recommend 5 more otto catfish 
best in schools!
best in schools!
Pygmy Cory stocking questions.
My LFS finally got my Pygmy Cories in and they have 12 available.
I'd like to take all of them but I'm concerned it might be too many?
20 long
Parameters are consistently 0,0,<5 (I need some shrimp safe ferts)
Aquaneat 200 gph Hob with ceramic bio media and a 60gph power head attached to a very well established double sponge.
Lots of fast growing plants, my dwarf four leaf clover carpet is finally taking off.....and some stubborn algae.
7 Boraras maculatus
6 corydoras pygmaeus
20 ish Cherry shrimp
1 oto
1 nerite
Bajillion pest snails I pick out daily for my dwarf puffers
AQadvisor puts me at 75% stocked with all 18 Cories but I'm still worried I'd be pushing it.
I'd like to take all of them but I'm concerned it might be too many?
20 long
Parameters are consistently 0,0,<5 (I need some shrimp safe ferts)
Aquaneat 200 gph Hob with ceramic bio media and a 60gph power head attached to a very well established double sponge.
Lots of fast growing plants, my dwarf four leaf clover carpet is finally taking off.....and some stubborn algae.
7 Boraras maculatus
6 corydoras pygmaeus
20 ish Cherry shrimp
1 oto
1 nerite
Bajillion pest snails I pick out daily for my dwarf puffers
AQadvisor puts me at 75% stocked with all 18 Cories but I'm still worried I'd be pushing it.
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I think you should be fine if that's what you want. Personally I would not get so many and save a little room for some other cool fish. Chances are down the road you will find something else you really want, if you don't have something in mind already. I know that's happened to me. I like to have a good variety of fishes though. It just comes down to personal preference really.
I prefer having more of one type, so I would go with it! 18 pygmy corys will look beautiful together. Some more ottos wouldn't be bad too. Probably with no problems you could add both. Get those corys and get 5-10 ottos, worst case - you will have to do a little bigger water changes ;-)
I'd get them and some more otos. Turn your lights up or leave them on longer to grow some algae. The otos and shrimp eat algae. I was leaving my light on for 10-12 hours for my shrimp tank and didn't feed them. They would graze on algae all day. Aqadvisor is on the SAFE side by the way. If they say 100%, it could be closer to 75% for a dedicate/experienced fish keeper. You can stock up to 130-150% if you do weekly, appropriate, water changes.
I ended up getting all 12 as well as 3 more Otos and some Endlers to act as dithers in my CPD tank downstairs.
I started with 5 Otos a few months ago and only one survived, but these little guys look good so fingers crossed.
The algae in this tank is some kind of thready stuff Stuff that nothing but my SAE touches. I've been dropping hardscape and Anubias in my big tank to get cleaned and trimming as much as possible from other plants.
Excel isn't doing much but I did switch from yeast to Baking soda/citric acid which should stay steadier.
I also didn't quarantine them, which is risky but I wanted them to go straight to an established tank with plenty to eat and I have a female betta in recovery from an air filter outflow mishap in my 5.5.
Bump:
I started with 5 Otos a few months ago and only one survived, but these little guys look good so fingers crossed.
The algae in this tank is some kind of thready stuff Stuff that nothing but my SAE touches. I've been dropping hardscape and Anubias in my big tank to get cleaned and trimming as much as possible from other plants.
Excel isn't doing much but I did switch from yeast to Baking soda/citric acid which should stay steadier.
I also didn't quarantine them, which is risky but I wanted them to go straight to an established tank with plenty to eat and I have a female betta in recovery from an air filter outflow mishap in my 5.5.
Bump:
They live between my fancy goldfish and dwarf puffers, so they get 25% or so twice a week because why not, the puffers and goldfish get 50-80% twice a week.I'd get them and some more otos. Turn your lights up or leave them on longer to grow some algae. The otos and shrimp eat algae. I was leaving my light on for 10-12 hours for my shrimp tank and didn't feed them. They would graze on algae all day. Aqadvisor is on the SAFE side by the way. If they say 100%, it could be closer to 75% for a dedicate/experienced fish keeper. You can stock up to 130-150% if you do weekly, appropriate, water changes.
You always seem to lose some Otos. 2 lasted out of the 6 I bought last time. Good Luck
I love Corycats. I have 7, long story short, two of them are like 2+ years old and 2½" long and they're still fun to watch. Nothing like watching corycats buzzing around a tank. They're the coolest little fish and have a ton of personality. I would have done what you did and picked up all of them as well since you the room.I ended up getting all 12 as well as 3 more Otos and some Endlers to act as dithers in my CPD tank downstairs.
I started with 5 Otos a few months ago and only one survived, but these little guys look good so fingers crossed.
The algae in this tank is some kind of thready stuff Stuff that nothing but my SAE touches. I've been dropping hardscape and Anubias in my big tank to get cleaned and trimming as much as possible from other plants.
Excel isn't doing much but I did switch from yeast to Baking soda/citric acid which should stay steadier.
I also didn't quarantine them, which is risky but I wanted them to go straight to an established tank with plenty to eat and I have a female betta in recovery from an air filter outflow mishap in my 5.5.
Bump:
They live between my fancy goldfish and dwarf puffers, so they get 25% or so twice a week because why not, the puffers and goldfish get 50-80% twice a week.
Take a pic when you a change or make a video clip and share it with us.
DD
Just put a bowl or ice cream tub full of water outside in the sun. You put rocks in, to grow algae and then just keep rotating them between the tank and bowl. I had like 40 long fin peppered cory's in a 12 gal tank overnight last night, as today was LFS drop off day. Was quite a sight.
Glad you went with the additional pygmy corys. One of my favorites!
I now have 18 Cories I don't see, they found the existing crew in their corner hideout and promptly settled down with them.I love Corycats. I have 7, long story short, two of them are like 2+ years old and 2½" long and they're still fun to watch. Nothing like watching corycats buzzing around a tank. They're the coolest little fish and have a ton of personality. I would have done what you did and picked up all of them as well since you the room.
Take a pic when you a change or make a video clip and share it with us.
DD
Hopefully they get settled in and start coming out more.
Bump:
This tank has plenty of algae, so frustrating!Just put a bowl or ice cream tub full of water outside in the sun. You put rocks in, to grow algae and then just keep rotating them between the tank and bowl. I had like 40 long fin peppered cory's in a 12 gal tank overnight last night, as today was LFS drop off day. Was quite a sight.
If you really want something that eats algae, then the best thing, that I know of, as Plecos and Corycats don't really eat algae, is a Chinese Algae eater. But they actually get pretty big and nasty I have heard and will eat smaller fish, although I don't know of too many fish that can kill a Corycat without themselves getting severely injured as Corycats barbs are nasty. I mean, I have seen fish kill corycats, but they can't very well eat them without some sort of injury or even death as a result. I've heard of Oscars trying to eat Corycats and then afterwards death occurs because of the barbs ingested. I've seen dead Corycats in my tanks from larger fish in the past but after a while they learned their lesson and I think I lost like two sacrificial corycats that died for the cause which resulted in the remainder of the corycats living a long life. If you have small fish though, that are like 1-2" the Chinese Algae eater may kill them?I now have 18 Cories I don't see, they found the existing crew in their corner hideout and promptly settled down with them.
Hopefully they get settled in and start coming out more.
Bump:
This tank has plenty of algae, so frustrating!
A little algae is always part of even the healthiest waterbodies in nature.
Corys are normally pretty shy for a few days when moved to a new tank.
But even my pond raised corys mellow out within a week.
Your fish will feel more secure as the plants fill in.
PS Corys are very fragile when small, I lost a bunch of cory fry when I put them in a swordtail and platy fry tank. They got pecked to death and eaten.
Corys are normally pretty shy for a few days when moved to a new tank.
But even my pond raised corys mellow out within a week.
Your fish will feel more secure as the plants fill in.
PS Corys are very fragile when small, I lost a bunch of cory fry when I put them in a swordtail and platy fry tank. They got pecked to death and eaten.
My bristlenose combined with 3 SAE keep my 60 pristine, the Kribs and red tail shark help some too.If you really want something that eats algae, then the best thing, that I know of, as Plecos and Corycats don't really eat algae, is a Chinese Algae eater. But they actually get pretty big and nasty I have heard and will eat smaller fish, although I don't know of too many fish that can kill a Corycat without themselves getting severely injured as Corycats barbs are nasty. I mean, I have seen fish kill corycats, but they can't very well eat them without some sort of injury or even death as a result. I've heard of Oscars trying to eat Corycats and then afterwards death occurs because of the barbs ingested. I've seen dead Corycats in my tanks from larger fish in the past but after a while they learned their lesson and I think I lost like two sacrificial corycats that died for the cause which resulted in the remainder of the corycats living a long life. If you have small fish though, that are like 1-2" the Chinese Algae eater may kill them?
I've considered getting another SAE and growing him out in this tank, but I have a growing colony of red cherry shrimp and I'm worried they would get eaten.
My LFS finally got my Pygmy Cories in and they have 12 available.
I'd like to take all of them but I'm concerned it might be too many?
We have about 25+ corydoras pygmaeus in a 24x24x24cube with glass fish and farlowella cats.
If luck strikes, the cory cats eventually will school.
Those 25+ pygmys were in two other different tanks for a while and did not school yet, so be patient.
My zebra otos seem to live longer than the common otos. I'm not sure if others have the same experience. They are significantly larger and have nice striped markings (I keep 5 in a 40g). The downfall is their high price, but it's worth it if they hang around for awhile.
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