather have all the subtle behaviors of a larger school, it’s just a tough one because the orange and green lasers are my favorites. Thank you for your input

[MN-AQUARIST]

Lasers are great,  I'm in the process of raising my first spawn of them. Hopefully the F1's will be more outgoing in my tanks.  

[mynameisnobody]

@MN-AQUARIST that is fascinating. I hope it all works out for you and if you ever get an abundance of lasers and have no where to put them, I will gladly lend a helping hand and take them off your hands. 😎 Thank you kindly dude and good luck to you. 

[CorydorasEthan]

Corydoras sterbai will grow slightly longer, taller, and wider than the gold lasers (Corydoras aeneus). They will fill up the aquarium much better, and will be far more active, since they are in a larger group. On the other hand, the gold lasers are quite a rarity, and if they could be bred in their new home, you could create quite a display on the bottom level of the aquarium. Honestly, I would go for the lasers, and maybe add the sterbais later if you really wanted them, as they are more common and easy to find. Of course, the other fish you are stocking the aquarium with also play a big role in your choice. I've noticed in large community aquariums with lots of larger schooling fish (like rainbowfish and the roseline sharks), the Corydoras tend to hide away more than if there were large schools of smaller fish like tetras, rasboras, and smaller barbs. So based on the stocking plan, Corydoras sterbai might be your best bet, as since they are in larger numbers, they will be active and out in the open a lot more. Anyway, I hope this helps, and good luck!

[mynameisnobody]

@CorydorasEthan Dude thank you for the brilliant reply. I knew if I posed the question here, I’d get some excellent input. I will most likely go for the Sterbai’s. I think it may be best to purchase the lasers when I can afford at least a dozen. I normally only buy fish with a minimum of a dozen and the idea of buying only 6 was kind of messing with my head. Thanks again dude and you have helped tremendously 

[Andy's Fish Den]

21 hours ago, DSH OUTDOORS said:

Clearly the answer is to buy another tank and get both!!!!

This here is the correct answer! 🙂

[anewbie]

I also have both laser and sterbai (two different tanks); like @MN-AQUARISTI would agree the sterbai tend to be more out going but i wouldn't call them out going. My orange lasers mostly come out during feeding time but during the day i never see them (but i know where to find them). The other thing is the sterbai are more tolerant of warmer temps. You didn't mention the tank condition or temp but sterbai are a favorite of people with fishes that require warmer temps (rams, discus, ...) since they can tolerate these conditions better. I would never keep my orange lasers at 82 or 84....

[stowcenter93]

I would go with the Lasers, and that's strictly just a preference thing. I would say, which one looks cooler to you as an individual species and go with that. You said Lasers were your favorite and you are getting 6, so I think it's a no brainer.

[mynameisnobody]

@anewbie I do not heat my aquariums, but I cool my house constantly. I live in Florida so there’s not much need for heat, but definitely for the A/C. The house is usually anywhere from 75-78, which kicks the aquariums closer to 79.5-80 with the lights on. Thank you for that input.

@stowcenter93 I agree with your reply fully, however after all things considered, I may go with the Sterbai’s and just wait until I can purchase at least an even dozen of the lasers. My biggest issue with the lasers was the idea of getting only 6, when I habitually only purchase a minimum of 12 of basically anything I keep. Thank you for your input as likability is the most important factor.